Merry Christmas, Anna Hibiscus!

Ages 6 to 9, Grades 1 to 4

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.

About the 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.