Simisayo Brownstone

If you’ve ever watched a kid treat your smartphone like a sacred artifact (“No, Mom, I need it for… science”), you already understand the central mystery of modern parenting: why can a tiny human operate an iPhone better than you? Simisayo Brownstone saw that question, added a pinch of magic, and turned it into kid-friendly fantasy where phones don’t just entertainthey summon help.

Brownstone is best known for creating Feyi Fay, a children’s chapter book series led by a Nigerian superhero fairy who travels the world solving everyday kid problemsbullying, friendship drama, bedtime fears, and the occasional “monster under the bed” situation. Off the page, the Simisayo Brownstone name is also tied to Teni & Tayo Creations, a play-and-learning brand that pairs stories with hands-on STEM/STEAM projects celebrating African stories and diverse characters.

Who Is Simisayo Brownstone?

“Simisayo Brownstone” is presented publicly as an author persona (as echoed on her Amazon author bio): by day, a strategy executive who lives in charts and spreadsheets; by night, a mom trying to keep up with real-life chaos (the non-magical kind: tantrums, dishes, and socks that vanish like they’re being raptured). When she finds creative time, she writes about a world with real magicbecause if cotton candy made you skinny, adulthood would be significantly more fun.

In profiles and business coverage, Brownstone is also identified as the pen name of entrepreneur Omobola Imoisili, who founded Teni & Tayo Creations after relocating to Los Angeles and wanting more culturally representative books and products for her children. That mixstrategy brain + parent brain + cultural storytellershows up everywhere: the stories move fast, the lessons land softly, and the “why” is never just entertainment for entertainment’s sake.

The Feyi Fay Universe: A Superhero Fairy With a Magic App

At the heart of the series is Feyi Fay, a young “kuzooly”a winged, fairy-like creature connected to children in a way adults can’t fully access. In Brownstone’s world, kids can use a phone app to call in help from a magical problem-solver, turning a modern obsession into a narrative engine.

That choice matters. Instead of lecturing about screens, the books meet kids where they are and then pivot toward courage, empathy, and clear thinking. The app is the hook; the heart is the point.

Book 1: Feyi Fay and the Case of the Mysterious Madam Koi Koi

The debut sends Feyi to England to help a boy named Tom who can’t sleep because he’s terrified of “Madam Koi Koi”a figure drawn from a Nigerian boarding school legend about a ghostly, high-heeled teacher. In the story, the villain’s signature is audible: the “koi koi koi” sound of heels at night. Tom’s fear escalates (as kid fears do), and the book treats it as realthen gives him a way through it.

Kirkus called the book imaginative and humorous with a strong emotional foundation, noting how Tom’s anxiety is balanced by Feyi’s lighthearted confidence and grounded by the strength of Tom’s mother. The magic is proudly kid-codedglitter, snacks, and clever objectsso the fantasy feels touchable, not abstract.

Book 2 and the Wider Cast: Captain Nosa

The wider universe includes Captain Nosa, described in brand coverage as a Nigerian neuroscientist and superhero who can make people extremely smart. It’s playful, but it’s also an invitation: curiosity and learning aren’t choresthey’re superpowers kids can choose.

Representation With Wings: Rewriting the Fairy Canon

One of the most meaningful parts of Feyi Fay is also the simplest: the fairy looks like a lot of kids who rarely get to be the magical main character. Kirkus pointed out the “superabundance” of white-skinned fairies in children’s books and described Brownstone’s African fairies as refreshing. When you’re six, “representation” isn’t a buzzwordit’s the moment your brain goes, “Wait… I’m allowed to be the hero?”

Beautiful News framed the motivation as identity-building: after immigrating to the United States, Imoisili noticed stereotypical depictions of Africa and wrote stories “brimming with black pride and empowerment,” drawing on African folklore while tackling kid issues like bullying and social exclusion. Culture isn’t decoration here; it’s a source of plot, humor, and meaning.

From Storybooks to STEAM: Teni & Tayo Creations

Simisayo Brownstone isn’t only an author name; it’s part of a bigger ecosystem. Teni & Tayo Creations is described as a Black-owned, woman-owned shop headquartered in the U.S. offering books, toys, backpacks, and apparel that celebrate African stories. The mascotsFeyi Fay and Captain Nosaappear across products, reinforcing the idea that stories can live beyond pages.

The Chicago Defender story explains the origin in practical parent terms: relocating to Los Angeles, raising daughters in a minority context, and noticing a lack of representation in everyday kids’ products and in awareness of African culture and history. The solution became a catalog of kid-friendly learning: stories, STEM kits, and classes that make “educational” feel like “let’s build something.” A Texas Metro News business spotlight sums up the mission in plain language: close the representation gap while making fun, engaging products any child can enjoy.

What the kits and Maker’s Box look like

The Toy Insider highlighted items such as Smart STEM building sticks, a build-your-own solar powered car kit, and a safe-and-lock box kitprojects that produce a real object a child can point to and say, “I made that.” On the brand’s site, the Maker’s Box subscription is described as three hands-on projects delivered every three months (ideal for ages about 5–11), paired with stories set in different countriesnarrative fueling curiosity, curiosity fueling building.

How Parents, Teachers, and Librarians Can Use the Books

Chapter books work best when they do two things well: keep kids turning pages and give adults an easy way to talk about what happened. Feyi Fay is set up for both. Retail descriptions emphasize mystery, humor, and life lessons; Kirkus notes discussion questions and links; and the Reading With Your Kids podcast page points to the “magical app” premise as a bridge from real-life phone fascination to imaginative problem-solving.

Brownstone’s author-visit materials also show classroom intention: sessions include a presentation and Q&A, with a popular component being interactive African folklore told using “just our voices, bodies, and imagination.” That’s storytelling as participation, not performance.

Discussion starters that don’t feel like homework

• What’s the difference between a fear that’s possible and one that’s powerful?
• What would you ask an adult if you felt scared, and why is asking hard sometimes?
• If you could design a “help app,” what problem would it solve first?

A Quick Reading & Buying Guide

If a child is ready for chapter books with a fast pace, playful danger, and lots of “one more chapter!” energy, they’re in the sweet spot. Listings commonly place the core audience around early elementary readers (roughly ages 6–10), while the brand’s hands-on projects span a bit wider depending on the kit.

If you’re reading aloud, a good rhythm is one short chapter per night with a “prediction pause” at the end: ask what the child thinks will happen next and why. You’ll be amazed how quickly their reasoning muscles show up.

If you’re the “I like to see the whole series” type, Goodreads currently lists four distinct works under the Simisayo Brownstone name, including the two core chapter books plus activity and coloring titles.

1. Start with Volume 1 for the core concept: magical app, traveling helper, and a bedtime fear solved with humor and heart.
2. Continue to Volume 2 to expand the world and meet more of the superhero cast.
3. Add a build if the child learns best by making: STEM kits and the subscription box match the “learning is an adventure” theme.

The Bigger Takeaway

The Simisayo Brownstone brand is a tidy case study in modern children’s storytelling: fantasy that respects kids’ emotions, centers cultural mythology, and meets families where they are (yes, including on their phones) without losing the story’s soul. It isn’t trying to raise a child who never feels fear; it’s helping raise a child who can feel fear, name it, ask questions, and still take the next step.

Key Themes You Can Spot (and Talk About)

Even if you’re reading for fun (which you should), there are a few themes that make the Simisayo Brownstone approach feel distinct. First, fear is treated like information, not a flaw. Tom’s worry is never laughed off; the story simply asks him to test assumptions and speak up. Second, the series uses culture as a story engine. The Madam Koi Koi legend isn’t a random “exotic” add-onit’s the mystery itself, and it opens a door for kids to learn that legends travel, change, and carry meaning.

Third, the world positions help-seeking as heroic. In a lot of kids’ media, the brave move is going it alone. Here, the brave move is asking the question that breaks the spell of uncertainty. Finally, there’s a quiet message for grown-ups: you don’t have to win a war against screens to raise a thoughtful kid. You can redirect the fascination toward imagination, making, and conversationthen let the kid’s own curiosity do the heavy lifting.

Experience Add-On: 5 Real-World Ways These Stories Show Up

1) The bedtime “koi koi” reality check

After a few chapters, bedtime gets thoughtful. A child hears a sound and says, “I think I’m scared because I don’t know what that is,” then asks a parent to explain. That’s the win: fear doesn’t vanish; it becomes something you can talk about.

2) A classroom map of how rumors spread

Kids instantly understand legends. One student shares a spooky school story, another adds a detail, and suddenly it’s “true.” Teachers can ask: What did we actually see? Who told us? What questions would help?

3) Designing a “help app” on paper

Give students 10 minutes and a blank page and they’ll invent apps for calming down, making friends, or dealing with bullyingcomplete with buttons like “I need a grown-up.” It’s creativity, yes, but it’s also empathy.

4) The STEM build that teaches persistence

A solar car or lock box kit rarely works perfectly on the first try. Children reread instructions, troubleshoot, test againand when it finally works, they’ve earned proof they can stick with something hard.

5) An author visit that turns folklore into play

When storytelling becomes interactivevoices, movement, imaginationkids who don’t always volunteer suddenly want to participate. Add choosing an African name and learning its meaning, and culture becomes personal, not distant.

That’s the magic thread: page to conversation to creation. One chapter leads to one question, which leads to one brave actionsometimes as small as asking, “Mom, what’s that noise?” and sometimes as big as believing you can be the hero of your own story.