Love from Anna Hibiscus!

Anna Hibiscus #7

by Atinuke

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.Please ask if you need a specific version. The data provided here may not be correct. With buying and not asking you are accepting the book as is.

Genres: Africa, Chapter Books, Childrens, Fiction, Family, Friendship, Crime

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2015

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

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The delightful Anna Hibiscus returns in this seventh chapter-book devoted to her doings in "Amazing Africa." Still on holiday in her grandparents' ancestral village, where she traveled in the previous installment, Go Well, Anna Hibiscus! , our heroine here confronts some rather unpleasant realities. In ABC and 123, Anna discovers that the village children her own age are smaller than her because they don't get enough to eat, and withdraws in hurt and confusion until she discovers that she has been helping them after all, by teaching them. Anna Hibiscus Catches a Thief sees Anna chasing after the young boy who steals her banana in the market, only to discover that he is an orphan with no family and no home. Help Sunny! sees Anna and her family stepping in when the young banana thief becomes ill, and needs medical care. In Anything Is Possible Anna's cousins help the village get a school, when the government ignores Grandfather's pleas. The book closes as Grandfather invites Sunny (the banana thief) to become part of the family...

Likes its predecessors, Love from Anna Hibiscus pairs an engaging and ultimately heartwarming narrative from Nigerian expatriate author Atinuke with charming illustrations from English artist Lauren Tobia. The social lessons that are woven into all of Atinuke's books are a little more pointed here than in previous installments of the series, but nevertheless feel like natural parts of the story, and never overwhelm the more entertaining, humorous side of the narrative. Anna continues to learn and grow, surrounded by her loving extended family, who are always ready to lend a hand, or to teach her important lessons about how to be in the world. I continue to appreciate Grandmother and Grandfather in particular, and the gentle wisdom they show in guiding the impulsive but goodhearted Anna as she confronts some of the less pleasant aspects of life in her country (and the world). Recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed other books about Anna Hibiscus, and to anyone seeking beginning chapter-books with an African (no doubt Nigerian, like the author) setting and cultural outlook.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet and satisfying story. I love Anna and her family.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm definitely going to buy more of this series and add them to my 2nd grade class library.

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different kind of Anna Hibiscus adventure. She is not jetting off to Canada in this book. She is visiting her grandparents in a village and comes face-to-face real poverty.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atinuke's Anna Hibiscus series is absolutely charming. I bought all that I could get for my elementary library. Anna, irrepressible and endearing, will weave her way into the reader's heart. Another strong point in this book is its depiction of Nigerian culture. Anna lives in a multigenerational family, a place where everyone joins in to help one another and people in need. Just lovely.

Highly recommended for students G1-Gr4.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Anna Hibiscus! It's not the last in the series, but it's the last our library has, and H seems to be losing her interest, so I think we'll call it quits with this series. It's a really lovely one, and it's one I'll be giving to my older children as independent reads in the future.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading these 2 books as read alouds with Kit! Will hunt down & buy the rest of the series to have ready for her to read herself one day.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another wonderful Anna Hibiscus book. I liked how this one touched on poverty in a gentle but thought-provoking way. We’re really sad there’s only one more book left in this series.

[Betsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7 year old and I read this together and it literally brought me to tears! Such a beautiful, redemptive and real story. So so good- so thrilled for my daughter to have found this series!

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tear-jerker. But the names of the big girl and big boy cousins! Joy, Clarity, Common Sense, Sociable, and Thank God!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love everything that Atinuke writes. Amazing how the stories are both culturally specific and universal at the same time... mirror and window (and door) all at once. Highly recommended to every educator, including parents. To clarify, yes, the themes are intense, but there's plenty of joy and hope, too.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for work and found it to be a charming little story. Anna learns a few life lessons and morals along the way. Lovely illustrations.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

So lovely and rich and moving

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Hibiscus is on a holiday with her grandparents and a few of her big girl cousins, visiting the rural village where Grandmother and Grandfather are from.  Anna Hibiscus always looks forward to seeing her friends in the village - she helps them tend their goats and teaches them their letters and numbers. These children have grown a lot since the last time she saw them, and Anna is uncomfortable thinking she can’t really teach them anymore.  Her older cousins help out for a bit, organizing the kids into a kind of school for a day, but Anna still feels frustrated, especially when she learns that these children are often hungry while she has plenty to eat.  She avoids them for a few days, but is soon made to see that she is helping them simply by being kind and telling them about the world beyond their village.  

On a trip to the market with her big cousins, Anna has an encounter with a boy that further strengthens her resolve to be more helpful.  He steals a banana from her basket, but when she chases him to his home, she finds out he lives in a meager hut by himself after the death of his grandfather, who was a friend of Anna’s grandfather.  Her family brings him food and she befriends him; when one day she finds him ill and unresponsive, she and the cousins manage to carry him to the medical center, only to be refused because they don’t have money on them.  A frantic call to their home in the city results in a happy ending for all.

Anna Hibiscus fans will love this latest installment, especially as it provides insight into the background of her family.  Throughout the series, spunky Anna has developed a strong sense of justice and an awareness of her socioeconomic advantage.  The stories in Love From Anna Hibiscus highlight her stubborn persistence, her deep appreciation for family traditions, and her kind heart.  Each chapter helps Anna Hibiscus, and her readers, understand that everyone has a gift to share, whether it is talent, time, material goods, or most importantly, love.  As with all of Atinuke’s work, this book is laced with humor (such as the scene when Grandmother scolds the teenage girls about their wardrobe), wisdom, and heart.  There is so much tenderness in the family, and this book stands out as it shows the way Anna’s older cousins care for her. It also provides a valuable glimpse into the culture of Nigeria, and the disparities between city and country life (Anna is so surprised to learn that her village friends do not attend school).  Cute greyscale illustrations add charm to nearly every page and will definitely enhance comprehension of certain scenes. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Kerstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repeat author, and traditional oral storyteller, Atinuke, has created a meaningful series starring protagonist, Anna Hibiscus. Anna Hibiscus (named after her “grandmother’s favourite flower”), is a precocious young girl from Africa. On holiday, away from her “big white house” in the city, Anna, her big girl cousins and her grandmother and grandfather, go to visit the village where Grandmother and Grandfather were born. Here, Anna makes many friends in the bush who haven’t had an education because there is no school there. While Anna teaches her friends about reading and writing, they teach her about life in the bush. Anna learns important lessons about life experiences, about privilege and poverty. She meets a new friend who evolves from being called “Thief” to being called family.

Atinuke’s “Love from Anna Hibiscus!” is exemplary in creating a very realistic setting, allowing the characters, especially Anna, to grow and develop over the arc of the story. Her story is very readable and understandable for the age it was intended, grades 2 - 4. Anna is also realistic without being stereotypical. We are given authentic dialogue and dialects feeling confident in the correct and respectful way they are added to the story. Atinuke does a beautiful job of sharing a very difficult subject matter, abject poverty, in a way for children to understand, and in a realistic way to lead to a discussion about real life difficulties for many people the world over. Grandmother provides sage council, “Every person who does wrong has a story,” sighed Grandmother. “If we knew their stories, we would be sorry for all of them.” Atinuke’s beautiful rich language, and Lauren Tobia’s illustrations complement each other to create a character worth having many adventures with.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. Unbelievable in parts, and this is the trouble...if you really want to talk about defeating poverty, it's too depressing to handle realistically, and too prevalent and deep to be handled the way Anna does...just by handing over money every time she comes face to face with it. Whole books have been written on this. But why was that little boy left all alone? As you see from Anna's family, usually there are myriads of aunts and uncles in Africa who absorb the little orphan into their home. One of the biggest reasons for poverty in Africa is fatherless homes, and you see how in this story the father left him. Mom died of "sickness" (African code word for AIDS). And the minister of education? Yeah, right, kind of humorous that they got her attention through the media. That is typical Africa, but unbelievable that you could actually make it work. Anyway...too much to say. I'm going to let my daughter read it as I think she won't notice so much the deeper issues going on, and it may motivate her to reach out and try to help people in ways she can. I also felt torn about the modesty discussions. Glad that they were confronted, but frustrated that once again, modernity (I.e. western culture) is the culprit and "traditionalism" is morality. Really? Just look at what traditional African religion gave you--nothing for a higher life. It was Christianity that clothed and educated the Africans and brought them into the modern world. It is sin, no matter which culture that brings nakedness and broken homes.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Anna Hibiscus stories are simply irresistible, and I hate to see the series coming to an end. In this, the seventh title, which picks up where the previous one ended, she's still visiting her grandparents' birthplace, a village in the countryside. As always, the book begins with "Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. In a country called Nigeria" (p. 1) and goes from there. In the four interlinked and closely related chapters or short stories here, she learns some harsh truths about poverty and her own privilege while teaching some of the village children literacy and math skills. She also catches a thief stealing a banana when she and her cousins go to market, later learning the truth of his everyday existence and the flaws of the country's health care system. It's heady stuff, eye-opening for Anna Hibiscus and the readers of this series, but, with some help from her supportive family, she finds a way to make a difference and be a good friend. The plot here is important, but the artwork, rendered in pen, and the details about her family's names and mode of transportation add to the delights of reading this book and becoming immersed in Anna Hibiscus's world. There is love from Anna Hibiscus on every page.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atinuke's Anna Hibiscus series is a never-fail delight for me. I appreciate the settings as many American children only imagine African families as living in the bush instead of modern cities. But here, Anna is "on vacation" with some of her cousins visiting her Grandfather's home village. Here, Anna encounters real poverty. Her village cousins don't have a school nor do they get 3 meals a day. Then Anna meets a small boy who steals a banana from her. Furious, Anna chases him only to discover that he is entirely on his own. When Sunny Belafonte becomes seriously ill, Anna and her family step in to help.

As always, Atinuke does an outstanding job of writing for a very young audience without ever condescending to them. The issues raised are important and serious yet done in an age-appropriate style.

Another excellent addition to a stellar series.

[Dest · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Anna Hibiscus so far (my 6yo and I have read almost all of them). Atinuke has touched on poverty before in her stories, like when Anna goes to the poorest part of the city and finds children playing in a rubbish heap. In this story, Anna and her big girl cousins go to their grandparents' village on vacation. There is no school there so Anna teaches some village children ABCs and 123s. She also meets an orphaned boy who is on his own.

Despite the hard truths in this story, the telling is warm and optimistic. These books seem aimed at early chapter book readers, ages 6 to 9 or so. There are not many books for this age that take on such difficult topics and probably even fewer that do it so well.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot love this series enough. These are chapter books just past the Magic Treehouse books, about a Canadian-Nigerian girl who lives in Africa (“Amazing Africa!”). Across the series, Atinuke takes on family, culture, travel, friendships, hair, school, fear, and more. In Love From, she is still in her grandparents’ village, and she is an invested member of the community, teaching her peers and hearing their dreams. She befriends an orphan in the marketplace, and learns more about privilege in its many guises. She learns how she can make a difference, even as little as she is.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I become repetitive. I still love Anna Hibiscus. One thing I do appreciate in the new editions of this series is that instead of just talking about "Africa, Amazing Africa", Atinuke identifies Nigeria as Anna's home. In this book, Anna's new friend introduces her to real poverty, and Anna figures out how small actions matter, even when addressing big problems. Handled well for the intended early chapter book reading audience.

Review based on a digital ARC from Edelweiss+.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love from Anna Hibiscus tackles poverty - when Anna Hibiscus visits the village where her grandparents grew up and learns that many of her village friends can't afford food and medicine. It is deep and raw and honest while also being hopeful, optimistic, and has a happy ending. Appropriate for Grades 1-3

[Havebooks Willread · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet little book with lots of examples of thinking of others and helping others. I found this author when looking for stories of Black children just living their lives and we enjoyed reading this aloud with our study of Africa. We all enjoyed it.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one to the kids. I loved the stories in this book, I think this one is my favorite so far. ❤️ You can actually see the author reading one of the stories aloud in this book on YouTube! It’s worth looking it up. 🥰

[JustALady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww. Such a sweet book. I read this as a read aloud. Sonlight had it in the K program. This book taught that even as a child you can still help others in many ways.

It taught about hope, joy and compassion. Very good book for small children. And even adults 😉

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for kids - my two little boys loved Anna Hibiscus, and loved learning a little bit of what her life is like in AMAZING Africa. Over the course of this series, we laughed with Anna, cried with Anna, and learned some great lessons with Anna.

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the books in this series that I have read so far with my 7-year-old, this one has the heaviest themes, I may have gotten a little teary eyed at the end. But it’s still appropriate for young kids and just as charming as the other books in this series.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

We absolutely love this series, and this particular book is my favorite yet in the series. I read them with my children, and they can’t get enough of them. This book actually brought me to tears. So very sweet and wholesome!

[Hannah Holm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of what I read with my kids are books I grew up on, but this series is an exception. So glad to have discovered these books. Both my kiddos and I adore them. Atinuke is simply an excellent story teller.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great early reader about empathy and compassion. Nice cultural information regarding Africa.