Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus!

Anna Hibiscus #3

by Atinuke, Lauren Tobia (Illustrator)

This title is the 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. "Anna Hibiscus", the first book in the series, was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2008.

Genres: Africa, Chapter Books, Fiction, Family, Childrens, Audiobook, Middle Grade

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh! Just wonderful. I am so glad the library has these. Highly recommended.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Hibiscus, that goodhearted girl from Africa - "Amazing Africa!" - returns in this third book devoted to her adventures. Like its two predecessors, this volume contains four short stories, each devoted to the time shortly before Anna is to leave for her much-anticipated trip to Canada, to visit her Canadian grandmother. In Harmattan Garden, Anna learns that although her family must be very careful with the water in their well, during the dry season, others in the city are far less fortunate, and don't have any water at all. In Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus, Anna is falsely accused of getting into the sweets jar, after she tries to pry it away from her mischievous toddler twin brothers. Anna Hibiscus's New Clothes sees Anna, her cousins, and her Grandmother heading to the shops to find warm clothes for the cold Canadian winter. Finally, Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus! finds Anna convinced her family has already forgotten her, when they are all to busy to spend time with her, the week before her departure. Little does she know the surprises in store...

Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus! was an absolute delight - engaging, entertaining and ultimately heartwarming! I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first two books featuring this lovable little girl and her extended family, all living together in a compound somewhere in West Africa (most likely Nigeria, as that is where author Atinuke come from). I appreciate the family dynamics here, from the respect shown by all for the authority of Grandfather and Grandmother, to the way that everybody in the family pitches in, when facing any challenge. I also appreciate the way in which Atinuke incorporates important social lessons into her stories, without descending into any kind of tiresome preaching. The story involving the water shortage, and the way in which Anna Hibiscus' big heart leads her and her family to find a solution, really warmed my heart! I read the first two in this series some time ago, and am glad that I have returned to it. I definitely intend to track down the next installment, Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus, which chronicles Anna's time in Canada, as soon as possible. Highly recommended to all beginning chapter-book readers, and to anyone seeking children's stories with an African setting.

[Suja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book in the series and this is about Anna getting ready to go to Canada to visit her maternal grand mother during Christmas. The book also tells about "Haramattan season", which is basically the dry wind carrying particles from Sahara to Western Africa. Loved this one too

My rating 4.5* rounded to 5

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series so, so much! I liked hearing about Anna’s preparations for her trip to Canada and her family’s surprise before she leaves. I love hearing about her family and just learning about a different culture.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this whole series. Such fun books, and really worth listening to the audiobook version! My kids can hardly wait for the last one to be available through the library.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Hibiscus lives in a big white house with her extended family in Africa. She loves her home although readers never find out exactly where she lives, and these four short stories help readers get to know Anna and her family even better, through her kindness to others who don't have access to fresh water, through her feeling upset over being blamed for her twin brothers' eating of all the sweets, on a shopping trip for clothing warm enough for her trip to visit her maternal grandmother in Canada, and finally, as she lavishes the love she is unable to express to her family on a parrot, and is then overwhelmed at the sacrifices all of her relative have made for her. It's impossible not to fall in love with Anna Hibiscus and her outlook on life. Like many children, Anna loves deeply, and becomes quickly empathetic to the needs of others. These simple stories and accompanying illustrations contain messages pertinent to all of us.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy these books, but I really don't understand why the author chooses to start every story stating that Anna Hibiscus is simply from "Africa." I've read an interview in which she sort of explains her choice, but I guess to me, location is more important. Africa is a vast continent, with various climates and languages and cultures. Anna's life may represent what is true for some, but for the uninformed American reader there may come the idea that no African child will have seen snow (certainly not true in Lesotho or much of South Africa) or that all speak in Pidgin English (many Africans I know from various countries in fact could be described as speaking "the Queen's English). This may not bother other readers, but I guess I would also say a child who grew up in Alabama would have some experiences, a different climate & culture than a child born in Northern Minnesota, for instance, even though both are American.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

These four stories about Anna and her family will give readers in the US, Canada, and the UK an idea of what it is like to live in a large city in Nigeria. In the first, the hot, dry season arrives in Nigeria, and Anna's family has to ration their water. In the second story, Anna gets in trouble for something her twin baby brothers did. In the third, Anna is taken shopping for clothes for her coming trip to Canada. The final story has Anna wondering why the entire family is keeping secrets from her. The writing style is fluid, the pacing is perfect, the characters are interesting and believable. The Nigerian-born author gives readers an insider's peek into Nigerian life and culture. Excellent for third through fifth grade students.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally adorable in every way. “Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. In a country called Nigeria.” She’s really a lot like most little girls her age from all over the world. She loves her garden. She loves to help people. Sometimes she feels left out. Sometimes she’s sad. And, lots of times she likes to dance and skip. The perfect transitional chapter book to help kids recognize that we’re really a lot more alike than we are different. Three books in this cute series. This is the third.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book encompasses four short stories for Anna - one about choosing clothes to go on a trip to visit her Canadian grandmother; one about her family's garden and providing water for poor people during the dry season, "harmattan time"; one about the mischief that her brothers, Double and Trouble, get into during naptime; and one about her loneliness while everyone else is ignoring her (but secretly making preparations for her Canadian trip). I loved the illustrations and the sense of love and thoughtfulness towards one another that Anna's extended family share.

[Stacey Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for readers in grades 2 & 3. Will add to my school library collection to go with Ann Cameron's books and Patricia Reilly Giff. Not as funny as Junie B Jones & Judy Moody but light books that provide a perspective outside white America.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun continuation of the Anna Hibiscus series. H continues to enjoy them, so we'll continue to read them! (I don't know what we're going to do when the series ends!)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the section about water scarcity during the Harmattan

[Aneesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this girl more and more.

[Meg Mirza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming series features easy to read, realistic fiction short stories about Anna Hibiscus, an earnest and funny little girl growing up in "Africa. Amazing Africa." She lives with her parents, her extended family, and her two baby twin brothers who simply go by the names, "Double" and "Trouble."

In this set of adventures, the onset of harmattan, or the dry season, means that the whole family must learn to conserve water. After carefully saving their water, they are able to keep their garden going... until big-hearted Anna realizes that there are poorer folk living in town who need the water more. In the next story, Double and Trouble more than earn their names when they dip into the candy supply, and leave Anna Hibiscus to take the blame. Finally, in preparation for her upcoming trip to visit her Canadian grandmother, Anna's well-meaning family take her shopping for "oyinbo" clothes to wear in the cold weather. Anna's mother is an oyinbo, or foreigner with white skin, and the whole family wants to make sure that Anna looks good and stays warm for her big trip abroad.

While the book never explicitly states what country Anna Hibiscus lives in, or how old she is, I have to assume that she is probably a first-grader, and writer Atinuke says she was inspired by her own childhood growing up in Nigeria. The appealing illustrations which decorate nearly every page and large type make for a comfortable read for readers new to chapter books. I will put this series into the hands of children who are hungry for stories with black characters that are not set during the Civil War, or the 1960's. Lucky for us, warm, relateable, and unique, Anna Hibiscus is certain to take her rightful place beside Junie B. Jones, Clementine, Ruby Lu, Ramona and other classic early middle-grade fiction.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's chapter book series about a young girl growing up in Africa, within her family's walled-in compound. The stories are bursting with authentic African scenery and daily life. The protagonist is only five or six years old, which is young for a chapter book, but it works well for this series because it allows readers to learn things about African culture while Anna herself grows in her understanding of the world around her. While Anna's family is financially secure, Anna and her readers come into contact with some true poverty when she ventures outside the walls of her family's compound. Her parents are bi-racial; her mother is Canadian and her father is African. I love Anna's large extended family and the rich cultural experience I'm able to have with them. And I love the illustrations, which allow readers to connect more deeply to the exotic setting and the family compound. Warm, funny, and educational. Highly recommend.

In this third series installment, I especially love the grandmother haggling with the shop trader and teaching the young uppity shopkeeper respect, as well as Koko the parrot and the heart-felt end of the book.

[Yolanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good luck Anna Hibiscus takes you on an imaginary trip to Africa with the experience of hearing the native language, and visualizing the beautiful African landscapes. This is a series of books written by Atinuke, and I would recommend reading the two that came before Good Luck Anna Hibiscus and the one that came after. Anna Hibiscus is a young girl who is living in a house full of family in a village of Africa which she takes much pride in. The illustrations that are provided throughout the book allows the reader to obtain an image of Anna's family's appearances, and her family's estate that she is very fond of. This is a realistic fiction book that some students could relate to who come from bi-racial families, or who live in households where there is never a dull moment. A fun activity to try out with students could be to identify the continent of Africa on a map or globe and then do some research on the geography, culture and languages. I would recommend this book for 2nd/3rd graders and consider the theme to be about multi-generations, family and emotions.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how the books in this series all build upon one another; each book references chapters from the other books and there's a continuous storyline in the first three of Anna heading off to Canada to visit her maternal grandmother and see snow for the first time. Based on the cover of the fourth book, it culminates in her actually reaching that snowy landscape! My kids are very excited for Anna to actually reach Canada and play in the snow, so they enjoyed the scenes of Anna trying to buy cold-weather clothes, which is not the easiest thing to do in Africa! Each chapter does stand on its own though, which makes these great bedtime reading, especially when we can't get to them each and every night. The chapters are a tad long for my kids' age group, but I really like how there are some great lessons about self-esteem on a personal level and global awareness on a societal level interwoven throughout each story. These are great books!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous addition to the Anna Hibiscus books. My favorite of the stories/chapters was the one that dealt with the family using their water carefully during the dry season to keep their garden alive until Anna Hibiscus discovers that their are children without enough water to drink. This story showed a fabulous sense of community and was a great lesson for Anna Hibiscus and all of her cousins. I also really enjoyed how the whole family worked together to make sure that Anna Hibiscus would enjoy her big trip.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our favorite Anna book yet! (this is the 3rd one we've read). I love that when Anna needs new clothes for her upcoming Canada trip, they don't immediately race to the store. First the whole family tries to find appropriate items amongst their own possessions. I love the respect Anna's mother shows Anna's grandmother when she refrains from pointing out that Anna will STILL need new (warmer) clothes even though Anna's grandmother has worked so hard to get Anna some new clothes. Atinuke's writing is marvelous and Tobias's pictures add so much.

[Havebooks Willread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet little book, my favorite of the series so far. The stories (4 per book) are engaging, but have such sweet little lessons in them. In this book Anna learns to appreciate how blessed she is and is motivated to in turn bless others, and the family learns that "Just because it looks like somebody has done something does not mean they did it. That is why we assume people are innocent" (56). My favorite story in this book made me blink away tears as the love among family was illustrated.

[Ruth]

This book and Have fun Anna Hibiscus deal with a biracial child who lives in Africa but is going to spend Christmas in Canada with her white grandmother. Each chapter is a story in itself, relating to the whole. These are gentle stories dealing with issues of loneliness, fear, and how to make friends, demonstrating nice values. God for girls especially in grades 1-3.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things I appreciate most about this series is the slow pace of the story. The plot that Anna Hibiscus will be visiting her Granny in Canada is introduced in the first book, and this book is focused on getting her equipped for the trip. My eldest really enjoyed reading about everyone turning the house inside out looking for clothes for the cold Canadian winter.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute illustrated chapter book series about a little girl growing up in an unnamed country in Africa with her large and loving family. In this one, Anna makes sacrifices to share water with the poor kids in her community, gets blamed (temporarily) for her twin baby brothers' misdeeds and prepares for a trip to Canada to see her maternal granny. I'm all for it.

[Kaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna is going to visit her grandmother who lives in Canada. A trip from Africa to Canada is a big deal and she'll need big luggage to pack all the things she'll need (including a new wardrobe!).

Very few challenging words but the ones I noticed some children will need explained "Hibiscus and Veranda" being two such.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her third book, Anna is getting ready to go to Canada to visit her grandmother and to see snow, looking forward to her adventure as well as worrying about leaving her family and everything familiar. Her family in the meantime is trying to figure out how to cloth her properly and to give her a positive sendoff.

[Virginia Brace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives an authentic look at what it would be like for a mixed race child living in Africa with a loving extended family. Anna will be going to Canada to visit her other grandparents, and everyone wants to help her get ready.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Hibiscus is getting ready to head off to Canada to visit her grandmother. Her family works to find her warm clothes but also create many things to take with her so she will not miss her family so much and will not forget her family's customs.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final chapter in this one pushes it to five stars. I usually don't like children's lit that panders to parents, and neither do the kids. That last chapter made us all sigh and want to cuddle up and spread the love. Hooray for Atinuke!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

see previous comments on Anna Hibiscus. Fourth book in series coming out this fall...