Dr. Titilayo Kayode-Alabi, a Nigerian paediatrician, has authored health literature books to advance reading habits among young readers.
These books feature animal and medical tale stories designed to inspire and instil value in young readers.
The book launch occurred on Sunday, May 26th at the Raw Materials and Research Development Council, Maitama, Abuja.
It had some dignitaries as guests at the event including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Honourable Machim, Mrs Memuna Audu among others.
According to the author, Dr Kayode Alabi, the book launch aims to inspire parents and their children on why they need to read books that promote Nigerian culture and, most importantly, buy great and impactful books written by Nigerian writers for their children.
“These books are the result of years of experience and a deep-rooted commitment to improving children’s health outcomes in Nigeria,” said Dr Kayode-Alabi. “By empowering children and their families with knowledge and tools, we can work towards a healthier, more prosperous future for our nation.”
The Animal and Medical tales stories promote inclusiveness in the country by promoting cultural values and medical knowledge for the children to read.
She said,” Parents need to be vocal about the kind of content that their children consume. They need to supervise their reading to promote a proper reading culture as they grow. “
The book series, consisting of five books, aims to educate and inspire young readers within the age of 3-11 years on related health topics and promotion of Nigeria’s cultural values.
The books launched are: Aduke the Pregnant Girl;
Fatima’s tiny little brother;
Skumy’s perfect holiday;
We do not like the new ugly ducks;
Somtochukwu and Dawn, the Medi-fairy.
However, the chairman of the day, Senator Abaribe Nigerian writers, urged them to have faith in their abilities and to persist in the promotion of the country’s cultural heritage. He expressed admiration for the author’s multifaceted approach, noting her dedication to educating the youth through her literary endeavours.
An educationist, Mrs Sandra Onojetah advised parents to focus on their children especially what they consume as the world becomes a global village where both young and old have access to internet facilities.
Mrs Onoje advised that parents should filter the kind of content their children have access to, especially what they read. Also, she emphasized the importance of good reading habits as it exposes children, and helps to build their vocabularies.
“Children of today need adequate supervision for them to grow properly. Parents should deem it fit to create time for their children and ensure they consume the right content, especially the kind of books they read.
The kind of books they read should expose them to great values and add more to their knowledge. It is not all books that children must have access to parents must be careful.”
Also, the Director of Starters’ Cloud Preparatory School, Mrs Ifeoma Francisca Okoro advised parents on the need to expose their children to reading especially when they are less than 18 months of age.
Mrs Okoro advocates for gender roles and equality; conflict and peace resolution and the importance of promoting Nigerian culture.
“Children should be exposed to reading when they are less than 18 months old. We can only promote ourselves as Nigerians through cultural awareness and identity”
“These days, some Nigerians don’t promote our cultures, instead they promote the western cultures that were borrowed. We should rather encourage our children to stick to the Indigenous culture instead of promoting the Western culture’’
Children participate in engaging activities such as reading from the launched books, painting, paper crafts, and games.
