B is for Baby by Atinuke, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

This joyful celebration of a mischievous toddler takes place in a bustling, African market. Each page of the has a different word starting with B and the colorful pictures advance the story. It starts with splashing, vibrant red patterns on the end pages and then the first spread shows a plump, cheerful baby playing with her own toes. "B is for baby." says the bold text. B is for beads, which are added to the baby's hair, then a basket, where she finds bananas and tumbles in to eat her breakfast. When her brother appears, jamming out to tunes on his headphones, he loads the basket up to go see Baba without checking and the baby is off on an adventure! Along the way the baby and brother marvel at butterflies, birds, baobabs, and baboons and they all get a surprise when they get to Baba's house! The story repeats in reverse on the last spread, showing the boy returning home with his sister and ending with him smiling on as her mother gives her a hug.

Brooksbank's soft pictures show a landscape with reds, browns, greens, and blues. Busy buses, animals, and people zip around, but sometimes the siblings ride quietly through the fields, looking at the sights as they go. The mixed media illustrations are clear enough for small children to identify the bike, bus, bananas, and other items but have a gentle, fuzzy edge that not only gives an impression of the sleepy heat of the day but also of a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

There's a nice balance of familiar and new for toddlers and preschoolers here. The images of African village life are specific enough to not be stereotyped; the mother, grandfather, brother, and baby all have distinct personalities and attitudes. However, it's still general enough not to overwhelm my young audience whose only knowledge of Africa is usually watching Lion King. The words range from "beautiful," "bananas," and "butterfly," to "baboon," "bougainvillea," and "bungalow," adding some interesting new vocabulary.

Verdict: A sweet choice for storytime for toddlers up through preschoolers. Expand the story by finding other things that start with B in the book (there's one!) or in the room. Encourage older children to make their own stories that start with one letter.

ISBN: 9781536201666: Published March 2019 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library