Author Archives: omnilibros

The Secret Of The Blue Glass

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In the library, in a house in a Tokyo suburb, live the Little People: Fern and Balbo, Robin and Iris. Just a few inches high, a beloved nanny brought them from England to the Moriyama family in Japan. Since then, each generation of the Moriyama family children take care of the Little People by filling the blue glass goblet daily with milk to feed them.  Now it is Yuri Moriyama’s turn.  When World War II comes to Japan, and the older Moriyama brother becomes a fanatic nationalist, the family is divided.  Yuri and a loyal pigeon keep the Little People safe.  This tender fantasy story is full of adventure, hardship, and cultural revelations. mjw

Title: The Secret Of The Blue Glass Author: Tomiko Inui (1924-2002) Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books.  London Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Japanese Translator: Ginny Tapley Takemori Original Title: Kokage No Ie No Kobitotachi (Yuri And The Little People) Original Publisher: Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers.  Tokyo Original Copyright: 1967 ISBN: 978-1-782690-34-4 Paperback pages: 192 Age range: 12-16 Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Book setting: Tokyo suburb Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Awards: 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Shortlist Subjects: Asian historical fiction, Libraries, Pigeons, World War II

Spur: A Wolf’s Story

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A young wolf named Spur, who is looking for food, is hurt when a shot comes from a helicopter that appears in the sky.  Spur’s family scatters for cover.  When the woods get quiet again, Spur finds another pack of wolves.  She tells them of the attack.  Although she misses her family, she feels grateful to the new pack. After a while, the roar of the helicopter returns.  She warns the other wolves and they hide.  Then, Spur hears a familiar wolf call.  It is her brother.  She splits from the pack and joins him.  Evocative artwork of wolves in their natural habitats enhances this empowering story. An author’s note tells more about culling wolves to protect livestock and to stabilize caribou populations, and the fact that there is evidence that killing wolves helps.  A resource list is also included. mjw

Title: Spur: A Wolf’s Story Author: Eliza Robertson Illustrator: Nora Aoyagi Publisher: Greystone Kids Books Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77164-341-2 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Author’s residence: Montreal, Canada Illustrator’s residence: Berkeley, California Subjects: Caribou, Nature and environment, Seasons, Wolves

No Ballet Shoes In Syria

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Eleven-year-old Aya has just arrived in Manchester, England, from Syria, with her Mumma and her baby brother.  She is an “asylum seeker, a would–be refugee, a poor little girl from Syria, a fatherless child from a war zone.” Her passion is dance.  One day she comes across a ballet class and the teacher recognizes her talent and thinks she might earn a position at the prestigious Northern Ballet School.  Aya is a powerful, brave character.  Her story engages in a series of flashbacks about her life in Syria.  There is a parallel story about her ballet teacher who had to flee the holocaust.  This incredibly moving, well-written story shows how dance transcends borders.  A map of Aya’s journey from Syria is included. mjw

Title: No Ballet Shoes In Syria Author: Catherine Bruton Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd. U.K. Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English  ISBN: 978-1-78800-4-503 Paperback pages: 272 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Syria, Turkey, Greece, England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England Awards: 2020 Middle Eat Book Award for Youth Literature Subjects: Aleppo, Asylum seekers, Ballet, Dance, Prejudice and racism, Refugees

The Second Sky

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Gilbert, a baby penguin, wants to fly in the sky like an albatross.  He practices to no avail because he has big clumsy feet and small fluffy wings.  He falls on his face, his back, and his bottom.  His uncle tells him to give it up, but Gilbert knows he will find a way to fly.  He finally spreads his wings, jumps, tumbles, and splashes into the sea.  He sinks and sees stars, moons, clouds, forests, gardens, and mountaintops.  Under the sea, he flies.  He discovers the second sky in his own element.  The watercolor and pencil illustrations are beautiful with Gilbert’s movement and action. mjw

Title: The Second Sky Author: Patrick Guest Illustrator: Jonathan Bentley Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0802-855206 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian Illustrator’s residence: Australia Subjects: Determination, Flight, Penguins

Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart

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Feisty fourteen-year-old Rasha is abandoned by her mother in a village far from their cosmopolitan Dhaka home, where she is forced to live with her aged and probably mad grandmother. The village has no electricity, heavy rains, and nosy neighbors. Rasha has to attend a primitive school with a bullying teacher.  She rises against her circumstances and exposes the teacher, stops a child marriage from happening, builds a boat so that she can get to school, and teaches her new school friends how to use a computer.  She even wins a science Olympiad. mjw

Title: Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart Author: Muhanned Zafar Iqbal Publisher: Puffin Books.  Penguin Random House India Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Bengali Translator: Arunava Sinha Original Title: Rashed Amar Bondhu Original Publisher: Tamralipi, Dhaka Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-780143434887 Paperback pages: 240 Age range: 12-15 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Bangladesh Author’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi Author’s residence: Bangladesh Translator’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi Translator’s residence: Bangladesh Awards: Translator has won the Crossword Prize for Translated Books.  The book is on the 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Award Shortlist Subjects: Bangladesh liberation war, Dhaka, East Pakistan, Freedom, Freedom fighters, Intergenerational

Ojiichan’s Gift

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Mayumi visits her grandfather (Ojiichan) in Japan every summer.  She helps him in his beautiful rock garden.  But one summer, everything changes.  Ojiichan has grown older and he cannot tend the garden any more.  Mayumi makes him a mini rock garden in a bento box. This is a heartwarming story about the bond of love.  The watercolor paintings are detailed and calming just like a Japanese rock garden. The Japanese words used in the story are explained in a brief glossary. mjw

Title: Ojiichan’s Gift Author: Chieri Uegaki Illustrator: Genevieve Simms Publisher: Kids Can Press. Toronto Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77138-963-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Japan Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: British Columbia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Toronto, Ontario Subjects: Asia, Gardens, Multigenerational, Rock gardens

Borka: The Adventure Of A Goose With No Feathers

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Borka is the youngest of six geese born to Mr. and Mrs. Plumpster.  She has no feathers, so Mrs. Plumpster knits a gray woolen sweater for her. The other geese tease her.  She is left behind when the family migrates south for the winter because she cannot fly.  She makes friends with a dog named Fowler and a boat skipper named Captain McAllister, who takes Borka on his boat.  He brings her to Kew Gardens in London where she fits in nicely because there are so many kinds of strange birds there.  She meets Ferdinand and he and Borka live there happily.  The bold, richly textured illustrations complement this beautiful classic.  This is the 55thanniversary edition, back by popular demand. mjw

Title: Borka: The Adventure Of A Goose With No Feathers Author: John Burningham Illustrator: John Burningham Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, MA Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Jonathan Cape, U.K. Original Copyright: 1963 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0040-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-7 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: North London, England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: North London, England Awards: 1964 Kate Greenaway Medal Subjects: Birds, Dogs, Geese, Knitting

Rain

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Haiku verses accompany 12 scenes of rain in a variety of natural settings.  Each double-page spread features one haiku and one engaging, detailed illustration, such as mountain goats on hills, puffins flying near a lighthouse, and Japanese girls walking amid falling cherry blossoms. Each scene takes place in a different kind of rain.  The book will inspire readers to write their own haiku. mjw

Title: Rain Author: Anders Holmer Illustrator: Max Klein Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2018 Original Language: Swedish Original Title: Regn Original Publisher: Natur and Kultur. Stockholm, Sweden Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-0802855077 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Poetry, Picture Book Book setting: Scenes from all over the globe Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Sweden Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Sweden Subjects: Haiku, Poetry, Rain

Step Up To The Plate, Maria Singh

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It is 1945, and with World War II going on, fifth-grader Maria Singh wants to play baseball.  When her teacher starts an all-girls team at her school, Maria is thrilled.  However she meets many challenges. Her father from India doesn’t want her wearing shorts.  Her mother form Mexico wants her to stay home to watch her younger brother.  Maria also wants to work to get the city council to approve a baseball field for her neighborhood.  And because her father isn’t a U.S. citizen, he can’t own their farm and the family is in danger of losing it.  As she learns about teamwork and baseball, she also learns about prejudice and racism in her community.  And most importantly, she learns to speak up and make a difference in her world.  This well-written, fascinating book, that covers a lot of social history, has great potential for the classroom.  mjw

Title: Step Up To The Plate, Maria Singh Author: Uma Krishnaswami Publisher: Tu Books, an imprint of Lee and Low Books.  New York Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-600602-61-0 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: California Author’s ethnicity: born in New Delhi Author’s residence: Victoria, British Columbia Awards: 018 South Asia Book Award Subjects:East Indian Americans, Farm life, Mexican Americans, Prejudice, Racially mixed people, Racism, Sexism, Softball, World War II

The Moose Of Ewenki

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The Ewenki people live in the forest of Greater Khingan, in northern China, and they live on hunting and raising reindeer. The old hunter Gree Shek hunts a mother moose by mistake. She leaves a young moose.  He feels terrible because Ewenki hunters would never hunt a female moose that was raising a baby.  The motherless baby follows Gree Shek back to the campsite where Gree Shek feeds the hungry moose.  He names it Little Moose. The moose and the man form a bond and go on adventures together.  As Little Moose grows older and bigger, Gree Shek knows he must return the moose to the forest.  Beautifully detailed paintings complement this touching story, which highlights the traditional and vanishing way of life of the Ewenki people. mjw

Title: The Moose Of Ewenki Author: Gerelchimeg Blackcrane Illustrator: Jui Er Publisher: Greystone Kids Books Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77164-538-6 Hardcover pages: 68 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Inner Mongolia Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: Hulunbuir Grassland in Mongolia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese Illustrator’s residence: Beijing, China Awards:  2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List Subjects: Asia, Caribou, Deer, Global studies, Moose, People and places, Reindeer

This Is Me, Mayil

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This is the diary of spirited sixteen-year-old Mayil Ganeshan.  She is curious and intelligent and wants to be a writer.  Also included are her rhymes and doodles.  The diary feels natural and is third in a series. mjw

Title: This Is Me, Mayil Author: Niveditha Subramaniam and Sowmya Rajendran Illustrator: Niveditha Subramaniam Publisher: Tulika Publishers.  Chennai, India Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-93-5046-996-5 Paperback pages: 124 Age range: 13 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: India Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: India Subjects: Autobiography, Diary, Humor, Rhyme, Verse, Young adult

The Fox On The Swing

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Paul lives with his family in a tree house in a big city. On his way home from the bakery, where everyday he gets three fresh rolls, Paul befriends a wise, friendly, orange fox. Being friends with the fox is a magical and challenging experience for Paul.  He has to deal with an unexpected move; friendship; appreciating the little things in life, like carrot cake and marmalade; and the nature of happiness. Brightly colored digital collages portray people, very detailed buildings, vehicles, and animals in this unpredictable, quirky story. mjw

Title: The Fox On The Swing Author: Evelina Daciute Illustrator: Ausra Kiudulaite Publisher: Thames & Hudson, U.K. Copyright: 2018 Original Language: Lithuanian Translator: The Translation Bureau Original Title: Laime Yra Lape Original Publisher: Tikra Knyga. Vilnius. Lithuania Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-0-500-651-8 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Lithuanian Author’s residence: Lithuania Illustrator’s ethnicity: Lithuanian Illustrator’s residence: Lithuania Awards: 2019 Batchelder Award Subjects: Emotions, Fox and wolf, Happiness, Loneliness