Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.įor Berkner’s fans there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. Readers and listeners who meet this lively child for the first time in this universal story will likely be intrigued enough by her mixed-race family and her culturally different but oh-so-similar life to go on to other Anna Hibiscus episodes, in both picture and chapter books.Ī double pleasure for old friends and new readers alike.īerkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche. There’s lots going on inside their cluster of homes, too.

There are fascinating details, especially in the endpaper scenes showing Anna's family’s modern African home in its urban context. Her body language is remarkably expressive in Tobia’s colorful illustrations, spots and full-page scenes that often spill across the gutter. Anna’s strong emotions will be familiar to any older sibling. Angry and jealous, Anna hides and cries, but soon it is her turn for some attention and affection. Not surprisingly, all the adults in her extended family are either suddenly busy or still sleeping. Soon, she’s introduced to the new babies: “That big bump was brothers,” she tells her cousins. This gentle, appealing story begins on the title page with Anna Hibiscus resting against her mother’s obviously pregnant tummy. When twins arrive, Anna Hibiscus finds it hard to share her extended family.Ītinuke’s latest picture book is not so much about “Amazing Africa” as it is about adjusting to a new sibling-worse, two of them.

Double trouble for anna hibiscus