Anna Hibiscus

 Anna Hibiscus. Atinuke. Illustrated by Lauren Tobia. 2010. Kane/Miller. 112 pages.

Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. She lives in an old white house with balconies and secret staircases. A wonderful house, in a beautiful garden, inside a big compound. The trees are full of sweet, ripe fruit, and the flowers are full of sweet, juicy nectar, because this is Africa, and Africa can be like this.

This is the first in a series starring Anna Hibiscus, our young heroine. She comes from a big family--and she likes it that way. A family that is traditional and contemporary. The book contains four stories: "Anna Hibiscus on Holiday" which showcases her family--why every member of the family is important, "Auntie Comfort," which showcases the family's traditional values in a contemporary world, "Anna Hibiscus Sells Oranges" which showcases the importance of hard work and compassion, and "Sweet Snow" in which Anna makes a connection with her Canadian grandmother when she decides to visit her for the Christmas holiday so she can see snow for the first time.

I enjoyed reading these stories very much.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers