Malaika's Costume (The Malaika #1)
by Nadia L Hohn (Author)
Malaika's mother can't buy her a carnival costume -- will she still be able to dance in the parade?
It's Carnival time. The first Carnival since Malaika's mother moved to Canada to find a good job and provide for Malaika and her grandmother. Her mother promised she would send money for a costume, but when the money doesn't arrive, will Malaika still be able to dance in the parade? Disappointed and upset at her grandmother's hand-me-down costume, Malaika leaves the house, running into Ms. Chin, the tailor, who offers Malaika a bag of scrap fabric. With her grandmother's help, Malaika creates a patchwork rainbow peacock costume, and dances proudly in the parade.
A heartwarming story about family, community and the celebration of Carnival, Nadia Hohn's warm and colloquial language and Irene Luxbacher's vibrant collage-style illustrations make this a strikingly original picture book.
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.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
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Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--Lacking money for a new costume, a girl and her grandmother must use their ingenuity to repurpose and repair an old outfit and make it extra special for the Kiddie Carnival Parade. The first-person text is printed against a background of lined paper, and the wordless last page shows Malaika's mother--away working in Canada--thoroughly enjoying the letter and pictures she has received. Malaika and those in her Caribbean community speak a lightly lilting patois, and terms like kaiso and cassava are defined in a small glossary on the copyright page. Bright, stylized mixed-media illustrations burst with colors, patterns, and layers and hew closely to the lively text. Occasional highly pixelated areas slightly distract from otherwise vibrant scenes of Carnival costumes and multicultural rural life. VERDICT A fun choice for libraries seeking books about creativity in general or the Caribbean in particular.--Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV030040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Caribbean & Latin America
JUV017000 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | General
Caribbean Area
Emigration and immigration
Social life and customs
Carnival costume
