A little boy goes for a walk because he cannot go to sleep. He asks ten different animals for advice. The giraffe suggests resting his head on his back, but that doesn’t work. A bird offers, “Tuck your head under your wing,” but that doesn’t work either. A sloth, otters, sperm whales, a horse, koalas, bats, some ducks, and an albatross all give their ideas for falling asleep. Meanwhile the boy is feeling tired. He goes to bed and falls asleep. This delightful bedtime story is whimsically illustrated with acrylic and digital materials. mjw |
| Title: Sleep Like Me Author: Tatia Nadareishvili Illustrator: Tatia Nadareishvili Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2021 Original Language: German Original Title: Schlaf gut Original Publisher: Baobab Books, Basel, Switzerland Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5566-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Georgian Author’s residence: Tbilisi, Georgia in Eastern Europe Illustrator’s ethnicity: Georgian Illustrator’s residence: Tbilisi, Georgia Subjects: Animals, Bedtime story, Dreams, Sleep |
Author Archives: omnilibros
Now That Night Is Near
It’s bedtime and everyone is settling down to sleep. Little children are tucked into bed. The cows and calves are sleeping in the fields. The foals, piglets, rabbits, lambs, and birds are going to sleep, too. A cat wanders through the fields. He is not ready for bed until the last page of the book, where he finally curls up on the child’s bed. The hand-painted gouache, ink, watercolor pencil, pastel, and acrylic illustrations are beautiful and filled with secret animals curled up in their beds. mjw |
| Title: Now That Night Is Near Author: Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) Illustrator: Marit Tornqvist Publisher: Floris Books Copyright: 2020 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Polly Lawson Original Title: Alla Ska Sova Original Publisher: Raben & Sjogren Original Copyright: 2019 ISBN: 978-178250-675-1 Hardcover pages: 24 Age range: 3-6 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Sweden Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Sweden Subjects: Bedtime story, Cats, Earth, Nature, Sleep |
Castle In The Clouds
Seventeen-year-old Sophie Spark works as an intern and babysitter in an old grand hotel known as Castle in the Clouds in the Swiss Mountains. Many interesting international guests arrive for the Christmas holidays. There are missing diamonds, possible kidnappers, spies, a famous author, a bodyguard, and two handsome boys who all liven up Sophie’s life. She plunges into a Nancy Drew type of investigation that makes her stay at the hotel everything, but boring. mjw |
| Title: Castle In The Clouds Author: Kerstin Gier Publisher: Henry Holt and Company. New York Copyright: 2020 Original Language: German Translator: Romy Fursland Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-250-30019-5 Hardcover pages: 336 Age range: 12 up Genre: Fiction. Mystery Book setting: Switzerland Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Subjects: Hotels, Kidnapping, Mystery, Resorts, Romance, Theft, Thriller, Young Adult |
Walking For Water: How One Boy Stood Up For Gender Equality
Victor and his twin sister Linesi have turned eight years old and now Linesi no longer goes to school with Victor. Linesi, like other girls in her village, has to make the five daily walks to the river to collect water so that their mother has more time for farming. Victor has begun learning about equality in school and sees that boys and girls are not treated equally. So Victor comes up with a plan to help. Based on a true story, this important book shows how one person can make a big difference in the lives of others. An Author’s Note tells about water availability in Malawi and provides resources where readers can learn more about water scarcity and gender equality in Malawi and other countries. Also included is a glossary of Chichewa words. Chichewa is one of the many languages spoken in Malawi. The attractive artwork was rendered in Photoshop and Procreate. mjw |
| Title: Walking For Water: How One Boy Stood Up For Gender Equality Author: Susan Hughes Illustrator: Nicole Miles Publisher: Citizen Kid – Kids Can Press. Toronto, Ontario, Canada Copyright: 2021 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1525302-497 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Picture Book, inspired by a real event Book setting: Malawi Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Toronto, Ontario Illustrator’s ethnicity: Originally from the Bahamas Illustrator’s residence: West Yorkshire, U.K. Subjects: Activism, Africa, Education, Gender equality, Girls and women, Schools, Siblings, Twins, Water scarcity |
Hello Earth! Poems To Our Planet
This beautiful, over-sized poetry book is a love letter to the Earth. There are poems about volcanoes, earthquakes, continental drift, the moon, jungles, mountains, deserts, ocean currents, rainbows, and more. The stunning paintings were created with watercolor and acrylic. They are packed with incredible detail. Included are six pages of additional information about all the topics covered in the poems, resources about climate change, ways kids can help, science projects, and a list of books for further reading. mjw |
| Title: Hello Earth! Poems To Our Planet Author: Joyce Sidman Illustrator: Miren Asiain Lora Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2021 Original Language: Spanish Original Title: Versos de la Tierra Original Publisher: Ediciones SM, Madrid Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-0802855282 Hardcover pages: 68 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book, Poetry Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: Minnesota, U.S.A. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Illustrator’s residence: Spain Awards: Author has won the American Library Association Newbery Medal Subjects: Earth, Earth Science, Ecology, Ecosystems, Human impact, Jungles, Oceans, Plate tectonics, Water cycles |
The Story Of Bodri
Hedi and her friend Marika spend their days playing in the park with Hedi’s dog Bodri. Hedi is Jewish and Marika is Christian, but that doesn’t stop them from being friends. All is well until Adolf Hitler ’s frightening voice is heard on the radio saying that he hates Jews. His soldiers come and round up Hedi’s family and all the other Jews and put them onto a train for the camps. Bodri is left behind. Hedi dreams of Bodri for the many months that she and her sister are separated from Bodri and their parents. They are cold and hungry in the camp. Their heads are shaved and they have to wear dirty uniforms and hard shoes. The sisters survive and they are reunited with Bodri. Carefully chosen language tells this difficult story. The author, who was born in 1924, is a Holocaust survivor who experienced the horrors of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and several work camps. The illustrations, which were created with watercolor, ink, and digital media, evoke the time and place perfectly. mjw |
| Title: The Story Of Bodri Author: Hedi Fried Illustrator: Stina Wirsen Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2021 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Linda Schenck Original Title: Historien om Bodri Original Publisher: Natur & Kultur. Stockholm, Sweden Original Copyright: 2019 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5565-7 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture Book. Historical Fiction Author’s ethnicity: Swedish-Hungarian Author’s residence: Stockholm, Sweden Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Stockholm, Sweden Awards: 2022 USBBY Outstanding International Books List Subjects: Concentration camps, Dogs, Germany, Adolf Hitler, Holocaust, Jews |
Atlas Of Dogs
This amazing collection of over 200 breeds of dogs is loaded with fun facts and playful illustrations. The dog breeds are grouped by category: sighthounds, scent hounds, pointers & setters, terriers, sheepdogs & cattle dogs, retrievers & water dogs, spitz & primitive breeds, dachshunds, pinschers, schnauzers, molosser breeds & Swiss mountain dogs, and companion dogs. Included are Dog Record Holders, How to Take Care of Dogs, and A Dictionary of Dog Speech. Also provided are historical stories from the Dogs’ Post Daily Newspaper. Some of these are about the hound Donnchadh who saved the King of Scotland in 1613, the dog movie hit 101 Dalmations, Nipper the RCA dog, Greyfriar’s Bobby of Edinburgh, Toto of OZ, Rin Tin Tin, Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Corgies, Husky Balto, and even composer Richard Wagner’s King Charles Spaniel named Peps. This book is so fun and engaging. mjw |
| Title: Atlas Of Dogs Author: Ester Dobiasova, Stepanka Sekaninova, Jana Sedlackova Illustrator: Marcel Kralik Publisher: Albatross Media Group. Prague, Czech Republic Copyright: 2021 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-80-00-05935-8 Hardcover pages: 104 Age range: 6-10 Genre: PIcture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book Author’s ethnicity: Czech Author’s residence: Czech Republic Illustrator’s ethnicity: Czech Illustrator’s residence: Czech Republic Subjects: Dogs, Dog breeds, Encyclopedia |
Kisses And Croissants
Sixteen-year-old Mia Jenrow is a talented ballerina whose dream is to dance with American Ballet Theatre. She has just arrived in Paris for a competitive summer dance program. While in Paris, she searches for the history behind a family legend that states that a distant relative danced for the Paris Opera and was painted by Edgar Degas. She is so passionate for ballet and she trains for a part in Swan Lake and a very important audition. And, she falls for Louis, an endearing and cute French boy who happens to be the son of her strict ballet master. They hop on his Vespa and discover the truth about her family legend. The book provides a beautiful look at Paris – museums, gardens, bakeries, art, love, and much more. mjw |
| Title: Kisses And Croissants Author: Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau Publisher: Delacorte Press Copyright: 2021 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-593-17357-2 Hardcover pages: 320 Age range: 12 up Genre: Fiction, Young Adult Book setting: Paris Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: New York City Subjects: Ballet, Ballet dancers, Coming of age, Edgar Degas, Friendship, Paris, Romance |
War
War spreads like a disease. It hears nothing, sees nothing, and feels nothing. It feeds on hate and spite. It saddens, crushes, and silences. It destroys everything in its path. This eye-opening book with sparse text reveals the many sides of war. The watercolor illustrations in black, grays, and browns are stunning and surreal. War is the perfect book for starting important discussions between children and their parents and teachers. mjw |
| Title: War Author: Jose Jorge Letria Illustrator: Andre Letria Publisher: Greystone Kids. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Copyright: 2021 Original Language: Portuguese Translator: Elisa Amado Original Title: A Guerra Original Publisher: Pato Logico Edicoes. Lisbon, Portugal Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-1-77164-726-7 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 9 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Portuguese Author’s residence: Lisbon, Portugal Illustrator’s ethnicity: Portuguese Illustrator’s residence: Lisbon Portugal Awards: Nami Concours 2018 (Grand Prix), White Raven 2018, 2022 USBBY Outstanding International Books List Subjects: Conflict, Value of peace, War |
Meet Me By The Sea
A little girl feels overlooked by her busy parents, so she packs up and goes to her favorite place by the sea. On the way, she goes through a forest and meets a friendly fox. At the end of the book, her family comes to join her. Delicate pastel illustrations complement the simple text. mjw |
| Title: Meet Me By The Sea Author: Taltal Levi Illustrator: Taltal Levi Publisher: NorthSouth Books Copyright: 2020 Original Language: German Original Title: Wo ihr mich findet Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-7358-4432-2 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Born in Galilee, Israel Author’s residence: Basel , Switzerland Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born in Galilee, Israel Illustrator’s residence: Basel, Switzerland Subjects: Forest animals, Foxes, Girls, Parents and child, Running away, Sea |
The Night Walk
Two young children and their parents go for a summer nighttime walk through the darkness. The world is quiet and shadowy. They walk out of their village and through the forest until they come to a lake where they stop to play with the moon. They lie down in the grass to watch the glittering sky. Finally, they climb a hillside just in time to see the dawn of a new day. The rich illustrations were hand-drawn using graphite pencils and watercolors and finished digitally. The only lights in the evocative darkness are lamps, porch lights, lights in windows, a flashlight, and the moon, until the sun rises on a double-page spread of the sun and its bright yellow light. mjw |
| Title: The Night Walk Author: Marie Dorleans Illustrator: Marie Dorleans Publisher: Floris Books Copyright: 2020 Original Language: French Translator: Polly Lawson Original Title: Nous Avons Rendez-Vous Original Publisher: Editions du Seuil Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-178250-639-3 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Awards: Prix Landerneau Subjects: Forest, Natural world, Night, Lakes, Moon, Sunrise, Village |
Peace
This rhyming concept book explores peace for children. “Peace is a smile, a hug. Peace can be bold or quiet and snug.” At the end of the book, fold-out pages reveal children in delightful, peaceful interactions. The children in the colorful illustrations are diverse in skin color and abilities. Many of the animals in the book are cultural symbols of peace from nations around the world. The endpapers depict a tree, with the leaves showing the word for peace in many different languages. An author’s note tells how peace affects all inhabitants of our planet. A Spanish edition is also available. 978-0-7358-4455-1. mjw |
| Title: Peace Author: Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul Illustrator: Esteli Meza Publisher: NorthSouth Books Inc. New York Copyright: 2021 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-7358-4449-0 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Baptiste- grew up in Saint Lucia Author’s residence: Baptiste and Miranda – Wisconsin, U.S.A. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Mexican Illustrator’s residence: Mexico City Awards: Illustrator has won A la Orilla del Viento in Mexico Subjects: Friendship, Interpersonal relations, Peace, Stories in rhyme |

Seventeen-year-old Sophie Spark works as an intern and babysitter in an old grand hotel known as Castle in the Clouds in the Swiss Mountains. Many interesting international guests arrive for the Christmas holidays. There are missing diamonds, possible kidnappers, spies, a famous author, a bodyguard, and two handsome boys who all liven up Sophie’s life. She plunges into a Nancy Drew type of investigation that makes her stay at the hotel everything, but boring. mjw
Victor and his twin sister Linesi have turned eight years old and now Linesi no longer goes to school with Victor. Linesi, like other girls in her village, has to make the five daily walks to the river to collect water so that their mother has more time for farming. Victor has begun learning about equality in school and sees that boys and girls are not treated equally. So Victor comes up with a plan to help. Based on a true story, this important book shows how one person can make a big difference in the lives of others. An Author’s Note tells about water availability in Malawi and provides resources where readers can learn more about water scarcity and gender equality in Malawi and other countries. Also included is a glossary of Chichewa words. Chichewa is one of the many languages spoken in Malawi. The attractive artwork was rendered in Photoshop and Procreate
Hedi and her friend Marika spend their days playing in the park with Hedi’s dog Bodri. Hedi is Jewish and Marika is Christian, but that doesn’t stop them from being friends. All is well until Adolf Hitler ’s frightening voice is heard on the radio saying that he hates Jews. His soldiers come and round up Hedi’s family and all the other Jews and put them onto a train for the camps. Bodri is left behind. Hedi dreams of Bodri for the many months that she and her sister are separated from Bodri and their parents. They are cold and hungry in the camp. Their heads are shaved and they have to wear dirty uniforms and hard shoes. The sisters survive and they are reunited with Bodri. Carefully chosen language tells this difficult story. The author, who was born in 1924, is a Holocaust survivor who experienced the horrors of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and several work camps. The illustrations, which were created with watercolor, ink, and digital media, evoke the time and place perfectly. mjw
This amazing collection of over 200 breeds of dogs is loaded with fun facts and playful illustrations. The dog breeds are grouped by category: sighthounds, scent hounds, pointers & setters, terriers, sheepdogs & cattle dogs, retrievers & water dogs, spitz & primitive breeds, dachshunds, pinschers, schnauzers, molosser breeds & Swiss mountain dogs, and companion dogs. Included are Dog Record Holders, How to Take Care of Dogs, and A Dictionary of Dog Speech. Also provided are historical stories from the Dogs’ Post Daily Newspaper. Some of these are about the hound Donnchadh who saved the King of Scotland in 1613, the dog movie hit 101 Dalmations, Nipper the RCA dog, Greyfriar’s Bobby of Edinburgh, Toto of OZ, Rin Tin Tin, Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Corgies, Husky Balto, and even composer Richard Wagner’s King Charles Spaniel named Peps. This book is so fun and engaging. mjw
Sixteen-year-old Mia Jenrow is a talented ballerina whose dream is to dance with American Ballet Theatre. She has just arrived in Paris for a competitive summer dance program. While in Paris, she searches for the history behind a family legend that states that a distant relative danced for the Paris Opera and was painted by Edgar Degas. She is so passionate for ballet and she trains for a part in Swan Lake and a very important audition. And, she falls for Louis, an endearing and cute French boy who happens to be the son of her strict ballet master. They hop on his Vespa and discover the truth about her family legend. The book provides a beautiful look at Paris – museums, gardens, bakeries, art, love, and much more. mjw
War spreads like a disease. It hears nothing, sees nothing, and feels nothing. It feeds on hate and spite. It saddens, crushes, and silences. It destroys everything in its path. This eye-opening book with sparse text reveals the many sides of war. The watercolor illustrations in black, grays, and browns are stunning and surreal. War is the perfect book for starting important discussions between children and their parents and teachers. mjw
Two young children and their parents go for a summer nighttime walk through the darkness. The world is quiet and shadowy. They walk out of their village and through the forest until they come to a lake where they stop to play with the moon. They lie down in the grass to watch the glittering sky. Finally, they climb a hillside just in time to see the dawn of a new day. The rich illustrations were hand-drawn using graphite pencils and watercolors and finished digitally. The only lights in the evocative darkness are lamps, porch lights, lights in windows, a flashlight, and the moon, until the sun rises on a double-page spread of the sun and its bright yellow light. mjw