About the AuthorAyo Oyeku is an award-winning Nigerian author and a Fellow of Ebedi International Writers Residency. His first children’s book, First among Equals, was selected by World Bank for distribution across libraries in Nigeria. His young adult novel Tears of the Lonely won the Ezenwa Ohaeto Award from the Society of Young Nigerian Writers. His poem “Reeds on the Rivers” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His works have also been shortlisted twice for the Golden Baobab Prize in the Early Chapters category. In 2019, he won the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) prize for Children’s Literature for his chapter book Mafoya and the Finish Line. What Happened on Thursday? is his US debut. Follow him online @ayo_oyeku.About the IllustratorLydia Mba is an Afro-Spanish illustrator and storyteller. She loves working with colors and textures to create art that celebrates diversity and tells stories. She attended ESDIP Art School in Madrid, Spain, earning a degree in illustration. She has had titles published in the United States and abroad. Her recent works include the picture book Dear Black Child, written by Rahma Rodaah, for which her work was an American Illustration 42 Winner, and the forthcoming title, Olu’s Teacher: A Story About Starting Preschool, written by Jamel C. Campbell. Learn more at lydiamba.com and follow her on Instagram @iamlydiamba.

“The language is often more poetic than descriptive but matches well with the evocative, colorful, full-page illustrations. The images do an excellent job of showing the noise, damage, and fear of war without being too graphic for children.” —Historical Novels Review“This is a great way to relate the history of the Nigerian Civil War on a child’s level of understanding…The moral of the story is that families can do hard things together, even in challenging times.” —Midwest Book Review“Lydia Mba’s sharp illustrations use both vibrant and dark pallettes, capturing the range of emotions and echoing Oyeku’s succinct yet often poetic text.” —World Kid Lit

About the AuthorAyo Oyeku is an award-winning Nigerian author and a Fellow of Ebedi International Writers Residency. His first children’s book, First among Equals, was selected by World Bank for distribution across libraries in Nigeria. His young adult novel Tears of the Lonely won the Ezenwa Ohaeto Award from the Society of Young Nigerian Writers. His poem “Reeds on the Rivers” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His works have also been shortlisted twice for the Golden Baobab Prize in the Early Chapters category. In 2019, he won the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) prize for Children’s Literature for his chapter book Mafoya and the Finish Line. What Happened on Thursday? is his US debut. Follow him online @ayo_oyeku.About the IllustratorLydia Mba is an Afro-Spanish illustrator and storyteller. She loves working with colors and textures to create art that celebrates diversity and tells stories. She attended ESDIP Art School in Madrid, Spain, earning a degree in illustration. She has had titles published in the United States and abroad. Her recent works include the picture book Dear Black Child, written by Rahma Rodaah, for which her work was an American Illustration 42 Winner, and the forthcoming title, Olu’s Teacher: A Story About Starting Preschool, written by Jamel C. Campbell. Learn more at lydiamba.com and follow her on Instagram @iamlydiamba.

“The language is often more poetic than descriptive but matches well with the evocative, colorful, full-page illustrations. The images do an excellent job of showing the noise, damage, and fear of war without being too graphic for children.” —Historical Novels Review“This is a great way to relate the history of the Nigerian Civil War on a child’s level of understanding…The moral of the story is that families can do hard things together, even in challenging times.” —Midwest Book Review“Lydia Mba’s sharp illustrations use both vibrant and dark pallettes, capturing the range of emotions and echoing Oyeku’s succinct yet often poetic text.” —World Kid Lit

About the AuthorAyo Oyeku is an award-winning Nigerian author and a Fellow of Ebedi International Writers Residency. His first children’s book, First among Equals, was selected by World Bank for distribution across libraries in Nigeria. His young adult novel Tears of the Lonely won the Ezenwa Ohaeto Award from the Society of Young Nigerian Writers. His poem “Reeds on the Rivers” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His works have also been shortlisted twice for the Golden Baobab Prize in the Early Chapters category. In 2019, he won the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) prize for Children’s Literature for his chapter book Mafoya and the Finish Line. What Happened on Thursday? is his US debut. Follow him online @ayo_oyeku.About the IllustratorLydia Mba is an Afro-Spanish illustrator and storyteller. She loves working with colors and textures to create art that celebrates diversity and tells stories. She attended ESDIP Art School in Madrid, Spain, earning a degree in illustration. She has had titles published in the United States and abroad. Her recent works include the picture book Dear Black Child, written by Rahma Rodaah, for which her work was an American Illustration 42 Winner, and the forthcoming title, Olu’s Teacher: A Story About Starting Preschool, written by Jamel C. Campbell. Learn more at lydiamba.com and follow her on Instagram @iamlydiamba.

“The language is often more poetic than descriptive but matches well with the evocative, colorful, full-page illustrations. The images do an excellent job of showing the noise, damage, and fear of war without being too graphic for children.” —Historical Novels Review“This is a great way to relate the history of the Nigerian Civil War on a child’s level of understanding…The moral of the story is that families can do hard things together, even in challenging times.” —Midwest Book Review“Lydia Mba’s sharp illustrations use both vibrant and dark pallettes, capturing the range of emotions and echoing Oyeku’s succinct yet often poetic text.” —World Kid Lit