M Is for Mango
by Atinuke; illus. by Angela Brooksbank
Preschool    Candlewick    32 pp.
6/25    9781536241280    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781536249279    $18.99

In Atinuke’s latest alphabet book (B Is for Baby, rev. 5/19; L Is for Love, rev. 11/24), a toddler named Mo, with big brown eyes and chubby cheeks, enjoys gathering and gobbling up mangos. After Mama serves Mo a “mushy” breakfast of milk and moi-moi (a traditional Nigerian dish), the child ventures out and finds “M is for Man. M is for Motorbike. M is for Music.” Next, the youngster sees a mango tree: “And M is for…Mango!” But M is also for the monkeys in the tree, and Mo’s excitement is quickly followed by dismay upon realizing the primates are after the delicious fruit. “OH NO! M is for Mine!” Wielding mops, Mama and the man shoo away the animals, and eventually Mo gets to devour a mango. “M is for mouth. M is for munch. M is for messy.” The humorous conflict with the monkeys elevates the text beyond a simple alphabet primer and makes the story one that young children will want to hear again and again. Atinuke uses punctuation effectively to vary her short sentences and encourage lively read-alouds. Brooksbank’s mixed-media illustrations, primarily in greens, yellows, and browns, cover several double-page spreads. Her detailed work captures typical toddler mood swings, the rush to gather “More, More, More” mangos, and the sweet satisfaction when Mo is finally able to eat one. “Mmmmmm!!!” indeed.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.