Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa: A Kwanzaa Holiday Book for Kids – A Picture Book About the Spirit of Helping and Community for Children

by Donna L. Washington, Shane W. Evans (Illustrator)

Share this Kwanzaa story with your family or in the classroom. "Very bright, playful, textured pictures capture the spirit of community that is the essence of the holiday. The two final pages about 'The Nguzo Saba––The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa' will take kids back to the story to find the holiday message in action."* The story of Li'l Rabbit captures the true meaning of Kwanzaa—coming together to help others. Donna L. Washington's story, with art from Shane W. Evans (Chocolate Me!), provides a fun introduction to the holiday. Li'l Rabbit is not having a very good Kwanzaa. Granna Rabbit is sick, and so his family won't celebrate his favorite part of Kwanzaa this a big feast called Karamu. Li'l Rabbit knows what to do! He'll find Granna Rabbit a special treat for Karamu so she can celebrate anyway. He looks under a pile of logs, in the field, and in the pond and along the way meets Groundhog, Momma Field Mouse, and the frogs—but he doesn't find anything for Granna Rabbit. Maybe I'm just too little to help Granna Rabbit celebrate Kwanzaa , Li'l Rabbit thinks. Or maybe he just needs a little help from his family and friends. *Booklist

Genres: Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Cultural, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2009

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

My students really enjoyed the illustrations of this book. At times the book felt like it dragged on.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Happy Holidays Week, Day 2: Hello, everyone! Our book today is Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa, written by Donna L. Washington and illustrated by Shane W. Evans, a sweet tale about a rabbit who learns the true meaning of the Nguzo Saba, or Seven Principles of Kwanzaa.

L’il Rabbit is not having the best Kwanzaa; he simply can’t find a good way to contribute to the celebrations like his parents or siblings. To make matters worse, his mother is busy caring for his sick Granna Rabbit, so she won’t have time to make the Karamu, a traditional Kwanzaa feast. Feeling sad, L’il Rabbit decides to place all his energy into finding a special gift to give his Granna, and sets off on a search for something that may make her feel better, along the way learning about the power of community, kindness, and faith.

Okay, to be frank, everything I knew about Kwanzaa I had learned from a half-forgotten episode of The Proud Family I watched when I was a kid, so I was looking forward to a refresher, and to encouraging JJ to learn about the holidays and traditions of others. Fortunately, this book is perfect for that! The story is sweet and has a wonderful message, all while showing the Seven Principles through the characters’ actions. The length is good for baby bookworms, perhaps bordering on a bit long for the youngest readers, but JJ had no problems, so not too bad. The simple illustrations are very cute and full of personality, and most importantly, the book embodies the principles and spirit of Kwanzaa while educating about the holiday itself. Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa is a super cute picture book story inspired by Brer Rabbit from African American folklore and set during Kwanzaa. It has great lessons that tie into the holiday, while also just being a fun story with cute illustrations. It's an excellent portrayal of community coming together to do what they can, and when it explains the principles of Kwanzaa at the end of the book, it also gives some examples of how the story ties into each principle. Recommended for sure!

[Regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the holidays grew nearer, I was trying to find some books that went beyond the usual Christmas stories. I was very glad to find this one. In a non-textbook style, the author finds a way to introduce the principles of Kwanzaa to children in a way that grows as the story moves along. Beautifully vivid illustrations capture the afro-centric nature of the tale, and colorful characters are interesting to look at even without reading the words.
Li’l Rabbit is the youngest in his family. Because of his age and size, he is usually unable to fully contribute to the yearly Kwanzaa celebrations. This year, his Granna Rabbit is sick, which leaves Li’l Rabbit wondering who will make the Karamu feast? As he goes on a hunt to pull Karamu together himself, Li’l Rabbit unintentionally spreads the word about Kwanzaa to the neighbors he encounters, all of whom eventually pull together to help make the best Kwanzaa Karamu Li’l Rabbit or Granna Rabbit have ever seen.
What I liked most about this book was the accessibility. You can read this book and not know ANYTHING about Kwanzaa and still walk away with a great lesson. The Nguzo Saba, or seven principles of Kwanzaa are weaved seamlessly into the storyline, giving children the opportunity to use context clues and deductive reasoning. Being too small or too young, is a theme that most children will instantly relate to and makes Li’l Rabbit the perfect protagonist. At the very back of the book, the author includes a brief glossary covering the terms and principles of Kwanzaa.
Washington, Donna L, and Shane Evans. Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2010. Print.
Recommended ages 5 & up
Vividly Illustrated, Endearing undertones(Inclusion, Family, Respect, Purpose, Cooperation)

[Margaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations, and the story doesn't feel like it's outright telling you about the holiday, which is nice.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have a really extensive collection of winter holiday books but nothing focused on Kwanzaa so I was excited to find this on a holiday discount shelf. I know very little about Kwanzaa and I felt like this explained it very well...I also like that there are many characters in the story who don't celebrate Kwanzaa but want to be part of taking care of this family when Granna is sick. That makes it accessible to kids who don't celebrate Kwanzaa so it would be good for a holiday storytime or classroom share. Good back matter but I really could have used a pronunciation guide. I really like how the African heritage is woven in, especially since these characters are animals so kids won't pick up on their race as much. A tiny sentence on what Kwanzaa actually is in the back matter would have helped, other than that the back matter is great and gives great descriptions of the various days and way the holiday is celebrated.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, see my blog: Craft-Cycle

A sweet picture book celebrating Kwanzaa. Li'l Rabbit's Granna is sick and his family is too busy taking care of her to put together their Karamu feast. Li'l Rabbit sets out to find a special Zawadi for her and ends up making an extra special Kwanzaa for them all.

I loved how the principles of Kwanzaa are worked into the story. This isn't just a book that tells you the principles. It actively shows an example of each one within an engaging and adorable story.

The artwork is fantastic. Wonderful use of color and expression. I really enjoyed each character's design.

At the end of the book, the seven principles are listed along with examples from the story. There are also a few definitions of related words.

Whether you know about or celebrate Kwanzaa or not, this is a wonderful read. A sweet, engaging story that is both informational and entertaining.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. First, where were the men? Apparently only women-folk are responsible for preparing the Kwanzaa feast of karamu. Is that accurate? Because that is what this story led me to believe. Second, I really didn't like how Granna Rabbit "just laughed" when Li'l Rabbit goes to her at the end with his feelings of sadness and disappointment. She calls him a "silly rabbit". While this is an accurate portrayal of how many grow-ups would react, it especially rubbed me the wrong way coming from Granna Rabbit who we have been told is so kind and thoughtful. Completely dismissing someone else's feelings as "silly" is not kind or comforting. While I did appreciate the ideas behind the story, it fell short of it's mark for me.

[Anneka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with my 8yo during advent. He’s learned a little about Kwanzaa in school, and I haven’t learned much at all over the years.
We both quite liked the booked, reading together. The feel of the animals coming together was very evident and heartwarming. After the end of the book where the number of days were described and had the different language included with English translation was lovely. I could have used hints on how to pronounce the other language words and there could have been more peppered through the story, but the feel was there. Maybe that’s the most important part?!

[Kyra Christiansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!! I don't know much about Kwanzaa, but this picture book is the perfect introduction to this holiday. It even has a part in the back that breaks down the different days of Kwanzaa, what they mean, and examples of them from the book! I would definitely use this in my classroom - it is not only important for students to feel represented in literature (I can't remember another book I've read about Kwanzaa), but also for students to learn more about a new culture. I loved it!

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bunny sets off to find Zawadi for his ailing granna and ends up discovering the Nguzo Saba, thanks to the generosity of neighbors who provide the food for Karamu and creative expressions for Kuumbaa festivities. Colorful illustrations show how L’il Rabbits’ desire to serve others makes such a big difference in his family and community. End pages include definitions of the seven principles of Kwanzaa and a glossary of terms mentioned in the story.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute introduction to Kwanzaa with a lovable little rabbit as the main character and a bunch of other friendly animals. The back-matter at the end explains the different principles of Kwanzaa. I would have liked an extra page of back-matter explaining how & why Kwanzaa was created, but overall, it’s a cute book.

[Jocelyn Boop]

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because it shows how a community can work together and help each other.

What I liked about the book:
I like the book because it explains the principles of Kwanzaa.

How I would use this book in a future classroom:
I would use this book when during a unit about how people celebrate holidays.

[Madi Harbuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Li'l Rabbit thought he was too little to help with Kwanzaa. But in using his drive and determination to give his Granna Rabbit the best Karamu, he was able to gather all their animal friends to give Granna Rabbit the best Karamu. I liked how at the end, the author breaks down the seven principles of Kwanzaa and how the different parts of Li'l Rabbit's story fits each principle.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This picture book about a young rabbit whoe Granny is sick and can't prepare the Kwanzaa celebration goes all over the forest trying to soemthing nice for his granny. Can he pull it off. Nice community themese but a base knowledge of the holiday is needed. preschool and up

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great pick for a preschool class, as it's accessible and relatable to students who know nothing about Kwanzaa, without stopping to didactically explain all the different words and traditions until the end.

[Melissa Hord]

This book would be an awesome read-aloud for the holidays to show a different cultures' "Christmas" or if there is a student in your class who celebrates Kwanzaa, to introduce the rest of the class to this holiday.

[Carolyn at Bloomers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely delightful story, but given how Kwanzaa is an African American Holiday, and how underrepresented black families are in Children's literature, I am disappointed that it is illustrated with anthropomorphic animals instead telling the story with people.

[Crystal J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book that shares the Principles of Kwanzaa for young readers. A delightful addition to classrooms and libraries alike.

[Briana Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for culture understanding (Kwanzaa) and kindness of heart

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this helped show the spirit of Kwanzaa but didn't particularly clarify any of the background of the holiday.

[Mary Foxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not crying, you're crying.

[Ron Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute way to introduce Kwanzaa as a universal holiday.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An introduction to the celebrations of Kwanzaa.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Live teaching my students about other traditions/cultures/holidays!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, cute, cute.

[Natasha Roslosnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet book highlighting the importance of community.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed having a fictional, less informative option for Kwanzaa.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about a little rabbit celebrating Kwanzaa. Illustrations are cute!

[Dori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very cute little book! I hope to gift it to my grandkids someday.