Welcome to Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk from Teaching for Change. In this video series, we introduce children’s books using an anti-bias, anti-racist lens as a strategy to talk about issues around race and the world with children. (View other episodes on the series home page and our YouTube playlist.)
The book featured in the video below is B Is for Baby, written by Nigerian-born storyteller Atinuke, and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. Published in 2019, this book is recommended for early childhood, including babies and toddlers! B Is for Baby is the fun journey of a bouncing baby who accidentally accompanies her brother as he delivers bananas by bicycle to their Baba’s bungalow. Set in West Africa, this book is a delightful way for young children to explore the letter “B.”
Four Key Takeaways From B Is for Baby:
- Appealing story
- Not another safari book
- Authentic storytelling
- Representations of Africa
Sharing part of her inspiration for the book, Atinuke comments: “I picked the baobab because it grows big — not only in size but in importance for the people who live around it. It provides not only physical sustenance but also spiritual sustenance. It is often a place of gathering and many wise decisions are reached under the baobab tree. Bougainvillea surrounded my childhood. It grew all over houses and compound walls. The sight of those beautiful flowers are very much a part of my African experience.”
Learn More
- Guide to Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books
- Teaching About Africa booklist and articles
- Africa Access
- Anti-bias Education resource page
Booklists
Note: Book titles on SocialJusticeBooks.org are linked to Powells.com (an independent, unionized bookstore) and/or Bookshop (indie bookstore platform). A small percentage from book sales through these links goes to Teaching for Change.
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