Author Archives: omnilibros

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About omnilibros

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

Once Upon An Alphabet: Short Stories For All The Letters

once upon an alphabetThere is a unique story for every letter of the alphabet in this clever large-format book. A is about an astronaut named Edmund who has a fear of heights. B’s story is about battling Bernard and Bob who burned the bridge between them and learned an important lesson. E’s enigma asks how many elephants can you fit inside an envelope? A nun reveals the answer in N – nearly nine thousand, but it depends on the size of the envelope. Edmund the astronaut appears again in Z for zeppelin, where he drives a steady four feet from the ground. Offbeat wordplay and quirky drawings created with ink and spots of color added digitally enrich this sophisticated alphabet book. mjw
Title: Once Upon An Alphabet: Short Stories For All The Letters
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Illustrator
: Oliver Jeffers
Publisher
: Philomel Books
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: English 
Original Publisher
: Harper Collins, U.K.
Original Copyright
: 2014
ISBN
: 978-0-399-16791-1
Hardcover pages
: 112
Age range
: 5-12
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Born in Australia.  Bred in Belfast, Ireland
Author’s residence
: Brooklyn, U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Born In Australia.  Bred in Belfast, Ireland
Illustrator’s residence
: Brooklyn, U.S.
Awards
: 2015 CBI Book of the Year Award and Children’s Choice Award (Ireland), 2015 ALA Notable Books for Children
Subjects
: Alliteration, Alphabet, Letters, Short stories

Danny

DannyIn this quirky cautionary tale, Danny, the pot-bellied, two-toothed hippopotamus, is having his teeth cleaned by the “cleaner fish” who comment about the large gap between his teeth. He assumes he has a lisp and consults lisping snakes who say that he “sthpeaks thrangely.” Danny doesn’t realize that snakes aren’t good for giving such advice. He goes to a lanky dentist in the city, gets braces, and a brand new lisp. He recommends the procedure to his crocodile friend, who visits the dentist, accidentally devours him, and takes his job. The crocodile becomes a well-established dentist, though some of his patients disappear, and Danny is the “happieth hippopotamuth on earth.” The bold black-line drawings are filled with detail and bright colors, especially yellow, green, and brown. mjw
Title: Danny
Author: Yann and Gwendal Le Bec
Illustrator
: Yann and Gwendal Le Bec
Publisher
: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Ltd., London
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-909263-42-0
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: French
Illustrator’s residence
: France
Subjects
: Crocodiles, Dentists, Hippopotamus, Lisp, Self-doubt, Teeth

A Moment Comes

a moment comesSet preceding the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan, this story of turmoil and politics is told from the alternating points of view of three very different narrators. Margaret is a privileged British girl, living in India because her father is one of the cartographers finalizing the borders that will divide the country into two separate religious states. She is spoiled and finds India hot, loud, and dangerous, but is enthralled by the culture. Anupreet, a beautiful Sikh girl, once confined to her home to protect her from violent angry men, is employed as a maid for Margaret’s family, where her family believes she will be safe. Eighteen-year-old Tariq, a Muslim, hired as a translator for Margaret’s father, is caught between his forbidden interest in Anupreet and Margaret, who might be able to help with his goal of studying at Oxford. It is a dark and violent time, when no one is safe. Ultimately, 10 to 14 million people in India relocated and over one million died as a result. The time of Partition is underexplored in Western literature, especially in young adult historical fiction. A Glossary defines words used in the book and also mentions places and foods.   An Author’s Note offers even more information and details Bradbury’s connection to India. mjw
Title: A Moment Comes
Author: Jennifer Bradbury
Publisher
: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster, New York
Copyright
: 2013
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-4169-7876-3
Hardcover pages
: 288
Age range
: 12 up
Genre
: Historical fiction
Book setting
: Jalandhar, India
Author’s ethnicity
: U.S.
Author’s residence
: U.S.  Author has lived in India.
Awards: 2014 South Asia Book Award
Subjects
: Culture, Household employees, India, Muslims, Pakistan, Partition 1947, Punjabi, Radcliffe Line, Sikhs, Tolerance

The Hijab Boutique

Hijab BoutiqueFifth-grader Farah attends Miss Peabody’s Academy, an exclusive art-centered girls’ school. Her assignment is to talk about her mother for “International Women’s Day” in front of the whole class, but her hijab-wearing, modest, widowed mother is boring, compared to her classmates’ mothers. She worries and even feels guilty until she talks to her mom and discovers a lot about her mom’s past, present, and future. Her mom is planning to open “The Hijab Boutique,” a store selling Muslim headscarves. This first-person perspective of what it is like being of a different religion and culture in the United States educates and fosters understanding about hijab wearing. Black and white pencil drawings give a sense of Farah’s classmates, her home, and hijab fashions in this quick read. mjw
Title: The Hijab Boutique
Author: Michelle Khan
Illustrator
: Eman Salem
Publisher
: The Islamic Foundation, United Kingdom
Copyright
: 2011
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-86037-468-8
Paperback pages
: 56
Age range
: 10-12
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Los Angeles, U.S.
Author’s ethnicity
: Indo-Canadian
Author’s residence
: Toronto
Subjects
: Hijab, International Women’s Day, Islam, Mothers and daughters, Muslim women, Purdah, School

Shackleton’s Journey

Shackleton's JourneyThis large-format picture book tells of the rewards and trials of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 landmark expedition across Antarctica on the “Endurance.” The very detailed story includes the names of the dogs and all the crew, and quotations from crew members. Inventories of supplies, maps, and plans of the anatomy of the ship help to communicate this extraordinary journey. The unique, meticulous colored-pencil drawings in mostly blacks, blues, and browns evoke the adventure and excitement of the expedition. The ample use of white captures the snow and ice of the polar region. Included are a Table of Contents, and a Glossary of bolded words that appear in the text, such as crow’s nest, glacier, and sledge. mjw
Title: Shackleton’s Journey
Author: William Grill
Illustrator
: William Grill
Publisher
: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Ltd., London, New York
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-909263-10-9
Hardcover pages
: 80
Age range
: 7-11
Genre
: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information
Book setting
: Antarctica
Author’s ethnicity
: English
Author’s residence
: London
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s residence
: London
Awards
: 2015 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, AOI Illustration New Talent Award Winner, 2014 NY Times Best illustrated Children’s Book Award, 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Book,  Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2014.
Subjects
: Antarctica; Biography; Exploration and discovery; Explorers; Polar regions; Shackleton, Ernest Henry, Sir (1874-1922); Ships

Written In The Stars

Written in the StarsPakistani-American Naila is a graduating senior at her high school in Florida. She has a college scholarship to become a medical student and she is in love with a wonderful boy named Saif. She has to keep Saif a secret from her conservative immigrant parents. They want what they think is best for her and the choosing of her husband is left up to them with no input from her. But they do find out and they are furious. They whisk her off to Pakistan to find her roots and a husband. Naila has to endure so much – terror, anguish, and loneliness. Everything she knew, loved, and dreamed was taken from her. She is drugged, threatened with shame and death, and coerced into an unwanted, forced marriage. Naila’s first person account of the Pakistan world – huge families, marketplaces, homes, buses, and cuisine – add an extra dimension to this heart-wrenching, but ultimately hopeful novel. A touching Author’s Note explains the difference between arranged and forced marriages and that forced marriages can happen in any country, culture, or religion. Though they are opposed everywhere, they are real and dangerous. Also included are a Glossary and Resources for advice and help. mjw

Title: Written In The Stars
Author: Aisha Saeed
Publisher
: Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, New York
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-399-17170-3
Hardcover pages
: 284
Age range
: 14 up
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Pakistan and Florida
Author’s ethnicity
: Pakistani-American
Author’s residence
: U.S.
Subjects
: Arranged marriages, Dating, Forced marriages, Love stories, Marriage, Pakistani-Americans, Relationships.

Anything Is Possible

anything is possibleWhen Sheep sees birds flying overhead, she wants to build a flying machine so that she can fly, too. She runs to Wolf to ask for his help, but he is skeptical. Together they build their first design. Its fabric wings rip mid-flight. They try balloons, but the birds pop them. Their final winning idea involves a dragon’s head and tail. And they are off – soaring. The dragon has scared away the birds. The paper cutout, ink, and pencil collage illustrations are intriguing, with architectural drawings, mathematical scribbles, and interesting perspectives. mjw
Title: Anything Is Possible
Author: Giulia Belloni
Illustrator
: Marco Trevisan
Publisher
: Owlkids Books, Inc.  Toronto
Copyright
: 2011
Original Language
: Italian
Translator
: William Anselmi
Original Title
: Tutte e possibile
Original Publisher
: Kite Edizioni, Padova, Italy
Original Copyright
: 2011
ISBN
: 978-1-926973-91-3
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-7
Genre
: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity
: Italian
Author’s residence
: Italy
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Italian
Illustrator’s residence
: Italy
Subjects
: Dreams, Flying machines, Perseverance, Persistence, Sheep, Teamwork, Wolves

Red

redA little girl says to Tommy, “You’re blushing…” She points at him and winks at Paul, the biggest bully. The classmates laugh, jeer, and whisper. “Leave me alone!” Tommy sighs. The teasing on the school playground spirals. The bully’s “tongue is as sharp as a knife” and his “fist is as hard as a brick.” The teacher finds out what is going on, but no one dares to speak. Luckily, the little girl is finally brave enough to raise her hand and halt the vicious game. When the bully confronts her later, the other children rally to her side. They have become wiser. Everyone is sometimes shy and bullying is not funny. Pencil, charcoal, ink, aquarelle, acrylic, and collage cartoon illustrations produce an aggressive back and red effect in this subtle, yet powerful book written from the viewpoint of a spectator. mjw
Title: Red
Author: Jan De Kinder
Illustrator
: Jan De Kinder
Publisher
: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan.  U.S.
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: Dutch
Translator
: Laura Watkinson
Original Title
: Rood, of Waarom Pesten Niet Grappig Is (Red, Or Why Bullying Is Not Funny)
Original Publisher
: Uitgeverij De Eenhoorn bvba, Belgium
Original Copyright
: 2013
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5446-9
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Born in Dendermonde, Belgium
Author’s residence
: Belgium
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Born in Dendermonde. Belgium
Illustrator’s residence
: Belgium
Awards
: Nominated for the Child and Youth Jury 2014-2015 (Belgium_
Subjects
: Blushing, Bullying, Conduct of life, Difference, Peer pressure, Prejudice, School

Walking Home

Walking HomeThirteen-year-old Muchoki and his seven-year-old sister Jata lived, attended school, and played in their bustling Kenyan village until political violence broke out in 2007. Their father was killed, their village was destroyed, and they were forced to move into an overcrowded refugee camp with their ailing mother. When their mother died, they set off on what seemed like an impossible journey over 150 kilometers of Kenyan wilderness and slums to find their grandparents they had never met. It was a dangerous journey for the loveable and brave siblings. Tribal fighting, wild animals, and finding food and shelter were some of the obstacles they faced. The interesting overview of the cultural, political, and geographical landscape of Kenya in this story is filled with determination, charity, and faith. The author walked the same route himself from Mara, up the Rift Valley, down to Nairobi, through Kibera, along the Mombasa highway, to the mountains of Kikima. The author’s website www.ericwalterswalkinghome.com brings Jata and Muchoki’s trek alive. There are symbols throughout the book indicating when readers might want to access the site’s special features, such as pictures, maps, videos, songs, and readings. Proceeds from the book go to the Creation of Hope, an organization that helps provide for orphans in Kenya. mjw
Title: Walking Home
Author: Eric Walters
Publisher
: Doubleday Canada
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0385-68157-5
Paperback pages
: 304
Age range
: 10 up
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Kenya
Author’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Author’s residence
: Ontario, Canada
Awards
: 2013 Children’s Africana Book Award
Subjects
: Brothers and sisters, Kenya, Nairobi, Orphans, Political violence, Refugees, Survival

Little Lamb, Have You Any Wool?

Little Lamb have you any woolA rosy-cheeked little boy asks a lamb if he can use its wool to knit himself a sweater, a handsome hat, a long scarf, mittens, socks, and a coat to keep him from shivering in the winter. But then, he worries if the lamb will be cold, shorn of his wool and not protected from the cold. So the boy knits another set of clothes for the lamb. Together, in their warm woolly clothes, they enjoy a now-cozy wintertime. The abstract illustrations done in an unusual color palette of greens and earthy tones, with lots of curly lines, convey the warm message of friendship. This is a non-rhyming adaptation of the classic Baa Baa Black Sheep nursery rhyme. mjw
Title: Little Lamb, Have You Any Wool?
Author: Isabel Minhos Martins
Illustrator
: Yara Kono
Publisher
: Owlkids Books, Inc.  Toronto, Canada
Copyright
: 2011
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Maureen de Sousa
Original Title
: Ovejita, dame lana
Original Publisher
: Kalandraka Ediciones Andalucia
Original Copyright
: 2010
ISBN
: 978-1-926973-14-2
Hardcover pages
: 28
Age range
: 3-6
Genre
: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity
: Portuguese
Author’s residence
: Lisbon, Portugal
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Brazilian 
Illustrator’s residence
: Lisbon, Portugal
Subjects
: Cooperation, KIndness, Knitting, Lambs, Sheep, Winter, Wool

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

Chitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang Bang is the story of “crackpot” Commander Caractacus Pot, his wife Mimsie, their twins Jeremy and Jemima, and their magical flying car. A first drive in their new car, with license plates Gen II (genii), takes them to Dover Beach for a picnic, Goodwin Sands in the English Channel, and eventually Calais on the French coast. There, they explore a deep cave, which turns out to be an ammunition dump used by Joe the Monster and his criminal gang. Jeremy and Jemima get kidnapped and a famous Paris chocolate shop is almost robbed, but all turns out well. And a recipe for Monsieur Bon Bon’s Secret Fooj (fudge) is included. Filled with humor, hi-jinks, and even some scientific information, the action-packed fantasy is complete with the original Burningham artwork, which is a beautiful combination of photography and illustration. This timeless story has been reinvented as a musical (2002), a film with a screenplay co-written by Roald Dahl (1968), and has inspired three sequels written by Frank Cottrell Boyce. This is the 50th anniversary full-color gift edition.mjw
Title: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Author: Ian Fleming (1908-1964)
Illustrator
: John Burningham
Publisher
: Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: English
Original Copyright
: 1964
ISBN
: 978-0-7636-6678-1
Hardcover pages
: 176
Age range
: 8-12
Genre
: Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting
: England, France
Author’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s residence
: North London
Awards
: Illustrator has won the Kate Greenaway Medal, 1963,1970: UK Nominee for Hans Christian Andersen Award, 1980,1986
Subjects
: Action. Adventure, Gangsters, Humor, Magic, Transportation

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

Boy who harnessed the windFourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s village in Malawi was hit by a drought in 2001 and 2002. Everyone’s crops failed and Malawi began to starve. William went to the community library, studied old science textbooks, and taught himself English so that he could build a windmill. Those around him thought he was crazy as he turned junkyard scraps into a working windmill that brought electricity to his home and water to his village. The stunning oil paint and cut paper illustrations, which are inspired by African artisan paintings, inform and entertain in this uplifting and inspiring true story about a family banding together to overcome adversity and a young boy becoming a man of science. An author’s note provides a photograph and more information on Kamkwamba’s “Green Machine.” He is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and hopes to return to Malawi to work on renewable energy. This is the picture book edition of the original adult book and the 2015 middle grade edition of the same title. mjw
Title: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Author: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Illustrator
: Elizabeth Zunon
Publisher
: Dial Books for Young Readers, New York
Copyright
: 2012
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-8037-3511-8
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 6-8
Genre
: Picture book, Biography
Book setting
: Malawi, Africa
Author’s ethnicity
: Malawi born
Author’s residence
: U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Grew up on the Ivory Coast
Illustrator’s residence
: U.S.
Awards
: 2013 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, 2013 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books
Subjects
: Ecology, Electric power production, English language learning, Famine, Hunger, Irrigation, Libraries, Mechanical engineers, Recycling, Self-empowerment, Windmills