Soul School: Taking Kids on a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture by Amber O'Neal Johnston

Author:Amber O'Neal Johnston [Johnston, Amber O'Neal]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2025-01-28T00:00:00+00:00

The No. 1 Car Spotter

Written by Atinuke

Illustrated by Warwick Johnson Cadwell

“In the days when this village was full of men we would have cut a tree, planed the wood and fixed the cart. It is the village that has become useless. Not the man!”

This lighthearted chapter book is about a fictional boy named Oluwalase Babatunde Benson, who lives in a rural African village. He’s known as the No. 1 car spotter because he can identify every vehicle that travels past his village, even when they’re far off in the distance. Oluwalase is a resourceful problem solver who is always ready to lend a helping hand to his family and others. In this first book in the series, his ingenious idea helps his village get goods to market after their cart breaks. The author includes intergenerational connections as No. 1 spends plenty of time under the iroko tree with his grandfather and helps his sick grandmother get the care she needs. The heartfelt story also highlights cooperative living and strategic thinking as No. 1 finds clever solutions to problems that initially seem impossible.

Why I chose this book: I generally prefer books that center on a single African country rather than referring to the entire continent, but Atinuke’s books are an exception. In an interview, the Nigerian author explained that she wants readers to understand that her characters could exist in many African countries because the plots set amid loving nuclear and extended families and friends are not unique to just one area. An intelligent Black boy experiences the relatable stories of mishaps and adventures in a safe and caring community. I appreciate the contemporary African setting and the positive messages throughout the storyline. Though it’s clear that the families in his village don’t have many material possessions, this is not a story of financial poverty. Instead, the focus is on the richness of relationships and how they overcome obstacles together. These stories are funny (there’s no way to read them without regularly cracking a smile!), but they introduce children to important issues along the way.

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