Anna Hibiscus

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

The first book in the Anna Hibiscus series. A collection of four linked stories about family life in Nigeria.

Anna Hibiscus lives in amazing Africa with her mother, her father, her baby twin brothers, and lots and lots of her family. Join her as she splashes in the sea, prepares for a party, sells oranges, and hopes to see sweet, sweet snow!

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Hooray for Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

This is the second book in the funny Anna Hibiscus series.

KIRKUS –

Linked short stories star Anna Hibiscus, who lives in a large house in a compound in “amazing Africa” with baby brothers Double and Trouble, parents and extended family. The first title in this appealing new series introduces Anna’s world. The family goes on vacation, an auntie visits from America, Anna learns what it is to do hard work and she gets an invitation to visit her Canadian grandmother. Her world grows in Hooray for Anna Hibiscus! (978-1-935279-74-7): She starts school, sings before a large audience, tries a hair experiment and visits a very poor neighborhood. These stories celebrate the extended family and the combination of traditional ways with conveniences of the modern world; they contrast Anna’s relatively privileged life with that of others in her country and reflect the Nigerian childhood of the author, a storyteller now living in Wales. Tobia’s sketches, pen-and-ink with a gray wash, will help early readers visualize the family, unfamiliar customs and clothing and Anna’s community. … A welcome window into an unfamiliar world.

Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Third in the series of delightful stories about Anna Hibiscus, a little girl who lives in Africa.

Anna Hibiscus is looking forward to visiting her grandmother in Canada, where she will see snow for the first time! But before she goes, she must find suitable clothes to keep her warm in the cold winter weather, and say goodbye to the family she loves.

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KIRKUS –
The amazing African world introduced in the first two Anna Hibiscus books has turned from lush to dry and dusty. It’s harmattan season, when the wind blows sand from the Sahara Desert, nearly Christmas time. Soon Anna Hibiscus will travel all the way to Canada to visit her other grandmother and see snow. Four linked stories describe incidents from daily life: careful dry-season bathing with buckets, family nap time, shopping for cold-weather clothes in a modern department store and a more satisfying traditional stall and the week Anna’s family seems to have forgotten her—until they produce their going-away surprises. As in other titles in the series, these gentle stories are illustrated on nearly every page with Tobia’s gray-scale sketches. Accurate cultural details will appeal to readers curious about life in an unfamiliar world. This suburban family compound in a generic sub-Saharan country reflects the author’s own Nigerian childhood. The third-person narration moves briskly, with plenty of dialogue. Novice readers may find unfamiliar dialect challenging: “In dis your compound you throw water for ground,” a peddler selling fruit outside the family home complains, pointing out that while Anna’s family uses leftover wash water to water the plants, city children have no water at all. Once again, Anna demonstrates a growing social consciousness. Readers may begin Anna’s story here; they will certainly want to go back to read earlier stories and will look forward to learning what happens next.

Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

 The fourth book in the awesome Anna Hibiscus series about a young girl growing up in a city in Nigeria.

Anna Hibiscus has never been away from her home in Africa, surrounded by her parents and baby brothers, as well as all of her aunts and uncles and cousins. But now she is going to Canada to visit her grandmother for Christmas. She has never met Granny Canada and she can’t wait to see snow! Canada is very cold and it takes Anna a little while to get used to wearing lots of clothes and eating different types of food. She also has to get used to Granny’s dog, Qimmac. And though she misses her brothers and cousins, Anna soon makes lots of friends and has a wonderful time playing with them in the snow and celebrating Christmas with Granny Canada.

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KIRKUS –
Raised in a suburban compound among an extended African family, Anna Hibiscus travels to Canada to visit her other grandmother and see snow. These four connected stories describe her departure, her first joyful experience of snow, making friends and celebrating Christmas with her grandmother. Through Anna’s eyes, cultural differences become clear. She wakes alone for the first time in her life. She misses familiar spicy foods but enjoys chocolate cereal. She struggles to put on tights and warm clothes. She fears her grandmother’s dog. At home, dogs live outside and might bite, but in Canada, Quimmiq rescues her from a snowdrift. In this thoroughly modern world, Anna calls her family on the phone, takes pictures of everything, and even packs a cooler full of snow to take home to her baby brothers. This fourth in the series adds an extra dimension to the cultural richness of these titles by making the contrast between worlds explicit. Christmas is both familiar and new, with different foods, old and new carols and one splendidly decorated tree instead of lights everywhere. The Nigerian-born author has drawn on her own childhood travel to make this experience real for young readers today. On every spread, Tobia’s sketches, black and white with gray fill, add interest and appeal. A welcome addition to the sparse collection of stories for young readers about modern African life.

Welcome Home Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

The fifth book in the stunning Anna Hibiscus series about a young girl growing up in a city in Nigeria.

Anna Hibiscus is back home after visiting her grandma in Canada. But it seems that so much has changed while she was away! Double and Trouble have learned to run and Grandad seems to have grown older. One of the chickens has laid its eggs and eventually they hatch – all except one, which Anna looks after. Finally one morning that egg hatches too and a white ball of fluff appears. Anna names her chick Snow White, and the two are inseparable. But Snow White wreaks havoc wherever she goes, and Anna has a hard time keeping her out of trouble. Anna also has a surprise visitor – someone from Canada has come all that way to see her!

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Go Well, Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

 The sixth book in the wonderful world of Anna Hibiscus about a young girl growing up in a city in Nigeria.

Anna Hibiscus and her family are going to the village with Grandfather. They travel by bus through mangrove swamp and rainforest, through scrubland and rivers, over hills and mountains. When they arrive, everyone stays in Anna’s family house, which first belonged to her great-grandmother and great-grandfather. Little has changed since then: there is no running water, no electricity, no road and no signal. But Anna Hibiscus’ life is about to change in many ways: cousin Joy is going to get married, and Grandfather – Grandfather talks about staying in the village! This is the sixth book in this charming series about a much-loved character all children will relate to.

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Love from Anna Hibiscus

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

The seventh title in this brilliant series about Anna Hibiscus, who lives in Africa with her large extended family, by a renowned Nigerian storyteller.

Anna Hibiscus is on holiday with Grandmother and Grandfather in the village where they were born. She befriends the local children there and teaches them their ABC and 123. When Anna goes to market one day and a boy steals a banana from her, she runs after him. It turns out that the boy is poor; he lives alone. Anna and Sunny Belafonte become friends and when Sunny is taken ill, it is Anna who makes sure he gets the medical help he needs. Happily, Grandfather invites Sunny Belafonte to come and live with them, and be part of their family.

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You’re Amazing, Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

The eighth and final title in this brilliant series about Anna Hibiscus, who lives in Africa with her large extended family, by an internationally renowned Nigerian storyteller.

In the eighth title of the series about the universally loved Anna Hibiscus, written by internationally renowned Nigerian storyteller Atinuke, Anna Hibiscus is worried: her twin brothers, Double and Trouble, have boundless energy. They won’t stop climbing and they can’t keep out of trouble! Meanwhile Grandfather is tired and can’t stay awake. In the final book of this wonderfully charming illustrated series, Anna Hibiscus proves just how amazing she is.

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Anna Hibiscus’ Song

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

A beautiful, vibrant story, with rich colours and words that sing right off the page

This is the first picture book featuring Anna Hibiscus and she is very happy in it! So happy, in fact, that she can’t quite decide what to do with herself!! So she turns to her grandparents, her aunties, her cousins Chocolate, Angel and Benz, her uncle Tunde and her father, who each offer her a way to express her boundless joy. But being around the people she loves so much only makes her happiness grow and grow; she is SO happy, she is going to EXPLODE! It is her mother who finally helps her to channel her brimming happiness. Sitting in her mango tree Anna sings an amazing song. Amazing is Africa. Amazing is Anna Hibiscus.

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Splash, Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, amazing Africa – and today she is going o the beach with her family. All she wants to do is ‘splash’ in the waves, but will anyone join her?

In the second Anna Hibiscus picture book from Atinuke and Lauren Tobia, 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! So, it’s just Anna Hibiscus and the white waves. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” Anna shouts happily, and soon her happy cheers bring everyone to the water. “Yippeee!” they all shout, jumping in the waves, “Why didn’t you call us?”

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Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus!

By Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia

“Anna Hibiscus,” whispers her father. “Come and see…” “Babies!” says Anna. “Two babies!

From the stellar team of Atinuke and Lauren Tobia comes the third Anna Hibiscus picture book title brimming with all the best-loved Hibiscus family members – and Anna’s two brand new baby brothers! Everything is changing for Anna Hibiscus, she’s a sister! But – oh dear – everyone is now so busy! Uncle Bizi-Sunday is shopping for the babies, Aunty Joli and Aunty Grace are rocking the babies and Mama and Grandma are fast asleep … but just who has time for Anna Hibiscus? “I hate Double Trouble!” shouts Anna. But Anna Hibiscus is amazing so it won’t be long before everyone finds time for her again! A story which perfectly captures the anxiety and thrill of having a new sibling, this is a great title for any family with a new baby, or a baby on the way!

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