Afia in the Land of Wonders is a gift, a vision that wanders into West African folklore, then strays into the Wonderland of Lewis Carroll, all hugged by the illustrations and story of Mia Araujo! The story of Afia was developed by Araujo since 2012 which she explains in the acknowledgements. One of Araujo’s process sketchbooks, Alice in Wonderland, is dated 2017. You see more of her work at www.art-by-mia.com. The hardcover book was published by Scholastic Press in 2025. The audiobook is read by Wunmi Mosaku, who was incredible in this year’s Sinners. This story impressed me from the story alone that I was completely satisfied by the first chapter! There are hooks to take you into the next chapter.
There are 304 pages, short chapters that is a fast read, acknowledgements, and a sketchbook section! Full color paintings decorate the chapters along with black and white illustrations. The text and artwork work seemlessly, a sparse description and then a wonderous painting! The cover has the girl, Afia (Ah-fee-a) in a blue dress, the background has a blend of twilight and dawn, with an antelope, white with brown bands around its neck. Behind Afia is a bluish tree and on top of a branch is the large, pale mask of a wildcat, promises of the Cheshire Cat. The first chapter, “The Market”, begins with a two girls, natural hair in a topknot, with two braids on the side. They wear white robes and African necklaces, metal bands around the neck, like a few of the other market shoppers. Afia carries a raffia bag that has a strap on her shoulder.
Afia looks to the side, curious, while her sister is intent on her destination. The other shoppers are going in every direction under orange tarps. These hang over the two walls of a canyon. It is paired with the text which is a great way to start. It is Market day in Dafra, the home town of Afia and Ay, twin sisters. Carroll mentions Alice's sister. Araujo’s descriptions of the market hit all five senses. Aya is considered to be older really because of her nature. She is anticipating the ewende (ah-when-day) when 16 year olds become adults and get the trade of their families. The African words are kinda magical, there are context clues, and some concepts like the ewende are explained. Afia doesn’t look forward to the day and wants to remain a child. This is one of the themes of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. This was also in the Jim Henson movie, Labyrinth (1986). It is interesting to see the relationship and duality of the twin sisters. Araujo dedicates the book to her twin sister, Barbara.
Afia is impressed that there are goods from all over Djiombé (De-johm-bey). This must be the land or country that is the equivalent of West Africa. The trade of their family is a crystal mine that was inherited through the generations. Afia doesn’t want to sell crystals and instead wants to travel beyond Dafra. An elderly woman, Fatou, a friendly book merchant brings Afia a book on Kadiri the Navigator. She looks at the drawings of all of the exotic clothes and masks. Fatou offers it for two gold pieces, Aya counters that they don’t have room for another book, and they had meant to find new clothes for ewende. Still, Aya covers for her sister, so she buys the book. Afia gets caught up in the book and loses track of Aya. She ends up at an unfamiliar stall filled with wooden carvings of giraffes, lions, and monkeys.
Afia looks closer and ends up smashing a figure of a giraffe! The carver who is mysterious is a young man with a gold earring and a necklace of diamond-shaped stones. He carves from a piece of the giraffe into a gazelle! Afia admits that she had never seen any of the animals. There is illustrations of the animal carvings in the novel. The young man says that he has traveled in a caravan and seen all of the animals he had carved. He offers to be the guide to Afia. She instead is startled and retreats until running into her sister. I imagined that he would be the White Rabbit pulling Afia into the adventure. He is the Call to Adventure and mysterious like the rabbit, but his function is more active, less wandering in and out of the narrative. Aya is protective of her sister. The carver gives Afia a gift of the gazelle. The gazelle has symbolic meaning linked to women, here the gazelle may be the inspiration for escape.
Aya is protective of her sister. The carver gives Afia a gift of the gazelle. The gazelle has symbolic meaning linked to women, here the gazelle may be the inspiration for escape. He says that if Afia wants to see a real gazelle that they should meet at midnight. They return to the family’s stall and Afia wants Aya to keep what happened a secret between them. Their mother, Thema (Tey-ma), sees them, beautiful with a white headwrap and gold earrings. I think she may be a counterpart to the White Queen in Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass (1871). Thema asks her daughters if they bought the new stool, but sees they did not buy the stool. Their mother instantly screams for her husband, Ime (Im-eh). He is a man with a grey beard and turban who is busy with a customer. Aya says that there was no good quality stall at the market worthy of her taste. Thema leaves them and shoos away Ime to the fish market and she closes the sale. She is not the supportive mother figure to her daughters more like the critical mother to them.
She has Afia wrap up the customer’s crystal cup, Thema pushes her aside to wrap it herself, the buyer takes pity on Afia and gives her a gold coin. Aya consoles Afia about their mother. The story of Dafra is told, Dafrans went down from the cliffs to the town in a valley, on the other side is the forest which is forbidden. After dealing with a bully, the sisters race against each other, but Afia thinks of the carver’s words and thinks of what the flora and fauna, people and places would be like as stories. At the dinner table, Afia looks into a bowl,and finds crystal combs for ewende. Grandmother, Nana Musu, playfully catches her spoiling the gift from Afia’s mother. The rest of the family enters and Afia tries to serve the soup, but is too nervous. Thema is angry, but Iwe covers for his daughter, letting her be a child for another night. I like the father acts protectively for Afia. Afia is able to state to the family that she doesn’t want to seel crystals. Her mother says she worked so hard to provide for her daughters.
Afia gives in to her mother’s demands. I like the complexity of the family dynamics here. In fact, the family is a development from the usual Alice in Wonderland story. At night, in their room, Afia accidentally drops the gazelle figure. Aya thinks she is going to run away with the man. Afia tries to explain that she just wants to see the animals of those figures. Aya brings up the only person to enter the forest, Amadi, ten years ago. Afia promises to stay in Dafra and her sister gives her a bracelet of amber beads. They go to sleep, Afia troubled with the sounds of the forest outside, and Aya ready for the ewende. In the morning, the sisters prepare with ceremonial belts and jewelry, the entire town of Dafra has come out for the ceremony. The line of initiates get their top knot and braids cut. It is Afia’s turn and just as she is going to have her topknot cut, she sees the carver in the crowd. She suddenly pulls away and runs for the rainforest. Incredible to have all the weight of society and family expectations and Afia acts on her curiosty.
Afia finds that Aya is there having completed the ceremony. Aya says that she can try to explain to the elders when a white gazelle appears, White Rabbit? He speaks saying he promised to show Afia wonders, there is a blinding light, and it is the young man again! He says that he didn’t think “selling shiny rocks” was for her. The man says it takes courage for Afia to find her own path. Courage is one of the themes, to have confidence in yourself, doing things you never thought you could do. Aya warns her about the shape-shifter and her promise. She cries and then says her sister made her choice, a selfish one, instead of thinking of others. Afia realizes that there is a gap now with her sister, she tries to apologize, and walks away. There is a powerful two page painting of the cliffs with the tiny figure of Aya and on the other side, also small, Afia, by the trees with a dawning sun, purples, and mist. Afia cries, but entering the rainforest, finds herself in Ijábù (E-jah-bu), the land of spirits.
She finds the young man who leads her into a world with a humming sound made up of everything in the forest. I woke up after my first night of camping and think I heard a hollow sound like the world waking up. He brings up the palace and the Queen. He places a necklace which Afia recognizes as a talisman. Finally, Afia asks about his name, and he introduces himself as Bakame. They walk to the palace, Afia wanders off at night chasing fireflies, and she thinks a face in the trees. A boy's voice offers to help. We later find that this is Ojike (oh-jee-kay) with the cat mask. Afia and Bakame reach the towering palace with walls of greenery. Bakame runs off to bring Queen Ukiwa (Oo-kee-wa). She is dressed in a gown made of "strange red flowers", the Red Queen, but she appears kind to Afia. There are so many Wonderland figures, but given a twist and there is sinister secrets! The novel seems perfect with worldbuilding and characters to be adapted for a film. I think an animated movie especially a Laika film! Afia in the Land of Wonders is a fantastic experience, to read and see the beautiful illustrations, listen with the audiobook, and finally to share with friends and family!
Five++ Masks out other Five!
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