A J Olatuyi grew up walking from her family's home on Oregon Avenue to the West Baton Rouge Museum. On June 26, she walked back in to read her children's book to a room full of summer campers.

The book, "Little Femi's Adventure Leaving Lagos," is based on the real story of her husband, Thompson Olatuyi, who immigrated to the United States from Lagos, Nigeria. He is now a naturalized American citizen.

"I wrote this book for someone really special," Olatuyi told the campers. "My husband is actually Little Femi."

The reading was part of the museum's weeklong summer camp, which had an America-themed focus. Olatuyi, 48, now lives in the Atlanta area but said Port Allen never left her.

"One of the best feelings is coming home," she said. "Particularly coming home not just to the state of Louisiana but back to my home city."

Olatuyi said the idea for the book started during a car ride with her husband a few years ago.

"We were just in the car and I was joking. I said, 'You know, I should write your story,'" she said. "And I just said, 'I'm gonna write it from a child's perspective.' And I just said, 'Little Femi's Adventure.' And it kind of just stuck."

She grabbed a pen from her purse and started writing.

The book follows a young boy named Femi who learns his family is moving from Lagos to America. He says goodbye to his best friend, Ayo, packs his soccer ball and dreams about what life will be like in a new country.

In real life, Thompson Olatuyi's departure from Nigeria was abrupt. He kept the process quiet and told his family at the last minute.

"His dad cried when they took him to the airport because he said he didn't know if he would be living to see his son again," Olatuyi said.

It took Thompson three years to return to Nigeria for a visit.

Olatuyi said the ending of the book hit her the hardest. On the last page, Little Femi stands at a window, looks back at Lagos and whispers, "I will be brave. I'll carry Nigeria in my heart."

"I never imagined that it would be illustrated that way," she said. "I don't really think that's the part of the book that I really had input with the illustrator on."

The illustrator, Kenechukwu Nnamene, works under the pen name Harmony's Brush and is based in Nigeria.

At the museum

Olatuyi read to multiple groups of campers ages 5 to about 12 over two days. She brought props from the story, including a soccer ball, a Nigerian national team jersey and a suitcase, and asked the kids to help plan Little Femi's next adventure.

She said the older kids surprised her.

"I particularly wrote this book more for elementary school kids," she said. "I didn't know how the 11- and possibly 12-year-olds would react. But they actually did a great job."

The younger kids peppered her with questions about puff puffs, a fried dough snack from the book, and whether Little Femi was a real person.

Olatuyi said she wants kids to take away something simple from the story.

"This really helps us to understand how it feels to be brave but nervous at the same time," she said. "This helps to build kids' confidence. This helps them to understand what it means to be brave, what it looks like on the other side."

She also wants kids to understand that people come to America from all over the world, and that they love the places they came from.

"To be open to meeting new people and understanding other people's journeys," she said. "Maybe perhaps being that person to extend friendship, extend kindness."

Coming home

Olatuyi grew up in Port Allen and was a member of the West Baton Rouge Historical Association. Her late father retired from the City of Port Allen. Her mother still works at the museum.

Jeannie Luckett, the museum's director of programs, extended the invitation through Olatuyi's mother.

She said the museum has been a family anchor for decades.

"When I think of Port Allen, I think of the museum, the library and the places that I went as a child and as a teen growing up," she said. "We've had family events there. We've had baby showers. The museum is just a part of me."

The museum event was her first author visit outside of Georgia that was not connected to a school district.

When asked why she chose to tell the story as a children's book, she didn't hesitate.

"I don't think the story could be told any other way," she said.

What's next

The book was published this year. A second volume, which follows Little Femi's arrival in America, is being illustrated by Nnamene and is expected out ahead of a planned 2027 book tour across the South.

Olatuyi said she is open to author visits for schools, museums, bookstores, children's parties and special events.

"Little Femi's Adventure Leaving Lagos" is available in paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online and Walmart.com.