Zahra and Coco wins American Children’s Book Award

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Award is presented by Michigan, United States of America-based Jenkins Group and Independent Publisher magazine to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. Zahra and Coco Alphabet is one in the Zahra and Coco series of specially illustrated books designed […]

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Award is presented by Michigan, United States of America-based Jenkins Group and Independent Publisher magazine to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading.

Zahra and Coco Alphabet is one in the Zahra and Coco series of specially illustrated books designed for three- to four-year-olds written by Fatima Akilu and illustrated by Mustapha Bulama. Other books in the series are Zahra and Coco Numbers, Colours and Objects.

A statement made available by Mockingbird Books, publishers of the series, indicated that another book from the author, Ashraf the Flying Saucer, got honorary mention at both the London and New York book festivals. The company said it “specialises in the production of good quality inexpensive books for children aged three to ten that cover universal themes, but are written by Nigerians”.

Speaking on the award, the author of the book, Dr. Fatima Akilu, said though she was happy, she still felt something was missing. “My children’s books are being recognised abroad while, sadly, the Nigerian children’s book market suffers inactivity. I wrote those books with the Nigerian child in mind, but how many parents give their children books as birthday gifts? How do we nurture life-long readers when we don’t expose children to reading early in life? Some people don’t even know that good inexpensive books for kids are published in Nigeria.”

Created in 2007, the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award attracts thousands of entries from publishers and authors both within and outside the United States yearly. This year’s awards presentation holds on November 10.