The Case of the Missing Kolo (Korobá)

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Author(s)

Àlàbá Ònájìn

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

February 24, 2026

ISBN

978-0823459131

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A charismatic young sleuth takes on a case close to home in this new graphic novel series set in a vibrant African community.

Ten-year-old Korobá knows everyone in Makoko, the Nigerian fishing village where she lives.

She knows her way up and down the bright, colorful waterways, knows where to sell fried shrimp, and knows what to look for at the crowded daily market. Makoko is her playground, and she roams free with her best friends, Saidat and Joba, and her adorable dog, Popi.

The last thing Korobá would expect in Makoko is a thief. Yet Saidat's wooden piggy bank—her Kolo—has been stolen. The children of Makoko save coins in their Kolo all year long, waiting to spend their money at the annual harvest festival. Saidat saved and saved, but now she will have nothing. It's not fair!

Editor review

1 review

Mystery in Makoko

October 11, 2025 (Updated: June 06, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

In this graphic novel, we meet Korobá, who lives in Makoko, Nigeria with Iya, her mother, four year old brother Taju, and baby sister Pofpof, as well as their dog, Popi. As the Harvest Festival approaches, Korobá and her friends at St. Helenś Primary School investigate how much money theye gathered in their Kolo boxes, and plan their purchases of clothing and food for the festival. Korobá has decorated hers, but her friend Saidat has not. Saidat has to deal with her cousin Risi, who is visiting from the city and rather snobby about the more rough and tumble life in a fishing village. There is also a carpenter working on the floor of her house. When Saidat's Kolo box goes missing, Korobá helps to investigate. There are plenty of suspects, from Risi to the carpenter, to Mausi, a friend who has been acting suspiciously. The real test of the Kolo box's ownership is that Saidat's knows exactly how much money is in the box. Will Korobá be able to find the thief before the Harvest Festival?

Good Points

An author's note mentions that Makoko is a real place, and has high levels of poverty. The graphic novel allows young readers to not only follow Korobá's exploits, but to see how different Makoko may be from their own homes. It is a fishing village, and many of the houses and buildings are on stilts above the water, and the children often travel in boats. There are lots of good details about the Harvest Festival as well.

The artwork, which will be in full color in the finished book, does a great job of capturing Korobá and her friends, from their clothing to the range of expressions on their faces. Even Popi sometimes has an adorable scowl on his face!

I'm a huge fan of reading about the lives of children in places other than the US and Canada. I have had a few students with Nigerian backgrounds, and this would be especially interesting to them. Atinuke's Too Small Tola or Anna Hibiscus also have characters of Nigerian descent, and this graphic novel will be popular with readers who like gentle mysteries like Smith's The Great Cake Mystery, Butler's Kayla and King books or Haldar's Word Travelers.