Author Archives: eabler

A Persistent Vine

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A retired Japanese magistrate’s family works together to make their new house’s garden their own. The magistrate and his wife are appalled when they learn from their daughter Morning Glory that morning glories are growing in their garden. The morning glories continue to grow despite their efforts to rid the plant. When Morning Glory’s parents pass away, she is left in charge of the house. Her uncle and servants become worried when they cannot find Morning Glory anywhere on the propriety. Morning Glory’s uncle and servants flee the propriety when they see that the morning glories have taken over the garden. Morning Glory’s identity has become a part of the morning glories in her garden. Illustrations are beautifully done in a mix of styles including acrylics, watercolors, and mixed media. There is a page explaining morning glories and other similar plants at the end of the book.  This is the first book in the Botanical Tales series, which is inspired by the Montessori material known as the Botany Cabinet. ema

Title: A Persistent Vine Author: Han Tran and Christinia Cheung Illustrator: Hsiao- Yen Chi Publisher: Hands-on-Prints Copyright: 2013 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0989014007 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 7 up Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Japan in the Heian Period Author’s residence: Both live in California Illustrator’s ethnicity: Taiwanese, born in Hong Kong Illustrator’s residence: California Awards: 2013 Winner of the Silver Moonbeam Children’s Book Award For Picture Book (‘All Ages’ Category) Subjects: Environment, Family, Female Protagonist, Flowers, Heian Period, Japan, Morning Glories, Nature, Teenage Girl

The God Beneath The Sea

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The ancient Greek gods and goddesses are brilliantly reimagined in this novel which combines classic Greek myths together to create one continuous story. The story begins when a hideous shrieking baby, later known as Hephaestus, falls into the sea and is raised by sea goddesses Thetis and Eurynome. From then on readers discover the origins of gods and man. This classic of English children’s literature with macabre illustrations effectively introduces young readers to Greek Mythology. ema

Title: The God Beneath The Sea Author: Leon Garfield (1921-1996) and Edward Blishen (1920-1996) Illustrator: Charles Keeping (1924- 1988) Publisher: Doubleday Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Title: The God Beneath The Sea Original Publisher: Pantheon Books Original Copyright: 1970 ISBN: 978-0-875-53311-1 Paperback pages: 215 Age range: 12 up Genre: Greek Mythology, Fiction Book setting: Ancient Greece Author’s ethnicity: Both English Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Awards: 1970 Carnegie Medal Subjects: Greek gods and goddesses,  Mythology, Reimaginings, Retellings

The Lion And The Bird

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A heartwarming friendship builds between a lion and a bird after the bird’s wing is injured. The lion generously offers to care for the bird during the winter. Eventually, the bird’s flock returns signaling their parting. One autumn day the pair are reunited and “stay warm again this winter”. Impressive use of splendid illustrations, created using muted washes of brown, blue, and green colored pencil, conveys the changing of seasons and characters’ emotions. Everyone will be delighted along with the lion when  he hears one single note. ema

Title: The Lion And The Bird Author: Marianne Dubuc Illustrator: Marianne Dubuc Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books Copyright: 2014 Original Language: French Translator: Claudia Z. Bedrick Original Title: Les éditions de la Pastèque Original Publisher: Le lion et l’oiseau Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-59270-151-3 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Canadian Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Canadian Illustrator’s residence: France Awards: 2014 Governor General’s Literacy Award for Illustrations  Subjects: Birds, Helping Others,  Lions, Loneliness,  Nature, Unexpected Friendships, Seasons

Little White Duck: A Childhood In China

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Andrés Vera Martínez’s mash of comic and classical styles with brown-palette illustrations captures what it was like for his wife, Na Liu, to grow up in China in the 1970s and 1980s. Na Liu, who is called by her nickname Da Qin “Big Piano” in the novel, and her sister Xiao Qin “Little Piano” grew up during a transitional time when China was slowly opening up to the world both economically and culturally. Illustrations and words simply capture the reality of China following Chairman Mao’s death without being overly pedantic. These changes are shown in the eight short stories describing Da Qin’s childhood, life in post-Mao China era, and Chinese traditions and stories. A glossary of terms, a timeline, translations of Chinese characters, a map of China, and a note about the author and illustrator are included. ema

Title: Little White Duck: A Childhood In China Author: Na Liu Illustrator: Andrés Vera Martínez Publisher: Graphic Universe a division of Lerner Publishing Group Copyright: 2012 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-7613-8115-0 Paperback pages: 108 Age range: 8 up Genre: Graphic Novel, Biography Book setting: China Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s ethnicity: American Illustrator’s residence: United States Awards: 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book, 2012 SLJ Best Children’s Books in Fiction, 2012 Horn Book Fanfare in Fiction, 2012 Cybils Award Finalist for Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novels Subjects: Biography, Childhood, China, Comics,  Government, Graphic Novels, History, Language, Memoir, Mythology, World Politics

Zac And Mia

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Seventeen year old leukemia patient Zac says that he accepts his odds. His world changes when he hears loud music from the hospital room next door. His neighbor, the fiery osteosarcoma patient Mia, refuses to accept the unfair reality that is her life. When the two are released from the hospital, they try to resume normalcy, but they are unable to erase their minds about the other. The writing, as told in dual narratives from Zac and Mia, tells a genuine tale about a friendship that builds between two strangers. ema

Title: Zac And Mia Author: A.J. Betts Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Title: Zac And Mia Original Publisher: Text Publishing Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-0544331648 Hardcover pages: 304 Age range: 14 up Genre: Contemporary Fiction Book setting: Australia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Awards: 2012 Australian Text Prize Subjects: Cancer, Disabilities, Family, Farming, Farms, Friendships, Hope, Hospitals, Relationships,Teens

Moletown

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Reminiscent of the author’s phenomenal debut, Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse, this tale about moles creating their own underground city will enthrall readers. Moletown started when one mole moved under a lush green meadow. He eventually finds other moles underground, and they become the founders of Moletown. Their town grows rapidly, but there are some consequences to urbanizing. This picture book with few words utilizes awe striking rustic, industrial, and mechanical style illustrations, created using pens, watercolor, acrylics, oil paints, and digital programs, to speak volumes about pollution. The end pages are newspaper headlines which show the history of Moletown. This great book will generate a discussion about environmental concerns. ema

Title: Moletown Author: Torben Kuhlmann Illustrator: Torben Kuhlmann Publisher: North-South Books Copyright: 2015 Original Language: German Translator: Andrew Rushton Original Title: Maulwurfstadt Original Publisher: NordSüd Verlag AG Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-0-7358-4208-3 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Hamburg Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Hamburg Subjects:  Buildings, Cities, Construction, Pollution, Underground

Cartwheeling In Thunderstorms

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Eight-year-old Will enjoys her adventurous life in Zimbabwe. She enjoys living on an African farm with her best friend Simon and loving father. But when her father passes away, her new guardians send her off to an all-girls’ boarding school in London to learn proper manners and get her “savage” streak out of her. Will has to deal with the challenges of living on her own in a new country where no one seems to understand her. Rundell’s novel illustrates the importance of accepting your differences and finding unforeseen friendships. ema

Title: Cartwheeling In Thunderstorms Author: Katherine Rundell Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Title: The Savage Girl Original Publisher: Faber and Faber Limited  Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4424-9061-1 Hardcover pages: 248 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Zimbabwe and London Author’s ethnicity: grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London Author’s residence: London Awards: 2014 SLJ Best Books for Middle Grade, 2015 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People for Third to Fifth Grade, 2015 Boston Globe/Horn Book Fiction Award Winner Subjects: Africa, Boarding schools, Death, London, Orphans, Zimbabwe

Totto-Chan: The Little Girl At The Window

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Japan’s most popular television personality, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, reflects upon her childhood growing up in Japan during World War II. “Totto-chan”, as the author is called in the novel, after she is expelled from her elementary in the first grade chooses to attend Tomoe Gakuen. Headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi’s elementary school, which has old train cars for classrooms, is considered unusual, but it is the perfect school for Totto-chan. The headmaster’s pedagogy is that children should be able to freely express their thoughts and choose what they would like to learn. Brilliantly written text will have readers laughing, crying, and cheering for Totto-chan. The book features softly beautiful illustrations by the late picture book illustrator Chihiro Iwasaki, a postscript from the author, an epilogue explaining where Totto-chan’s classmates are now, and notes which translate some words into Japanese characters. ema

Title: Totto-Chan: The Little Girl At The Window Author: Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Illustrator: Chihiro Iwasaki Publisher: Kodansha USA Copyright: 2011 Original Language: Japanese Translator: Dorothy Britton Original Title: Madogiwa no Totto-chan Original Publisher: Kodansha  Ltd. Original Copyright: 1981 ISBN: 978-1-56836-391-2 Paperback pages: 229 Age range: 9 up Genre: Historical Nonfiction, Memoir Book setting: Japan during WWII Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Died on August 8, 1974 Awards: Non-Fiction Prize Subjects: Biography, Elementary schools, Nontraditional schools, Tomoe Gakuen, TV personalities

Tiptoe Tapirs

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BOOM! BAM-BAM! CAW-CAW! These are some of the sounds of the jungle. One that animal people will not hear is the tapir. Tapir and Little Tapir tiptoe around the jungle softly, so they will not disturb anything or anyone. On Little Tapir’s birthday, Tapir and Little Tapir travel to the Great Puddle  to eat mud cakes. Suddenly, “THUD, THUD, THUD…GROWL!” a leopard attacks. The tapirs run from the leopard when they are surprised by a sharp BANG! A hunter has entered the jungle. Little Tapir notices that Leopard is frightened by the noise. Together he and his mother teach him how to walk silently. From now on, Leopard and the rest of the animals tiptoe silently to avoid hunter’s attention. Exquisite pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, rhythmic text, and onomatopoeia words work perfectly in this original pourquoi story. ema

Title: Tiptoe Tapirs Author: Hanmin Kim Illustrator: Hanmin Kim Publisher: Holiday House Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Korean Translator: Sera Lee Original Title: Tapir’s Soft Steps Original Publisher: BIR Publishing Co. Ltd. Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-0-8234-3395-7 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: South Korean Author’s residence: Seoul Illustrator’s ethnicity: South Korean Illustrator’s residence: Seoul Subjects:  Animals sounds, Fairytale/ Folk tales, Hunters, Jungle, Noise, Tapirs

A Pair Of Twins

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One day in Mysore, India, a pair of “twins” are born. The two are commonly referred to as “twins” because they are born only a few moments apart. When Sundari is born, she is a three-and-a-half kilo baby girl while Laksmi is a 500-kilo elephant calf. As Lakshmi and Sundari  grow older, it becomes apparent that they are treated differently because of their sex. Sundari wants to become a mahout (elephant trainer), but her father refuses to allow her to be a mahout because he believes the job belongs to her brother. Lakshmi is banned from being the lead elephant of the Dussehra procession because she is a female elephant. Eventually, the twins are able to convince people that they are the right pair to lead the Dussehra procession, making them the first females to do so. Gorgeous dry pastel, charcoal, ink, watercolor, and pencil illustrations play perfectly with this wondrous tale about two friends who strive for equal rights. ema

Title: A Pair Of Twins Author: Kavitha Mandana Illustrator: Nayantara Surendranath Publisher: Karadi Tales Company Pvt. Ltd. Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-8181903020  Paperback pages: 32 Age range: 6 up Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Mysore, India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: India Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: Indian Awards: 2015 ALA Amelia Bloomer Project List Book Subjects: Elephants, Elephant Training, Feminism, Folklore, Gender Roles, Human-Animal Relationships, India, Tales, Women’s Rights

Amina

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Fourteen-year-old Amina lives in war-torn Somalia. Like her father, she has a passion for creating art which could get her in trouble with the Al-Shabaab, the rebel militant force which uses violence to control Somalia. Suddenly, Amina’s father is arrested for creating art which the Islamic extremists believe is against Islam, and her brother is kidnapped leaving her, her pregnant mother, and her elderly grandmother struggling to survive. Still, Amina firmly believes in creating her street art so the world will be inspired by her artwork which hopes for a better future. This gripping novel, a part of the “Through My Eyes”  series, features a map of Somalia, an author’s note, a timeline of Somali history, a glossary of terms, and research resources to learn more about the country. ema

Title: Amina Author: J.L. Powers Publisher: Allen & Unwin Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English Original Title: Amina Original Publisher: Allen & Unwin Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-174331-249-0 Paperback pages: 184 Age range: 11-14 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Somalia in 2011 Author’s ethnicity: American Author’s residence: California Subjects: Children Soldiers, Civil war, Hunger, Independence, Islam, Painting, Poetry, Politics, Poverty, Religion

Mad About Monkeys

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This nonfiction picture book colorfully and innovatively educates readers about various types of monkeys from around the world without being pedantic. Jazzy illustrations resembling a graphic arts styled poster accurately depict several species of monkeys. Readers learn about how monkeys evolved, the classification of the Primate group, the difference between Old and New World monkeys, unique characteristics of monkeys, monkey mythology, and the impact of the deforestation of the rainforest.  With helpful examples, guiding illustrations, and comical phrases like “‘But why such colorful bums?’ I hear you ask” will leave readers feeling like they are on a lively safari. ema

Title: Mad About Monkeys Author: Owen Davey Illustrator: Owen Davey Publisher: Flying Eye Books Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-909263-57-4 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5-10  Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book Book setting: Around the World Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Leicester Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Leicester Subjects: Fact book, Monkeys, Jungles, Rainforests