Genre: Realistic fiction
Protagonists: Female, African/Canadian
Reading level: 500s
Series: 5 chapter books
Originally reviewed in 2010
Review: Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. We're never told exactly what country, but it's probably coastal Nigeria, since the author grew up in Nigeria and Anna lives near a big city near the coast. Anna lives in a compound with her Canadian mother, African father, and a huge family of cousins, aunts, uncles, and her twin baby brothers, benevolently ruled over by her wise grandparents.
In her first set of adventures, Anna's mother tries to have a family vacation with just her immediate family - and Anna and her mother realize just how much they need all the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents! An aunt who has been in America returns home and everyone is worried that she will have forgotten African ways. Anna admires the orange sellers at their gates and disobeys grandfather to go sell oranges - resulting in a painful punishment and a hard lesson. Finally, Anna desperately wants to see snow and works out a way to make her dream come true!
In her second set of adventures, Anna is picked out to sing for a large audience, but it's her twin baby brothers who save the day when she freezes. Tired of all the fuss and painful braiding, Anna decides to opt out of braiding her hair - and learns the hard way that a few hours of pain is worth it! Anna's family tries out a new generator and decides sometimes the old ways are best. Finally, Anna gets her wish to go to the other side of the city but discovers it isn't at all what she had expected.
Anna is an exuberant, sympathetic character. Her very different culture and the poverty that surrounds her middle-class family are clearly portrayed without over-dramatizing issues or confusing explanations. Lauren Tobia's illustrations bring out the humor of the stories and the various characters, helping readers distinguish the members of Anna's big, loving family. Beginning readers will be charmed by this glimpse into a fascinating, warm, exciting, lively world, very different from their own lives. I look forward to introducing our readers to Anna Hibiscus and encouraging them to try something new!
Verdict: Highly recommended! The only drawback is it can be difficult to get Kane Miller's books, especially complete series, through regular vendors. However, these are worth a little digging on Amazon, Book Depository, or ordering direct.
Revisited: The original Anna Hibiscus books were never as popular as I'd hoped they would be. My families that usually like the quieter, slice-of-life stories, did not gravitate to these. However, they do check out occasionally and are a needed note of diversity in my beginning chapter book collection as well as filling occasional requests for younger chapter books featuring children from other countries. Candlewick picked up the titles and started reissuing them in 2022, so they are readily available from all vendors now.
Anna Hibiscus
ISBN: 978-1935279730; Published June 2010 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates
Anna Hibiscus
ISBN: 978-1935279730; Published June 2010 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates
New edition published 2022 by Candlewick; ISBN: 9781536225235
Hooray for Anna Hibiscus
ISBN: 978-1935279747; Published January 2010 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates
New edition published 2023 by Candlewick; ISBN: 9781536225259
Hooray for Anna Hibiscus
ISBN: 978-1935279747; Published January 2010 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates
2 comments:
I already want to read them! I know I love books that give me a peek into someone else's life, and lots of kids do too. I also think it's important for us all to read books about other cultures and settings, because it increases our understanding and empathy.
Thanks for contributing to the I Can Read September Carnival!
Great! I think they may be more easily available in Australia, sometimes it's hard to find complete Kane Miller series here in the US.
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