Mama’s Sleeping Scarf
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; illus. by Joelle Avelino
Preschool    Knopf    32 pp.
9/23    9780593535578    $18.99
Library ed.  9780593801222    $21.99
e-book ed.  9780593537961    $8.99
Spanish ed.  9788448865993    $18.95

In this warm tale of family, particularly the bond between mother and daughter, young Chino observes, “Every night before bed, Mama ties her scarf around her head. To keep her hair all soft and nice.” Chino loves Mama’s silky scarf, with its big red circles and little blue circles, and she is delighted when Mama lets her play with it while she is at work. Chino shows her toy bunny (who talks back “in her secret voice”) all the wonderful things that it can do: the scarf is a blanket for Bunny, it’s used for exercise in the backyard with Grandpa, and it’s a hiding spot for peekaboo with Grandma. When Mama comes home, she allows Chino to wear the scarf (which, at the dinner table, even helps Papa convince the girl to try her vegetables) until it is time for her to go to bed. While Mama’s patterned scarf is the focus, Avelino has incorporated bright shapes and patterns throughout the house and on the family members’ clothing. In her picture-book debut, acclaimed adult author Adichie (here “writing as Nwa Grace-James”) has incorporated upbeat interactions with every member of Chino’s family as they engage her in imaginative play. As a result, she is confident as she “parents” Bunny throughout the day and into the evening. The Spanish edition, El pañuelo de mamá, will be published in February 2024.

From the January/February 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.