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Merry Christmas, Anna Hibiscus!

Author Atinuke
Illustrated by Lauren Tobia
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Hardcover
$16.99 US
5.31"W x 8.13"H x 0.54"D   | 7 oz | 48 per carton
On sale Sep 26, 2023 | 112 Pages | 9781536231212
Age 6-9 years | Grades 1-4
Reading Level: Lexile 600L | Fountas & Pinnell R
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When Anna leaves her family home in Africa to visit her Canadian grandmother, she discovers how resilient she can be in this fourth collection of stories from Atinuke’s beloved series.

Anna Hibiscus has never been away from her big white house in Nigeria, where baby brothers, many cousins, parents, aunties, uncles, and grandparents are always nearby. But now she’s flying overseas on her own to visit Granny Canada and see snow for the first time! When she lands at the airport, Anna finds herself amid a sea of white faces in a place that is breathtakingly cold. Canada is very different, but Anna learns how to pull on toasty layers of clothing, warms up to Granny’s large dog (who does not live in a pack and bite people), hones her new talent for sledding, and celebrates cozy Christmas rituals—all while keenly missing her cousins. Told with warmth and humor and illustrated in delightful detail, this tale of finding family and belonging far away from home will resonate with every child who’s had to navigate an unfamiliar place.
Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the United Kingdom. She is the author of the award-winning Anna Hibiscus series, illustrated by Lauren Tobia; Hugo, illustrated by Birgitta Sif; and the Too Small Tola series, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Her other books include Baby, Sleepy Baby; Baby Goes to Market; B Is for Baby; and Catch That Chicken!, all illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. Atinuke lives in Wales.

Lauren Tobia is the author-illustrator of Oscar’s Tower of Flowers and the illustrator of numerous children’s books, including the Anna Hibiscus series by Atinuke, Are You Sure, Mother Bear? by Amy Hest, Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin, Baby’s Got the Blues by Carol Diggory Shields, and The Blanket Where Violet Sits by Allan Wolf. She lives in the United Kingdom.
Anna Goes to Canada
Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. In a country called Nigeria. She lives with her grandmother and her grandfather; her mother and her father; her aunties and her uncles; her many, many cousins; and her two baby brothers, Double and Trouble. But now Anna Hibiscus
is going far overseas.
   “Is her suitcase in the car?” Grandfather asked.
   “What about her photo album?” called Grandmother, hurrying over.
   “Anna Hibiscus, are you ready?” shouted Uncle Tunde, standing by the car.
   Anna Hibiscus came out of the house, holding her mother’s hand.
   “Do you have the book we wrote your stories in?” shouted cousin Clarity.
   “What about your phone money?” asked Anna Hibiscus’s father.
   “Is your camera safe?” asked Uncle Eldest.
   Anna Hibiscus nodded and nodded. She had her photo album and her book
and her phone money and her camera in her new handbag. And in her suitcase was the surprise present from her mother and the beautiful new warm red suit and the empty pot to bring back snow for Double and Trouble.
   Anna Hibiscus was going to Canada. Today. Now! She was leaving her entire family and the big white house for one whole month.
   Grandfather held up his hand. “Anna Hibiscus!” he said loudly. At once everybody was quiet. “Do not forget what I have told you!” Grandfather said.
   Anna Hibiscus nodded again. Grandfather had told her many things. “Be good, Anna Hibiscus. And have fun. But remember, do not go near any dogs. People in cold countries allow dogs into their houses. This is because they do not live together with the whole of their family as we do here. Instead they have dogs for company.”
   “Yes, Grandfather,” Anna Hibiscus said seriously.
   Grandfather had been telling her the same thing since her tickets to Canada had come. But Anna Hibiscus was sure that he was wrong. Nobody would allow a dog into their house. Dogs live in packs and eat garbage and bite people. They are thin and angry and have worms.
   “Granny Canada will look after you,” Grandfather concluded hopefully. “She will not allow you to enter any house that contains a dog. Of that I am sure.”
   Anna Hibiscus’s mother looked as though she was about to say something. Then Double and Trouble started to cry.
   Quickly Anna’s father put Anna into Uncle Tunde’s car. Her mother jumped in beside her. But too late. Everybody had joined Double Trouble in crying. Chocolate and Angel were the first. Then the aunties started loudly. It was so sad to say goodbye.
   “Go! Go!” said Grandmother, dabbing her eyes.
   Uncle Tunde started the engine.
   “Goodbye, Anna!” sobbed Chocolate and Angel.
   “Don’t forget us!” wailed Benz and Wonderful.
   “Enjoy yourself!” called Thank-God and Sociable.
   “Write about everything!” wept Clarity and Joy and Common Sense.
   “Be careful!” sniffed Auntie Joly.
   “Don’t forget to snap many photos!” called Uncle Eldest and Uncle Habibi.
   “Come back soon!” sobbed Grandmother and Grandfather.
   “Come soon! Come soon!” wailed Double and Trouble.
   And they were off.
   Anna Hibiscus turned around in her seat to wave. The gates closed behind them. The big white house where Anna Hibiscus had lived all her life was gone.
   They turned the corner. The white walls around the garden were gone too.
   A big lump came into Anna Hibiscus’s throat.
   Anna’s mother put her arm around her. “Don’t worry, Anna,” she whispered.
   But Anna did worry. She worried all the way to the airport.

Photos

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About

When Anna leaves her family home in Africa to visit her Canadian grandmother, she discovers how resilient she can be in this fourth collection of stories from Atinuke’s beloved series.

Anna Hibiscus has never been away from her big white house in Nigeria, where baby brothers, many cousins, parents, aunties, uncles, and grandparents are always nearby. But now she’s flying overseas on her own to visit Granny Canada and see snow for the first time! When she lands at the airport, Anna finds herself amid a sea of white faces in a place that is breathtakingly cold. Canada is very different, but Anna learns how to pull on toasty layers of clothing, warms up to Granny’s large dog (who does not live in a pack and bite people), hones her new talent for sledding, and celebrates cozy Christmas rituals—all while keenly missing her cousins. Told with warmth and humor and illustrated in delightful detail, this tale of finding family and belonging far away from home will resonate with every child who’s had to navigate an unfamiliar place.

Author

Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the United Kingdom. She is the author of the award-winning Anna Hibiscus series, illustrated by Lauren Tobia; Hugo, illustrated by Birgitta Sif; and the Too Small Tola series, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Her other books include Baby, Sleepy Baby; Baby Goes to Market; B Is for Baby; and Catch That Chicken!, all illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. Atinuke lives in Wales.

Lauren Tobia is the author-illustrator of Oscar’s Tower of Flowers and the illustrator of numerous children’s books, including the Anna Hibiscus series by Atinuke, Are You Sure, Mother Bear? by Amy Hest, Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin, Baby’s Got the Blues by Carol Diggory Shields, and The Blanket Where Violet Sits by Allan Wolf. She lives in the United Kingdom.

Excerpt

Anna Goes to Canada
Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. In a country called Nigeria. She lives with her grandmother and her grandfather; her mother and her father; her aunties and her uncles; her many, many cousins; and her two baby brothers, Double and Trouble. But now Anna Hibiscus
is going far overseas.
   “Is her suitcase in the car?” Grandfather asked.
   “What about her photo album?” called Grandmother, hurrying over.
   “Anna Hibiscus, are you ready?” shouted Uncle Tunde, standing by the car.
   Anna Hibiscus came out of the house, holding her mother’s hand.
   “Do you have the book we wrote your stories in?” shouted cousin Clarity.
   “What about your phone money?” asked Anna Hibiscus’s father.
   “Is your camera safe?” asked Uncle Eldest.
   Anna Hibiscus nodded and nodded. She had her photo album and her book
and her phone money and her camera in her new handbag. And in her suitcase was the surprise present from her mother and the beautiful new warm red suit and the empty pot to bring back snow for Double and Trouble.
   Anna Hibiscus was going to Canada. Today. Now! She was leaving her entire family and the big white house for one whole month.
   Grandfather held up his hand. “Anna Hibiscus!” he said loudly. At once everybody was quiet. “Do not forget what I have told you!” Grandfather said.
   Anna Hibiscus nodded again. Grandfather had told her many things. “Be good, Anna Hibiscus. And have fun. But remember, do not go near any dogs. People in cold countries allow dogs into their houses. This is because they do not live together with the whole of their family as we do here. Instead they have dogs for company.”
   “Yes, Grandfather,” Anna Hibiscus said seriously.
   Grandfather had been telling her the same thing since her tickets to Canada had come. But Anna Hibiscus was sure that he was wrong. Nobody would allow a dog into their house. Dogs live in packs and eat garbage and bite people. They are thin and angry and have worms.
   “Granny Canada will look after you,” Grandfather concluded hopefully. “She will not allow you to enter any house that contains a dog. Of that I am sure.”
   Anna Hibiscus’s mother looked as though she was about to say something. Then Double and Trouble started to cry.
   Quickly Anna’s father put Anna into Uncle Tunde’s car. Her mother jumped in beside her. But too late. Everybody had joined Double Trouble in crying. Chocolate and Angel were the first. Then the aunties started loudly. It was so sad to say goodbye.
   “Go! Go!” said Grandmother, dabbing her eyes.
   Uncle Tunde started the engine.
   “Goodbye, Anna!” sobbed Chocolate and Angel.
   “Don’t forget us!” wailed Benz and Wonderful.
   “Enjoy yourself!” called Thank-God and Sociable.
   “Write about everything!” wept Clarity and Joy and Common Sense.
   “Be careful!” sniffed Auntie Joly.
   “Don’t forget to snap many photos!” called Uncle Eldest and Uncle Habibi.
   “Come back soon!” sobbed Grandmother and Grandfather.
   “Come soon! Come soon!” wailed Double and Trouble.
   And they were off.
   Anna Hibiscus turned around in her seat to wave. The gates closed behind them. The big white house where Anna Hibiscus had lived all her life was gone.
   They turned the corner. The white walls around the garden were gone too.
   A big lump came into Anna Hibiscus’s throat.
   Anna’s mother put her arm around her. “Don’t worry, Anna,” she whispered.
   But Anna did worry. She worried all the way to the airport.