Malaika’s Costume

Nadia L. Hohn, Irene Luxbacher

CELA Library

Series:

The Malaika Series 1

Type:

Fiction

Categories:

Holidays & Celebrations | Social Issues | People & Places | Places

Themes:

General, Emigration & Immigration, Caribbean & Latin America

Language:

English

Publisher:

Groundwood Books Ltd

Grade Level:

P-1

Age Range:

3-6

Accessible Format Availability:

CELA Library

Where to buy it

Amazon

Apple Books

Indigo

Description

Malaika’s mother can’t buy her a carnival costume — will she still be able to dance in the parade?

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, and Malaika marks off the days on her calendar as she waits for Mummy’s letter to arrive. But when the letter finally comes, Malaika learns that there is no money for her costume.

Disappointed and upset at the thought of wearing 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.

This heartwarming story about family, community and the celebration of carnival is written in a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois. Nadia L. Hohn’s warm prose 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.

Contributors

NADIA L. HOHN, B.A. (Hon.), B.Ed., M.Ed., M.F.A. is an award-winning educator and author of several books for children including the Malaika series, The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes), and A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice. Nadia is an “artivist” who works to make sure that all young people see themselves in books. Based in Toronto, Nadia teaches elementary school and writing for children courses at post-secondary institutions.

IRENE LUXBACHER is an artist and author living in Toronto, Ontario, who has received many awards for her work. She has written and illustrated Deep Underwater, an Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award finalist, and Mr. Frank, which was selected as a USBBY Outstanding International Book. Her illustrations for the Malaika series by Nadia L. Hohn have been highly acclaimed, and her illustrations for The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen were shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award.

Formats

Awards

Américas Award Honorable MentionRunner-up

School Library Journal Best Picture BooksCommended

Commended TD Grade One Book Giveaway Selection, 2021Commended

Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Children's Literature AwardWinner

USBBY's Outstanding International Books ListCommended

OLA Best Bets Honourable MentionCommended

CCBC Best Books for Children and Teens, starred selectionCommended

Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the YearCommended

Related Books

Grade P-K

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Grade P-2

Family Holidays & Celebrations

Malaika’s Surprise

Nadia L. Hohn, Irene Luxbacher

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.

CELA Library