Author Archives: omnilibros

Mister Doctor: Janusz Korczak And The Orphans Of The Warsaw Ghetto

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Polish educator, writer, and doctor, Janusz Korczak (Mister Doctor) founded an orphanage for children in Warsaw. His remarkable story is told from the perspective of one of the orphans. In November of 1940, one hundred and sixty Jewish children, led by their beloved Mister Doctor, were forced by the Nazis to leave their famous orphanage on Krochmalna Street and walk to the other side – the ghetto. Their new home on Chlodna was nothing like their orphanage, but they would cling to their hope and celebrate their Jewish identity. Their final march on August 5, 1942, took them to trains bound for Treblinka camp, north of Warsaw. This is depicted in a powerful foldout of the children and Mister Doctor. Gray and sepia mood-setting drawings portray the horror and hope beautifully. An afterword, “About Janusz Korczak” offers details of his life. Further Reading and Resources are included. mjw

Title: Mister Doctor:  Janusz Korczak And The Orphans Of The Warsaw Ghetto Author: Irene Cohen-Janca Illustrator: Maurizio A.C. Quarello Publisher: Annick Press, Canada Copyright: 2016 Original Language: French Translator: Paula Ayer Original Title: Le dernier voyage Original Publisher: Les Editions des Elephants Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-1-55451-861-6 Paperback pages: 68 Age range: 11 up Genre: Historical Fiction, Biography Book setting: Poland Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian Illustrator’s residence: Italy Awards: 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award, Notable Book.  2016 USBBY Honor List of Outstanding International Books Subjects: Ant-Semitism, History, Holocaust, Jewish children, Orphans, Orphanage, Poland, Warsaw, World War II

Imagine A City

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Imagine a world where rabbits and lions read books, trees grow out of pictures, and flying fish are buses. Bears ride bicycles, gargoyles sip tea, and pterodactyls soar through the sky. Two children and their mother go on a wonderful adventure to a city where anything is possible in this creative book. The simple rhyming text is accompanied by surreal black and white drawings filled to the brim with unusual fanciful details. mjw

Title: Imagine A City Author: Elise Hurst Illustrator: Elise Hurst Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Omnibus Books, an imprint of Scholastic Australia Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-1-101-93457-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book, Fantasy Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian Illustrator’s residence: Australia Subjects: City life, Dreams, Fantasy, Imagination

Bicycling To The Moon

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Purdy the cat and Barker the dog live in a sky blue house on top of a hill. Purdy dreams big. He wants to bicycle to the moon, win the singing contest, fly south with the migrating birds, be Supercat, and search for treasure. Barker is Purdy’s good friend, who likes to garden and take care of the house. The twenty short stories take place over a year and are accompanied by clever, quirky cartoon-style illustrations rendered in oil pastels, crayon, and watercolor. This laugh out-loud chapter book about two very opposite friends was written by Finland’s top children’s writer. mjw

Title: Bicycling To The Moon Author: Timo Parvela Illustrator: Virpi Talvite Publisher: Gecko Press.  Wellington, New Zealand Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Finnish Translator: Rith Urbom Original Title: Maukka ja Vaykka Original Publisher: Werner Soderstrom Ltd.  Finland Original Copyright: 2009 ISBN: 978-1-776570=32-4 Paperback pages: 128 Age range: 7-9 Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: Finnish Author’s residence: Finland Illustrator’s ethnicity: Finnish Illustrator’s residence: Finland Awards: Author has been shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.  Illustrator has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and was awarded the Finlandia Junior Prize in 2006 Subjects: Cats, Dogs, Fishing, Gardening, Honesty, Loyalty, Short stories, Weather

Alive Again

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A boy wonders if the blossoms that fall from trees will ever return. When there is no rain, will it rain again? If no wheat grows, will it grow again? And if no one goes on a journey, will there be new journeys? When spring comes, the boy’s father points out new blossoms, fresh rain, and born-again wheat. And tomorrow will be a day for a new journey. Striking collage artwork enhances this simple story about trust and understanding that will leave readers asking similar questions. mjw

Title: Alive Again Author: Ahmadreza Ahmadi Illustrator: Nahid Kazemi Publisher: Tiny Owl Publishing Ltd.  England Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Persian Translator: Azita Rassi Original Publisher: Salis Publisher. Tehran, Iran Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-910328-05-7 Hardcover pages: 24 Age range: 4-9 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Iranian Author’s residence: Iran Illustrator’s ethnicity: Iranian Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Canada Awards: Author was shortlisted for the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award Subjects: Blossoms, Flowers, Journeys, Questions, Rain, Trust, Understanding, Wheat

The Wild Book

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Thirteen-year-old Juan is spending the summer with his strange Uncle Tito who has an enchanted library where books have supernatural powers. Uncle Tito tells Juan that he is a Princeps Reader, which means books respond magically to him and that he is the only one who can find the evasive Wild Book. Each chapter is accompanied by whimsical woodcut-style illustrations. More than one million copies have been sold in the Spanish edition. mjw

Title: The Wild Book Author: Juan Villoro Illustrator: EKO Publisher: Yonder Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2017 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Lawrence Schimel Original Title: El libro salvaje Original Publisher: Fondo de Cultura Economica, Mexico City Original Copyright: 2008 ISBN: 978-1-63206-147-8 Hardcover pages: 240 Age range: 10-14 Genre: Fiction, Fantasy Author’s ethnicity: Mexican Author’s residence: Mexico City  Subjects: Books, Magic, Reading, Science fiction, Supernatural, Uncles

Yokki And The Parno Gry

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This traditional Traveler-family folktale tells of Yokki, a young boy who inspires his hard-working family with a tale of a magical white horse. His family experiences hard times and there is no work to be had. They travel from town to town looking for work mending household objects and trying to sell wooden spoons and beautiful paper flowers that they make. At night, they gather around a fire to tell stories they have heard on their travels. Yokki tells the best story about the Parno Gry, which is a horse that comes to take them to a new and better land. Colorful and gentle detailed mixed media illustrations bring Yokki’s family to life in this imaginative Romani folktale. An author’s note gives information about Romani and Traveling People. mjw

Title: Yokki And The Parno Gry Author: Richard O’Neill and Katherine Quarmby Illustrator: Marieke Nelissen Publisher: Child’s Play Inc. Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-84643-927-8 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Romani (O’Neill) Author’s residence: England Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch Illustrator’s residence: Netherlands Subjects: Fairytales, Folktales, Gypsies, Horses, Mythical animals, Romanis, Storytelling, Traveling people

Macy McMillan And The Rainbow Goddess

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Sixth grader Macy McMillan, who is deaf, is facing big changes. Her house is for sale and her mother is about to remarry, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. Macy’s mother has Macy go next door to help 86-year–old Iris Gillan pack, as Iris is moving into an assisted living facility. Iris doesn’t know sign language, but through notes, books, and cookies, Macy and Iris, the rainbow goddess, develop a beautiful friendship. This heartwarming story is written in free verse. There are many book references throughout, like The Tale of Despereaux, El Deafo, and Anne of Green Gables. mjw

Title: Macy McMillan And The Rainbow Goddess Author: Shari Green Publisher: Pajama Press Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77278-017-8 Paperback pages: 240 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction, Verse Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: British Columbia, Canada Awards: 2018 Schneider Family Book Award Subjects: Deaf children, Intergenerational, Special needs, Step families, Stories in verse

Poles Apart

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Penguins are found at the South Pole – except when they get lost on their way to a picnic. When the Pilchard-Brown penguin family find themselves at the North Pole, they meet friendly Mr. White, the polar bear, who guides them back home. They follow him over land and sea to New York, England, Italy, India, Australia, and finally the South Pole and a surprise ending. Foreign words are sprinkled throughout this whimsical introduction to different cultures across the globe. Fun, digitally created illustrations show the travelers walking along Fifth Avenue, riding a double-decker bus in London, water skiing in the Sydney harbor, and more. mjw

Title: Poles Apart Author: Jeanne Willis Illustrator: Peter Jarvis Publisher: Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Nosy Crow, London Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8944-5 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: North Pole, South Pole, U.S., England, Italy, India, Australia Author’s ethnicity: Born in the United Kingdom Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Manchester, England Subjects: Arctic Ocean, North Pole, Penguins, Polar bears, South Pole

Indian Tales: A Barefoot Collection

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Eight traditional tales from all over the Indian Subcontinent are included in this colorful anthology. Each story is taken from a different region in India, from Punjab in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south. A “Welcome to India!” introduces the country and provides a map. Each tale is accompanied by two pages of information about the state – geography, history, food, dance, culture, traditions, and more. Bright, colorful folk style illustrations in gouache present story elements and frame the narratives. mjw

Title: Indian Tales: A Barefoot Collection Author: Shenaaz Nanji Illustrator: Christopher Corr Publisher: Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English  Original Publisher: Barefoot Books Original Copyright: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-78285-357-2 Paperback pages: 96 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Folktales, Fairytales Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: Calgary, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London Subjects: Anthologies, Gods and goddesses, Myths

The Way Home In The Night

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A young bunny is carried home through the dark, quiet streets by her mother. She can see the lights on in her neighbors’ windows and she wonders what they might be doing. The bookshop is closing for the night. Someone is on the phone. Someone else is baking a pie. And there is a party going on next door. When they reach home, the father rabbit tucks the bunny into bed, but the bunny continues to wonder about her neighbors’ activities until she finally falls asleep. Charming, soft-focus, mostly black and white illustrations rendered in pencil, charcoal, and acrylic gouache enrich this perfect bedtime story. mjw

Title: The Way Home In The Night Author: Akiko Miyakoshi Illustrator: Akiko Miyakoshi Publisher: Kids Can Press, Toronto Copyright: 2017 Original Language: Japanese Original Title: Yoru no Kaerimichi Original Publisher: Kaisei – Sha Publishing Co. Lyd. Tokyo Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-1-77138-663-0 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Japan Awards: Author has won the Japan Picture Book Award Grand Prix Subjects: Bedtime, City life, Night, Rabbits, Sleep

Sam And The Construction Site

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Big boys dare Sam to enter the construction site when the workers go on break. He drives the steamroller and flattens a car, operates the cement truck and pours concrete on the road, and works the crane and hoists a police car up into the air. Hidden clues and details in the lively, soft-color drawings lead to a surprise ending where Sam saves the day. mjw

Title: Sam And The Construction Site Author: Tjibbe Veldkamp Illustrator: Alice Hoogstad Publisher: Lemniscaat, USA, New York Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Dutch Translator: Ineke Lenting Original Title: Kom uit die Kraan!! Original Publisher: Lemniscaat, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-1-935954-49-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-6 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Dutch Author’s residence: Groningen, The Netherlands Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born in Rhoon, Zuid-Holland Illustrator’s residence: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Subjects: Building sites, Construction equipment, Cranes

In Focus: Cities

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Ten different illustrators explore ten cities in this large-size, gate-folded-page book. Cultural, social, and historical information is packed onto each page. The cities are New York, Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Istanbul, Sydney, Cairo, Rio de Janeiro, and London. Each artist’s distinct color palette represents each city. mjw

Title: In Focus: Cities Author: Libby Walden Illustrator: 10 illustrators Publisher: 360 Degrees, an imprint of Tiger Tales Copyright: 2017 Original Publisher: Little Tiger Press, Great Britain Original Language: English Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-944530-08-2 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Information Book, Nonfiction Book setting: New York, Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Istanbul, Sydney, Cairo, Rio de Janiero, London Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S. Subjects: Atlas, Cities and towns