Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bunmi Emenanjo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Bunmi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
When I was about ten years old, I picked up my first copy of Famous Five by Enid Blyton. I was transported into this English world full of adventure, mystery, and family complete with English tea and biscuits. And I. Was. Hooked! I eagerly awaited the availability of the next book in the series, as they were passed down from friends who were fortunate enough to afford and have access to these books.
Growing up in Nigeria, I remember reading everything from teen mystery novels to Shakespeare, the Arabian Nights, and the occasional Danielle Steel novel! I was a sponge, and I devoured every book I could get my hands on. Books were my window out to the world, and I was so fortunate to be exposed to different types of books. While we couldn’t afford to travel outside of the country, I traveled every time I opened a copy of The Taming of the Shrew, The Adventures of TinTin, or Nancy Drew. These books fueled my imagination, provided escapism no matter my circumstances, and allowed me to dream of one day visiting those places!
I was also able to see myself in many of the books I read as my parents exposed my brothers and I to the works of great African writers, such as, Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. Such books served as literary mirrors during my childhood! Exposure to these “mirror” books was extremely important in developing my sense of self and identity.
In 2016, my husband and I moved with our kids to our current home in a lovely neighborhood in Maryland that had little diversity. To ensure the kids remain connected to their heritage, I started a children’s book club initially focused on African books. Whenever I was a Guest Reader at the kids’ elementary school, I selected books from our diverse collection. This usually led to interesting conversations with kids who normally would not have exposure to books set in countries such as Uganda. My observation was that kids need to see themselves in the books that they read, but they are also yearning to learn about cultures different from their own. What started off as an exploration of African countries grew into a book club where we explored different countries all over the world. I went on to launch the business, Atlas Book Club, in November 2019. Since we launched, we have explored over 25 countries including Haiti, the Philippines, Nigeria, China, Iran, Turkey, England, Ivory Coast and so many more.
I was inspired to start Atlas Book Club because I believe that my three children, and every child, should have the experience that I had growing up – every child should see themselves represented in the books that they read and have opportunities to be transported to other parts of the world through books! At Atlas Book Club, we believe books should serve as windows out into the world and as mirrors. Our core belief is that children who are exposed to other cultures develop a global awareness that allows them to be more empathetic, compassionate and to celebrate cultures different from their own. Children who see themselves represented in books will develop a strong sense of self and identity.
I am passionate about the mission of this company. I believe that every child should have access to globally diverse books. I strongly believe that we are doing our children a disservice by not exposing them to world cultures, especially because we live in a world that is becoming increasingly global. Our children will enter a future workforce that is going to be more globally diverse than ever, and by exposing them to global cultures now, we are preparing them for the future.
Lastly, diversity in children’s books is sorely under-represented, and globally diverse books are even more so. My hope is that Atlas Book Club can help drive the demand for books that are more diverse.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a Nigerian-American mom to 3 kids ages 15, 13, and 11. While I was born in the United States, I grew up in Nigeria. I moved back to the U.S. at the age of 16 with my 19 year old brother and essentially raised myself. When I first moved here I worked at a McDonald’s and then waited tables at a local restaurant (Yay, Olive Garden!) for about nine years while putting myself through college and law school. I went on to obtain a BS in Genetics, a law degree, and a MS in Bioscience Regulatory Affairs. Mine is a story of figuring things out, faith, hard work, and resilience. The same vigor, determination and work ethic that got me through my undergraduate and graduate studies is what I pour into Atlas Book Club everyday.
Atlas Book Club LLC is a book box company focused on increasing global awareness in children by exposing them to internationally diverse cultures and experiences through literature. Our mission is threefold – (1) to help children of all backgrounds see themselves in the books that they read; (2) to help all children travel the world through books; (3) and to help shatter single story narratives and stereotypes.
We believe that children who are exposed to different cultures develop a global awareness that can help them cultivate an increased sense of empathy, compassion and acceptance. We believe that such exposure through books allows children to have a broader, panoramic worldview resulting in open-minded individuals who embrace and celebrate all people, cultures and traditions different from their own. And even more importantly, when kids see themselves represented in books, particularly kids of color who are not as represented, it helps them build a sense of identity and belonging.
Atlas Book Club is truly a cultural and educational experience through books. Our book boxes aim to immerse the child in the culture of the country we are exploring. Each box contains an age (and reading level) appropriate book set in a different country, fun facts card, postcard, a map poster with a country sticker, a bookmark and a culturally relevant souvenir. Our goal is to fully immerse the child in the culture of the country or region featured. We have four age categories:
Hatch – pictures books for all ages.
Nest Jr. – Ages 7-9. Early chapter books or picture books with complex storylines.
Nest – Ages 9-12. Middle grade chapter books for the advanced readers.
Soar – 13+. Young adult books.
I am most proud of the impact we are making on kids who receive our boxes. I have received so many messages from parents about how their children responded to our boxes – one mom told us how happy she was to share her Polish heritage with her daughter through our Poland box, another shared how her Nigeria-American son felt empowered after reading the book Ikenga, and advocated for its addition to his school library, and a parent shared how their child who had no interest in reading developed a love of reading after subscribing to our boxes.
Every single detail of the content of our boxes have been thought out thoroughly and we are very intentional about the books we select. Kids get to travel the world with every Atlas Book Club box!
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The most important thing I did when I was thinking of starting this business was to study other entrepreneurs. I love the podcast How I Built This! This was the first inkling that I could do this – build a business. Because I learned that these successful entrepreneurs were regular people who saw a problem and built a solution with hard work and consistency. Recognizing that most successful business owners were regular people like me gave me the confidence to start my own business. I also follow a number of inspiring business owners on Instagram such as Hayet Rida and Nicole Walters. I have learned so much about marketing from them.
Lastly, I worked on myself. Therapy, prioritizing rest, reading self help books such as Brene Brown’s Gift of Imperfection and Daring Greatly, Pema Chodron’s Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old and Fears, and The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Be yourself. I learned that authenticity goes a long way. I try to be intentional about what I share and how I share it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.atlasbookclub.com/holiday-sale/
- Instagram: @atlasbookclub
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlaskidsbookclub
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bemenanjo/
- Twitter: @atlasbookclub
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP9h-ZKpTxlF6j3n8iODLPg?app=desktop