Adunola Shotonade: Equipping Children to Discover the Joy of Reading, Creativity and Faith

Adunola Shotonade is a children’s author, educator and programme facilitator, and the founder of Starlight Kids Academy, an initiative dedicated to helping children develop a love for reading, explore their creativity and grow in confidence and character.

Through her books, reading clubs and learning programmes, she creates opportunities for children to do more than acquire knowledge. She encourages them to ask questions, express themselves, use their imagination and develop values that will guide them as they grow. Her work spans storybooks, activity books, guided journals and resources that introduce children to biblical teachings in engaging and accessible ways. One of these is The Wisdom Adventure, a 31-day devotional that uses stories, puzzles, prayers and activities to help children explore the wisdom found in the book of Proverbs.

What I find particularly interesting about Adunola’s work is the thought she puts into how children learn. It is not just about getting children to read books or teaching them lessons. There is an intentional effort to help them think, ask questions, express themselves and make sense of what they are learning. And I think that distinction matters, especially in a world where we sometimes focus so much on what children know that we forget to pay attention to how they learn.

There is also something about Adunola’s personality that caught my attention. She has a calm, gentle demeanour and is soft-spoken, the kind of person whose presence feels reassuring. You can imagine why a parent would feel comfortable having their children around someone like her. And when you consider the nature of her work, you begin to appreciate how much a person’s temperament can add to the experience they create for children.

Adunola has spent more than 15 years working with children, but the path that led her here began long before she became an author or established an academy. As a child, despite being introverted, she felt drawn to join the children’s department in her childhood church. When she shared this desire with a friend, the friend held her hand and took her downstairs to meet the teachers serving with the children.

That simple step marked the beginning of years of volunteering and service, which eventually grew into full-time work in children’s ministry. It was an experience that would help shape the direction of her life and the work she does today.

As I considered this part of her journey, I found myself thinking about how often the things that eventually define our lives begin in ways that seem so ordinary. A young girl wanted to join the children’s department in her church. A friend held her hand and took her downstairs. Nobody could have known everything that would grow out of that moment. It is a reminder that we do not always recognise the significance of a beginning while we are living it.

Adunola studied Mass Communication at Bowen University, graduating in 2008. While her academic background was in communication, her growing involvement in children’s ministry continued to shape her interests and the direction of her work.

At Juniors International School, where she served as a tutor, programmes coordinator and creativity instructor, she brought her creativity into children’s learning. She designed activities that encouraged communication, collaboration and problem-solving, creating opportunities for children to participate actively rather than simply receive information.

Her work with children did not stop at the classroom or the church. In 2014, she started the Starlight Book Reading Club, creating a space where children could develop a love for reading through shared books, regular discussions, games, brain teasers and other engaging activities. The idea was to make reading an experience children could enjoy, rather than something they did only because it was required of them.

I like that this journey did not begin with an elaborate plan to build an academy or publish a collection of books. It began with service, grew through experience and gradually took shape in the form of programmes and resources for children. Looking at it this way, you can see how the different pieces of her work connect, even though they developed over time.

That vision now finds expression through Starlight Kids Academy, which offers programmes centred on literacy, creativity, critical thinking, leadership and confidence-building. Through its online and in-person activities, the academy gives children opportunities to discover their interests, practise new skills and learn in ways that allow them to participate actively. Its programmes include reading, creative writing, holiday activities and experiences designed to help children think independently and express their ideas.

Alongside these programmes, Adunola has continued to write for young readers. Her books include ABC’s of God’s Names, I Can Talk to Jesus and the My Father, My Friend series, as well as resources that guide children through the Old and New Testaments. Through these publications, she creates room for children to engage with faith, ask questions and develop an understanding of biblical stories and values from an early age.

Her more recent work includes The Wisdom Adventure: A 31-Day Devotional for Kids, built around the wisdom of Proverbs. Rather than presenting lessons as abstract instructions, the devotional combines stories, puzzles, prayers and activities to help children connect what they are learning to everyday life. It reflects her wider approach to children’s learning: give them something to read, something to think about and something they can actively engage with.

This same approach continues through Starlight Kids Bible Timeout, a weekly online programme for children aged four to thirteen. Through Bible stories, discussions and character-development activities, the programme creates a space where children can learn together and grow in their understanding of faith.

Another thing that stands out to me is how faith runs through so much of Adunola’s work without limiting her understanding of children’s development to spiritual instruction alone. Her work also makes room for literacy, creativity, critical thinking and confidence. She is thinking about the child as a whole person: what they read, what they believe, how they think, how they express themselves and the kind of person they are becoming.

Across her work, Adunola follows a simple progression: READ, THINK, CREATE and GROW. Children encounter stories and ideas, explore them through questions and discussions, express what they have learnt through creative activities, and build the confidence and character to carry those lessons into their lives. Whether through a book, a reading club or a facilitated programme, the aim is to make learning meaningful and give children room to discover what they can do.

And perhaps this is one of the things I find most compelling about her work: the recognition that children need more than information. They need room to explore, the freedom to ask questions, opportunities to try things out and adults who will encourage them as they discover who they are. These experiences may seem small at the time, but they can influence how a child sees themselves and what they believe is possible.

Sometimes, the direction of our lives is shaped by the smallest of nudges. A feeling we cannot quite explain, a step we take out of curiosity, or an invitation we decide to accept without knowing where it will lead. For Adunola, it began with that pull she felt as a young, introverted girl towards the children’s department in her childhood church. She followed that nudge, and what started as an act of service gradually became a significant part of her life’s journey.

Looking at Adunola’s journey today, it is interesting to see how that early experience connects to the work she now does through her books, her learning programmes and her work with children. Of course, the journey has not always been easy. Finding and following a path does not mean there will be no uncertainties, difficult seasons or moments when things do not turn out as planned. But through the different stages of her life, Adunola has continued to follow her heart, holding on to her faith and allowing it to guide her decisions.

Perhaps that is what makes her story worth telling. Sometimes, we are so focused on where we hope to go that we do not recognise the significance of the small steps we are taking along the way. We may not see the full picture when we begin, but as we look back, the pieces start to come together. For Adunola, a young girl’s decision to follow a nudge has grown into a life devoted to helping children read, learn, create and grow. And perhaps the most beautiful part is that she is still following that path, one child, one book and one learning experience at a time.