Background
Ifeoma Onyefulu was born on March 31, 1959 in Onitsha, Anambra, Nigeria. She is a daughter of Emmanuel Onyeiulu, a lawyer, and Emily Onyeiulu, a businesswoman.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
book
A Is For Africa
(The author, a member of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, presen...)
The author, a member of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, presents text and her own photographs of 26 things, from A to Z, representative of all African peoples.
https://www.amazon.com/Africa-Turtleback-School-Library-Binding/dp/0613028139/?tag=2022091-20
1993
Emeka's Gift: An African Counting Story
https://www.amazon.com/Emekas-Gift-African-Counting-Story/dp/0711214476/?tag=2022091-20
1995
Ogbo: Sharing Life in an African Village
(A profile of contemporary Nigerian village life is seen t...)
A profile of contemporary Nigerian village life is seen through the eyes of Obioma, a young girl who explains how she and other children find fellowship and support within her ogbo, a family-like community of people her own age.
https://www.amazon.com/Ogbo-Sharing-Life-African-Village/dp/015200498X/?tag=2022091-20
1996
Chidi Only Likes Blue: An African Book of Colors
(Vivid photographs reveal Nigerian village life and provid...)
Vivid photographs reveal Nigerian village life and provide a beautiful scene for the story of young Chidi, whose favorite color is blue, even after his older sister Nneka tries to teach him about all the other colors seen in their village.
https://www.amazon.com/Chidi-Only-Likes-Blue-African/dp/0525652434/?tag=2022091-20
1997
My Grandfather Is a Magician: Work and Wisdom in an African Village
https://www.amazon.com/My-Grandfather-Magician-African-Village/dp/0711213429/?tag=2022091-20
1998
Ebele's Favourite: A Book of African Games
(Ebele wants to play her favorite games with her cousin Ng...)
Ebele wants to play her favorite games with her cousin Ngony, who is visiting from Senegal, but she can't decide which ones are her favorite.
https://www.amazon.com/Ebeles-Favourite-Book-African-Games/dp/0711212791/?tag=2022091-20
1999
A Triangle For Adaora
(When Adaora asks to see something in the shape of a trian...)
When Adaora asks to see something in the shape of a triangle, her cousin goes on a search through his African village where he shows her various shapes on the different plants, animals, and other things around them.
https://www.amazon.com/Triangle-Adaora-Ifeoma-Onyefulu/dp/0525463828/?tag=2022091-20
2000
Saying Goodye
(Seen through the eyes of a small boy named Ikenna, here i...)
Seen through the eyes of a small boy named Ikenna, here is a very special account of how a small Igbo community in Nigeria traditionally honours the dead. Ifeoma Onyefulu's thoughtful photographs and text offer not only a glimpse into Africa village life, but also a positive introduction to a difficult subject. Ikenna starts to feel different as soon as he puts on his new white clothes. His grown-up relatives keep an all-night wake, dancing and singing for Mama Nkwelle. On the big day a 21 gun salute is fired to begin the celebration.
https://www.amazon.com/Saying-Goodye-Ifeoma-Onyefulu/dp/0711217009/?tag=2022091-20
2001
Welcome Dede: An African Baby's Naming Ceremony
(Amarlai has a new cousin - and he can't wait for her to b...)
Amarlai has a new cousin - and he can't wait for her to be given a name. On the great day, the guests arrive, prayers are said, the corn wine is blessed and a tiny drop of wine is put on the baby's tongue as she is named. Gifts are offered, and the feasting and dancing begins. Everyone is happy, but Amarlai is happiest of all: at last his cousin has a name. Her name is Dede!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0711219389/?tag=2022091-20
2003
Here Comes Our Bride!
(The stunning sights and sounds of a Nigerian wedding are ...)
The stunning sights and sounds of a Nigerian wedding are vividly brought to life in Ifeoma Onyefulu's new picture book. The different traditions and customs of this African wedding are explored and explained through the eyes of one young spectator. We see the preparations made by the whole community in anticipation of the traditional African ceremony and second religious ceremony.
https://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Our-Bride-African/dp/184507047X/?tag=2022091-20
2004
An African Christmas
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K3OLXZI/?tag=2022091-20
2005
Ikenna Goes to Nigeria
(In stunning photographs and bright, informative prose, aw...)
In stunning photographs and bright, informative prose, award-winning author Ifeoma Onyefulu recounts an unusual and rewarding journey. Young Ikenna lives in rainy London. He takes a trip far away to his ancestral home in sunny Nigeria. In Lagos he plays with his cousins. Then the rain starts! But there’s still lots to do. Ikenna meets great-uncle Hillary, who drove the royal train across Nigeria in 1956. After that he and his Mum attend the Oshun Festival, and Ikenna sees age-old ceremonies and colorful traditions. Told in the first-person, this charming photographic book shows young readers the pleasures that await in other countries and cultures.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1845075854/?tag=2022091-20
2007
Grandma Comes to Stay
(In Grandma Comes to Stay, three-year-old Stephanie helps ...)
In Grandma Comes to Stay, three-year-old Stephanie helps her mother tidy up, go shopping at the market, and cook in preparation for Grandma's stay. When she arrives, Grandma gives Stephanie a box of pencils and reads her favorite book. The next day she shows Stephanie how to tie a head-dress, and Stephanie shows Grandma how to kick a ball, play with dolls, and bang a drum. At bedtime Grandma tells her a wonderful story, and when Grandma leaves the next morning Stephanie says, "Come back soon, Grandma!" Written and photographed by an award-winning author, this is a uniquely heartwarming book to share with all young children.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1845078659/?tag=2022091-20
2010
Deron Goes to Nursery School
(First Experiences is an exciting series portraying young ...)
First Experiences is an exciting series portraying young children's very first experience of nursery school, time with grandparents and other events. The first time for anything can be daunting, and these books set out to familiarise children, through simple read-aloud words and beautiful photos, with what seems at first unfamiliar but will eventually become a routine part of everyday life. Deron and his mum get ready for his first day at a Ghanaian nursery school. When they arrive, he meets his teacher and the other children, does a bit of writing, sings and dances, has lunch and a little rest - and when he gets home, he can't wait to go back again and play with his new friends.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1845078640/?tag=2022091-20
2010
New Shoes for Helen
(Helen needs some special shoes for her aunty's wedding. S...)
Helen needs some special shoes for her aunty's wedding. She tries on all kinds of shoes at home, but some are too big and some are too small - and none of them are special sparkly shoes. So Helen and her mum take a trip to the market to see if they can find the perfect pair of shoes for Helen. A simple and charming photographic book, introducing a first concept familiar around the world (a first shoe-shopping trip), but in an Ethiopian village setting.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847801285/?tag=2022091-20
2011
Omer's Favourite Place
(Omer likes playing outside in the garden, in the kitchen,...)
Omer likes playing outside in the garden, in the kitchen, in the sitting room or in his bedroom - in fact he likes playing all around the house. But there are always other things going on in these places and he's often interrupted by his brothers and sisters, or his mum and dad. However, there's one special place Omer can go and play - somewhere where no one else goes. And this is Omer's favourite place of all...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847801293/?tag=2022091-20
2011
Look at This!: Food
(Mango, rice, plantain, okra… All kinds of delicious thing...)
Mango, rice, plantain, okra… All kinds of delicious things to eat, with a vibrant mix of universal and African foods. Photographed in Mali by a multi-award-winning author, this is a unique and culturally diverse word book, with lots to look at and talk about.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847802656/?tag=2022091-20
2013
Look at This!: Clothes
(Hat, shorts, long skirt and top, wrapper… All kinds of th...)
Hat, shorts, long skirt and top, wrapper… All kinds of things to wear, with a vibrant mix of Western and traditional African clothing. Photographed in Mali by a multi-award-winning author, this is a unique and culturally diverse word book, with lots to look at and talk about.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847802648/?tag=2022091-20
2013
Look at This!: Home
(Cooking pot, stool, basket, water pot and sleeping mat......)
Cooking pot, stool, basket, water pot and sleeping mat... All kinds of things around the home, with a vibrant mix of Western and traditional African objects. Photographed in Mali by an award-winning photographer, this is a unique and culturally diverse First Words book, with lots to look at and talk about.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847802664/?tag=2022091-20
2013
Ife's First Haircut
(Chineze thinks her little brother Ife’s hair is messy, so...)
Chineze thinks her little brother Ife’s hair is messy, so it’s time for Ife to have his first haircut. Uncle Mike very carefully cuts Ife’s hair with his scissors and a comb, and afterwards there’s a party for Chineze and her family to celebrate Ife’s very first haircut. Set in Nigeria, this gentle and reassuring First Experiences story strikes a chord with young children everywhere. Chineze thinks her little brother Ife’s hair is messy, so it’s time for Ife to have his first haircut. Uncle Mike very carefully cuts Ife’s hair with his scissors and a comb, and afterwards there’s a party for Chineze and her family to celebrate Ife’s very first haircut. Set in Nigeria, this gentle and reassuring First Experiences story strikes a chord with young children everywhere.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847803644/?tag=2022091-20
2014
Vicky Goes to the Doctor
(Vicky doesn’t want to eat or play with her friends. She’s...)
Vicky doesn’t want to eat or play with her friends. She’s not feeling well, so Mama takes her to see the doctor. The kind doctor takes her temperature and listens to her chest, and gives Mama good advice. Soon Vicky is better again, and playing with her friends. Set in Nigeria, this gentle and reassuring First Experiences story will strike a chord with young children everywhere.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847803636/?tag=2022091-20
2014
Ifeoma Onyefulu
Edit Profileillustrator photographer author
Education
In 1984 Ifeoma Onyefulu received a higher national diploma from the London College of Higher Education.
Career
From 1986 to 1987 Ifeoma Onyefulu was a staff photographer for Caribbean Times. From 1987 to 1990 she was a freelancer at West Africa Magazine. She lives in the United Kingdom. She has successfully introduced English-speaking audiences to the range and variety of village life in her homeland through her picture books for young readers. Illustrated with her own photographs, Onyefulu's books have been praised as useful additions to classroom libraries for the lessons they teach about the universality of some experiences, as well as for offering a rarely seen depiction of African village life.
The brightly colored photographs she includes in books such as A Is for Africa, Grandfather's Work: A Traditional Healer in Nigeria, and A Triangle for Adaora: An African Book of Shapes evoke the important relationships between the people in her stories and also illustrate the customs and realities of everyday life in contemporary Africa. The first of Onyefulu's concept books, A Is for Africa provides an overview of Nigerian village life while also reviewing the alphabet for young English speakers.
Achievements
Works
book
-
Chidi Only Likes Blue: An African Book of Colors
(Vivid photographs reveal Nigerian village life and provid...)
1997 -
Ogbo: Sharing Life in an African Village
(A profile of contemporary Nigerian village life is seen t...)
1996 -
A Triangle For Adaora
(When Adaora asks to see something in the shape of a trian...)
2000 -
A Is For Africa
(The author, a member of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, presen...)
1993 -
Saying Goodye
(Seen through the eyes of a small boy named Ikenna, here i...)
2001 -
Deron Goes to Nursery School
(First Experiences is an exciting series portraying young ...)
2010 -
Grandma Comes to Stay
(In Grandma Comes to Stay, three-year-old Stephanie helps ...)
2010 -
Omer's Favourite Place
(Omer likes playing outside in the garden, in the kitchen,...)
2011 -
Ebele's Favourite: A Book of African Games
(Ebele wants to play her favorite games with her cousin Ng...)
1999 -
Ikenna Goes to Nigeria
(In stunning photographs and bright, informative prose, aw...)
2007 -
Look at This!: Clothes
(Hat, shorts, long skirt and top, wrapper… All kinds of th...)
2013 -
Here Comes Our Bride!
(The stunning sights and sounds of a Nigerian wedding are ...)
2004 -
Look at This!: Food
(Mango, rice, plantain, okra… All kinds of delicious thing...)
2013 -
Ife's First Haircut
(Chineze thinks her little brother Ife’s hair is messy, so...)
2014 -
Welcome Dede: An African Baby's Naming Ceremony
(Amarlai has a new cousin - and he can't wait for her to b...)
2003 -
Look at This!: Home
(Cooking pot, stool, basket, water pot and sleeping mat......)
2013 -
New Shoes for Helen
(Helen needs some special shoes for her aunty's wedding. S...)
2011 -
Vicky Goes to the Doctor
(Vicky doesn’t want to eat or play with her friends. She’s...)
2014 - Emeka's Gift: An African Counting Story 1995
- My Grandfather Is a Magician: Work and Wisdom in an African Village 1998
- An African Christmas 2005
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Chidi Only Likes Blue: An African Book of Colors
Religion
Ifeoma Onyefulu is a member of the Church of England.
Connections
On June 6, 1988 Ifeoma Onyefulu married Roger Malbert, an exhibition organizer. They have two children: Emeka, Ikenna.
References
Education
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1984
Career
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1986 - 1987
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1987 - 1990
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1993 - present