Malaika, Carnival Queen

This breathtaking addition to the Malaika picture book series does not disappoint. Writing from the perspective of young Malaika, author Nadia L. Hohn captures Malaika’s profound journey to come to know her deceased father. Readers learn Malaika's father passed away long ago; however, Malaika has seen him in a dream. Malaika’s mother and grandmother take her to visit where her father once worked as a migrant worker picking fruit. A series of events leads Malaika to dancing as Queen in the very Carnival celebration her father once dreamed of.

Malaika, Carnival Queen is a beautiful depiction of the desire to connect to personal genealogy, but it is also a depiction of black culture and Jamaican heritage. In the author’s note following the story’s conclusion, the need for using migrant workers as well as some of the challenges these workers face are outlined. The note also states that Hohn is, herself, a descendant of migrant workers, an admission which explains the personal nature this story presented.

Irene Luxbacher’s illustrations are completed in a captivating combination of gouache, soft pastels and paper that was digitally edited to create truly stunning art on each page. The artistic climax of this story is found during the celebration of the Carnival. The vibrant fabrics of traditional dress dance across the page. The artwork glows with happiness not only due to the striking use of colour but because of the intricate detail. With each glance, a new detail is seen. On the final page, Malaika holds a photo of her father over her heart as she sleeps. She is smiling as she continues to dream of her father; this time he is hugging her at the Carnival celebration. This illustration has no text attached to it and still manages to give the story a loving, explanatory conclusion.