Hooray For Anna Hibiscus

From acclaimed Nigerian storyteller Atinuke, the first in a series of chapter books set in contemporary West Africa introduces a little girl who has enchanted young readers. Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, amazing Africa, with her mother and father, her twin baby brothers (Double and Trouble), and lots of extended family in a big white house with a beautiful garden in a compound in a city. Anna is never lonely—there are always cousins to play and fight with, aunties and uncles laughing and shouting, and parents and grandparents close by. Readers will happily follow as she goes on a seaside vacation, helps plan a party for Auntie Comfort from Canada (will she remember her Nigerian ways?), learns firsthand what it’s really like to be a child selling oranges outside the gate, and longs to see sweet snow. Nigerian storyteller Atinuke’s debut book for children and its sequels, with their charming (and abundant) gray-scale drawings by Lauren Tobia, are newly published in the US by Candlewick Press, joining other celebrated Atinuke stories in captivating young readers.

Join Anna Hibiscus and her big, bustling family in the second of Atinuke’s engaging illustrated chapter-book series set in modern Nigeria. Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, amazing Africa. She’s surrounded by so many family members she can’t count them, in a wonderful old house with a garden in a compound in a big city. Follow Anna as she worries about singing a solo for a visiting president, runs away to escape hair-braiding day (and gets in a terrible tangle), enjoys the candles and hide-and-seek games on nights when the electricity goes out (and hates the new noisy generator!), and has an eye-opening visit to the other side of the city, where she learns about spontaneous generosity. Says School Library Journal, “Atinuke . . . manages to balance the contemporary and the traditional with ease”—a talent that, combined with Lauren Tobia’s expressive illustrations, will leave readers rapt and have them looking forward to Anna’s next adventures.

Oluwalase Babatunde Benson is Number 1. He's the Number 1 car spotter in his village.The Number 1 car spotter in the world! The start of an exciting new series about the irresistible Number 1, whose hobby is car spotting, but who is good at solving all sorts of problems for his village.

Three delightful tales from a renowned Nigerian storyteller introduce a chapter-book heroine who is every bit as mighty as she is small. In a trio of droll stories, award-winning author and storyteller Atinuke debuts an endearing and enduring character with plenty to prove. Tola lives in an apartment in the busy city of Lagos, Nigeria, with her sister, Moji, who is very clever; her brother, Dapo, who is very fast; and Grandmommy, who is very bossy. Tola may be small, but she’s strong enough to carry a basket brimming with groceries home from the market, and she’s clever enough to count out Grandmommy’s change. When the faucets in the apartment break, it’s Tola who brings water from the well. And when Mr. Abdul, the tailor, has an accident and needs help taking his customers’ measurements, only Tola can save the day. Atinuke’s trademark wit and charm are on full display, accompanied by delightful illustrations by Onyinye Iwu. Too Small Tola evokes the urban bustle and rich blending of cultures in Lagos through the eyes of a little girl with an outsize will—and an even bigger heart.

It’s the dry, dusty winter season in Nigeria, and Anna Hibiscus is getting ready to visit her Canadian grandmother in the third adventure of Atinuke’s lively chapter-book series. Anna Hibiscus can’t wait to visit her grandmother in faraway Canada, where she will see snow for the first time! But before she goes, there’s much to do—including searching in a department store for clothes to keep her warm in cold weather and saying goodbye to the big family she loves. Atinuke’s inviting text and Lauren Tobia’s expressive drawings capture Anna’s life with her parents and grandparents, baby brothers and cousins, aunties and uncles during the Harmattan season, when dust from the Sahara Desert blows everywhere. To conserve water, the family uses leftover wash water for their garden, but Anna learns that some children outside their gate have no water at all. Can she do anything to help? “Once again, Anna demonstrates a growing social consciousness,” said Kirkus Reviews of this third adventure in a warm series that is sure to captivate.

Join Anna Hibiscus and her big, bustling family in the second of Atinuke’s engaging illustrated chapter-book series set in modern Nigeria. Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, amazing Africa. She’s surrounded by so many family members she can’t count them, in a wonderful old house with a garden in a compound in a big city. Follow Anna as she worries about singing a solo for a visiting president, runs away to escape hair-braiding day (and gets in a terrible tangle), enjoys the candles and hide-and-seek games on nights when the electricity goes out (and hates the new noisy generator!), and has an eye-opening visit to the other side of the city, where she learns about spontaneous generosity. Says School Library Journal, “Atinuke . . . manages to balance the contemporary and the traditional with ease”—a talent that, combined with Lauren Tobia’s expressive illustrations, will leave readers rapt and have them looking forward to Anna’s next adventures.

Anna has left her mango tree and she's at the beach Phew, it is hot. But what better way to cool off than by playing in the jumpy, splashy waves? 'Come and splash in the waves with me ' shouts Anna Hibiscus. But everyone, including Grandmother and Grandfather, Chocolate, Benz, Wonderful, Joy, Clarity and Common Sense, is much too busy to wave-jump

Back in Africa after a month's visit with Granny Canada, Anna Hibiscus finds that some things are different--but her home is just as full of love--in this fifth warm and funny chapter-book adventure. When Anna Hibiscus returns to her big house in Nigeria after visiting her Canadian grandmother, it seems like so much has changed. Her baby brothers, Double and Trouble, have learned to run, while Grandfather looks older and smaller. Anna had been nervous about going to Canada, where everything was new and strange, but she didn't expect coming home to be difficult, too. What if her family doesn't love her as much as before? Meanwhile, the household hen has hatched all but one egg, which Anna keeps warm until a white ball of fluff appears . . . right in her hand! She names her now-constant companion Snow White, but the chick wreaks havoc wherever it goes. How can Anna possibly keep it out of trouble? Luckily, a surprise arrives at the compound to take Anna's mind off her troubles: a visitor who's come all the way from Canada!