Adi of Boutanga: A Story from Cameroon
Ebook
Overview
A 2026 Middle-Grade Favorite (Children’s Book Council)
A USBBY Outstanding International Book (OIB)
Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2025
A coming-of-age story for middle grade readers, set among the Mbororo people of central and western Africa.
Thirteen-year-old Adi lives in west Cameroon, where she loves swimming in the river, making dolls for her little sisters, and writing new words in her notebook at school. But one day Adi’s hands start to shake with terror. Uncle Amadou—the most powerful member of her family—has declared that Adi is old enough to get married. Mom cries softly under her hijab, but Dad whispers: “Don’t worry.” He knows a place where Adi can live and learn without fear…
Translated from the original French by the author, Adi of Boutanga is a memorable portrait of a girl and her family forging a path toward a brighter future. This richly illustrated book will open lasting conversations about gender equality, family relationships, and the liberating power of education. In the back matter, readers can explore an author’s note, a glossary of cultural terms, and other resources about the real Adi and her experiences.
"Compelling...beautifully illustrated...the awareness raised by Adi’s story, and its gentle approach, makes this a valuable read."
—Horn Book Magazine
"This vibrantly illustrated, important story will move readers old and young."
—Booklist
“Adi has a memorable voice, and readers will be heartened to see how her family’s creative problem-solving results in positive change….Daniau’s stylized, richly hued illustrations help the narrative come alive…A vivid account of Cameroonian village life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"You wouldn’t necessarily think a tale about child brides could be appropriately written for kids, but how wrong such an assumption would be. Dzotap, who lives in Cameroon, does a magnificent job with this story. Adi is such a vibrant person, and he gives both her and the setting in which she lives ample time on the page before the gutting visit from her uncle. The art of Daniau just pops off the pages too. The colors and people and action and sheer vibrancy of the piece are hard to describe. Plus, look at all the patterns that get worked into the pages. It’s a happy story at its heart, though there’s a lot of grief worked in there as well for the girls who could not escape. Love the backmatter as well."
—Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production
“Wonderful bursts of lyricism…References to local culture, flora and fauna also abound…provides fascinating insights into Cameroonian village life and culture.”
—Global Literature in Libraries Initiative
"Dedicated to all the little girls like Adi whose frail shoulders already bear the weight of heaven, Adi of Boutanga is a story full of love and hope true to Dzotap’s firm belief in the importance of education for all girls, everywhere."
—World Kid Lit
- Title: Adi of Boutanga: A Story from Cameroon
- Authors: Alain Serge Dzotap, Marc Daniau
- Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
- Print Publication Date: 2025
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Pages: 60
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781467468077, 9780802856296, 0802856292, 146746807X
- Resource ID: LLS:9781467468077
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2026-03-19T02:39:24Z
Alain Serge Dzotap is a children’s author, poet, and literacy advocate. The Gift (Eerdmans), his English-language debut, was praised as “a beautiful look at the wonder of creativity and self-expression” by Kirkus Reviews. Alain’s books have received the Saint-Exupéry Valeurs Jeunesse Prize and have been included in the International Youth Library’s White Ravens catalog. Alain lives in Cameroon, where he has been awarded the country’s medal of knight of the order of merit.
Marc Daniau is the illustrator and author of Like a Giant (Tate) and over forty other books. He created the illustrations for Adi of Boutanga using oil paint. Marc lives in France. Follow him on Instagram @mrcdniu or visit his website at marcdaniau.fr.