Tani's New Home

Tani is a boy who moves from Nigeria to New York because of harassment from Boko Haram. The book deals with his experience of a new country that’s very different from his place of origin. It also explains in a child friendly way who Boko Haram are. I feel that the insight into the story of a refugee is very valuable. The other overwhelming thing that I take from this book is the sense of gratitude emanating from Tani and his family. They are generous to others to a fault and exemplary people. Children will get a kick out of seeing that Tani is a real person and that will hopefully encourage them to think about others who may have faced similar situations leading to emigration.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. 


This book is a painful experience of a family in Nigeria who had to migrate to America after witnessing the same .

The protagonist's love for chess begins with this experience. 

This book also teaches us about compassion, love and empathy for others

"E kaaro. Good morning."

I love how this story introduces us to new culture and new language. A glimpse of how refugees find home and the family dynamics shown so well in this beautiful presentation of vibrant sequence of illustrations.

I find the writing quite beautiful and fun. The story is sad telling how refugees struggle in a foreign land when there's pressure to take sides.

I would say this storybook is a little heavy for kids with some pages in between which will need an adult's help for some explanation. 

Otherwise the story ended well with lots of love and positivity. I miss chess!

A genuine storybook. Good to have.

Thank you, author and publisher for the book.

I love when I can bring picture books with real life stories to the classroom. Adewumi's book, Tani's New Home, is exactly the type of story that captures the mind and heart of young readers. It tells the story of six year old Tani and his experiences in New York  as a refugee from Nigeria; his determination, hard work, and hope. What sets this story apart of others is the pivotal  role that chess plays in Tani finding a new home.

With its gorgeous illustrations, Tani's New Home is perfect for elementary classrooms as a read aloud or independent reader and provides teachers the opportunity for great discussions about other countries, immigration, and what it means to be a refugee.  

I highly recommend this book!

I thought that this book was lovely and the illustrations really bring the story to life.

Tani has a rough start in life and with his family they flee their home, and then their home land becoming refugees.

I loved the sense of helping and caring in this book and how happy everyone is to contribute to help Tani and his family get them set up and settled in their new home, one he was gifted, following his win in the New York Chess Tournament which brought attention to their plight.

It is lovely that this is a true story that showcases the power of compassion and hope and it is a real feel good story too.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

“Tani’s New Home” is based on a true story about Tani who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Nigeria. Only after a year of playing chess, Tani becomes the 2019 K-3 New York State chess champ. I love, love this story. It is an inspiration and the reason our country has always been a worldwide beacon of hope. The message of applying oneself towards a goal and learning chess, a game that teaches analytical and creative thinking, is priceless. 5 out of 5 stars!

An incredible story about a boy whose family became refugees in America.

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Tani’s New Home is a beautiful text that can act as a window into another person’s experiences. The images and text are beautiful, and highly recommended for sharing with young readers.

In the story, the family fled Nigeria after being forced by the Boko Haram to create hateful propaganda posters. The family settles in New York City, living in small rooms in a high rise shelter. The story shifts once Tani joins the chess club at school and learns how to play and compete. He learns that the people who do the best in chess are the ones who work the hardest, and he practices constantly to prove himself. 

This book was not quite what I expected. I was expecting more of an immigrant story that focused on the changes and situations Tani's family went through. Instead, this focused primarily on chess as a vehicle of hope. 

I enjoyed the message, but there was a bit of a disconnection between the two themes. I loved the "real life" explanation at the very end of the story. This would still be a great book to read with children.

"Tani's New Home" is the perfect children's book for home and school.  It delicately and directly addresses how his family had to face the Boko Haram and leave their home country, Nigeria.  Its illustrations emphasize the settings and feelings of Tani as his whole life changes.   This story needs to be well heard and this book does it 110%!  So glad to have. a resource to tell this story.  Great book for discussing inclusion and perseverance as well.

This uplifting picture book biography shares the story of Tani and his family immigrating to America, where learning to play chess helps him find a new home. For the young and the young-at-heart, any adult will enjoy sharing this with their young children - at home, in the library, or in a classroom. The illustrations are bold and colorful, with just enough detail to visually help explain the story more fully. A perfect book to read on World Refugee Day, or any time when discussing experiences refugees and immigrants have when arriving in the United States.

Tani’s New Home tells a tale of survival and adjusting to a new culture in kid-friendly language. After fleeing his home in Nigeria following the threats from a terrorist group, Tani finds community in his school’s chess club and finds great success!

Tani's New Home
A Refugee Finds Hope and Kindness in America
by Tanitoluwa Adewumi
Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S 
Thomas Nelson
 Children's Nonfiction  |  Christian 
Pub Date 24 Nov 2020



Tani was only six when he and his family became refugees in New York City, fleeing persecution in Nigeria.  He was overwhelmed by all the new things in America.  But there was one new experience turned out to be the most wonderful discovery, chess!  Tani studies, and practices chess for hours with joy and determination.  He practices on the floor of his room at the Homeless Shelter, less than a year later he won the New York State Chess Championship, and through one act of kindness after another, found a new home.




Tani’s New Home is a picture biography best geared toward those five to ten years old.  It is the real life story of a Chess Champion.  This book celebrates the power of hope and hard work reminding it’s readers that we can all make the world a more welcoming and encouraging place through empathy and compassion.



Tani’s New Home is beautifully written and includes beautiful digital illustrations by Courtney Dawsonis perfect for children reading alone; story time for families, classrooms, and libraries; and celebrations of World Refugee Day.





This powerful book about chess, family, and community reminds us all that home is a place where you can follow your dreams.



I give Tani’s New Home five out of five stars!




Happy Reading!

This was an adorable little story of Tanitoluwa Adewumi! He was a refugee from Nigeria who finds a love of chess in his new American school. I loved this inspiring story! It was amazing to see Tani come from being homeless to being the best chess player in the state. I loved how it showed that if you try your hardest, you can make your dreams come true!

Tani’s New Home is a beautiful children’s book. I enjoyed reading it to my nieces and nephew. It makes me so happy to share books of characters of color with my family and followers. I wish I would have read books with people of color when I was a child. I believe it would have helped my self-esteem and I would have felt comfortable in my own skin. It is a beautiful thing to see so many books and authors of color in this progressive age. I hope many get their hands on this book.

Tani's story is one of sadness, hope, rebuilding, perseverance, kindness, humility, and loveliness. We absolutely loved this book, in the sense that it gave me an opportunity to show my toddler a peek into the life of another young child. She did not know, until we were completed with reading, that the story was that of a real child and she was so interested in the differences between our two families. I love that this book tells a story that adults and children alike can learn from and appreciate. We are grateful to Tani for showing us his life and introducing us to new language and culture to share with our family.

It didn't take me long to want to be friends with Tani. Tani, or Tanitoluwa Adewumi is the author and central character of this children's book with big themes. The story begins with a warm scene of a family gathering and feast of Nigerian food but quickly moves to Tani's family being threatened and chased by a terrorist group. Later in the author's note at the end, we learn that Tani's family was targeted because they are Christians. Soon the Adewumi family flees to America and New York City where we see Tani and his family begin a new life full of challenges and successes. One of the great successes is what happens after Tani learns chess "the right way." I turned pages quickly so I could see how this story ended, which is not normal for a children's picture book. This story will open the horizons of most children who have never been exposed to fear and have no knowledge that other children in the world face real danger as a normal part of their lives. Even as Tani's New Home gently but honestly depicts darkness, it ends with hope and is full of heart on every page.

This is an important story - a story of a refugee family.  The illustrations are good.  The narrative is minimal.  It was good to see Tani go from being a frightened refugee living in a homeless shelter to state chess champion.  I would have liked to have heard more about this whole family's adjustment to living in American.

I received an electronic copy from Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S through NetGalley.
Adewumi captures the experiences for his family as they flee the violence in their homeland and journey to the United States. The story focuses on Tani and is told from his viewpoint. It is based on Tanitoluwa Adewumi's life. Readers see the events through his eyes and see the gamut of emotions involved. Against many odds, he becomes a chess champion in New York City as an eight year old. Informative text is included at the end of the book. The illustrations are colorful and clearly show the action and emotions as the story unfolds. The emphasis on hope without glossing over the realities works well.

Amazing! Heartwarming! A Triumph! Give this book all the positive descriptives. I love this book. 

Once a Nigerian refugee running from Boko Haram, Tami rises from fear and anxiety to become an eight-year-old chess champion. 

Highly accessible to those in love with the game and to those preferring video games, this story will give you a warm spot in your heart for the young dealing with unimaginable difficulties. 

5/5