Mama’s Sleeping Scarf

Every night before bed, Chino’s mama wraps her head in a silky scarf to keep her hair protected and soft. When Chino is sad that Mama is heading off to work the next day, Mama agrees to let Chino play with her sleeping scarf until she returns.  

Mama’s sleeping scarf becomes an object of magic and whimsy in Chino’s imaginative play. First, it’s a blanket for her bunny as they play doctors and then she takes the scarf outside where she joins Grandpa on his stroll around the garden. Later, Grandma helps Chino tie the scarf around her head and now she looks just like Mama! 

In her children’s book debut, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (writing as Nwa Grace-James) presents a gorgeous picture book filled with childhood imagination, sweet family moments, and a very silly stuffed bunny!  

Little readers will enjoy exploring Chino’s fun-filled day as she plays with her mama’s headscarf and her toy bunny – who has a voice only Chino can hear. Exquisitely written with compelling simplicity, this is a heartfelt homage to family love. 

Avelino’s vibrant and contemporary illustrations depict a joyful intergenerational family with a mix of hairstyles, hair colours and skin tones – a true reflection of the diversity within the black community. Her use of bright oranges, yellows, pinks and greens feel welcoming and reminiscent of an African household.