B Is for Baby

As they did in Baby Goes to Market, Atinuke and Brooksbank include readers in the book's antics while leaving out the characters who surround Baby. Pictures tell the story alongside minimal text that introduces B words (baby, beads, basket). After Baby tumbles into a basket of bananas bound for Baba's bungalow, Brother, plugged into his headphones, replaces the basket's cover and loads it onto his bicycle, oblivious to its additional cargo. Subtle visual foreshadowing gives kids a peek at upcoming words as the boy pedals along: one of the birds seen perched in a baobab tree appears at close range on the following spread ("B is for Beautiful"), which also displays a baboon-filled tree in the background ("B is for Baboon"). A page later, one of the monkeys snags the top off the basket, exposing its stowaway passenger and paving the way for the big reveal to a shocked Brother and thrilled Baba. Featuring loose lines and an earth-toned backdrop, Brooksbank's energetic mixed-media art showcases the brilliant colors of African vegetation and clothing, and infuses Atinuke's sweet phrases with warmth and humor. Ages 3-7. (Mar.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Toddler-PreS-"B is for Baby" is the first and last line of this entertaining story of a baby girl, her brother, a bicycle, some bananas, and a big surprise. Highlighting words that begin with the letter "B," and with only four words per page--except for one spread--a simple story emerges that will engage small children and be accessible, with a little help, to early readers. In an unspecified African village, a mother gets her very young daughter dressed and ready for the day. She sends her son off with a basket filled with bananas to share with his grandfather. Unbeknownst to the boy, his little sister has fallen into the basket and is along for the ride to Baba's bungalow. The tale takes readers forward and then reverses the steps as the boy returns to his mother with his sister in tow. Illustrations in mixed media are large and bright with a white background. Animals, trees, flowers, and the inhabitants' dress reveal a bit of village life. VERDICT This tale offers eye-catching colors and a clever and fun way to introduce the "B" sound while telling a story.--Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Atinuke and Brooksbank ('Baby Goes to Market') have created an appealing package of rhythmic repetition and vibrant images.
—The New York Times Book Review

Brooksbank effectively avoids stereotypes while adding humor and cultural specificity to the story with her detailed and lively, colorful, mixed-media images. Safety-conscious caregivers may suck their teeth, but there's no denying the joy in this book. Atinuke has bottled the delightful energy of the Anna Hibiscus books and poured it into this treat for younger readers.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Featuring loose lines and an earth-toned backdrop, Brooksbank's energetic mixed-media art showcases the brilliant colors of African vegetation and clothing, and infuses Atinuke's sweet phrases with warmth and humor.
—Publishers Weekly

This clever story puts the focus on the letter B...Each page displays one terse sentence, such as "B is for beautiful." The colorful mixed- media art, however, is expansive, whether showing a single image of a curious baby playing with her toe, or detailing the lush surroundings. This one's a charmer.
—Booklist

Viewers will appreciate this sunny African alternative to "Over the River and Through the Woods," especially if readers-aloud make the comic most of the concluding speedy rewind that brings the sibs home again.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Atinuke and Brooksbank (Baby Goes to Market) reunite for another tenderly funny slice-of-life story set in an unspecified African village and starring a winsome baby girl, who is dearly loved...Brooksbank uses warm colors, from the bright beads in Baby's hair to the green-striped shirt that their Baba (grandfather) is wearing when Brother finally delivers his basket—with a surprise inside. Brava for Baby!
—The Horn Book

The Nigerian-born writer Atinuke plays with our expectations of how ABC books progress with "B Is for Baby" (Candlewick, 32 pages, $16.99), a picture book set in Africa that never moves beyond the one letter...The warm colors and loose lines of Angela Brooksbank's mixed-media pictures exude happiness and reassurance for readers ages 2-6.
—The Wall Street Journal

With B Is for Baby, author Atinuke and illustrator Angela Brooksbank (Baby Goes to Market) reunite for another tenderly funny story set in an unspecified African village and starring a winsome baby girl.
—The Horn Book