Author Archives: omnilibros

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About omnilibros

Professor of Education Carthage College Kenosha, WI PhD. Children's Literature

The Elevator

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downloadA girl and her dog Roco want to go on their afternoon walk. They get on the elevator on Floor 4 and the girl pushes the down button, but the elevator goes up. It stops at Floor 7 and Ms. Paula gets on. She is afraid of dogs. She presses the down button, but the elevator goes up again. On Floor 8, old Mr. Miguel gets on with his walker. He presses the down button and the elevator stops on Floor7 and Cora and the twins in their stroller get on. After pressing the button again, the elevator stops between Floor 5 and Floor 4. Then Ms. Paula opens the box that she is carrying and gives everyone a slice of birthday cake that she was planning to give to her friend. Next, Mr. Miguel tells a story called Who Cares? about a bear that always said he didn’t care when he really did. All of a sudden the elevator starts to move, though no one pushed the button. It stops at Floor 4 and everyone gets off and has tea at the girl’s apartment. At the end of the book, in a real envelope, there is a surprise mini-book titled Who Cares? The playful black, white and red illustrations were created with drawing, collage, and photography all assembled digitally. The tall and slender format of the book resembles an elevator. mjw
Title: The Elevator
Author: Yael Frankel
Illustrator: Yael Frankel
Publisher: Tapioca Stories. Huntington, New York.
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Kit Maude
Original Title: El ascensor
Original Publisher: Limonero, Argentina
Original Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 978-1-7347839-0-2
Hardcover pages: 44
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Argentinian
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Argentinian
Awards: 2021 Outstanding International Books USBBY, 2020 White Raven Award
Subjects: Apartment buildings, Dogs, Elevators, Pets, Twin

Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story Of The Oldest Person To Ever Run A Marathon

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This is the true story of Fauja Singh, the first one-hundred-year-old to run a marathon. He was born with legs that didn’t work in a Punjab village.  He could not play with his friends or walk to school, but that did not stop him. He worked on his family’s farm and grew stronger. Throughout his life he made his mind, body, and heart stronger. At age 81, he ran his first marathon. He has broken many records and became the first person over one hundred (centenarian) to complete a marathon. The beautiful and enlivening illustrations were created digitally using hand drawings and collage pieces. A forward written by Fauja Singh introduces the book.  Back matter includes a list of his world records and a photograph of him today. mjw
Title: Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story Of The Oldest Person To Ever Run A MarathonHannah’s Winter
Author: Simran Jeet Singh
Illustrator: Baljinder Kaur
Publisher: Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House. New York
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-525555094
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book, Biography
Book setting: Punjab, India; England; New York City; Toronto
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: New York
Illustrator’s residence: England
Subjects: Biography, Centenarians, Marathons, Punjabi, Running, Sikh, Track and field

The Story Of Baldomera

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Baldomera

Baldomera the donkey became famous worldwide, when a video of her reunion with her owner, Ismael, after three months without seeing him due to COVID-19, went viral on YouTube. When they met, the little donkey burst into tears. This delightful picture book with its simple text and sweet, playful illustrations was inspired by the true story of the donkey and his owner. A Spanish edition is also available, La Burrita Baldomera. mjw
Title: The Story Of Baldomera
Author: Enrique G. Ballesteros and Ismael F. Arias
Illustrator: Ayesha L. Rubio
Publisher: NubeOcho
Copyright: 2021
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Laura Fielden
Original Title: La Burrita Baldomera
Original Publisher: NubeOcho
Original Copyright: 2020
ISBN: 978-84-18133-69-5
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 3-8
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book
Book setting: Spain
Author’s ethnicity: Spanish
Author’s residence: Spain
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish
Illustrator’s residence: Spain
Subjects: Donkeys, Emotions, Feelings, Farm animals, Friendship, Pandemic, Reunion, Separation

My Favorite Memories

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This gentle story tells of a young girl who is moving to a new country. She has a suitcase in which to pack her most favorite things. She wants to take her aquarium, a wooden chair, the pear tree outside, her best friend, and even the bus driver, but these things are all too big. She comes to understand that while we can’t always carry our favorite things physically, we can travel with them in other ways. The charming illustrations complement this hopeful story of change and resilience. mjw
Title: My Favorite Memories
Author: Sepideh Sarihi
Illustrator: Julie Volk
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press. San Francisco, CA
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: German
Translator: Elisabeth Lauffer
Original Title: Meine liebsten Dinge müssen mit
Original Publisher: Beltz & Gelberg
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-7331212-4-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Iranian
Author’s residence: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Austrian
Illustrator’s residence: Vienna
Awards: 2020 Bologna Ragazzi Award, Illustrator has won the White Raven Award
Subjects: Change, Emotions, Moving, Permanence, New experiences

Beyond Me

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This novel-in-verse examines the aftershocks of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and damaged a nuclear power plant in March, 2011, through the eyes of eleven-year-old Maya.  Maya and her family were lucky. They didn’t lose their Tokyo home or the lives of family members, but Maya is still terrified. She feels helpless and hopeless. What can she do to help? She chronicles the 24 days after the quake, sometimes minute by minute. Maya and her friend Yuka fold paper cranes and ask for sunflower seeds to plant. She continues writing her journal for 113 days with interesting formatting and timelines. An author’s note tells more about the Great Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011. mjw

Title: Beyond Me
Author: Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-48143-789-9
Hardcover pages: 304
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction, Verse
Book setting: Japan
Author’s ethnicity: U.S.
Author’s residence: Tokyo, Japan
Subjects: Earthquakes, Family life, Japan, Novels in verse, Paper cranes, Sunflowers, Survival, Tsunamis

Digging For Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez And The Library He Built

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This picture book is based on the true story of Jose Alberto Gutierrez, a Colombian garbageman, who rescues thrown-away books from the trash and has created a library in his home. Local children look forward to Saturdays when they can visit Jose’s Paradise Library and be transported by the magic of the stories. Spanish words are integrated smoothly into the text. The beautiful illustrations were rendered digitally. An author’s note supplies photographs and biographical information about Jose Albert Gutierrez. A section called Featured Books describes several references to books that have been showcased in the illustrations. A Spanish edition of the book is also available.. mjw
Title: Digging For Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez And The Library He Built
Author: Angela Burke Kunkel
Illustrator: Paola Escobar
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books.  New York
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9263-8
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Bogota, Colombia
Author’s ethnicity: U.S.
Author’s residence: U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Colombian
Illustrator’s residence: Bogota, Colombia
Subjects: Bogota, Colombia; Books and reading; Latin American history; Libraries, South America books

Little Wise Wolf

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Little Wise Wolf lives far away on the other side of the mountains. He reads big books, knows a lot, and is very proud. When various animals come to him to get answers to their difficult questions, he has no time for them. One day a big black bird flies to Little Wise Wolf’s house to tell him that the king is ill and needs his help. Little Wise Wolf takes off, wearing his red boots, and riding on his bicycle to visit the king at the palace. He discovers along the way that he has much to learn from his friends about the real world. He gives the king some medicine and the king wants him to stay and be his royal doctor, but Little Wise Wolf decides that he needs to go back to his friends and his books. Enchanting illustrations of the little animals enhance this important book about friendship. mjw
Title: Little Wise Wolf
Author: Gijs van der Hammen
Illustrator: Hanneke Siemensma
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Copyright: 22020
Original Language: Dutch
Translator: Laura Watkinson
Original Title: Kleine wijze wolf
Original Publisher: Uitgeverij Hoogland. Hoorn, The Netherlands
Original Copyright: 2017
ISBN: 978-1-525305498
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Dutch
Author’s residence: The Netherlands
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch
Illustrator’s residence: The Netherlands
Awards: Nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
Subjects: Books, Friendship, Kings, Reading, Wolves

Anita And The Dragons

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Anita and the DragonsYoung Anita lives in a village in the Dominican Republic where she is a valiant princesa. She worries about boarding dragons (airplanes) that will take her to a new life in a new country. The vivid text describes her anxiety about what she will miss and what she will encounter in a new land. She becomes a brave princesa when she meets the dragon. “With one step I move away from the familiar. With another step, I walk into the unknown.” She becomes a “fearless dragon” of her own. The textured artwork was created using mixed media and finished digitally. mjw
Title: Anita And The Dragons
Author: Hannah Carmona
Illustrator: Anna Cunha
Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd.
Copyright: 2021
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-911373-63-6
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 7-10
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Dominican Republic
Author’s ethnicity: U.S.
Author’s residence: Tennessee
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Illustrator’s residence: Brazil
Subjects: Airplanes, Central America, Social situations

From My Window

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A boy looks out the window and sees in his favela (his district in Rio de Janeiro), patched roofs, rainbows, and people everywhere. He talks to his friends and starts a telephone game. He sees children playing soccer and going to school and he hears Brazilian funk, also called favela funk. He sees his favela and asks, “What do you see from your window?” Colorful, extremely detailed illustrations prepared in acrylics and finished digitally celebrate the boy’s diverse urban community. Back matter explains favelas in Brazil. mjw
Title: From My Window
Author: Otavio Junior
Illustrator: Vanina Starkoff
Publisher: Barefoot Books. Cambridge, MA
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: Portuguese
Translator: Beatriz C. Dias
Original Publisher: Companhia das Letras. Sao Paulo
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78285-977-2
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Brazil
Author’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Author’s residence: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Illustrator’s residence: Brazil
Subjects: Brazil, Cities, Favela, Soccer, South America, Urban community living

The Last Tiger

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Deep in the jungle, no other animal is as strong and powerful as the tiger. Hunters come to the jungle, overpower the tiger, and capture him. He is taken to the zoo in the city so that everyone can see him. He longs for his freedom and grows smaller every day until he squeezes through the bars of his cage. He returns to the jungle where he becomes big and strong again. He never forgets that his most treasured possession is his freedom. The boldly colored illustrations in this fable are rendered in mixed media. mjw
Title: The Last Tiger
Author: Petr Horacek
Illustrator: Petr Horacek
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
Original publisher: Otter-Barry Books, Great Britain
Original Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5552-7
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-7
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Czech
Author’s residence: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Czech
Illustrator’s residence: England
Subjects: Fables, freedom, Hunters, Jungle, Zoos

The World’s Poorest President Speaks Out

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This unusual picture book is based on Uruguay President Jose Mujica’s 2012 speech to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. He asks the world to question the dogma of consumption that has forced us into environmental and economic crisis. Mujica is known as “the world’s poorest president” because, as Uruguay’s 40th President, he donated 90% of his salary to charity. He was a simple and much-loved leader. In his speech he asks us to appreciate the beauty of nature and life itself and to care for our world. Bold digitally-created illustrations complement the powerful and thought-provoking text from the beginning of the speech where his audience looks bored to the final words where he has earned a standing ovation. mjw
Title: The World’s Poorest President Speaks Out
Author: Jose Mujica
Editor:  Yoshimi Kusaba
Illustrator: Gaku Nakagawa
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books. New York
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: Japanese
Translator: Andrew Wong
Original Title: Sek ai De Ichiban Mazushi Daitoryo No Supichi
Original Publisher: Choubunsha Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59270-289-3
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Uruguay
Author’s ethnicity: Uruguayan
Author’s residence: Uruguayan
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence: Japan
Subjects: Biographies, Homelessness, Poverty. Presidents, South America, Speeches

Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species

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This imaginative guide to ocean plastics pollution was inspired by biologist Ana Pego’s life’s work. She collected and studied plastics along rivers, lakes, and oceans since she was a young girl.  She even gave it a Latin name – Plasticus Maritimus – to warn people of the dangers to the earth.  Today she is a marine biologist and award- winning artist who leads environmental education projects that combine science and art.  This field guide helps readers identify and understand this new invasive species. A Table of Contents starts with the Importance of the Oceans, covers Common Plastics and Exotic Ocean Plastics, and concludes with What We Can Do and Recycling. Helpful Resources are also provided. Colorful photographs and drawings enhance this important book.  mjw
Title: Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species
Author: Ana Pego and Isabel Minhos Martins
Illustrator: Bernardo P. Carvalho
Publisher: Greystone Books Ltd.
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: Portuguese
Translator: Jane Springer
Original Title: Plasticus Maritimus: Uma expecie invasora
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77164-643-7
Board book pages: 176
Age range: 10-16
Genre: Nonfiction, Information Book
Author’s ethnicity: Pego – Portuguese, Martins – Portuguese
Author’s residence: Lisbon, Portugal
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Portuguese
Illustrator’s residence: Lisbon, Portugal
Subjects: Ecology, Environment, Oceanography, Oceans, Plastics, Pollution, Water