In Colorful New Book, a Houston Illustrator Invites Young Readers to Visit the ‘Night Market’
“IN A LOT of Nigerian cultures, there is this idea that nighttime is the time when spirits come out and are alive,” says first-generation Nigerian-American illustrator Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. “The nighttime is when crazy things happen.”
The nighttime is the setting for The Night Market, a new picture book for readers ages 4-8, written by Seina Wedlick and beautifully illustrated by Uchendu. The book follows the adventures of a young girl as she discovers the sights, smells, and sounds of a traditional, pre-colonial Nigerian night market “full of wares and treasures, old things and new things, marvelous objects and strange relics.”
Uchendu, 25, was born and raised in Houston and is the daughter of a Nigerian father and a white mother. Each summer, Uchendu’s family traveled to Nigeria and stayed with her father’s sisters and “aunties,” who would help look after the children. One summer evening, an auntie took Uchendu to a night market for the first time to get her hair braided and some clothes fitted for an upcoming wedding.
“I remember sitting there for hours getting my hair done and food flying all over the place,” says Uchendu who, like the little girl in The Night Market, was around eight years old at the time. “That’s the first time I had abacha, and I was thinking, this is really good!” (Abacha is a salad recipe that originated with the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria.)
At one point, the young girl in The Night Market encounters a joyful, communal celebration, depicted across four full pages of artwork inspired by the drumming and dancing that distinguish traditional Igbo weddings (Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa are the three major tribes in Nigeria). “At weddings, they’re constantly playing live music,” says Uchendu, who was also inspired by the modern sounds of Nigerian musical icon Fela Kuti while illustrating this scene. “I’m just imagining non-stop drumming and horns coming in and out.”
Throughout The Night Market, Uchendu’s illustrations are informed by her childhood memories of Nigeria and a wide range of West African cultural influences, including Yoruba textiles and architecture. The nighttime skies at the beginning and conclusion of the book are filled with constellations in the shape of spirals, fish, and birds. “I wanted to place this story in a time and place where there is magic,” says Uchendu.“The symbols in the sky are there to express the consciousness of the people in that time.”
Uchendu’s previous projects include her picture book debut The Talk, by Newbery Honor-winner Alicia D. Williams, a powerful age-appropriate book about a young boy’s growing awareness of race relations and police brutality; and We Could Fly, a dream-like celebration of African folklore and resilience inspired by the song, “We Could Fly” by Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell. The Night Market goes on sale Sept. 10, and will be available locally at Brazos Bookstore and Kindred Stories.