Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author of children's books and an oral storyteller of traditional African folktales.[1]

Atinuke
BornIbadan, Nigeria
Occupation
  • Author
  • Oral Storyteller
Children2
Website
atinuke.co.uk

Personal life and education

edit

Atinuke was born in Ibadan and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria with her parents and three siblings.[2] Her father was a Nigerian university lecturer and her mother was an English editor.[2] Atinuke is of Yoruba ancestry through her father.[3][4]

Atinuke chose to attend a boarding school in England from ages ten to thirteen.[3] Her parents and three siblings then moved to England, and Atinuke began attending public school.[citation needed]

in university, Atinuke studied English and Commonwealth Literatures.[3]

She has two sons[5] and currently lives in Wales.[3][6]

Career

edit

Atinuke's first story was told to an audience in England in 1990, when the booked performer didn't show.[citation needed] She embarked on a creative journey and professional career of collecting stories from Africa and the African diaspora and telling them to local and international audiences, at festivals and schools.[citation needed] When she took a break from travelling in 2005 due to illness,[citation needed] she began writing her first book, about fictional character Anna Hibiscus, a young girl living in "Amazing Africa". Atinuke is the author of over 20 children's books based on her life in Nigeria and the traditional stories. Most recently she published a non-fiction children's book about the 55 countries of Africa. Her book "Baby Goes To Market" is published in the US and UK as well as in French and Japanese.[7]

Awards and honours

edit

The African American Literature Book Club named Atinuke in their list of the "Top 100 Bestselling Authors" in the 60th place.[8]

In 2011, Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus! was named one of the best children's books of the year by The Horn Book Magazine.[9]

In 2015, Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus was named one of the best children's and young adult books of the year by Shelf Awareness.[10]

In 2017, You’re Amazing, Anna Hibiscus! was included on Kirkus Reviews' "Best Books for Middle Graders of 2017" list.[11]

In 2018, Baby Goes to Market was included on the Children's Africana Book Awards' "Best Books for Young Children" list.[12]

In 2021, Too Small Tola was named one of the best children's books of the year by The Horn Book Magazine, School Library Journal and Shelf Awareness [13][14][15]

In 2022, Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls was named one of the best children's books of the year by The Horn Book Magazine.[16]

Awards for Atinuke's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2010 Anna Hibiscus Cybils Award for Short Chapter Books Finalists [17]
2011 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction Honor [18]
Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! Cybils Award for Short Chapter Books Winner [19]
2012 Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus! Mind the Gap Awards: Better luck next time Winner [20]
2013 The No. 1 Car Spotter and the Firebird Carnegie Medal Nominee
2014 Hooray for Anna Hibiscus! Audie Award for Children's Titles Ages Up to 8 Winner [21][22]
2018 Baby Goes to Market ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [23]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor [24]
Mathical Book Prize: Pre-K Winner [25]
2020 Africa, Amazing Africa School Library Association Information Book Award for Ages 8 to 12 years Shortlist [26]
B Is for Baby ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [27]
Carnegie Medal Longlist [28]
2021 Too Small Tola Cybils Award for Easy Chapter Books Finalist [29]
Jhalak Prize for Children YA Longlist
2022 ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [30]

Publications

edit

Fiction

edit

Anna Hibiscus series

edit

The Anna Hibiscus series is illustrated by Lauren Tobia

  1. Anna Hibiscus (2010)
  2. Hooray for Anna Hibiscus! (2010)
  3. Anna Hibiscus' Song (2011)
  4. Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! (2011)
  5. Welcome Home, Anna Hibiscus! (2012)
  6. Go Well, Anna Hibiscus! (2014)
  7. Double Trouble For Anna Hibiscus! (2015)
  8. Love from Anna Hibiscus! (2015)
  9. You're Amazing, Anna Hibiscus! (2016)
  10. Merry Christmas, Anna Hibiscus! (expected 2023)

Baby series

edit

The Baby series is illustrated by Angela Brooksbank.

  1. Baby Goes to Market, (2017)
  2. B Is for Baby (2019)
  3. Baby, Sleepy Baby (2021)

The No. 1 Car Spotter series

edit

The No. 1 Car Spotter series is illustrated by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell.

  1. The No. 1 Car Spotter (2011)
  2. The No. 1 Car Spotter and the Firebird (2011)
  3. The No. 1 Car Spotter and the Car Thieves (2012)
  4. The No. 1 Car Spotter Goes to School (2014)
  5. The No. 1 Car Spotter and the Broken Road (2015)
  6. The No. 1 Car Spotter Fights the Factory (2016)

Too Small Tola series

edit

The Too Small Tola series is illustrated by Onyinye Iwu.

  1. Too Small Tola (2020)
  2. Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls (2021)
  3. Too Small Tola Gets Tough (2023)

Standalone books

edit
  • Catch That Chicken!, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank (2020)
  • Hugo, illustrated by Birgitta Sif (2020)
  • Brilliant Black British History (expected 2023)

Non-Fiction

edit
  • Africa Amazing Africa: Country by Country, illustrated by Mouni Feddag (2019)

References

edit
  1. ^ "Reading with... Atinuke". Shelf Awareness. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  2. ^ a b "About me". Atinuke. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  3. ^ a b c d "Atinuke". Gaithersburg Book Festival. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  4. ^ "Atinuke". authorfy. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  5. ^ "Atinuke". Miles Stott Agency. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  6. ^ "Atinuke, Nigerian Born Storyteller and Children's Book Author ★". African American Literature Book Club. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  7. ^ "Atinuke". BookTrust. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  8. ^ "The Top 100 Bestselling Black Authors". African American Literature Book Club. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  9. ^ "Horn Book Fanfare 1938 to present". The Horn Book. 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  10. ^ "Our 2015 Best Books of the Year". Shelf Awareness . 2015-12-11. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  11. ^ Vicky, Vicki (2017-11-27). "Old Friends Return in the Best Books for Middle Graders". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  12. ^ Meadows, Rebecca. "UCF Research Guides: Award Winning and Notable Children's Books PreK - 8: CABA Children's Africana Book Awards". University of Central Florida. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  13. ^ Gershowitz, Elissa (2021-12-10). "Fanfare Family Reading 2021". The Horn Book. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  14. ^ Blair, Monisha; Speight, Myiesha; Williams, Ashleigh; Worley, Taylor (2021-11-22). "Best Chapter Books 2021 | SLJ Best Books". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  15. ^ "Our 2021 Best Children's & YA Books of the Year". Shelf Awareness. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  16. ^ "Fanfare 2022 Annotations". The Horn Book. 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  17. ^ "2010 Cybils Finalists". Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  18. ^ "Past Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Winners". The Horn Book. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  19. ^ "2011 Cybils Winners". Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  20. ^ "Out of the Box | 2012 Mind the Gap Awards". The Horn Book. 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  21. ^ "Audie Award Finalists and Winners". AudioFile Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  22. ^ "2014 Audie Finalists Announced". Publishers Weekly. 2014-02-18. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  23. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (2018-04-12). "ALSC names 2018 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  24. ^ "Awards: Charlotte Zolotow; Edward Stanford Travel Writing". Shelf Awareness. 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  25. ^ "Awards: Mathical Book; Jane Grigson Trust". Shelf Awareness. 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  26. ^ "Shortlist Announced for School Library Association Information Book Award 2020 :: NEWS". School Library Association. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  27. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (2020-02-25). "ALSC names 2020 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  28. ^ "Longlists for 2020 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals Announced". The Yoto Carnegies. 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  29. ^ "2021 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  30. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (2023-02-01). "2022 Notable Children's Books". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Retrieved 2023-03-22.
edit