The final two books, Good Luck Anna Hibiscus and Have Fun Anna Hibiscus, focus on her preparations for and then visit to her Canadian grandmother at Christmas time where she achieves her desire to experience snow. In Hooray for Anna Hibiscus, she begins school, making her five or six, and manages after great trepidation to sing in a stadium for a visiting head of state. Like all young children joining the bigger world, Anna learns simple lessons with the gentle and supportive assistance of her adult family members and the readers learn along with her. Told in episodic chapters that are perfect for single-reading sessions, each book in the series has a connecting theme moving Anna a little farther outside the compound where she lives with her grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. The stories are uniformly delightful – from a beach vacation with her African father, Canadian mother, and twin baby brothers where Anna learns the value of her extended family to an experience that helps her better understand the profound economic disparities that exist in her world.

Amazing Africa.' While the city Anna lives in is never identified, the story is based on the Nigerian childhood of author and professional storyteller Atinuke. Again, this is probably, overall, a good thing to be exposed to.In this first of a series of four chapter books we meet the exuberant Anna as she goes about her life in '. However, the author conveys quite strongly and explicitly that the BEST way to live is with extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents) underfoot, which is not necessarily the American way. I loved that my children were exposed to a different way of living, from going to the store by foot, growing orange trees in your back yard, having a name that is a word (a little girl whose real name is 'Chocolate', without being a joke or a play on words), and living in close quarters with family. But she lives a different life and holds different values than my family. Parent 2: I had very mixed feelings about this book.

I also love how Atinuke artfully contrasted/compared life in Africa with other parts of the world, and also explained how modern life and traditional ways can co-exist. Although set in Africa, it has universal appeal and will resonate with young readers. It is a celebration of family and growing up.

Diverse Easy Reader | Illustrated Chapter.

Anna hibiscus