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mybeautifulillusion's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mtgill's review
read in the middle of night when i couldn't sleep and then i read all the stories instead of going back to sleep. good children's books are an art and a science and totally magic.
bak8382's review against another edition
4.0
My kids really enjoyed listening to this story, and have already asked me to get the next one.
sandraagee's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to the audio with my children. The uniqueness of this books setting is less with the physical place, and more to do with the way that Anna lives with her extended African family.
compass_rose's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet early chapter book. 5yo enjoyed it and so did I. I will pickup the rest of the series.
alinaborger's review against another edition
5.0
These chapter books are a treasure--and I'm so glad I heard Uma Krishnaswami speak about them in January or I'd never have known to pick them up. This review applies to the first four books of the series.
Through her charming protagonist (& family), Atinuke develops a picture of life in "amazing Africa" that effectively squashes many western notions about the continent while also taking western perspectives on family and clothing and vacationing and pets to task for their myopia. The other books in the series do not have as much of an axe to grind as the first, however, and as a result read a little more like story/a little less like essay. But the activist in me loved the essay edge of the first volume and rejoiced in parts of the later books that emphasized it, especially "Anna Hibiscus and the New Generator," and "The Other Side of the City" (Hooray for Anna Hibiscus) and "Anna Hibscus's New Clothes" (Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus).
The author's note at the end of each book says that Atinuke's "stories are a medley of traditional folklore and contemporary urban life," and that description is so apt. While they do build on each other from beginning to end, each chapter also functions as a stand-alone story that examines some aspect of culture and arrives at a conclusion that supports Anna's way of life. The conclusion is not moralistic, necessarily, nor is it simplistic--but it does seek to reinforce the status quo of Anna's family as normal and good. The language is repetitive and rhythmic, mimicking the sound of the oral tradition and childhood fables--while also including details like offices and cell phones and text messages. And female presidents of other countries.
One (small) problematic element in the texts is that while many of the details in the books are quintessentially Nigeria (e.g. cassava, rolling yam balls, harmattan, English as a first language, etc.), Atinuke has never specifically named Nigeria as its location. While Atinuke might be seeking to universalize her protagonist's experience, it often reads like a condescension to potential Western readers. The repetition of "in Africa" or "the African way" or "African food" is not native language. It's the language of a diaspora, and it's odd to have it juxtaposed with such localized stories. In later books, she acknowledges that "ours is only one of many countries in Africa" (Hooray for Anna Hibiscus, 15), but it's too little too late and really doesn't address the problem that's much wider throughout the series.
Through her charming protagonist (& family), Atinuke develops a picture of life in "amazing Africa" that effectively squashes many western notions about the continent while also taking western perspectives on family and clothing and vacationing and pets to task for their myopia. The other books in the series do not have as much of an axe to grind as the first, however, and as a result read a little more like story/a little less like essay. But the activist in me loved the essay edge of the first volume and rejoiced in parts of the later books that emphasized it, especially "Anna Hibiscus and the New Generator," and "The Other Side of the City" (Hooray for Anna Hibiscus) and "Anna Hibscus's New Clothes" (Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus).
The author's note at the end of each book says that Atinuke's "stories are a medley of traditional folklore and contemporary urban life," and that description is so apt. While they do build on each other from beginning to end, each chapter also functions as a stand-alone story that examines some aspect of culture and arrives at a conclusion that supports Anna's way of life. The conclusion is not moralistic, necessarily, nor is it simplistic--but it does seek to reinforce the status quo of Anna's family as normal and good. The language is repetitive and rhythmic, mimicking the sound of the oral tradition and childhood fables--while also including details like offices and cell phones and text messages. And female presidents of other countries.
One (small) problematic element in the texts is that while many of the details in the books are quintessentially Nigeria (e.g. cassava, rolling yam balls, harmattan, English as a first language, etc.), Atinuke has never specifically named Nigeria as its location. While Atinuke might be seeking to universalize her protagonist's experience, it often reads like a condescension to potential Western readers. The repetition of "in Africa" or "the African way" or "African food" is not native language. It's the language of a diaspora, and it's odd to have it juxtaposed with such localized stories. In later books, she acknowledges that "ours is only one of many countries in Africa" (Hooray for Anna Hibiscus, 15), but it's too little too late and really doesn't address the problem that's much wider throughout the series.
meghantrainer's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
mrsbond's review against another edition
4.0
Less a chapter book, more a collection of short stories about Anna Hibiscus and her family. Childlike but not childish, the stories share Anna's observations of her family and life in Africa. Readers will appreciate the similarities between American and the African culture described, as well as come to new understandings about the differences. A single chapter could be read as a stand-alone story time, opener to cultural discussion or research.