Baby Dunks-a-Lot: A Picture Book

by Jayson Tatum, Sam Apple, Parker-Nia Gordon (Illustrator)

Overview

NBA champion Jayson Tatum scores with this hilarious tale of a baby turned basketball superstar!

Inspired by Jayson Tatum’s life as both an NBA superstar and a loving dad, this laugh-out-loud picture book is the story of what happens when a tot becomes an NBA teammate. Coathored by Sam Apple and featuring Parker-Nia Gordon’s sweet and appealing art, Baby Dunks-a-Lot is “delightful . . .silly and sporty in equal measure” (Kirkus).

When a big kid teaches his little brother how to play basketball for the first time, something unusual happens . . . baby bro flies through the air for a monster dunk! Before long, every professional team wants the incredible dunking baby on their roster. Baby Dunks-A-Lot is poised to become a basketball legend—that is, until he misses his bedtime.

The Boss Baby meets Space Jam in Jayson Tatum’s debut picture book, Baby Dunks-a-Lot!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419771460
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/10/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	193
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jayson Tatum (aka Deuce’s dad) is a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. He is a 5X NBA All-Star, a multi-time All-NBA First Team selection, and an Olympic Gold Medalist. Sam Apple (aka Isaac, Nina, and Lila’s dad) lives in Philadelphia and teaches writing at Johns Hopkins University. He has not yet been selected to the All-NBA First Team. Parker-Nia Gordon grew up in the musical city of Memphis, Tennessee, home of rhythm and blues. She received her BFA at Ringling College of Art and Design, and after graduating, Gordon returned to Memphis, where she became a visual teacher for young elementary school children for three years. She is the illustrator of Daddy and Me and the Rhyme to Be, written by Chris Bridges (Ludacris) and Halcyon Pearson.

Editorial Reviews

07/08/2024

A tiny tot exhibits slam-dunk prowess in this lean basketball narrative by Tatum and Apple. Taught to shoot hoops in his own backyard, diaper-clad Baby Dunks-a-Lot, portrayed with brown skin, catches the attention of the Ballers, a basketball team in need of dunking talent. As the little one joins up, Gordon’s digital illustrations show the young player misinterpreting basketball lingo (“pick-and-roll” results in nose-picking and floor-rolling), belting “Baby Shark” on the bus, and trying to keep his pacifier in his mouth. As he takes the court in the championship game despite his parents’ late-breaking concern (“We don’t think a baby is ready to be a professional basketball player”), his loved ones rally behind him, celebrating his achievements. It’s a sportsball send-up poised to remind readers of young collaborators’ ample strengths. Secondary characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Jayson Tatum shoots and scores! Baby Dunks-a-Lot is a bundle of basketball joy!

Jeff Kinney

08/16/2024

PreS-Gr 3—"All the kids loved going to the basketball court after school," but no one expects to discover that "BABY COULD DUNK!" Naturally, a dunking baby is a huge draw, and so the baby decides to try his luck as a member of the Ballers—wearing Celtics green, of course. Now called Baby Dunks-a-Lot, he has an arsenal of moves, including rolling around on the court, falling asleep before the game ends, and making them all sing "Baby Shark." Despite Baby Dunks-a-Lot's antics, the team enjoys their winning record, and with the help of a teammate (author/star Celtic Jayson Tatum, wearing his jersey #0, whose many appearances in illustrations suggest he's Baby Dunks-a-Lot's biggest fan), the championship is theirs. The colorful digitally created illustrations are expressive, effectively capturing the characters' joy or dismay, depending on which team they're on; these also show a diverse group of basketball fans enjoying the game. The fun and ridiculous premise carries a story that is sure to bring a smile to babies and sports fans alike, even if they don't root for the Celtics. VERDICT Easily recommended for basketball shelves, especially in Boston libraries.—Rebecca Kirshenbaum

School Library Journal

2024-05-17
NBA All-Star Tatum and co-author Apple follow a talented baby unmatched in his dunking ability—as long as he can pause for naptime.

Baby Dunks-a-Lot’s origin story is a simple one: Punk kids refuse to let him play basketball, but his loving family teaches him to shoot hoops. And what else would you call a dunking baby who develops a devoted following? The attention leads rather quickly to Baby D signing with the Ballers, alongside a supportive player who appears to be co-author Tatum. Baby D charms his teammates and the league as surely as he’ll charm readers; he helps bring the Ballers all the way to the championship game with his savvy pint-sized play. But lost pacifiers, missed bedtimes, and mid-game teething take a toll on the star baby player, and eventually his family expresses doubts about the appropriateness of pro sports for a baby. The championship is on the line, however, and a baby’s got to do what a baby’s got to do. Goofy digital illustrations of Baby D picking his nose and rolling around the court—“I think he [misunderstands] the pick-and-roll”—are paired with comic book–like speech bubbles, making for a delightful read. Sports fans will enjoy fun references (“There’s no biting in basketball!”) and cameos from famous ballers such as Steph Curry and LeBron James. Baby Dunks-a-Lot and his family are Black.

Silly and sporty in equal measure. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews