Malaika's Costume - (The Malaika) by Nadia L Hohn

About the Book

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

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

. . . an engaging, poignant story with exquisite taste and wonderful details.-- "Kinderlit"

A fun choice for libraries seeking books about creativity in general or the Caribbean in particular.-- "School Library Journal"

A wholly earned celebration.-- "Kirkus"

Hohn employs a unique style of voice that is both figuratively and literaly lyrical.-- "Canadian Children's Book News"

Like a rainbow peacock itself, the illustrations in this book burst with a frenzy of colors and textures.-- "Booklist Online"

Malaika's Costume is a highly recommended story that celebrates the different cultures of the world and the emotional journey of a young child.-- "CM Magazine"

The text is told in the colloquial voice of the little girl, and readers will quickly and easily feel a part of her circle. Carnival is an important holiday in many cultures, and it's good to have a picture book to celebrate it.-- "Horn Book"

This is actually a realistic portrait of the consequences of global immigration and economics. But it's also the story of how much little girls love their moms. Beautiful.--Andrew Kaufman "Globe and Mail"

About the Author

Nadia L. Hohn is a writer, musician and educator. The manuscript of Malaika's Costume, her first picture book, won the Helen Isobel Sissons Canadian Children's Story Award. She is also the author of two forthcoming non-fiction titles, Music and Media Studies, part of the Sankofa series, which won the Moonbeam Children's Book Award for Multicultural Non-Fiction. She lives in Toronto, where she teaches French, music and the arts at an alternative elementary school.

Irene Luxbacher is an artist and author living in Toronto, Canada. With more than fifteen years' experience as an illustrator, Irene has received numerous awards for her children's instructional and picture books. Some of her awards include the 2003 National Parenting Publications Gold Award, the 2004 Disney Book Award and the 2007 Ontario Library Association Award. In 2009/10 Irene made the USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor List and was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award, both for her illustrations in Andrew Larsen's The Imaginary Garden.