When Malaika moves to Canada, there's a lot to get used to, especially
Carnival in the wintertime!
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.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6
With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story
and define the role of each in telling the story.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of
their central message or lesson.
