Author Archives: omnilibros

Mango And Bambang: The Not-A-Pig

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Mango Allsorts is brave, helpful, and good at all sorts of things, like karate and making buttered noodles for her very busy papa. Bambang becomes her pet tapir. He is completely not-a-pig and is new to the city. This charming first chapter book is a collection of four stories beautifully illustrated in black, gray, and purple. The stories are Mango and the Muddle, Bambang’s Pool, Bambang Puts On a Hat, and The Song of the Tapir. This is Book One in a series about the unlikely friendship between a kind and clever little girl and an Asian tapir. mjw

Title: Mango And Bambang: The Not-A-Pig Author: Polly Faber Illustrator: Clara Vulliamy Publisher: Candlewick Press.  Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Walker Books,  London, England Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8226-2 Hardcover pages: 144 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: England Subjects: Asian tapirs, Hats, Music, Pets, Swimming

The Saver Of The Almond Tree

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This colorfully illustrated, bilingual Chinese-English book in the Master Cheng Yen Tells Stories series contains three stories. The Man in White reminds readers that only people with kindness and virtue can realize the beauty of life. Empress Kymyo tells that when we do good deeds and give to others, we should think of it as our duty. The Saver of the Almond Tree relates that we should treat everyone equally with a sincere heart. The diverse stories are presented in traditional Chinese pinyin and English. mjw

Title: The Saver Of The Almond Tree Author: Shih Cheng Yen Illustrator: Winni Lin Publisher: Jing Si Publications Co. Ltd.  Taipei, Taiwan Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Chinese – English Bilingual Edition Translator: Tzu Chi USA Editorial team ISBN: 978-986-6661-88-4 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4-9 Genre: Picture book, Folklore Book setting: China, India, Japan Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: China Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese Illustrator’s residence: China Subjects: Birds, Buddha, Empress, Kindness, Royalty, Trees, Wisdom

Emily Of New Moon

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Young orphan Emily Starr is raised by her aunts Elizabeth and Laura Murray and her cousin Jimmy at New Moon Farm on Prince Edward Island. Her dear friends are Ilse, Teddy, and Perry. Tomboy Ilse’s father ignores Ilse because of a terrible secret concerning her mother. Teddy is a gifted artist and Perry has the makings of a great politician. Emily doesn’t always get along with stern Aunt Elizabeth because she doesn’t understand Emily’s need to write. Emily is a wonderful heroine with a deep love for beauty in nature and art, a strong loyalty to her friends, a thirst for knowledge, and an impassioned dedication to her writing. Similar to the more famous Anne of Green Gables series, the Emily novels are Emily of New Moon (1923), Emily Climbs (1925), and Emily’s Quest (1927). Emily was the author’s favorite character. mjw

Title: Emily Of New Moon Author: L.M. Montgomery (1874-1942) Publisher: Virago Press, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, London Copyright: 2013 Original Language: English Original Publisher: McClellan and Stewart Original Copyright: 1923 ISBN: 978-1-84408-988-8 Paperback pages: 416 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Prince Edward Island, Canada Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Lived on Prince Edward Island, Canada Subjects: Aspiration, Child authors, Foster homes, Orphans, Romance

The Storm

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A little boy is excited about a trip to the beach with his parents, but his teacher warns him to hurry home because a bad storm is coming. The sky grows darker and the boy’s parents close the shutters, bring in the plants, and prepare for the weather. The powerful storm rages, but the boy is not scared. He goes to bed and dreams he is on a big ship with propellers to drive the storm away. He awakens, the skies are clear blue, and they can go to the beach. Rich, black and gray charcoal sketches convey the boy’s emotions – excitement, frustration, worry, and excitement again. Moments of blue are used meaningfully in the illustrations. mjw

Title: The Storm Author: Akiko Miyakoshi Illustrator: Akiko Miyakoshi Publisher: Kids Can Press. Toronto, Canada Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Japanese Original Title: Taifu ga Kuru Original Publisher: BL Publishing Co Ltd, Kobe Original Copyright: 2009 ISBN: 978-1-77138-559-6 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Tokyo, Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Tokyo, Japan Awards: Nissan Children’s Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix Subjects: Emotions and feelings, Nature, Storms, Weather

The Princess And The Warrior: A Tale Of Two Volcanoes

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Princess Itza has many wealthy and powerful suitors, but she refuses them all. She loves a warrior named Popoca because he loves her for who she is and promises to stay by her side no matter what. Itza’s father, the emperor, does not want his daughter to marry a mere warrior. He tells Popoca that if he can defeat their enemy, Jaguar Claw, he can marry Itza. When Popoca is close to victory, his opponent sends a messenger saying Itza has fallen into a deep sleep. Popoca returns home and even he cannot wake her. He stays by her side and two volcanoes are formed – Itzaccihuatl, who continues to sleep and Popocatepetl, who spews ashes and smoke from time to time trying to wake his sleeping princess. This retelling of an ancient Aztec legend is illustrated by Tonatiuh’s recognizable artwork with sharp lines and figures always shown in profile. A glossary with pronunciations and an author’s note about the artwork and source materials are included. mjw

Title: The Princess And The Warrior: A Tale Of Two Volcanoes Author: Duncan Tonatiuh Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh Publisher: Abrams Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4197-2130-4 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture Book, Folk Tale Book setting: Mexico Author’s ethnicity: Mexican Author’s residence: Mexico Illustrator’s ethnicity: Mexican Illustrator’s residence: Mexico Awards: Author/illustrator has won the Pura Belpre Award.  2016 New York Times Best Illustrated Books. Subjects: Fairy tales, Folk tales, Geography and cultures, Hispanic and Latino, Mexico, Myths, Multicultural studies

Sweet Pizza

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Fourteen-year-old Welsh-Italian Joe is passionate about his Italian heritage. He lives in Bryn Mawr, South Wales, where his family runs the café that his great-grandfather opened in 1929. Joe is desperate to save the café and bring the neighborhood back to life. He loves all things Italian, especially Italian opera, which provides the perfect accompaniment for the novel. Joe is quite a businessman, as he succeeds in bringing his diverse community together. Woven throughout the heart-warming and funny story is the astonishing history of Italian immigrants in Wales told through taped recollections from his grandfather, Nonno. Back matter includes a historical note, an author’s note on opera, and Italian recipes to try. mjw

Title: Sweet Pizza Author: Giancarlo Gemin (G.R. Gemin) Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd.  London Copyright: 2106 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-85763-630-0  Paperback pages: 288 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Contemporary fiction, Historical fiction Book setting: South Wales Author’s ethnicity: Born in Cardiff, Wales, of Italian parentage Author’s residence: London Awards:  Longlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2016 Subjects: Grandfathers, Immigrants, Italian heritage, Opera, Restaurants, World War II

Crossing The Gotthard: The Longest Tunnel In The World

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Gotthard Pass in Switzerland is the most important connection between northern and southern Europe. This book covers the history of the longest tunnel in the world from the early difficult crossings on foot in medieval times, through stagecoach days, and right up to modern automobiles and high-speed trains. The intricate, colorful drawings and maps by scientific illustrator Rogenmoser magnificently expand the text. A fascinating page at the end of the book compares travel times from 3 days in 1236 to 2 hours in 2020.   mjw

Title: Crossing the Gotthard: The Longest Tunnel In The World Author: Yvonne Rogenmoser Illustrator: Yvonne Rogenmoser Publisher: NorthSouth Books, Inc.  New York Copyright: 2016 Original Language: German Translator: David Henry Wilson Original Title: Uber den Gotthard Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG, Zürich, Switzerland Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-0-7358-4257-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-10 Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book Book setting: Switzerland Author’s ethnicity: Swiss Author’s residence: Zürich and Versam, Switzerland Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swiss Illustrator’s residence: Zürich and Versam, Switzerland Subjects: Engineering, Railway tunnels, Transportation, Tunnels

The Queen’s Hat

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The Queen is on her way to visit the new royal baby, when the wind takes her favorite blue-and-red hat right off her head. Followed by her argyle sweater-clad Welsh Corgi, the Queen’s uniformed men, and a palace butler, she chases through Trafalgar Square, the London Zoo, the Underground, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and Big Ben to Kensington Palace, where she is reunited with her hat and the baby princess. Charming red, black, and blue cartoon illustrations are humorous and detailed. The blue line architecture drawings of the landmarks are fascinating. Back matter gives information about all the famous London Sites. A sequel, The Queen’s Handbag (2015), follows the Queen all around the United Kingdom as she races after a swan that stole her purse. mjw

Title: The Queen’s Hat Author: Steve Antony Illustrator: Steve Antony Publisher: Scholastic Press, New York Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books, a division of Machete Children’s Books, UK Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-545-83556-5 Hardcover pages: 34 Age range: 3-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: London, England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Swindon, England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Swindon, England Awards: Nominated for the 2016 Kate Greenaway Medal Subjects: Europe; Hats; Humor; Kings, queens, and rulers; London; Queens; Royalty

The Piper

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He who pays the piper calls the tune. Thirteen-year-old Peter and his seven-year-old sister Daisy are evacuated from London to the Romney Marsh countryside in 1939. They move into a strange farmhouse, Sheldon Grange, in the middle of a desolate landscape, where Daisy is to be the companion for Sally, a sickly child who is bedridden. Mysterious things start to happen – eerie piped music and young girls dancing outside in the night. Sinister Mrs. Beesley, the housekeeper, and Adam, the farmhand, deny that the music exists. Daisy is captivated, but Peter is determined to discover the truth about Sheldon Grange. This spooky fantasy is an interesting and suspenseful, easy read with a twist at the end. An afterword describes the historical truths behind the fiction. mjw

Title: The Piper Author: Danny Weston Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd, London Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-78344-051-1 Paperback pages: 272 Age range: 12-16 Genre: Fiction, Fantasy Book setting: England Author’s ethnicity: Scottish Author’s residence: Edinburgh, Scotland Awards: 2016 Scottish Children’s Book Award – Older Readers Subjects: England, Evacuation of civilians, Ghosts, Grandfathers, Horror, Music, World War II

Absolutely One Thing: Featuring Charlie And Lola

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As a treat, Mom takes Charlie and Lola to the store, where they can choose one thing, but they must be ready in ten minutes. Lola brushes her teeth for three minutes (twice – because she has to spend one minute to remember that she forgot to eat breakfast), eats puffa pops for breakfast for four minutes, spends eight minutes looking for her left shoe, and is, consequently, nine minutes late.   On the way to the store, there are ladybugs, ducks, pigeons, wading and flapping birds, swans, and geese to count. They count hundreds, thousands, millions, and a squillion leaves. Charlie says he does not know that a squillion is a number. They do make it to the store, where Charlie chooses pins in five seconds and Lola takes thirteen minutes to choose stickers. Humorous illustrations containing magazine cuttings, collage, fabric scraps, watercolor, and photographs make counting fun in this delightful tale featuring Lauren Child’s familiar characters. mjw

Title: Absolutely One Thing: Featuring Charlie And Lola Author: Lauren Child Illustrator: Lauren Child Publisher: Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Orchard Books, Great Britain Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8728-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: London, England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London, England Awards: Author has won the Kate Greenaway Medal Subjects: Counting, Math, Siblings

Meh

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A nameless boy is enjoying his life, when for no real reason, a blob grabs him and pulls him down into a dark, misty swamp. He sees ghost-like white paw prints that lead to a friendly cat in a tree. Together, they escape the swamp and climb up a mountain. As they struggle, the cat turns into a tiger.   They roar together and return to the beautiful world. This wordless book addresses depression in a safe and simple manner. The digitally created work was the author’s fourth year honors project for her BA in computer arts at the University of Abertay Dundee, Scotland. Questions to encourage discussion are included. mjw

Title: Meh Author: Deborah Malcolm Illustrator: Deborah Malcolm Publisher: ThunderStone Books.  Las Vegas, Nevada Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English  ISBN: 978-1-63411-003-7 Paperback pages: 32 Age range: 5-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Scottish Author’s residence: Dundee, Scotland Illustrator’s ethnicity: Scottish Illustrator’s residence: Dundee, Scotland Subjects: Cats, Depression in children, Sadness, Stories without words

What Dog Knows

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This interesting mix of fiction and nonfiction introduces cousins Wolf and Dog and topics such as Mummies and skeletons; Robots; Knights and pirates; Dinosaurs and dragons; and Rockets and the moon. Dog reads books and is curious and knowledgeable. Wolf is wild and is not so smart. He relies on Dog to tell him things. The funny conversations between Wolf and Dog are interspersed with fact-filled information sections, quizzes, rhymes, and craft activities to try. Quirky full-page, full-color illustrations and speech bubbles complement the text in this chapter book for inquisitive independent readers. mjw

Title: What Dog Knows Author: Sylvia Vanden Heede Illustrator: Marije Tolman Publisher: Gecko Press.  Wellington, New Zealand Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Dutch Translator: Bill Nagelkerke Original Title: Hond weet alles en wolf niets Original Publisher: Uitgeverij Lannoo nv. Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-1-776570-37-9 Paperback pages: 124 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture Book, Fiction/nonfiction mix, Information Book Author’s ethnicity: Flemish Author’s residence: Belgium Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born in the Netherlands Illustrator’s residence: The Netherlands Awards: 2015 Dutch Flag & Pennant Award Subjects: Dinosaurs, Dogs, Dragons, Knights, Moon, Mummies, Pirates, Robots, Rockets, Skeletons, Wolves