Atinuke (author)

Atinuke was born in Ibadan and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria with her parents and three siblings.{{Cite web |title=About me |url=https://atinuke.co.uk/about/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Atinuke}} Her father was a Nigerian university lecturer and her mother was an English editor. Atinuke is of Yoruba ancestry through her father.{{Cite web |title=Atinuke |url=https://www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org/featured_author/atinuke/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Gaithersburg Book Festival |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Atinuke |url=https://authorfy.com/masterclasses/atinuke/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=authorfy |language=en-GB}}

Atinuke chose to attend a boarding school in England from ages ten to thirteen. Her parents and three siblings then moved to England, and Atinuke began attending public school.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

in university, Atinuke studied English and Commonwealth Literatures.

She has two sons{{Cite web |title=Atinuke |url=https://milesstottagency.co.uk/author/atinuke/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Miles Stott Agency |language=en-GB}} and currently lives in Wales.{{Cite web |title=Atinuke, Nigerian Born Storyteller and Children’s Book Author ★ |url=https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Atinuke |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=African American Literature Book Club |language=en}}

Atinuke's first story was told to an audience in England in 1990, when the booked performer didn't show.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} 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|date=March 2023}} When she took a break from travelling in 2005 due to illness,{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Atinuke |url=https://www.booktrust.org.uk/authors/a/atinuke/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=BookTrust}}

The African American Literature Book Club named Atinuke in their list of the "Top 100 Bestselling Authors" in the 60th place.{{Cite web |title=The Top 100 Bestselling Black Authors |url=https://aalbc.com/authors/bestselling-authors2.php |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=African American Literature Book Club |language=en}}

In 2011, Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus! was named one of the best children's books of the year by The Horn Book Magazine.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2012-12-05 |title=Horn Book Fanfare 1938 to present |url=https://www.hbook.com/story/horn-book-fanfare-1938-to-present |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=The Horn Book}}

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.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-12-11 |title=Our 2015 Best Books of the Year |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2652 |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Shelf Awareness }}

In 2017, You’re Amazing, Anna Hibiscus! was included on Kirkus Reviews{{'}} "Best Books for Middle Graders of 2017" list.{{Cite web |last=Vicky |first=Vicki |date=2017-11-27 |title=Old Friends Return in the Best Books for Middle Graders |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/old-friends-return-best-books-middle-graders/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}

In 2018, Baby Goes to Market was included on the Children's Africana Book Awards' "Best Books for Young Children" list.{{Cite web |last=Meadows |first=Rebecca |title=UCF Research Guides: Award Winning and Notable Children's Books PreK - 8: CABA Children's Africana Book Awards |url=https://guides.ucf.edu/c.php?g=851147&p=8600797 |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=University of Central Florida |language=en}}

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 {{Cite web |last=Gershowitz |first=Elissa |date=2021-12-10 |title=Fanfare Family Reading 2021 |url=https://www.hbook.com/story/fanfare-family-reading-2021 |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=The Horn Book}}{{Cite web |last=Blair |first=Monisha |last2=Speight |first2=Myiesha |last3=Williams |first3=Ashleigh |last4=Worley |first4=Taylor |date=2021-11-22 |title=Best Chapter Books 2021 {{!}} SLJ Best Books |url=https://www.slj.com/story/best-chapter-books-2021-slj-best-books |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=School Library Journal}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-11-23 |title=Our 2021 Best Children's & YA Books of the Year |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4119 |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Shelf Awareness}}

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.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-12-14 |title=Fanfare 2022 Annotations |url=https://www.hbook.com/story/fanfare-2022-annotations |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=The Horn Book}}

The Anna Hibiscus series is illustrated by Lauren Tobia

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

• Anna Hibiscus' Song (2012)
• Splash, Anna Hibiscus! (2014)
• Double Trouble For Anna Hibiscus! (2015)

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 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)

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)

• Catch That Chicken!, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank (2020)
• Hugo, illustrated by Birgitta Sif (2020)
• Brilliant Black British History (expected 2023)
• Beti and the Little Round House, illustrated by Emily Hughes, Walker Books (2024){{cite web |last1=Tolkien |first1=Tom |title=Year 2 Reading List |url=https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks1-school-pupils/year-2/ |website=School Reading List |publisher=School Reading List |access-date=24 April 2025}}

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

{{reflist}}

• [https://atinuke.co.uk/ Official website]

Category:21st-century women writers

Category:21st-century Nigerian writers

Category:Writers from Ibadan

Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people