“Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa.”
So starts every Anna Hibiscus book. These books, written by Atinuke and illustrated by Lauren Tobia, tell the story of young Anna Hibiscus as she tries to maneuver through some of life’s challenges. They take place in Africa, but really they could be anywhere. They are a multicultural, multi-generational family, which is something we don’t see a great deal of.
We first discovered Anna Hibiscus in picture book format, but there are also chapter books for young readers available.
In “Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus!” Anna’s mother has just given birth to twin boys. The day that the babies are born, Anna struggles with the fact that her normal routine has been completely upended by their birth. Anna’s cousins had teased her that boys were trouble and now Anna feels that they were right – her new brothers are nothing but double trouble.
The problem that Anna is facing is that no one seems to have time for her because everyone is focused on the new babies. When she finally breaks down and cries, her father finds her and explains that she will now have to share the family with her brothers, but that everyone still loves her. At that same time, miraculously, everyone finally has time for Anna. She realizes that her brothers aren’t so bad, it will just take some time for everyone to adjust.
This is a marvelous book for any child who is about to get a new sibling. Change can be very difficult, but the message is clear that while that first day is very far from normal, your family will continue to love you and be there for you.
In “Splash,” Anna and her family are enjoying a hot day at the beach. All Anna wants to do is splash in the waves, but no one wants to join her. She invites everyone, but they are busy playing in the sand, playing with their phones, braiding hair or simply napping. Anna gets very frustrated because she really wants someone to play with her, but no one wants to do what she wants.
She finally gives up on everyone else and dips her toes in the water. Her family might be too busy, but she realizes that the waves are jumping and splashing and they want someone to join them! She fully enjoys splashing in the water. Her laughter carries over the sand and entices her family to join her. Everything else is hot, but the water is cool and inviting.
This book surprised me because it was the first Anna Hibiscus book that I read and not only was it about Africa, but it focused on the beaches of Africa instead of the safari or desert. In terms of lessons, it is all about persistence and perseverance. Anna knows what she wants, tries every angle, and when she doesn’t get her family to get in the water, she goes in by herself and shows everyone how amazing it is.
Moving away from picture books, there are also chapter books aimed at younger children that feature Anna and her family.
In the first of the series, the book is made up of four short stories about Anna Hibiscus’s life in Africa. Join her as she splashes in the sea, prepares for a party, sells oranges, and hopes to see sweet, sweet snow! The stories move smoothly and comfortably through life in Africa. The reader learns a lot about a different culture almost without being aware of it. The reader quickly learns to like Anna Hibiscus and her extended family. The delightful illustrations beautifully compliment the stories.
In book 2 of the series, “Hooray for Anna Hibiscus,” Anna taking a big step: she has become old enough to attend school. As her father reminds her, growing-up children need to go to school so they can work to make Africa a better place. Anna certainly has her work cut out for her when she is selected to sing a solo for a visiting president from another country. However, she gets a major case of stage fright. Her learning also progresses outside of school, especially when she accompanies her aunty and uncle on an errand to another part of the city where children beg and scavenge through trash to survive.
There are a total of 4 books of the chapter series available at Usborne Books and More, but these two are a great place to start!
lovely post
We love the Anna Hibiscus books! Thanks so much for your great review and for sharing with #diversekidlit!
Books that share everyday life in other parts of the world are so important for children as a way of helping them understand and explore beyond their home environment. I’ll be honest, when I think of Africa I don’t immediately think of sandy beaches either, so this was a great reminder for me, too!
Great reviews and perfect for me as I’m looking for diverse books to include in our #366booksin366days reading challenge. Thank you for sharing. #diversekidlit
That sounds like an awesome challenge! Glad you liked these books.
What a joy! I love that spread you show of Anna with her family. And as you say, it’s great to have a beach setting for one of the books. I sadly discovered Anna Hibiscus a bit too late for my now-teenage boys… Thank you for sharing with #diversekidlit