Le carnaval de Malaika

Malaika #2

by Nadia L. Hohn

Malaika is happy to be reunited with Mummy, but it means moving to Canada, where everything is different. It’s cold in Québec City, no one understands when she talks and Carnival is nothing like the celebration Malaika knows from home!

When Mummy marries Mr. Frédéric, Malaika gets a new sister called Adèle. Her new family is nice, but Malaika misses Grandma. She has to wear a puffy purple coat, learn a new language and get used to calling this new place home. Things come to a head when Mummy and Mr. Frédéric take Malaika and Adèle to a carnival. Malaika is dismayed that there are no colorful costumes and that it’s nothing like Carnival at home in the Caribbean! She is so angry that she kicks over Adèle’s snow castle, but that doesn’t make her feel any better. It takes a video chat with Grandma to help Malaika see the good things about her new home and family.

Nadia L. Hohn’s prose, written in a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois, tells a warm story about the importance of family, especially when adjusting to a new home. Readers of the first Malaika book will want to find out what happens when she moves to Canada, and will enjoy seeing Malaika and her family once again depicted through Irene Luxbacher’s colorful collage illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Cultural, Childrens, Immigration, Realistic Fiction, Canada

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2017

About the author

NADIA L. HOHN is a multilingual, award-winning author of several books for young people, including A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice (Owlkids, 2019), Harriet Tubman: Freedom Fighter (HarperKids, 2018), and the Malaika series. Her first picture book, Malaika’s Costume (Groundwood Books, 2016) was the 2021 TD Grade One Book Giveaway and featured as a float in the 117th Original Santa Claus Parade. Nadia had two books released in 2023: Malaika, Carnival Queen, her fourth book in the Malaika series on May 2 and her edited anthology, The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes) on September 12. Nadia is an “artivist” who wants to make sure that all young people see themselves in books. When she’s not lost in a story or concocting a tasty vegetarian dish, she is likely spending time in music and the arts or daydreaming about her next adventure. Nadia teaches elementary school and writing for children courses at post-secondary institutions in Toronto where she also lives.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading the first one in this series of books about Malaika to get a better understanding of the family dynamics. 3.5 Stars.

Malaika's Carnival follows Malaika's move to Canada as her mother gets married to a man she met while she was away. Malaika clearly has a difficult time adjusting to her new family dynamics and being in a new place where she doesn't know anyone or the language. What I enjoyed about this story was definitely the emotions that readers experience through Malaika. The themes of blended family dynamics and immigration are ones that a lot of younger readers will connect with even if it's not their exact experience. Hohn does an amazing job of incorporating Caribbean dialect into the framework of the story. I love that there is no explanation, but its simply woven into the dialogue and it is up to the reader to adjust and learn to grow comfortable with both the culture and dialect. Unfortunately, I struggled with the artwork. It's not a style that I connected with as a reader and at some points it became a distraction to the narrative. This isn't necessarily a universal feeling. I know people who enjoy this style of art; however, for me, it doesn't always work. Overall, it was a solid read and provides some interesting cross cultural experiences.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malaika, the little Caribbean girl whose story began in author Nadia L. Hohn and illustrator Irene Luxbacher's Malaika’s Costume , returns in this second picture-book. When her mother comes home from Canada, it is to announce her impending marriage to Mr. Frederic, and the fact that Malaika will be moving to Canada with them. Sad at being parted from her grandmother, our heroine struggles to find her footing in this cold, new place, where everyone speaks differently, where she must adjust to a new steps-sister, and where Carnival is nothing like it is at home. After an impulsively destructive act, done in anger, Malaika finds a way to put things right...

Like its predecessor, Malaika's Winter Carnival pairs a poignant story with appealing artwork. Also like its predecessor, the story here is told partly in standard North American English, and partly in Caribbean dialect, a choice which, while it will present a challenge for some young readers and listeners, also lends the narrative an authentic feeling. Nadia Hohn captures Malaika's sense of displacement, her dismay at the unfamiliarity of everything and everyone around her, but her resolution of the central crisis provides a hopeful, upbeat conclusion. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed the first book about Malaika, as well as to those looking for children's stories about the immigrant experience and/or the festival of Carnival.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about international marriage and moving to a new home. The book is written in Caribbean dialect which perfectly captures the voice of our young narrator as she says goodbye to her island family and moves to Canada with her mom and new father and sister. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous too!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this sequel to Malaika's Costume (2016), Malaika's mom is back! But she has a surprise. Malaika is going to live with her mom again, but also a new stepfather and stepsister. This also means leaving her home country behind and going to cold Canada and learning a new language. How will Malaika cope with all these challenges?

Like Malaika's Costume, the characters and the colours are the star in Malaika's Winter Carnival. Malaika has to say goodbye to her grandmother and other family and friends, and she meets new family and friends. Understanding and kind Adele, her new step-sister, welcomes Malaika to her new world.

It's amazing how the illustrator, Irene Luxbacher, can make cold and snowy Quebec seem as colourful and active as the Caribbean that Malaika leaves.

[Alia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid follow up to Malaika’s Costume. Wish it was a bit longer but I was happy to meet Malaika’s family again and see how she grows and learns and adapts. I really hope Canada works out for her; it’s not easy moving, getting a new family AND adjusting to a new culture all at once! Good luck Malaika! :)

Love the illustrations. Love the language.

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immigrant experience for little ones -- a bit confusing -- where was mummy in the beginning of the book? (I'm assuming Canada), and the sudden wedding is abrupt -- so in that sense, it reads as though one were a small child whose mother has gone away, come back for a sudden wedding and then transplanted you to Canada, which is of course quite jarring and odd at times. Still, a great tool for empathy for slightly older kids, but I'm not sure if younger children will be able to follow it.

Makes more sense as a sequel, now even more context for families traveling across the globe.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malaika’s Winter Carnival is vividly illustrated with bold colors and figures that burst from the pages. We had not read the previous Malaika book so at first there was a bit of confusion as to her relationship with mother and Mr Frederic who soon becomes her stepfather. Malaika moves with them and her new stepsister to cold Canada where she experiences culture shock and greatly misses her grandmother. Written in a dialect narrated by Malaika herself, this picture book provides a glimpse into a young immigrant girl’s world.

[Asho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library because I'm always looking for books for the kids that feature different places in the world. This book takes place partially in Quebec and partially in what I presume is Jamaica (the place is unnamed but based on the drawings, descriptions, and Caribbean patois, Jamaica is my best guess). After reading this I then figured out that there is another Malaika book that I think we should have read first as it would have helped this one make more sense. I had to answer a lot of questions from both S and L as I read this, and some of those might have been easier to answer if we'd read the other book first. It also took me a couple of pages to realize that parts of the book were written in a dialect so the first few pages of read aloud were awkward as I tried to figure out what was going on. But once I got it, we liked this. I like that it introduced characters and themes you don't often see in children's picture books.

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for winter carnival ❄️ books to refer some to the kids at the library. This book is very interesting. It is a story of a young girl who has a mother who marries a white man and moves to a different country ( Canada 🇨🇦) The story is written with the child’s English and is hard to read aloud because of that. The story aspect is nice.

I wanted to know the back story. It felt to abrupt of a start. I wanted to know how they met. The girl was just meeting them at the wedding. Had the mom known them? I had to many questions and it felt sudden.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/15/2017 ** A stunningly illustrated book about Malaika, a girl who lives in the Caribbean, but whose mother marries a Canadian man; the family subsequently moves from the Caribbean to Canada. The book incorporates the patois of some on the isles in the Caribbean. It beautifully conveys the disjointed feeling that Malaika has when she moves and has to adjust to a new climate, city, and family. Many children will connect with the sense of displacement when melding families or moving to new places.

I was a bit confused at the beginning of the tale, because I didn't quite follow how a Caribbean woman and Canadian man were marrying. It turns out that this is the second book about Malaika. Reading the first book, about a carnival costume was helpful.

I read this book in the distributor's booth at the Heartland Fall Forum, a trade show for Midwest and Great Lakes booksellers.

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much like the first book, “Malaika’s Costume” in style and pace. Much sadder too though.

What happens when a little Jamaican girl moves to Canada, and to Quebec at that? Strange environment (moving on Canada in the winter!), different language (everyone speaks French).

It’s a great story for many children from around the world who move to Canada. Trying to make sense of the new customs while being homesick, from a child’s perspective.

[Emma Davison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This realistic fiction picture book follows a young girl, Malaika, as she moves from her bright, sunny, festive home country to Canada to be with her mother who is living, working, and getting married in the new country. Malaika is happy to be back with her mother, but the big move is difficult on her as the culture differs so drastically from what she is used to. The deep snow is so different from the sunny weather at home, and the cold outdoor carnival with rides is a world apart from the festival back home with dancing and costumes. Any child going through the transition of a big move can find comfort with the same feelings that Malaika struggles with throughout the story. Additionally, the illustrations do a lovely job of showing the contrast between the Caribbean and the French Canadian clothing styles, homes, and environment.

The narrated text spoken by the grandmother, the mommy, and little girl, Malaika is a nonstandard English dialect referred to as “Carribean patois.” The languages and cultures represented in the book are a mixture of Carribean Patois, English, and French. Malaika and her mother are immigrants to Canada which allows many readers to connect to the story. As told by Malaika, the primary language is Carribean patois with French words incorporated when spoken by the appropriate characters. I believe that the language used is intended to convey the authentic perspective of the immigrants and not to insult immigrants or people who speak English differently. The author, Nadia L. Hohn, is a Black Canadian writer who strives to bring Black stories into the world of children’s literature, especially those of her interests and areas of study including Caribbean folk music and the arts and cultures of the African diaspora. Nadia Hohn provides a credible story and captures the roller coaster of joy, change, and challenges that Malaika faces.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her mother returns home and marries Mr. Frederic, Malaika tries her best to be happy and accepting. But her heart aches at leaving the grandmother who has raised her and all that is familiar in her Caribbean home. He has a daughter, Adele, and she tries to make Malaika feel comfortable and welcome. After the four of them move to Quebec, Malaika deals with language issues, the cold weather, and even an ice carnival that is nothing like the carnivals back home. She becomes so angry--not at the carnival but at all the new things in her life--that she destroys Adele's snow castle. A Skype chat with her grandmother reminds her of everything she loved back home but also helps her apologize to Adele and summon the resilience to continue on. The text and images capture effectively how a child might feel at having to leave behind everything that mattered to her and find her way in a very different place. Throughout the story, readers can see that Malaika is trying hard to be brave and positive, but is understandably also pushing down a lot of negative feelings. Not only would this picture book from Canada be effective in helping students understand how challenging it can be to move from one place to another, but the illustrations, created in mixed media, graphite, and oils, are stunning in their details and all the cultural elements that make one girl's house a home. Readers can almost taste the foods served at the cookout and shiver from the icy winter temperatures in Canada that require several layers of clothing. Recent arrivals from other countries may find solace in this story since it reminds readers that it is possible to love two places and that those folks back home still love them. Out of sight is not out of mind when it comes to family.

[Savannah Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malaika reunites with her mother by moving to a new place, Canada. Malaika has to adjust to many new changes such as a new family, a new home, a new language, and wearing different clothes. Malaika misses her Grandmother more than anything. Nadia Hohn writes about the importance of family, especially in the midst of extreme changes. This book reflects anti-bias criterion in that it represents blended, multiracial, and bilingual families. Hohn brings a voice and story to families who are often underrepresented in children’s stories. Hohn brings the characters and story to life through rich, authentic language when giving the characters dialogue. Often, she writes how the characters would speak, giving them more authenticity and allowing her readers to delve into the culture. The unique mixtures of pattern, colors, and textures creates a quality parallel to the words on the pages as well as the cultures represented. Hohn uses a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois in this text. Because the text is from the viewpoint of the English speaking Malaika, the author uses Caribbean patois when Malaika is learning new words or speaking to those who’s first language is Caribbean patois. Any words written in Caribbean patois are displayed in italics. This sends the message that these words are new and yet to be learned or are up for interpretation. In the beginning of the book, the author provides definitions for all of the italicized words. This implies that the reader’s first language is English. The author’s personal experience of being a Black Canadian gives credibility and authenticity to write about her character, Malaika.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorfully illustrated story about a young girl's experience of family, emigration, loss, and re-connection. Without the previous book in hand (Malaika's Costume), the story itself seems abrupt and disconcerting, much as a child might experience the realization that her family and home are changing dramatically and without her consent or understanding.

Malaika's mother is just back to their Caribbean home from what we learn is a stay in Quebec. "Mummy" seems emotionally absent throughout, while we see Malaika learning indirectly, from an uncomfortable handshake with her soon-to-be stepfather, a set of awkward interactions with her soon-to-be sister (who's much more 'in the know' than Malaika), and from her grandmother's culinary choices (making the food she makes when people are leaving their district), that her family and home are about to undergo radical transformation. While she eventually reconciles with her new sister and, with her mother's help, reconnects with her grandmother via computer, the story left me with an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.

[Tamara Thompson-Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think for those who are don't fully understand how thing work as imigrant from another country will not understand the story. I read a few comments saying they felt a certain which is fine. But as fellow caribbean person this story resignates with me so much. This is literally how things go sometime mummy leave and your with Grandma who you have a pretty tight relationship with and she become mom. Mom only leaves to make better life for you not to abandon you. Honestly a Black female is it is wonderful to see a book that i can read to my children that we can relate to. Nadia wonderful job with have the essence of island in the book. My son loves this story so much he get his Dad to read it to him all the time because Daddy has the Jamaican accent so it work out well. Please continue to make more books like Malaika's Winter Carnival. I proud to see this book your amazing person and keep up the Good work!!! BIG UPS from a fellow Yardiee

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to another picture book. This time Malaika has to leave her Caribbean home to move to Quebec with her now stepfather and stepsister.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Malaika's Costume, and the kids enjoyed it also. In this one, Malaika moves to Canada after her mother remarries a Canadian, and she gains a new sister. People from blended families may relate, especially if they've had to move from far away.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in blended and re-blended families, this book made me feel ALL THE FEELINGS. EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE. Excellent addition to school and library collections. Recommended for ages 6-9.

[Kenna Coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a young girl who joins a blended family and immigrates to another country. It's the story the shares the pain of having to adapt to a new normal as well as reconciliation with different family members. It depicts the struggles of immigration in a young child.

[Phaea Crede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful POV from the main character. I feel her pain and frustration at the big change in her life. Her journey to acceptance and happiness with her new family is honest and realistic.

[SB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique in its offerings and beautifully done.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich and complex story. The illustrations are particularly good at conveying the protagonist's feelings.

[Josephine Burks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about a girl who’s Mother will marry a man from Canada. They are set to move there after the wedding. Malaika will also gain a new sister.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malaika retrouve sa maman... mais maman revient au pays avec un Canadien français blanc pour se marier et ensuite ils retournent tous ensemble au Québec, en plein hiver.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malaika is a little Caribbean girl. She lives with her grandmother. Her mother comes back home, but brings a man that she is getting married to. Malaika and her mother move to Canada (Quebec!) and live in a house with Malaika's step-father and step-sister.

Malaika's adjustment is hard. It is very cold, she doesn't understand the language, she misses her Grandmother and her home.

She makes a bad choice, but learns to do better.

[Sandra Acacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good it depicts a mixed race family as they come together and have to deal with changes and a long distance move.
However there were a few things that were omitted or could have been better.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our library only had this in French - it was a bit of a challenge, but it was good to read the story linking Mailaika’s time on the island and her life in Canada.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiul pictures! Malaika has to adjust to a new country, climate, home, sister, dad and school. It's not easy. Grandma helps when Malaika is overwhelmed and sad.
Read in french for vocab study.