B is for Baby by Atinuke illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

A big brother is taking a basket of bananas to his Baba (grandfather), but he does not realise the baby has stowed away and is now riding on the back of his bike - no wonder the banana basket is so heavy. The baby peeks out from under the basket lid and sees a butterfly and a beautiful bird. A mischievous baboon takes her basket lid and as they ride past a heavily laden bus the baby passes a banana to one of the passengers. Meanwhile the boy, wearing headphones, has no idea that all of this is happening behind his back. 

When he arrives, Baba reaches into the basket for a banana, and he finds the happy baby with her big smile. Everyone sits down to enjoy a fresh biscuit and a cool drink. The baby has certainly had a terrific adventure. I do enjoy stories which feature tricksters like this sweet baby. Oh, and it is fun to see all the ways this simple story incorporates so many words beginning with the letter B and so much action happens in the illustrations. Your young reading companion is sure to enjoy this visual storytelling. 

This is a clever and unusual book, with beautiful illustrations and a fun story that little children will delight in following. Atinuke’s books are always a feast for senses, showcasing the beauty of the author’s home. Book Trust

Companion book:

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 Baby Goes to Market also illustrated by Angela Brooksbank and Hugo illustrated by Birgitta Sif.

Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in the children's book industry before undertaking an MA at the Cambridge School of Art and turning her hand to her own illustration. Angela says, "I am constantly inspired by children’s energy and unique response to life and hope that my work conveys some of their playful spirit." Baby Goes to Market, written by Atinuke, was her debut picture book.

You might also like to look for:

This week I visited a charity book sale and I found 57 fantastic books for less than AUS$110. Among them was this one - in mint condition - ready to gift to a new baby (she is coming next month). This book was published in 2019 and I found a copy on an online bookseller site for over AUS$40 for the hardcover edition. I think the paperback edition might be available [9781406390872]. 

A Stork in a Baobab Tree by Catherine House illustrated by Polly Alakija

 The Twelve Days of Christmas

In my last post I talked about an Australia version of this famous poem. In this next post I am excited to have found a African version. If you can find this book first published in 2011 begin with the scrumptious end papers which show beautiful woven baskets in red, white and green from Ethiopia.

My true love gave to me:

• A stork in a baobab tree -  Botswana
• Two thatched huts - Zimbabwe
• Three woven baskets - Ethiopia
• Four market traders - Tanzania
• Five bright khangas - Uganda
• Six women pounding - Mali
• Seven children playing - Niger
• Eight wooden carvings - Nigeria
• Nine grazing goats - Kenya
• Ten drummers drumming - Ghana
• Eleven dancers dancing - Morocco
• Twelve storytellers - South Africa

In addition to the lines from the poem this book also gives readers a brief paragraph on each page as an explanation for example the grazing goats:

"Flocks of goats are often seen in African villages. Goats are used for meat, milk and for their skins. Traditionally it was the job of a child to look after the family goats. At the end of the day, the herder makes sure every animal returns to the safety of the homestead."

"The Khanga is a traditional cloth worn by many women, which can be used in different ways: a skirt, a shawl, headdress or even a baby sling."

You can see some illustrations from this book here. 

If you want to see more books featuring the twelve days of Christmas there are over forty in this Pinterest collection.

About the author: Catherine House lives in Oxford, UK and specialises in writing for African and Caribbean schools. She has lived and worked in Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea and Zimbabwe.

About the illustrator: Polly Alakija was born in the UK but now lives in Nigeria. Her most recent book is Counting Chickens.