Representation in Children’s Books: The Story Behind Ala Nna M
- nwanyiochaofficial
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
Long before Nnanyerugo was born, I was already carrying another kind of baby in my heart: a story. Ala Nna M is a children’s book rooted in Igbo culture, born out of the everyday experience of raising Black and mixed-race children in Zürich, Switzerland. I wrote it because I could not find any books that celebrated children who looked like mine, with their textured hair, brown skin, and bilingual lives. Stories that honour Igbo culture, identity, and belonging were simply missing from the shelves.
This became even more obvious during countless visits to the library with my older kids. They loved reading, but something was always missing. Stories where they could truly see themselves. And anytime we travelled to Nigeria, I hoped to find those missing books. But even there, the children's books were either too text-heavy, had basic or outdated illustrations, and lacked the kind of visual storytelling that captures a child’s imagination.
That was when I decided to create the book I could not find. A picture book that reflects the beauty of Igbo culture through the eyes of my own kids. A story that could sit proudly on a shelf in Zürich and in Enugu.
Ala Nna M was born out of a deep need: the need for representation, for belonging, for cultural pride. My kids, like so many others, move between cultures, languages, and continents. They deserve stories where they are the heroes. Where their names are pronounced correctly. Where their beauty is celebrated. Stories of ofe okwuru and masquerades. Of village holidays and mixed identities. Of joy, curiosity, and calling more than one place a home.
Finding the Right Illustrator
After writing the script, I knew the illustrations would make or break this book. I had clear images in my mind, but no talent to draw them. So in March 2021, I started looking for Nigerian Illustrators on my social media pages. Many talented artists replied, but one definitely stood out: Charisma Stanley (@sced.rick on Instagram). Charisma, was a Nigerian student in her final year at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in Imo State. She did not just have artistic skills. She brought cultural understanding, emotional depth, and a genuine connection to the story. Despite juggling her studies and facing unreliable electricity, she remained committed and professional throughout.
Luckily for me, Charisma had the gift of seeing beyond the scribbles. With patience and talent, she transformed my ideas into beautiful, culturally rich illustrations. Watching the images in my head come to life was deeply emotional.
Turning the Images in My Head into a Book
Once the illustrations were finished, I thought the hardest part was behind me. I was wrong.
I started looking for a publisher, but most European publishers would not accept Charisma’s work. They prefer script-only submissions and use their own illustrators for children’s books. But that was absolutely not what I wanted. The person drawing the images in my head had to understand the power of Igbo culture, must have tasted fried plantain, and felt the beauty of driving into the village during the Christmas Period.
Self-publishing became the best and only option.
But printing in bulk and managing shipping from Switzerland was not realistic, especially not with soon four children in the house. That was when I discovered Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Print-on-demand sounded perfect: no stock, no post office runs, and no storage issues. However, KDP came with its own challenges. Formatting gave me nightmares. Bleed, margins, and measurements in inches instead of centimetres sounded like learning a new language altogether. The furthest I had ever gone in formatting before that was changing the layout of a Word document from portrait to landscape, and now I had to do it all in Adobe Illustrator!
It took me hours of trial and error and plenty of YouTube tutorials before I got even close to where I wanted to be. And the Amazon preview tool tested my patience even further. I was highly pregnant with Nnanyerugo at the time, literally trying to finish before being admitted to the hospital. I remember sitting at the computer late at night, hoping the next upload would finally go through. (Yes, even with fast internet in Switzerland I was struggling. Let me not even imagine what this would have looked like had I tried it with my Glo or MTN network in Enugu.) While waiting for the preview to load, Amazon continued to suggest that I grab a coffee while waiting, but how many coffees can one person drink when nine months pregnant? And of course, as lucky as I was, I usually found the typos only after uploading was completed, which meant starting all over. Again. And again. But finally, after sweat, blood and tears, two days before Nnanyereugo was born, Ala Nna M was live on Amazon.
The Nigerian Publishing Challenge
But the story does not end there. Amazon does not print in Nigeria, and exchange rates and shipping costs are a nightmare for people living in Nigeria if the books are produced in the US or in Europe. But I really wanted it to make it accessible to the Nigerian Public. So against all advice, I partnered with a Nigerian publisher. They sent me high-quality sample books, and everything looked promising.
At first, things went well. The book was printed and distributed in several major cities in Nigeria and even reached Ghana. But financially, it was a disaster.
I only ever received one payment. A bulk sale of 200 books at a huge discount. After that: silence.
And let me make this clear, I did not write this book to get rich, but I also did not want to be taken advantage of. It broke my heart. After all the time, love, and energy I had poured into this project, for nothing to come back, I felt deeply discouraged. I stopped promoting the book altogether. I just could not talk about it anymore.
Reclaiming my Story
But when we were in Nigeria last year (read more about that here), I made a decision to reclaim my story. Now that Nnanyerugo has grown a bit, and life has settled into a new rhythm, I felt it was time to try again. I ordered all remaining copies and officially ended the collaboration with my Nigerian publisher. This year, with a clear vision and renewed energy, I reworked the layout, fixed the formatting, made a few edits, and relaunched Ala Nna M on Amazon. And yes it was another journey of struggling with Illustrator, KPD formats and margins. Redoing and reuploading every version, hardcover, softcover and e-book, was a huge task, especially for a mother of four like me. I even had to dedicate part of my holidays to get it done. But now, it is done and the book is finally ready again.
Where to Find the Book
If you are curious about how Chijioke, Ziora, and Uchenna experience travelling home to their father's land and embracing the beauty of Igbo culture, go get your copy of Ala Nna M. And because I want as many children as possible to have access to this story, the book is available in English, German, French, Spanish and Igbo. But of course, I am not fluent enough in Igbo to write a book alone. So from the beginning, I knew I would need support. For that, I owe a huge thank you to Maazi Ogbonnaya (Maazi Ogbonnaya Okoro | Facebook), who generously proofread the Igbo version and supported me from the earliest stages. His love for the Igbo language shines through in everything he does, and I feel incredibly honoured to have had his guidance.
For now, Ala Nna M is only available on Amazon (see also Books | Nwanyiocha), while I continue searching for a better and fairer way to distribute it in Nigeria. And who knows, if this relaunch goes well, I might just write another one. Because I am now very familiar with all the tools and I have so many more stories to share. So let's see how it goes.
P.S.: For the Nwanyiocha Insiders
Yes, Nnanyerugo (aka Obere Chief) is not in the book, because he was not born yet when I wrote it. He will definitely be in the next one if it comes.
A Quiet Note from the Heart
If you have been following our journey, you may recognise a familiar face in Ala Nna M: our beloved dog Brutus. Brutus was not just a pet. He was a true Igbo spirit in dog form. He loved yam, okpa di oku, and any kind of ofe. He responded to Igbo commands and embraced village life like a true Ekuke.
He lived with us in Iusofia until his final breath, and we buried him beneath the mango tree in our compound, under the same sky he loved to nap beneath. This post is lovingly dedicated to him. Brutus, you are forever part of this story.
Proverb of the week
“Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”
Meaning: It speaks to the power of storytelling and representation.
My song this week
Ayra Starr – Commas Because there is always a comma, never a full stop. The journey continues.
Have you come across children's books that reflect your culture or language? I would love to hear what stories your kids connect with — share in the comments!
Disclaimer
This blog is neither scientific research nor a social study. It is written with love and appreciation for the Igbo culture, from my personal perspective and lived experiences. Generalisations should be read with care. No truth is true for everyone. And most importantly, this blog is to be read with a smile and a pinch of salt (or pepper in this context).
