I Am YEG Arts: Onaolapo

Children’s book author Onaolapo is a lover of good stories. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, she spent her childhood filling notebooks with new stories full of humour, hope, and courage. As a lifelong storyteller, she has now penned and published four children’s books, three of which are also written in French. In this week’s I Am YEG Arts feature we chatted with Onaolapo about the narratives that drive her stories, the challenges and rewards of writing for younger audiences, and the exciting new venture of writing Young Adult (YA) fiction.

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton, and why you’ve made it your home and creative base. 

In May 2016 my family and I were part of the thousands of people that fled the Fort McMurray wildfire. It was devastating because we lost our house and most of what we owned, so coming to Edmonton, we had to start all over again. I guess a reset like that is an opportunity to stop and think about your life. I was already a mom of two kids at that time, I was married, and I had a job. It was a good point in time for me to reflect on who I was and what I wanted to do. I continued writing my blog and continued dreaming. Edmonton is such a beautiful place to dream and hope again, and that’s why we stayed, and I kept dreaming and kept writing. 

What’s one of the biggest professional risks you’ve taken, and how did it influence where you are today? 

During COVID in 2020 I was stuck at home with the kids. We had nothing to do and one of our favorite past times is to tell stories. I started telling stories, telling stories, telling stories. I decided I would like my books to be published. So, I sent my story to one publisher – now I know I should have sent it to more – and I didn’t hear back, and I was like, oh, whatever. I started thinking why don’t I just publish the book so that there’s some kind of legacy for my kids. So, I decided to self-publish the book Not So Thankful for Thanksgiving.

While releasing my first book, I had to go through all the processes of learning how to publish a book. What do publishers do? I learnt about all kinds of editors: the critique editor, the developmental editor, the line editor, the copy editor. And because I’m working on a children’s book, I had to learn about the different styles of illustration, so it was quite an intense process. I also knew that after going through all of this, I might end up not making any money. But I said, you’ll never know unless you try. So, I went all out, and released my next book, My Big Welcome, which was actually inspired by my daughter’s experience when we came to Edmonton. I got an illustrator that fit the style that I was thinking about, and I published the book. I got an overwhelming response to the book! People loved and identified with the book. I had a lot of school visits because of the book. Going all out made me who I am today, and now I have four books. I also have two animated book reading series. I’m excited that I did that, and it helped me become who I am right now. 

As a storyteller, what narrative or inspiration do you find yourself returning to in your stories?

One of my fondest memories growing up is our family’s Thursday night meetings. My dad is now a retired medical doctor, but back then he was so busy, and he never really had time to be at home with the kids. But on Thursday nights, Daddy was home early, and we always got treats; there were always drinks, cookies, snacks, and we got suya – this African smoked grilled beef on skewers. But the coolest thing for me was that dad told us stories, jokes, as well as riddles. His stories were like folk tales. Some of them were very just goofy and silly, but he was always weaving some moral into the story or telling some stop and think stories, so, I find myself returning to those kinds of stories. An example is in my book, My Little Trouble, which was inspired by both of my daughters. In the book one daughter is having a birthday party and she’s having a blast, and the other girl is almost ruining the party. However, at the end of the story, when they have a scavenger hunt, it is the little sister that helps them find the treasure. My Little Trouble is a story about patience, especially when life (or siblings) seems to throw things off course. I find myself returning to those kinds of stories time after time. 

You have experience writing in many different formats, so what drew you to children’s books? 

I started writing novels and poems; I love telling good stories. Then I became a mom. When we first moved to Edmonton, initially we had like a 30-minute commute to school and then when coming back home, the kids were restless, so I always told stories. Plus, I must confess, I love cartoons. Before I got married, I would come back from work to watch cartoons with my sister. That was my wind down time. So, it was an easy transition for me. I love the animations. I love the vivid characters. I love the simplicity of the stories. That’s basically what drew me to children’s books. 

What are some of the opportunities and challenges you’ve experienced in writing for a younger audience?

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to be invited to read my books in schools. That’s one of my favorite things to do. Lots of schools invite me during their read in week. One of the challenges I’ve experienced, because I am publishing my books myself, is going through the process and getting an illustrator that fits my creative style for certain books. For the Emilia’s Adventures series, it was so hard because I wanted that whimsical, modern feel and it was so hard [to find the right illustrator]. I did get an illustrator who is in the United Kingdom, but I’ve been looking for a local artist. I am working on another book, and I think I’ve found someone located in Canada that will be a good fit and I’m excited about that.

Tell us more about the work you do to inspire the next generation of readers and writers.

There was a year I was invited to read my book to the Genesis Online School (I don’t think it exists anymore) where it was a blend so that they were online some days they were in school some days. On one of the in-person days I was invited to read to the students, but this time around, they invited kids from grade one up to nine. That was amazing. I had all kinds of questions from the students. Being a mom from the BIPOC community, it’s exciting for kids to see people like them do the things I do. I remember reading once, the kids looked at me and said ​“you wrote that book? You look like me!” That was a beautiful experience. And then for the older kids, those little budding authors, they’re asking me what my creative process is like, how I get my ideas. And one of them asked me if I thought they could write a book, and I said if you have a story, go for it. Being able to read to kids, meet kids and share my experience with them, I can see a bright future generation of writers coming up in Edmonton.

In 2024, you received an Equity & Access Stream 2 grant from the EAC to pursue professional development to transition to writing a novel tailored to a young adult audience. Tell us more about how that funding has opened new doors for you as an author.

First of all, big thanks to the Edmonton Arts Council and the City of Edmonton for giving authors an opportunity to pursue their dreams. This has been an incredible opportunity for me. It’s one thing to have a dream, and it’s another thing to have people that support that dream. Like I mentioned, I started off writing novels when I was a teenager and I know it takes a lot of work to get a good book out, and that is my intention. Getting this grant has given me the opportunity to go back to my roots and find myself, but this time around I want to do it better. Getting the grant has helped me to get master classes and learn from people I would never have imagined sitting face to face with. This has helped me find my voice and I think that was the greatest thing for me. The novel I’m working on has a little bit of a science fiction dystopian twist. Now I’m learning how to build worlds. I’m learning how to make vivid characters. I’m learning how to explore my stories and to find my voice. It has been an incredible opportunity for me because I want to do it well. I want to do it right. One of the things that is also huge for me is that I’m learning how to do proper dialogue. This has opened me to so many opportunities and I’m just excited about it.

Tell us a little about what you’re currently working on or hoping to explore next.

Courtesy of the Equity & Access grant I received I am working on my YA book. I know it’s not going to be a short road. That’s what I’m working on and building at the moment, but otherwise it’s also actually a very busy year for me. This summer I’m planning on releasing book four in the Emilia’s Adventures series. This is going to be a funny one. With all my reading and all my learning, one of the things I’ve been inspired to do is work on an animated short film. I’m very excited about that one because I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of years, and I think this is the year.

About Onaolapo

Onaolapo Dagunduro is a children’s book author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and spent most of her childhood imagining a new story that she wrote down in notebooks. Onaolapo specializes in penning stories of adventure that are filled with laughter and inspire positive attitudes in young children. She loves numbers as much as she loves words — that is why she is also a proud member of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Alberta. When she’s not writing or crunching numbers, Onaolapo enjoys making up new songs or playing silly games with her husband and their two daughters.