by Nadia L Hohn (Author)
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.6With 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.1.2Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
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PreS-Gr 2--Malaika is back and she is in for a change of scenery. In this follow-up to Malaika's Costume, the girl is transported from her Caribbean community to Quebec when her mother meets and marries Mr. Frederic. Mr. Frederic is French Canadian, with "different talk" than Malaika is accustomed to and he comes with a daughter named Adele. Malaika must adjust to many changes in Quebec, the biggest being loneliness for her family and culture. "When I get there, the children speak a different way. The teacher speak a different way. No one understand me. I hate it." The story, written in a blend of English and Caribbean patois, includes vocabulary like breadfruit, chinep, and toque. The words are highlighted in a short glossary at the beginning of the book. The patchwork illustrations create a bright glimpse into Caribbean and city life. VERDICT Good introductory text to highlight the significance of moving, blending cultures and family, and life in a different country.--Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID
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