Author Archives: omnilibros

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About omnilibros

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

Music Of The Mountains: A Story In Pakistan

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In a contemporary Pashtun village in rural Pakistan, Roohi loves to listen to her grandfather play songs from Pashtun folklore on his beautiful rabab, a stringed musical instrument. She longs to play like he does, and he tells her that to play the music of the mountains, “you must feel the rhythm and feel the beat of your people.”  She takes lessons, but sounds nothing like her grandfather. She is supposed to play in a school concert for Eid, but she is worried. Her grandfather is ill and she must play without his help. When the day of the concert arrives, her grandfather is able to sit in the audience. Roohi sees him, and her music flows and fills the hall. She plays to her own beat and brings everyone together as the sounds of her ancestors’ music echo over the auditorium. The rich, vivid illustrations were created digitally. Back matter includes information about the rabab, with a detailed image; sources and rabab musicians, with a QR code for listening to the music; a map of Pakistan; What is Eid?; details about traditional Pakistani dress; a Pashto glossary; an author’s note; and an illustrator’s note.
Title: Music Of The Mountains: A Story In Pakistan
Author: Sabrina Shah
Illustrator: Manal Mirza
Publisher: Barefoot Books. Concord, MA
Copyright: 2025
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-8-88859-367-7
Paperback pages: 32
Age range: 6-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity: Pakistani (Pashtun)
Author’s residence: Singapore
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Muslim American Pakistani
Illustrator’s residence: Chicago, IL
Subjects: Courage, Culture, Eid, Grandfathers, Holidays, Instruments, Intergenerational, Music, Muslim fiction, Pashtun, Performing arts, Rabab

Ajay And The Mumbai Sun

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In this fast-paced adventure set in modern-day Mumbai, Ajay, a street kid abandoned on the Mumbai railways, dreams of becoming a journalist. He and his friends find an old printing press and start their own newspaper, The Mumbai Sun. As they search for stories for their paper, they uncover a plan to tear down their slum. Hundreds of people will become homeless. Ajay is clever, courageous, and determined. His ambition is to print the truth about the political corruption threatening his home. The bustle of Mumbai is brought to life in this beautifully written novel. mjw 

Author: Varsha Shah
Publisher: Chicken House
Copyright: 2023
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-338-87546-1
Hardcover pages: 208
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction, Novel
Book setting: Mumbai, India
Author’s ethnicity: India
Awards: 2024 South Asia Book Award
Subjects: Cricket, Homelessness, Journalism, Newspapers, Poverty, Railways, Slums, Social justice

The Yellow Road

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This whimsical tale follows Sam on an adventurous journey. The story unfolds along a mysterious yellow road, filled with enchanting encounters and unexpected surprises, as Sam navigates through various landscapes, with friendly folk, strange giraffes, scary trolls, a gruff submarine captain, and a magical painting.  The watercolor, acrylic paint, and ink illustrations are vibrant and meticulously detailed, bringing the characters and their fantastic world to life. Overall, this charming book captivates readers of all ages with its delightful narrative and stunning visuals.
Title: The Yellow Road
Author: Sven Nordqvist
Illustrator: Sven Nordqvist
Publisher: Floris Books, Edinburgh
Copyright: 2025
Original Language: Swedish
Original Title: Vagen Hem
Original Publisher: Bokforlaget Opal AB, Stockholm
Original Copyright: 2023
ISBN: 97178250-928-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Swedish
Author’s residence: Sweden
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence: Sweden
Awards: The Author has won the Swedish Literature Award and the German Youth Literature Prize 
Subjects: Fairy tales, Fantasy, Forests, Journey Magic, Mountains, Submarines, Trolls

Slow Adventures: Every Moment: 40 Real-Life Journeys By Boat, Bike, Foot, And Train

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Slow
This gorgeous travel guide for kids encourages them to travel slowly and experience the world in all its richness and wonder. “When you slow down and take your time, you notice the details that make each place unique. You meet people and learn about their histories and cultures. You discover new sounds, aromas, and flavors.” Four slower modes of transport: train, boat, bicycle, and your own two feet are featured in the book. A Table of Contents lists twelve journeys on foot, ten journeys by bike, ten journeys by boat, and eight journeys by train. Maps for all the journeys enrich the trips. Discover more about the world as you: slow down with the sloths in Costa Rica, trek the Inca Trail in Peru, bike through the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, discover the riches of Rajasthan in India, take a Mississippi steamboat, and more. A list of ways to travel slowly and suggestions for further reading round out this impressive work. The illustrated journeys were created in pencil and colored digitally. mjw
Title: Slow Adventures: Every Moment: 40 Real-Life Journeys By Boat, Bike, Foot, And Train
Author: Carl Honore
Illustrator: Kevin and Krista Howdeshell
Publisher: Magic Cat Publishing. UK. An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, New York
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
Original Title: It’s The Journey Not The Destination
Original Publisher: Magic Cat Publishing, Ltd.
Original Copyright: 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4197-7132-3
Hardcover pages: 96
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Information Book, Nonfiction, Picture Book, Travel Guide
Book setting: The World
Author’s residence: London
Illustrator’s residence: London
Subjects: Boats, Bicycles, Cities, Culture, Hiking, Journeys, Mindfulness, People, Trains, Transportation, Travel Guides, World

The Cities Of The Future

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This exciting book tells the story of how cities around the world are becoming greener, more innovative, and people-friendly spaces while continuing to evolve. Captivating, intricately detailed illustrations showcase pioneering cities, like London, Berlin, Chandigarh, Amsterdam, New York, and more. The book offers a glimpse into the future of urban environments and inspires readers to take action.
Title: The Cities Of The Future
Author: Didier Cornille
Illustrator: Didier Cornille
Publisher: Post Wave Publishing UK Ltd.
Copyright: 2025
Original Language: French
Translator: Charis Ainslie
Original Title: La Ville Quoi De Neuf Actes
Original Publisher: Helium/Actes Sud
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 979-8-89509-014-5
Hardcover pages: 88
Age range:7-9
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book
Book setting: World cities
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: Paris
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: Paris
Subjects: Architecture, Cities, Communities, Design, Ecology, Energy, Factories, Future, Gardens, Global awareness, Green, Homes, Museums, Parks, Pollution, Population, Railway stations, Renewable energy, Sustainability, Transportation,

The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story

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Inspired by the author’s own life as an Afghani refugee, this impactful story expresses the importance of the family carpet. The carpet is the centerpiece of life – sipping tea and talking together, helping, sharing, caring, playing, learning, listening, remembering, and dreaming. The carpet is a piece of home. The bold-colored illustrations were made with ink drawings on paper and digital coloring. An author’s note tells the author’s backstory. mjw

Title: The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story
Author: Dezh Azaad
Illustrator: Nan Cao
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers.New York
Copyright: 2023
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4197-6361-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Afghani
Author’s residence: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence: New York City
Awards: 2024 South Asia Book Award
Subjects: Cuisine, Culture, Cooking, Games, Folklore, Home, Refugees, Stories, Traditions

Pavlo Gets The Grumps

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Pavlo
Pavlo is a cat with the grumps. His mother suggests going to the park, but Pavlo says the swings are too swingy and the slide is too slidey. How about swimming? says Mama, but the water is too wet and the fishes will nibble Pavlo’s toes. Going to the movies isn’t right either for Pavlo. Finally, Pavlo hears his friend Mila calling him. She knows just what to do to get rid of Pavlo’s grumps. The simple comforting text is printed in an extra-large font, making sharing easy, especially for children who have difficulty reading regular-sized print. The brilliantly created illustrations have a soft, fuzzy quality, were rendered in acrylic paint and watercolor pencil, and were finished digitally. mjw
Title: Pavlo Gets The Grumps
Author: Natalia Shaloshvili
Illustrator: Natalia Shaloshvili
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. UK
Original Copyright: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-5362-3554-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 3-7
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Ukrainian
Author’s residence: UK
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Ukrainian
Illustrator’s residence: UK
Subjects: Anger, Cats, Feelings, Love, Sadness

A Map For Falasteen: A Palestinian Child’s Search For Home

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At school, a young Palestinian girl named Falasteen struggles to find her homeland on a map. She is troubled, confused, and curious when her teacher tells her she “thinks there’s no such place.” Falasteen asks her grandfather why Palestine isn’t on the map, and he draws her a colorful outline map showing various Palestinian cities and villages that she can take to school to show her teachers and classmates. She also asks her grandma, who is working in the kitchen. Grandma tells her of when soldiers, tanks, and guns forced her family from their home. Finally, Falesteen asks her mother why Palestine isn’t on the map. Mama replies that there are places you don’t need a map to find – their favorite trail, the bird’s nest in the chimney, their music and food, their names and language, and things that they haven’t seen with their own eyes. She says, “Palestine lives in you and me.”  Beautiful, inspiring illustrations and thorough back matter round out this important and timely book. mjw

Title: A Map For Falasteen
Author: Maysa Odeh
Illustrator: Aliaa Betawi
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company. New York
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-250-89670-4
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Palestinian
Author’s residence: California, USA
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Palestinian
Illustrator’s residence: Alexandria, Egypt
Awards: 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award. Elementary Honor
Subjects: Arabs, Family life, Homes, Israel, Maps, Middle East, Multigenerational, Palestine, Refugees

The Color Of Your Skin

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colorVega and her friend Alex are drawing pictures at an art table at school. Alex asks for the skin-colored pencil. Vega asks if he means the color of her skin or the color of his. Maybe he means the beautiful caramel brown skin color of his neighbor Vincent or the light apple shade of the new girl. With curiosity and creativity, they explore the diversity of skin colors of the people around them. They discover that skin color has many shades and that colors are like hugs: the more the better. The illustrations are brightly colored and rich. The book is printed on “stone paper,” a special paper made of limestone. The paper doesn’t come from cutting down trees, doesn’t use water, and doesn’t need chemical products. mjw
Title: The Color Of Your Skin
Author: Desiree Acevedo
Illustrator: Silvia Alvarez
Publisher: Cuento De Luz. Madrid, Spain
Copyright: 2021
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Jon Brokenbrow
Original Title: El color de tu piel
ISBN: 978-84-19464-43-9
Paperback pages: 32
Age range: 3-7
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Spanish
Author’s residence: Huelva, Spain
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Honduran and Spanish
Illustrator’s residence: Seville, Spain
Subjects: Colors, Crayons, Diversity, Multi-colored, Multiculturalism, Paints, Pencils, Skin color, Uniqueness

The Gray City

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The Gray City
Robin has moved to a new city where everything is gray – buildings, traffic, people, streets, her school, and even all the paint in a paint shop. She sets out in search of color. At school, she meets Alani, who hates “all this gray business.” Together, they use their detective skills to discover that the faceless Gray Works is responsible for the lack of color in the city. She and Alani sneak into the building and adjust the company’s controls to colorful. The Gray City’s colors had been hidden. Now it’s full of color. This imaginative story has eleven chapters with quite a bit of text for a picture book. The illustrations are masterful in this introduction to color theory, which is explained in the back matter. mjw
Title: The Gray City
Author: Torben Kuhlmann
Illustrator: Torben Kuhlmann
Publisher: NorthSouth Books, Inc., New York
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: German
Translator: David Henry Wilson
Original Title: Die graue Stadt
Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Original Copyright: 2023
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4554-1
Hardcover pages: 64
Age range: 6-10
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Hamburg
Illustrator’s ethnicity: German
Illustrator’s residence: Hamburg
Awards: 2019 Batchelder for Edison
Subjects: Cities, Color, Color Theory, Discovery, Imagination, Libraries, Mystery, Science

Thirst

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Twelve-year-old Minni and her older brother Sanjay live in a poor neighborhood in Mumbai, India. Their only access to clean water happens at a set time of the day when members of the community stand in line to fill their containers. One night, Sanjay and his friends witness the “water mafia” stealing water from a tanker truck. To be safe, Sanjay and his friend have to leave town. Minni’s ill mother has to move to the countryside to recover and Minni takes over her mother’s maid job until her she can return. On top of all of this, Minni has to balance school and an extra computer class she is enrolled in. Minni’s introspective narration and occasional poetry instill hope in her environment which is especially hard on women and children. Minni is a smart, strong, and optimistic girl. The book is a look at the importance of free water and how the unfairness surrounding its distribution impacts poor communities in India. It also reveals class differences that still exist today. An author’s note provides more information about the water crisis in India.  mjw

Title: Thirst
Author: Varsha Bajaj
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. New York
Copyright: 2022
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0593-3544-14
Paperback pages: 192
Age range: 10-12
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Mumbai, India
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: Houston, Texas
Awards: 2023 South Asia Book Award
Subjects: Education, Environment, Injustice, Justice, Poetry, Water, Water crisis, Water security

SOS Water

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SOSLalo, a sailor, encounters a talking goldfish in a fishbowl on a pile of trash. Her name is Rosa, and she longs to have a better life. Lalo takes Rosa to a pond, a mountaintop, the Arctic, the jungle, the desert, the beach, and the River Seine. But everywhere is polluted with empty plastic water bottles. Lalo dreams that he has magical powers to clean the world. Several spreads show different animals cleaning up the ubiquitous water bottles. They come to a community garden and meet Bibo, a gentle little garden gnome, who suggests the perfect place for Rosa – a magic pond next to his house. The final page shows Lalo drinking a big glass of refreshing tap water. Whimsical line drawings saturated with water bottles further distinguish this important environmental lesson. A Spanish-language edition is also available. mjw
Title: SOS Water
Author: Yayo
Illustrator: Yayo
Publisher: Tradewinds Books. Vancouver, Canada
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-990598-23-4
Hardcover pages: 56
Age range: 6-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Colombian
Author’s residence: Montreal, Quebec 
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Colombian
Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec
Subjects: Goldfish, Plastic water bottles, Pollution, Sailors, Water, Water pollution