Review: Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke

 

BABY GOES TO MARKET

by Atinuke

Illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

Candlewick Press

Board Book

32 pages

ages 3 to 7

Join Baby and his doting mama at a bustling southwest Nigerian marketplace for a bright, bouncy read-aloud offering a gentle introduction to numbers.

Market is very crowded.
Mama is very busy.
Baby is very curious.

When Baby and Mama go to the market, Baby is so adorable that the banana seller gives him six bananas. Baby eats one and puts five in the basket, but Mama doesn't notice. As Mama and Baby wend their way through the stalls, cheeky Baby collects five oranges, four biscuits, three ears of sweet corn, two pieces of coconut . . . until Mama notices that her basket is getting very heavy! Poor Baby, she thinks, he must be very hungry by now! Rhythmic language, visual humor, and a bounty of delectable food make this a tale that is sure to whet little appetites for story time.

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MY TIDBITS

Rhythm, bright scenes, and more than a few smiles make this a read to enjoy again and again and again.

Baby goes to the market with Mama. Every time they pass a stand, the seller gives Baby a treat—the banana seller gives him six bananas, the orange seller give him five oranges, and so it goes. Baby eats only one of each and quietly places the rest in the basket on Mama's head. By the time they're done, Mama is surprised how full her basket is. But her next assumption is sure to draw a laugh.

This is a cute, board book, built for smaller hands. The scenes are bright and vivid and hold quite a few details. Since this takes place on a market in Nigeria, there are things for readers to learn and discover. Not only the items for sale are interesting, but the clothes, customs and such also come across without every being stressed or pointed out. It does a nice job at bringing across the aspects of the other culture and the marketplace well.

The text is done with poetic finesse and will have listeners soon repeating some moments right along with the reader. It does encourage counting, too, as listeners watch baby collect various numbers of items. Thanks to the illustrations, listeners can count right along with Baby. Add the humor as Baby receives tons of items without his mother's knowledge, and it's a book packed with goodness from beginning to end.

And here they are...

Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the UK. As a traditional oral storyteller, drawing upon her recent Yoruba ancestry, she visits schools and theatres all over the world. Atinuke is the author of the bestselling Anna Hibiscus fiction series, as well as the No. 1 Car Spotter series, and the picture books B Is for Baby also illustrated by Angela Brooksbank and Hugo illustrated by Birgitta Sif. Atinuke lives on a mountain overlooking the sea in west Wales and supports the charity SOS Children's Village. Visit her online at atinuke-author.weebly.com

Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in children’s book publishing before turning her hand to her own illustration. Baby Goes to Market is her debut picture book. She lives in London.

Review: Too Small Tola by Atinuke

 Today's book greets from Lagos. It's a chapter book for beginner readers, who are a little more sure of their words but not quite ready for middle grade novels. Three short stories make up this one, each one exposing a bit of life in India along the way.

But I'm not blabbering any longer...

TOO SMALL TOLA

by Atinuke

Illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

Candlewick Press

Chapter Book

96 pages

ages 4 to 8

Tolu may be small, but she's very determined.

Three delightful stories about Too Small Tola, a young girl who, though small, is very determined. Tola lives in a flat in Lagos with her sister, Moji, who is very clever; her brother, Dapo, who is very fast; and Grandmummy, who is very bossy. Tola proves to be stronger than she seems when she goes to market with Grandmummy and manages to carry home a basket full of yams and vegetables, chilli peppers and fish. When the taps in the flat don't work, it's Tola who brings water from the well, and it's Tola who saves the day when Mr Abdul, the tailor, needs his goods to be delivered quickly. Too Small Tola is a wonderful new character in the world of children's books by multi-award-winning children's writer and storyteller Atinuke.

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MY TIDBITS

Tola might be small, but these pages show how 'big' a girl can still be in a way which is sure to entertain and teach a bit, too.

Tola lives with her Grandmummy, sister and brother in a poorer area of Lagos. While her sister and brother are talented, she is simply small for her age and gets teased about it, too. But Grandmummy knows that there's more to being big than just pure size, and Tola proves that she might be bigger than anyone could suspect.

This is a collection of three short stories, which are perfect for beginner readers, who are more sure of their words. The stories take place in a poorer part of Lagos and demonstrate how people there live, while presenting an entertaining tale. The details and aspects just slide right along with the story, so that the scenes...although probably unknown to many...come across perfectly natural. So, kudos alone on that end!

Tola is a sweet, little girl, and young readers with older siblings will have no trouble relating to her problems. The family is, however, very loving and always there for each other despite smaller issues. Tola's adventures happen in her every day life, and yet, they are engaging and lure in. Add the simple but nicely done illustrations on every page, and this is a read I can really recommend. 

And here she is...

Atinuke, author of Baby Goes to Market; Too Small Tola; Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country; the Anna Hibiscus series; and more talks to Candlewick Press about her Nigerian roots and the art of oral and written storytelling!