Why does Amadi’s mother insist he learn to read words? Why should an Igbo boy of Nigeria, who will become a great trader, waste precious time on books? When he runs off to the market instead of sticking around for a reading lesson, he encounters a much-admired older boy secretly reading at a book stall, and then Amadi becomes intrigued by a storybook with pictures of a strange white creature that has a carrot for a nose. Unable to shake his questions about the snowman, Amadi discovers the vast world reading can open up―especially for an Igbo boy of Nigeria. "Amadi’s experiences are genuine and come across naturally in the narrative. The vibrant illustrations depict the setting and bring richness and depth to the story." ― School Library Journal "Children will enjoy reading about Amadi’s life in the village, depicted in the earth-toned, intimate scenes. It’s a nice reversal that young children will be able to grasp―what looks exotic and faraway to one person is a place where someone else lives." ― Booklist "This tale shines a welcome light on cultural differences." ― Kirkus "A beautiful tribute to the power of reading." ― Andrea Davis Pinkney, Coretta Scott King Book Award winner Why does Amadi's mother insist he learn to read words when he is going to be a great businessman? Why should an Igbo man of Nigeria waste precious time on books, anyway? "Amadi's Snowman is a beautiful tribute to the power of reading and one boy's journey of self-discovery through books. Dimetrea Tokunbo's evocative illustrations underscore the loving interchange between a mother and son. The richly hued paintings invite us to enjoy Nigeria's many splendors and provide the perfect stage for Katia Novet Saint-Lot's imaginative story" -- Andrea Davis Pinkney, winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America ""Amadi's Snowman" is a beautiful tribute to the power of reading and one boy's journey of self-discovery through books. Dimetrea Tokunbo's evocative illustrations underscore the loving interchange between a mother and son. The richly hued paintings invite us to enjoy Nigeria's many splendors and provide the perfect stage for Katia Novet Saint-Lot's imaginative story" -- Andrea Davis Pinkney, winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award for "Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America" Katia Novet Saint-Lot was born in Paris, France, to a Spanish mother and a French father. She has since lived in the UK, the USA, Nigeria, and India, and has traveled to many places around the world. She now lives in India with her husband and two daughters. A literary translator by trade, she tries to find as much time as possible to write the stories that her expatriate life and the experiences of her Third Culture Kids (children who grow up in cultures different from those of their parents) inspire in her. Dimitrea Tokunbo brings to life the day-to-day experiences of life in Nigeria, where her father grew up. “I want to represent the beauty of all children. I feel that growing up biracial, having a direct connection to two different cultures in the American context, gives my art a spirit and spark that speaks to the children who were overlooked when I was a child.” Dimitrea’s children’s books include Sidewalk Chalk: Poems of the City, Has Anybody Lost a Glove?, Together, and The Sound of Kwanzaa. Dimitrea lives in New York City with her two daughters.