Malaika’s Surprise
- Publisher
- Groundwood Books Ltd
- Initial publish date
- Mar 2021
- Category
- New Baby, Birthdays, Stepfamilies
- Recommended Age
- 3 to 7
- Recommended Grade
- p to 2
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781773062648
- Publish Date
- Mar 2021
- List Price
- $18.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781773062655
- Publish Date
- Mar 2021
- List Price
- $16.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
When Malaika finds out she is going to have a new baby brother or sister, she worries that her mother will forget about her. But a surprise arrives on Malaika’s birthday that gives her more reason to celebrate her family’s love.
It’s summertime, and Malaika and Adèle are enjoying playing carnival in their bright costumes, dancing and laughing in the sunshine. But when Mummy announces that they will soon have a new baby brother or sister, Malaika is unsure how to feel about another change in her family. Will Mummy forget about me?
Back at school, Malaika is excited to see her teacher and classmates, and makes friends with a new girl who has recently arrived from a faraway country, just like Malaika. Then on her birthday, a surprise arrives to remind Malaika of the importance of family, and the story ends with a celebration of her family’s love.
Malaika’s Surprise is filled with the same warmth and charm as the first two books in the series, with Nadia L. Hohn’s enchanting prose, written in a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois, and Irene Luxbacher’s colorful collage illustrations.
Key Text Features
glossary
key text features
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4
Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
About the authors
NADIA L. HOHN is a writer and educator. Her first picture book, Malaika’s Costume, won the Helen Isobel Sissons Canadian Children’s Story Award and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Children’s Literature Award. She is also the author of Malaika’s Winter Carnival and Malaika’s Surprise, both illustrated by Irene Luxbacher; A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes; Harriet Tubman: Freedom Fighter, illustrated by Gustavo Mazali; and two titles in the Sankofa series — Music and Media. Nadia’s writing is inspired by her childhood memories, Jamaican heritage, Black culture, world travels, and social issues. She lives in Toronto.
IRENE LUXBACHER est à la fois auteure, illustratrice et artiste. Elle a publié de nombreux livres d’activités artistiques et albums jeunesse dont Le jardin imaginaire de grand-papa, d’Andrew Larsen, mis en nomination pour le Prix du Gouverneur général dans la catégorie illustrations. Irene habite à Toronto où elle travaille actuellement à la création de nouveaux tableaux et albums.
IRENE LUXBACHER was nominated for the Governor General’s Award for her illustrations in Andrew Larsen’sThe Imaginary Garden (Le jardin imaginaire de grand-papa). She has illustrated several other picture books, including Mittens to Share (Une mitaine pour deux), The Heart’s Song (Le grand cœur de madame Lili), as well as her own picture books Once I Was a Bear (Lorsque j’étais un ours…) and Mattoo, Let’s Play! (Viens jouer, Matou!). She lives in Toronto, Ontario with her husband and young son. You can learn more about her work at www.ireneluxbacher.com.
Awards
- Nominated, Forest of Reading — Blue Spruce Award
Editorial Reviews
Malaika’s Surprise offers a refreshing new sibling narrative … [the] joyful, textured illustrations are busy and inviting, like the other titles in this series, and the blend of English and Caribbean patois makes Malaika’s voice sing.
Canadian Children's Book News
A warm portrayal of a loving, close-knit community.
Horn Book
Hohn’s mastery of the craft command[s] a standing ovation.
Cloud Lake Literary
Written in a combination of standard English and Caribbean patois, Hohn’s work celebrates family values and acceptance of cultural diversity. Bright and lively illustrations by Irene Luxbacher add to the book’s attraction.
Winnipeg Free Press
[A]n intimate and culturally rich picture book.
Kirkus Reviews
Mailaka’s Surprise celebrates culture, friendship and family in a captivating, warm way.
CM Review of Materials
[A] joyful read.
Huffington Post
[T]his picture book celebrates the expansion of a family we’ve grown to love.
Quill & Quire
Malaika’s beautiful interracial family and new friendships make this story a powerful one.
Toronto Star
An enjoyable, feel-good read for young children.
School Library Journal
Much of our lives, like Malaika's, involves change and a newness of circumstances. But what Malaika's Surprise demonstrates is that, though newness and change can be stressful because of the anticipation of the unknown, the reality is often not as bad as expected, especially with the knowledge that others care.
CanLit for LittleCanadians
Other titles by
Getting Us to Grandma’s
The Antiracist Kitchen
21 Stories (and Recipes)
Malaika, Carnival Queen
La surprise de Malaika
A Likkle Miss Lou
How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice
Harriet Tubman: Freedom Fighter
Le carnaval de Malaika
Malaika’s Winter Carnival
Le costume de Malaika
