In “Anna Hibiscus’ Song” by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia, Anna Hibiscus explores her extended family’s ways to express happiness, until discovering her own. There is counting the reasons why, holding the loved one’s hand or telling them “I love you”, the quiet contemplation or dancing, working or walking on one’s hands. Whilst all are valid, Anna feels inspired by the birdies that keep her company up in the mango tree in the middle of the family yard, to sing, to sing about everything that she sees and makes her heart burst with happiness. 

I just love this book! I love the intimate vibe, the conviviality of sharing a home with the extended family, the sheer joy it exudes in the simplest and most familiar context possible. Little gosling was fascinated (and a little intrigued) with Anna Hibiscus and her cousins running around barefoot. He also promptly asked to visit his grandparents, so that we could climb trees in the garden together.. So, that’s two things we have on our to do list when the weather gets warmer, although I was not the climbing trees kind of kid growing up. The walking on our hands part we can do already in our living room :P. As for ways to express happiness, smiling blissfully while sitting still is what seems to be working these days. I saw him smiling without an immediate reason the other day, laying back in his chair at the dinner table; when I asked what made him smile, he simply said: “I am happy” :). Singing also works, but only if it’s about his best friends, the kitchen robot and the mixer :))))). What I like most about the book is that it reminds me the delicious taste of my favourite jam: the mango jam…

Such a great reminder of the importance to share all the good emotions, feelings and sensations with the loved ones.

The post Anna Hibiscus’ Song appeared first on Mommy Goose Chronicles.

The story is cute, packed with (just enough) space-related facts and vocabulary. Adults can also usefully brush up on their space and meteorites knowledge. And such a great name for a space-loving girl, Rocket! :))) The illustrations make the story so comical! Such a richness of facial expressions, and what a graphic rendition thereof. The juxtaposition of the older brother who spends all his time playing with his phone only adds to the humour of it and makes for a useful kind of messaging on all one misses by being captivated by the phone. A highly enjoyable book!

Rocket is an amazing, genuine little girl passionate about everything related to space, which gets excited about seeing the Phoenix meteor shower and does all she can to have everyone know about it and see it with her. She goes around the street and supermarket handing out flyers she handmade and reciting facts about meteors; she organises press conferences with her toy animals and drives her brother crazy. My favourite part is where she describes her preparedness for going into space; mind you, she defied gravity when swinging aaaand she built a rocket for herself: a painted cartonboard. It just makes me smile… 

“Rocket” is one of little gosling’s very favorites. There are bits and pieces of the story that he evokes during the day, just out of the blue. He excitedly calls out “meteor shower”. Or says “wowsers; everyone is here”. Or mentions “telescope” or “microphone”. Little gosling’s favorite part is following Rocket’s cat, in its orange astronaut outfit, playing with its toy mice or painting with its paws. Aaand the moment the night sky lightens up with the meteor shower and the “yummy” hot chocolate Rocket shares with her brother up on the hill watching it. Little gosling loves his warm cocoa milk with honey :).

The post Look Up! appeared first on Mommy Goose Chronicles.

Whilst rasism against black people was not part of our immediate reality growing up, my society at home has been experiencing many different forms of intolerance and discrimination, against the Rroma minority, antisemitism or xenophobia, LGBTIQ+, for example, as well as very deeply rooted stereotypes and perspectives on women and their role in society. I have lived outside my country for 15 years, on and off; mostly in a more visibly diverse and open society and work environment than I would have had at home. I also spent two years in South Africa, where my baby was born. Granted, over there, he was naturally surrounded throughout the day by black people: his nanny, our helpers, the guards, the nursery teachers, kids in his “ducklings class” at school, passers by on the street in our neighbourhood; and they were all engaging and loving. He won’t remember this, but we’ve got stories and photos to show him. Now we’re back for the foreseeable future to a place where just going to the park around the corner and to the playground we bump into people and kids of all races, different religions and speaking different languages and I find it is quite a good mix for little gosling to grow up in. 

With all this in mind, I am trying to raise my child to hopefully be as tolerant and open-minded as possible, to speak out and take action as much as he can. I will do my best to foster a link to Africa, even if just because he will always have South Africa as his place of birth written down on his birth certificate and no other link whatsoever with the country/continent. For now, I have been trying to expose him to books that portray characters different than he is/we are or which challenge the norm and stereotypes and send positive messages. I believe and hope that he grows up to be not only a citizen of Europe, but a citizen of the world, that much like where we live now, different bits of the world will cross him every day. So I want to prepare him to understand and embrace that diversity, not to be scared or shocked, to be a good and kind person.

The post #inclusivebookshelfchallenge appeared first on Mommy Goose Chronicles.