Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus!

Anna Hibiscus leaves her home and family in Africa to visit her Canadian grandmother in this fourth installment of Atinuke's chapter-book series devoted to her adventures. Like its predecessors, there are four short stories presented here, beginning with Anna Goes to Canada, in which Anna bids

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farewell to her family, sleeps through most of her flight, and finally meets Granny Canada for the first time. Her worries that she will not be happy in this new place are assuaged by her first sight of snow. Anna's First Day involves a bit of culture shock, as Anna slowly makes friends with Qimmiq, her very first dog friend. In Cousins or Friends? Anna meets some of the local children, and accompanies them on a skating and sledding outing. After some initial unpleasantness - unkind comments about her lack of ability in these sports, due to her being African - Anna stands up for herself, and ends up winning new friends. Finally, in Anna's Christmas in Canada, Anna enjoys holiday baking with Granny Canada, and caroling in the snow. The book closes as she heads home, in the company of new friend Tiger Lily, who is herself visiting Africa for the first time...

Like its predecessors, Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! is an immensely engaging title for beginning chapter-book readers. I have loved the interaction between Anna and her large extended family in previous books, and here I loved the somewhat different but equally loving interaction between her and Granny Canada. I really appreciated the way that Atinuke handled the issue of the dog, showing that in Anna's culture dogs are never allowed in the house, being considered dangerous and dirty, and are certainly never kept as companions. When Anna learns that her great-great-grandfather was a dog sledder, and was saved by a dog, she gains an understanding of new and different ways of living, and of seeing the world. I also appreciated the way in which the children's prejudice against Anna was treated: it was shown to be wrong and hurtful, it was challenged, and then it was forgiven, allowing the children to become friends. Too often I find that that last part - the idea that people who have done or said something inconsiderate can be accepted again, if they acknowledge what they have done wrong, and seek forgiveness - is missing in today's world. Well done to Atinuke, all around - this was entertaining, engaging, and ultimately heartwarming, and I look forward to picking up the next installment of Anna's story, Welcome Home, Anna Hibiscus!

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