WRAP IT IN A SIGH

The hand-cut and painted paper collages Oge Mora 16 IL pieced together for Thank You, Omu!—her first picture book—exude a warmth that perfectly conveys the heartfelt gratitude in the title. 

Just released today (October 2) by Little, Brown Young Readers, the book for preschoolers is a tribute to Mora’s late grandmother, a big-hearted Nigerian who “danced and swayed… to the radio” when she cooked—and always found room at the table for family, friends, neighbors and unexpected guests.

Pronounced AH-moo, “Omu” is the Igbo word for “queen.” And for Mora, it was her family’s name for “grandma.” 

These days the Providence-based illustrator still recognizes her grandmother’s “giving heart” in her own mother and the “countless other powerful women who have shaped my life,” as she puts it in her author’s notes. “This book is a celebration of their loving, giving spirit.” 

So far reviewers are feeling it. Kirkus calls Thank You, Omu! “delectable,” while Publisher’s Weekly heralds Mora as “a major new talent” whose “sweet story of inclusivity, gratitude and delicious fellowship is also a feast for the eyes.”