Children's Corner: Anna Hibiscus' Song

Review: At our pre-school at least once a quarter they have an Usborne book sale. I curse these sales because I always, always end up buying the kids at least 3 books each. For my daughter, I bought her two "learn how to draw..." books this time because she loves anything to do with art. Anna Hibiscus' Song also caught my eye while walking around the various tables.

What drew me to this book initially were the bright colors on the cover and throughout the book. What I ended up enjoying about the book is how it teaches kids that happiness is different for everyone. Anna asks all of her family what makes them happy and in turn figures out what makes her happy. In the end she creates a song that is about those things that made her family happy.

What Anna finds out is that it's the simple things that make her family happy. I think this is an important lesson for kids these days that it's not the latest gadget, toy or whatever their heart desires that makes them happy, its being with family, playing outside and enjoying everything around you.

It's also great exposure or continuing exposure to a different culture and continent. It demonstrates that other places don't live the same life style as we do and that sometimes it's more simple and maybe not as easy.

I didn't realize that Anna Hibiscus was a book series and I think I will definitely be checking to see if our library has more of these delightful books.