Nifty Review

10/07/2020

Book title: Mum Money and I
Author’s name: Odunayo Ajani
Publication year: 2019

Picking up a children’s book, one often just randomly discards it as a bedtime storybook or just simply, kids’ book that is not worthy to be read and examined.

For instance, one neglects the “how” and the “what” of how a texts is structured.

Reviewing children’s literature, as such, is seen as something mediocre and mundane to the study of contemporary literature. Why is this so? Literary critics tend to focus on analyzing literary texts based on how important they relate to everyday issues plaguing adulthood. Thus one can ask the question, “Are children literatures worthy of critical analysis or review?” One can answer yes; this answer is based on what the text is about and how important it is to scholarly study.

Therefore, the text to be examined, which is a children’s literature genre, focuses on financial intelligence education for children. With its subject matter, one will find it noteworthy to explicate and examine how the writer explores the motif of financial intelligence and is able to teach the young ones what the text is meant for.

The literature Mum Money and I, to be considered will be treated as a text – The term ‘text’ refers to any instance of language, in any medium, that makes sense to someone who knows the language (cf. Halliday and Hasan, 1976: Chapter 1). Hence, one will explicate how the text is communicable and able to express its focal subject matter.

The text revolves around a child which inquisitiveness leads to the subject matter of financial intelligence or money matters. The writer writes from a third person eye and often dived into the omniscient and first-person point of view.

The uncomplicated, but not simple of the text’s nature is able to present a complex subject matter that adults still study today to children expressively and concisely. In examining the text, Mum Money and I by Odunayo Ajani, the employ of the literary theory, New Criticism will be employed as a tool to investigate the text.

One can ask, “Why using New Criticism as the literary theory for analysis?” one can simply answer that the features of New Criticism actually plays a vital role in selecting it as our major tool.

Book title: Mum Money and I Author’s name: Odunayo Ajani Published by: Odunayo Ajani Publication year: 2019 So here is my first published title, Mum Money and I. This book was published out of my s…

15/06/2017

Book Title: Florence Jadesola Aboderin Unsung Greatness
Author: Four Points Communication Ltd
Publisher: New Africa Book Publishers
Publication year: 2016

Unsung greatness reads into Florence Jadesola Aboderin’s fifty-six years sojourning on earth. Her story leads through her business proficiency, career management and motherly responsibility which all build up into the making of an eventual leader she became after the demise of her husband (Chief Olubunmi Aboderin), the founder and publisher of The Punch Newspaper (Nigeria’s most widely read Newspaper).

Florence Jadesola Aboderin (nee Babajide) takes her leadership capacity in the family so strong, manifesting more as the disciplinarian mother. Her temperament and that of her hubby seems to balance well, complementing each other. One (husband- Olubunmi) is extremely soft-handed where disciplining the children is concerned and Florence Jadesola seems to be the opposite version of her partner, a hard-core disciplinarian. Shalewa (Jadesola’s first daughter) recounts on her mother’s disciplinary act, bringing to light an occasion when she left home alongside her siblings to the Murtala Muhammed Airport which was very close to one of their Lagos residence. Well I think on a personal note, if mum applies her disciplinary act here then, it should be commendable (Pg. 46-47). Telling it from the manly angle, Wale (Jadesola’s first born and eldest son) was also warned not to ride in the busy street of the family’s Ilupeju residence. Of course this wouldn’t go too cool with a youngster about his age who wouldn’t be able to get the real feel of owning a brand new chopper bicycle (Pg.47). Going by the European standard, and citing the status quo where disciplining a child in London is concerned, Jadesola wouldn’t have attempted driving sense into her children with the rod. But the change of geographical location to Africa where correcting a child with the rod is prevalent, Florence Jadesola had to leverage on the tolerance nature of the African society to bring up the kind of children she would be proud she raised.
She sent out word to prayer warriors everywhere to intercede… (Pg 55).

Jadesola came to good knowledge of the required parenting trait and value. She thus cleverly dispensed it to her initially naïve children. On account of this biography, the author exemplifies more, giving particular attention on her spirituality and most especially her untamed prayer life. She wasn’t just nominal but had come to understand the efficacy of prayer and even deem it fit to instill it in her children. Her children once pondered on the reason why she’d to lay hands on them whenever she prays. Maybe I know how her kids feel like, then (as I have come to once feel like that too) (Pg. 55).

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03/06/2017

'If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads' –Ralph Waldo Emerson

24/04/2017

Book Title: Florence Jadesola Aboderin Unsung Greatness
Author: Four Points Communication Ltd
Publisher: New Africa Book Publishers
Publication year: 2016

Unsung greatness reads into Florence Jadesola Aboderin’s fifty-six years sojourning on earth. Her story leads through her business proficiency, career management and motherly responsibility which all build up into the making of an eventual leader she became after the demise of her husband (Chief Olubunmi Aboderin), the founder and publisher of The Punch Newspaper (Nigeria’s most widely read Newspaper).

Florence Jadesola Aboderin (nee Babajide) takes her leadership capacity in the family so strong, manifesting more as the disciplinarian mother. Her temperament and that of her hubby seems to balance well, complementing each other. One (husband- Olubunmi) is extremely soft-handed where disciplining the children is concerned and Florence Jadesola seems to be the opposite version of her partner, a hard-core disciplinarian. Shalewa (Jadesola’s first daughter) recounts on her mother’s disciplinary act, bringing to light an occasion when she left home alongside her siblings to the Murtala Muhammed Airport which was very close to one of their Lagos residence. Well I think on a personal note, if mum applies her disciplinary act here then, it should be commendable (Pg. 46-47). Telling it from the manly angle, Wale (Jadesola’s first born and eldest son) was also warned not to ride in the busy street of the family’s Ilupeju residence. Of course this wouldn’t go too cool with a youngster about his age who wouldn’t be able to get the real feel of owning a brand new chopper bicycle (Pg.47). Going by the European standard, and citing the status quo where disciplining a child in London is concerned, Jadesola wouldn’t have attempted driving sense into her children with the rod. But the change of geographical location to Africa where correcting a child with the rod is prevalent, Florence Jadesola had to leverage on the tolerance nature of the African society to bring up the kind of children she would be proud she raised.
She sent out word to prayer warriors everywhere to intercede… (Pg 55).

Jadesola came to good knowledge of the required parenting trait and value. She thus cleverly dispensed it to her initially naïve children. On account of this biography, the author exemplifies more, giving particular attention on her spirituality and most especially her untamed prayer life. She wasn’t just nominal but had come to understand the efficacy of prayer and even deem it fit to instill it in her children. Her children once pondered on the reason why she’d to lay hands on them whenever she prays. Maybe I know how her kids feel like, then (as I have come to once feel like that too) (Pg. 55).

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10/04/2017

Title: Wizard of the Crow

Author: Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Published by: Harvill Secker

Publication year: 2006

Written in Kikuyu and translated into English by the author, Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o will not disappoint anyone familiar with the author's prolific body of work. This work of fiction sears with truth and lays bare the international foibles of postcolonial African politics. Pregnant with humour and irony, this allegory leaves nothing sacred as when one of the characters is cured of the disease of white-ache. It is a most human story examining both the character of leadership and the desires of the common citizen. Farcical characters become believable, while women, especially, are portrayed with complexity. The story challenges many stereotypes. For example, the main character, the Wizard of the Crow, is a witchdoctor or traditional healer or (~frochiatrist)(p. 622), and proves to be the voice of reason and sanity. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves storytelling or is interested in international relations and African culture and society.

The story tells of a megalomaniacal African ruler with a grandiose development scheme surrounded by conniving sycophants obsessed with greed who try to control the masses and outmanoeuvre each other. The trials of these politicos are interwoven with a love story involving the Wizard of the Crow and an underground activist posing as a secretary. The roles of thinly disguised entities such as the Global Bank also figure into this brazen expose of the (politics of poverty) (p. 87), while many other novel characters populate the landscape such as the (professors of parrotology) (p. 572).

27/03/2017

Book Title: Arrow of God
Author: Chinua Achebe
Publisher: Heinemann
Publication year: 1964

After his first bestselling novel, Things fall apart which almost caused an unresolved disourse between American hip-hop star 50 cent, and Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, goes on to publish another mind blowing Novel by the title, The Arrows of god. The Arrows of God also went on to make name for itself just like it's predecessors. It takes off with a plot built on Nigeria's colonial administration with an expanded view into Igbo tribal life.

Ezeulu the priest who also is the arrow of Ulu, the god of the village of Umuaro. The village relatively isolated from colonial administration, largely goes about its business undisturbed but intrusions do take place. One such earned Ezeulu the trust of Winterbottom, a trust that is to prove damaging later. Another – peripherally – is the intrusion of Christianity in the form of a church established near Umuaro by one John Goodcountry, a church to which Ezeulu sent one of his own sons to be his spy, but on the long run this son of his became a Christian hereby causing the son to disconnect from his father and embracing christianity, a faith he begins to adopt as his own with increasing dedication.
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Book Title: Arrow of God Author: Chinua Achebe Publisher: Heinemann Publication year: 1964 After his first bestselling novel, Things fall apart which almost caused an unresolved discourse be…

01/03/2017

Book title: Rich Dad Poor Dad
Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki

Publisher: Warner Books

Publication year: 1997



It is good to instil into children relevant knowledge at least at the tender age they are wise enough to absorb wisdom. Most important is the issue of how to make money which launched Robert and Mike into the search on how to make money. Robert got to know on time some catalyst needed to aid his actualization of wealth. This becomes the bedrock of what begins as an adventure into the search for wealth which of course began with his inquisitiveness.

There seem to be elements of naivety or simply put sincerity of the heart in Mr Kiyosaki’s (Robert’s dad) response to him on (pg 34) where he says; “Because I choose to be a school teacher, but I really don’t know how to make money…” Mr Kiyosaki was blatantly transparent here and I begin to wonder if any father wouldn’t know how to make money in this present dispensation...

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Book title: Rich Dad Poor Dad Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki Publisher: Warner Books Publication year: 1997 It is good to instil into children relevant knowledge at least at the tender ag…

08/02/2017

Book title: Royal Service
Author: Stephen P. Barry
Publisher: Macmillan Publishing
Publication year: 1983

Getting to understand how the English monarchical political systems works can hardly be well understood to one’s preferred taste until some mystiques about English royalty or other royal services are unraveled. This is a memoir of Stephen P. Barry, valet to Prince Charles after his twelve years of sojourning in the British Royal service.

On the opening pages of this book, Stephen eulogizes the pleasure he finds in being a prince’s valet. Becoming a prince’s valet was particularly sought- after job… (pg 12). He further highlighted his pleasure in being considered for a royal appointment, a job he thought has got security. He seems more attached to the prestige of being seen as a royal emissary more than the mouth watery offers the job sets to give to him. Well here I think the part of every man wants a majestic attachment, making everyone wanting to feel important. The author further establishes this fact when he went ahead to learn more about the basics of the job which in turn paid (see pg 34, 36, 41, 42).

There I was in the back of his brand new Aston Martin… (Pg 15)
Studying the personality of Prince Charles and on account of this story, one can deduce that he is down to earth a humble man, a man of good breed. This can hardly be understood when one is not close to royalty. I wouldn’t have expect a prince to give his valet a ride while he sits at the owners corner at the back seat, but life at least has taught us that successful men do not necessarily need to announce themselves, their humility will. It has often been said that being discreet and always wanting to command respect is what is obtainable in royalty, so this in a way upset my curiosity. Prompting me to know more.

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Book title: Royal Service Author: Stephen P. Barry Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Publication year: 1983 Getting to understand how the English monarchical political systems works can hardly be we…

05/02/2017

Book title: Abiku: The battle of the Gods
Author: Elizabeth Salawu
Published by: Segilola Publishing
Publication year: 2016

Have you ever seen an Abiku lady? Never dare you struggle to get her man off her. She can really be deadly dangerous than you can ever think. My first approach to the meaning of the phrase 'Abiku' as a young man of the Yoruba descent was very startling. Initially I thought an Abiku is a demon possessed child (of course somehow they are) but a broadened understanding into the Yoruba context and interpretation into the world of mysteries taught me to understand that Abiku actually meant reincarnation but with some mystical features at times which sometimes may not be explainable.

Writing with an indigenous understanding of what Abiku meant to Africans or better still Yorubas is one good way to lecture the western world about reincarnation. Elizabeth takes turn through the thought of a mixed race girl in her early twenties who finds curiosity with who she is and what the immediate world around her says about her being even while she never knew it.

Writing from the beach, why? There seem to be something mystical about this writing location of our major character. Writing from the beach gave me a pause. It further made me to brood over Dayo simultaneously pondering while reading this piece, and asking why the author preferred to do this without a strong association to the context with which she writes. The question again reiterates, why write from the beach? She might have her reasons but it will be better only if she could just define it a little. At least explain things to a voraciously curious reader like myself.

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  Book title: Abiku: The battle of the Gods Author:  Elizabeth Salawu Published by: Segilola Publishing Publication year: 2016 Have you ever seen an Abiku lady? Never dare you to struggle to g…

21/01/2017

Book title: The Purpose Driven Life Author: Rick WARREN Publisher: Zondervan Publication year: 2002 Have you ever pondered on why you were
created? Why you weren’t created a European
but African? Why not Caucasian but Indian? Have
you ever thought of the divine drive channelled into
your making, I mean your DNA. But guess what, this
is a unique book I just picked after someone I hold in high esteem recommended it for my reading. I
almost wasn’t reviewing this, but if you haven’t
read this book, you might just be missing a whole
lot. This is Rick Warren, Listen to him.

Rick gets to unveil the divine way through which
the discovery of one’s purpose is unveiled in this
book of his. Going away from all other self-help
books which he admits could be useful where
determining one’s purpose is concerned, he
reiterates that, it is the owner of a creation that can better tell what his invention is meant for. And then
stating the importance of the inventor’s piece of
manual which is always attached to every of his
invention, – here he refers to the Bible. Continue reading... https://niftyreview.wordpress.com/2017/01/19/127/

  Book title: The Purpose Driven Life Author: Rick WARREN Publisher: Zondervan Publication year: 2002   Have you ever pondered on why you were created? Why you weren’t created a European but A…

10/01/2017

Book title: The autobiography of Malcolm X
Author: Alex Haley and Malcolm X
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication year: 1964

I heard people speak of someone by the name Malcolm X. I’ve heard of someone who never schooled beyond the eighth grade but drilled on the street of Harlem and also of someone who attended the University of Charlestown Prison. I finally was privileged to meet him after several years of anticipation, yes on the pages of this good read.

On the account of this autobiographical narrative, Malcolm’s psychological approach to getting one's request granted in life is sped up through making some noise. I would open my mouth and let the whole world know about it... I learned early that crying out in protest could accomplish things [pg8]. And this he learnt during his childhood. This then affirms the African proverb which says, (paraphrased) what will become of a man can easily be identified during his formative years. The negroes in the early 50s have something in common. Most were poor, talented, maltreated, and hostile (even towards each other) and finds solace in religion. Even while Malcolm was been taken to live with the Gohannas, his weak mother still remembers to inform the state man that Malcolm shouldn't be fed with pig [pg19].

The analysis of any story with a strong theme of Afro-American activism and in this case, black Americans in a black populated city like Harlem wouldn't be complete without stating the poor mindset most black Americans had nurtured since time immemorial. You do odd jobs, get rich through tips, gamble and when you had your hit, you've got to buy your friends drinks and steaks, buy a Cadillac and in a brief squander those returns on gambling without any thought of investment. Most of the time it happens as a result of wanting to show off one's spending habit, in a quest to meet up with the status quo. Malcolm did well by tackling this demeaning mindset when he joined the Nation of Islam.

How ridiculous I was! Stupid enough to stand... (Pg 54)
Malcolm X is the man with a ‘glass’ heart. His version of the Negro suffering was told in this biographical account of his without 'padding' things up. Even when he seems to be betraying the race to which he belongs, he says it in clearer terms. While Reginald plots out Malcolm's path into becoming a Muslim, his presumptions about the white folks will just be unrealistic as anything. Speaking about the anti-white policy and loss of identity syndrome which works hand in hand with the white’s hatred for the negroes, one might have just thought that is his best move towards working out the conversion of his anti-Christian brother. Malcolm wouldn't listen to anyone order than Reginald, but even at that he wouldn’t swallow all he's saying hook line and sinker. He still remembers some good white buddies.

https://niftyreview.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x/

Book title: The autobiography of Malcolm X Author: Alex Haley and Malcolm X Published by: Ballantine Books Publication year: 1964 I heard people speak of someone by the name Malcolm X. I’v…