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Paul, Baptiste

To Carnival!: A Celebration in Saint Lucia

32 pp. | Barefoot | April, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-64686-161-3 $16.99 | Paper ISBN 978-1-64686-162-0 $8.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jana Glatt. When a young country girl, Melba, oversleeps and misses her ride to the Carnival parade in town, she sets out to catch the bus, but there's so much to intrigue and excite her on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia that she keeps getting distracted. There's Misyé Francois and his steelpan music, Kenwin and his kite, Mrs. Drina and her bananas, and some very friendly animals. Repeatedly missing the bus, Melba ends up walking all the way to town, accompanied by everyone she's met along the way; but disappointment awaits--the last masquerade band departs just as they arrive. Melba is crushed to have missed the parade until she and her companions realize there's still one masquerade "band" left--themselves! Glatt's folk-art-style paintings complement this story rooted in the cultural life of a community, and the festive spirit of Carnival comes through vividly in the cacophonously colorful palette. (In what is perhaps an understandable attempt to bowdlerize the often-saucy Carnival costumes for young readers, the illustrations sacrifice some cultural authenticity.) The back matter provides educational information about Saint Lucia and its culture (but fails to mention Carnival's roots in slavery). With Saint Lucian Creole words effectively interspersed throughout the text, Paul's winsome tale provides an accessible introduction to an important cultural tradition.
Reviewer: Summer Edward | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

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