The Adventures of Super Obi: Nothing to Fear follows a little boy afraid of the dark and monsters and how he overcomes this fear. What was the inspiration for your story?

Super Obi is modeled after my first-born son, Obinna Okonkwo. I am Haitian-American, and Obi’s father is Nigerian. I also have two other children with loads of personalities. My son and all our wild family adventures are the inspiration for this book. Obinna carried his yellow blankie with him as a young child for comfort and courage. When tied around his neck as a cape, Obi’s blankie gives him the strength and courage to conquer his fears and anxieties. He also had a hard time going to bed some nights when he was younger. I have written this book for all types of families, like mine, looking for stories that are not only entertaining but portray multicultural families and focus on morals based on biblical teaching.

The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Mariana Hnatenko?

Thank you so much! It was important to me that the book illustrations be as expressive and entertaining as possible, given the book’s theme. When sending over my manuscript to Mariana, I paginated my manuscript so that she understood exactly how my characters were feeling and what I wanted to be portrayed on each page of the book. I wanted the illustrations to show the story as much as the text does equally. Once I approved each page or spread, Mariana would move on to the next. She would often get the illustrations right with very little additional feedback from me. It was a joy working with her!

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

As a mom of 3, I know what stories my children love best. They like to be in suspense, use their imagination, and be inspired. These are all concepts I included in this first book of the series, “The Adventures of Super Obi.” The book theme, “Nothing to Fear,” is meant to assure children that sometimes their imagination may get the best of them, and life can get scary. But no matter the circumstance, they can be brave and overcome their fears by tapping into their superpower. I believe that ALL children are super in their way; we need to remind them of this.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I am working on introducing books number 2 and 3 in this Super Obi series. The Activity & Coloring book accompanying “Nothing to Fear” is about 80% done, and book #3 is already written and edited. Both books are pending the safety and availability of my illustrator, who currently resides in Ukraine. Because of Russia’s invasion, my illustrator and her team have been busy dealing with their personal lives. Although I would like to have the series complete this year, I have no timelines as I wait and pray for this war to be over and that lives and families as spared.

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