Mayen’s Heading Home — Come Along for the Ride

Welcome to the adventure in “Mayen and the Unexpected Gift.”

On June 14th, I’m publishing my first children’s book. Writing that sentence took longer than writing the book. Selah

So, roll the windows down and let’s go. Mayen’s story is wrapped up, her bags are packed, and the road to her village is wide open — and this time, your little ones (Ages 6-10) are riding shotgun into a story that celebrates culture, community, and kindness.
This experience isn’t just for Mayen; it’s theirs now, too. Plans changed for Mayen when her parents told her, a girl used to city life and her posh friends, that they would be going to her small village in Eastern Nigeria for her eighth birthday and to visit family. Wait. Say what?
New here? Get caught up on our girl “Mayen and the Unexpected Gift” in my last blog post.

Here’s the thing about a good story: it doesn’t actually end on the last page. It continues when a child looks up, eyes bright, and asks, “Can we do that again?”  That question — that itch to stay a little longer in a world they loved, the question that often tested my patience when reading a book a zillion times with full sound effects — is exactly what we built the Mayen Creative Series to address, adding more ways to expand the experience of Mayen’s world and ensure peace. I created two accompanying activity books (yeah, I did) – Mayen’s Village Drawing Book and Mayen’s Village Coloring Book, and I’m sharing a sample page from each companion book with you.

Fig. 1. Five steps for drawing a crown in teal and gold.

In the drawing book, they can learn how to draw the gele. It is an architectural Nigerian head wrap that sits like a glorious crown on a woman’s head. Nigerian weddings and parties are famous for their traditional outfits and regal style.

So imagine with me, a child who has watched his mom or aunties tie gele for outings and celebrations, actually building one, line by line — an oval, a wide band, a few folded shapes, a tall, proud peak — until a swirl of teal and gold rises off the page under their own small hand. And it isn’t just the gele.

They’ll learn to draw a talking drum and a calabash too, the everyday treasures of an African culture, taught the way the best things are always taught: slowly, joyfully, one step at a time. There’s something quietly powerful in that. A child who can draw a thing has, in some small way, claimed it. It belongs to them now.

Fig.2 Bags packed, road open, one flower hiding in plain sight. Ready when you are.

Then there’s the coloring book, where the real adventure rides shotgun. Bags strapped to the roof, road stretching out toward the skyline, your child colors their way alongside Mayen — through the village, down the open road, hunting for the treasures we’ve tucked into some pages. Find the hidden flower, one page whispers.

And just like that, a quiet afternoon turns into a treasure hunt, a crayon becomes a compass, and “I’m bored” becomes “wait — I found it!

It takes a village to raise a child – sometimes, a village fits inside a book.

Here’s what I love most, and it has nothing to do with crayons. These are home-evoking images — a gele, a calabash, a road that could be anywhere and somehow feels like somewhere specific. They don’t only keep small hands busy. They spark curiosity. What’s that drum for? Why is her scarf so tall? Where is the village — were you ever there, Mommy? The questions come, the stories come, and suddenly three generations are leaning over the same page. That conversation is the real gift that I want to share.

The Series comes as stand-alone books or as a set — and oh, imagine the set. Imagine it wrapped, handed to a child who didn’t know they’d been missing a piece of home until they colored it in.

Mayen and the Unexpected Gift lands on June 14th. Climb in. Buckle up. The good seats fill fast, and you do not want to be the family left behind when the rest of us have already hit the road.

Join the launch list to participate:

• Have you signed up on the Launch List yet?
  Consider this your engraved invitation. You will be notified once the book is live on various platforms.
• Share the post to grandparents, parents, friends, diaspora communities, educators, and curious readers seeking an authentic cultural experience.
• Connect with me on social media with thoughts, questions, and new ideas for Mayen!

C’mon…Let’s go home with Mayen.

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Mayen and the Unexpected Gift launches June 14th, 2026. To join the launch list, subscribe to my blog, or send me a message. To follow along with the journey, find me at @amadanesi on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.