Author Archives: omnilibros

Out And About: A First Book Of Poems

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Eighteen simple poems tell about young Katie and her baby brother, Olly, experiencing the weather and the seasons. They go “out and about” in shiny boots and “slither and slide” in the mud in spring. Throughout summer and fall, they build sand castles and harvest fruits, nuts, and berries. In winter, they hope for a Christmas surprise. Exuberant, realistic pen and watercolor paintings highlight people and their activities in each season. The poetry is fresh and filled with beautiful language. mjw

Title: Out And About: A First Book Of Poems Author: Shirley Hughes Illustrator: Shirley Hughes Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 1988 ISBN: 978-0-7636-7644-5 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 2-7 Genre: Poetry Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London Awards: Author has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice. 2010 shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. 1984 Eleanor Farjeon Award Subjects: Brothers and sisters, Children’s poetry, Outdoor life, Seasons

Sidewalk Flowers

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A young girl, dressed in a red hoodie, and her father walk home from the grocery store through the busy city streets of their black-and-white world in this tender wordless picture book. The digitally edited pen-and-ink and watercolor graphic novel style panels show what the girl sees – colorful weeds and wildflowers sprouting through the cracks in the sidewalks. She gathers these sidewalk flowers. Her father talks on his cellphone and doesn’t even notice. She silently gives dandelions and daffodils to a dead bird lying on the walk, lilacs to a man asleep on a bench, and at home, daisies to her mother and her two younger siblings. Slowly, her world blooms and becomes bright with color. Varying perspectives in the illustrations call attention to the child’s sense of wonder, the power of observation, and the appreciation of natural things that often go unnoticed in our busy world. mjw

Title: Sidewalk Flowers Author: JonArno Lawson Illustrator: Sydney Smith Publisher: Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Books.  Toronto Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-55498-4312 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Wordless picture book Book setting: Toronto Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Toronto, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Toronto, Canada Awards: Author is a four-time winner of The Lion and The Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Children’s Poetry. Smith has won the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award. Subjects: Cities, Fathers, Flowers, Kindness, Environment, Natural world, Parents, Stories without words, Urban

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To School. . .

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A young boy offers wild excuses to his teacher for why he is late for school. First, giant ants stole his breakfast. Then, there were evil ninjas, an ape who mistook his school bus for a banana, a red-coated girl looking for her grandmother’s house in the woods, Bigfoot, scary majorettes, the Pied Piper, and more. He actually makes it to school on time, but then realizes that he forgot his backpack. The imaginative cartoon illustrations are full of laugh-out-loud details. This parable is written in the same style as I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . also by Cali and Chaud. mjw

Title: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To School. . . Author: Davide Cali Illustrator: Benjamin Chaud Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4521-3168-9 Hardcover pages: 44 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Swiss Author’s residence: Paris, France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: Die, France Subjects: Excuses, Humor, Imagination, Tardiness, Teachers

Waffle Hearts: Lena and Me in Mathildewick Cove

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Nine-year-olds Trille and Lena live in the wonderful fjord-side village of Mathildewick Cove in Norway. They have crazy adventures and learn about love, friendship, loss, and loyalty. Lena is feisty and fearless and lives with her mum. Trille, the narrator, is sensitive and sensible and lives with his parents, three siblings, and Grandpa. One delightful escapade is when Lena and Trille create Noah’s “shark” on Uncle Tor’s fishing boat with a load of village animals. Another involves placing an ad for a dad for Lena in the local General Store window and getting a puppy instead. And of course, Auntie Granny makes the best waffles in the world! Silhouette illustrations grace the cover and the start of each of twenty short chapters. There is a smattering of Norwegian culture, which is interesting and lovely. Written in true Scandinavian style, this book is perfect for fans of Pippi Longstocking. It has also been made into a popular television series in Norway.  A U.S. edition, Adventures With Waffles, was published in 2015, by Candlewick.  mjw

Title: Waffle Hearts: Lena and Me in Mathildewick Cove Author: Maria Parr Illustrator: Kate Forrester Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, London Copyright: 2013 Original Language: Norwegian Translator: Guy Puzey Original Title: Vaffelhjarte Original Publisher: Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo Original Copyright: 2005 ISBN: 978-1-4063-4136-2 Hardcover pages: 240 Age range: 9-11 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Norway Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian Author’s residence: Norway Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Brighton, England Translator’s ethnicity: Scotch Translator’s residence: Scotland Awards: 2015 Marsh Translation Award shortlist, 2010 Prix Sorcieres (French), 2009 Brage Prize (Norwegian), 2008 Zilveren Griffel (Dutch) Subjects: Best friends, Grandparents, Single parents, Waffles

This Is The World: A Global Treasury

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Collected for the first time in one volume, this compilation of abridged versions of Sasek’s popular children’s travel books will take young readers on a breezy tour to New York, Paris, Greece, London, Australia, Texas, Munich, Rome, Britain, Hong Kong, Israel, San Francisco, Edinburgh, Venice, Washington DC, and Ireland. Art, architecture, food, music, and traditions of the world’s greatest destinations are explored through whimsical watercolor paintings and concise playful text. The first This Is . . . book, This Is Paris, was published in 1958 and launched the series of now-classic geographical picture books. A page of updated facts is included. mjw

Title: This Is The World: A Global Treasury  Author: Miroslav Sasek (1916-1980) Illustrator: Miroslav Sasek Publisher: Universe Publishing, a division of Rizzoli International, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Publisher: W.H. Allen in the UK, Macmillan, and Simon and Schuster Original Copyright: 1959, 1960,1961,1962,1964,1965,1966,1969,1970,1974 ISBN: 978-0-8478-4396-1 Hardcover pages: 234 Age range: 10 up Genre: Picture book Book setting: New York, Ireland, Britain, London, Edinburgh, Paris, Munich, Rome, Venice, Greece, Israel, Hong Kong, Australia, San Francisco, Texas, Washington DC Author’s ethnicity: Czech Illustrator’s ethnicity: Czech Subjects: Capitals, Cities, Countries, International, States, Travelogue, World

The Tightrope Walkers

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This moving and powerful coming-of-age novel set in the 1960s in downtrodden Tyneside in northern England tells the story of Dominic and Holly from ages five to seventeen. Dom comes from a long line of shipyard workers and is destined to work at the yard if he does not succeed in school. Lovely Holly, the eccentric artist next door, is the daughter of a draughtsman at the yard. Dom is creative, good with words, and has the potential to go to college and escape from a dangerous, dead-end job building ships, but he is tempted away from Holly and school by the wild and wreckless local bad-boy Vincent. As Holly and Dom grow, they walk a homemade tightrope, literally and figuratively, trying to find their balance. Together, they break the bonds that have held their previous generations hostage and find peace and love. Spare poetry, lush descriptions, and Geordie dialect enrich the text. The book was published in the UK as an adult title, but the strong characters, themes, and sense of place will appeal to teens. mjw

Title: The Tightrope Walkers Author: David Almond Publisher: Candlewick Press.  Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Viking, published for adults Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-7636-7310-9 Hardcover pages: 336 Age range: 14 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Newcastle, England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England  Awards: 2013 Eleanor Farjeon Award, 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award Subjects: Coming-of-age, Dreams, England, Life choices, Love, Manhood, Shipbuilding, Tyneside, Young men, Violence

Anton and Piranha

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Anton is looking forward to his summer vacation with his grandparents, until they reach the campsite and discover there is no pool. There is just a dark, murky lake filled with disgusting sludge. He is deeply disappointed and cannot understand why the other kids are happy to dive bomb (Caramba!) and swim in it all day long. He goes fishing with his grandfather and discovers a friend – a fish he names Piranha. The humor in this funny, quirky tale about eccentric and witty Anton is universal. Amusing black and white illustrations supplement the text. There is a frog on the corners of the pages, which appears animated if you flick through them quickly. mjw

Title: Anton and Piranha Author: Milena Baisch Illustrator: Elle Kusche Publisher: Andersen Press, London Copyright: 2013 Original Language: German Translator: Chantal Wright Original Title: Anton Taucht Ab Original Publisher: Beltz and Celberg Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-184-939-6196 Paperback pages: 99 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Translator’s ethnicity: English Translator’s residence: England Awards: 2011 German Youth Literature Prize, 2015 Marsh Award for Translation shortlist Subjects: Camping, Fish, Grandparents, Piranhas, Vacations

Alice In Wonderland

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Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice and enter her dream world of Wonderland, where fantasy reigns and the rules of reality disappear. The unforgettable cast of characters – the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and the Caterpillar – are gloriously brought to life. Originally released in 1865, Alice has become a timeless classic. This oversized edition features bold text and explosive illustrations that dramatically capture Lewis Carroll’s magic and poetry. The artist, Manuela Adreani, has also illustrated Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, and Pinocchio. mjw

Title: Alice In Wonderland Author: Lewis Carroll ( 1832-1898)  Text adapted by Giada Francia. Illustrator: Manuela Adreani Publisher: White Star Publishers Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 1865 ISBN: 978-88-544-0820-3 Hardcover pages: 80 Age range: 6 up Genre: Fantasy, Illustrated book Author’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian Illustrator’s residence: Italy Subjects: Adventure, Fantasy, Nonsense

A Tale Of Two Beasts

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The same tale is told twice – once from the perspective of a girl who finds a little creature that she names Fang, in the deep, dark woods, and the second time, from the perspective of Fang. In Part One: The Strange Beast, the little girl, in a red beret, finds the strange beast, takes it home, feeds it, shows it off to her friends, and gives it a hat. In Part Two: The Terrible Beast, the beast (a wolf?) tells the scary story of being ambushed, force-fed nuts, and shown off to a herd of even wilder and more terrible beasts. The stories are carefully connected and can only be understood when seen from both characters’ perspectives. The colorful illustrations vary slightly from one version of the tale to the next and are cleverly crafted. mjw

Title: A Tale Of Two Beasts Author: Fiona Roberton Illustrator: Fiona Roberton Publisher: Kane Miller. EDC Publishing Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books, London Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-1-61067-371-7 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London Subjects: Feelings, Friendship, Multiple perspectives, Pets, Point of view, Wild animals as pets, Wolves

Detective Gordon: The First Case

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Squirrel’s precious nuts are being stolen and chief of police and chief of the forest, Detective Gordon (a very fat toad), is on the case, but he is not good at climbing trees or scouting out spiders. He would rather stay indoors eating chocolate cakes, drinking tea, stamping important papers, and philosophizing by a warm fire. He hires a small, fast, and clever young mouse named Buffy to be his assistant. Together they brilliantly solve the case. First in the Detective Gordon series, this sweet, full-color illustrated chapter book is a perfect read-aloud. An intricate Map of Detective Gordon’s Police District is included. mjw

Title: Detective Gordon: The First Case Author: Ulf Nilsson Illustrator: Gitte Spee Publisher: Gecko Press, New Zealand Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Julia Marshall Original Title: Kommissarie Gordon: Det forsta fallet Original Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen, Stockholm, Sweden Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-927271-49-0 Hardcover pages: 96 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Fiction, Chapter book Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Sweden Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indonesian Illustrator’s residence: Amsterdam, the Netherlands Subjects: Crime, Detectives, Mice, Mystery, Theft, Squirrels, Toads

Madeline’s 75th Anniversary Edition

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“In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines…the smallest one was Madeline.” Madeline is also the feistiest and the only redhead. She isn’t afraid of mice, she scoffs at the tiger in the zoo, and she flaunts her appendix scar. Bemelmans’ watercolor and ink illustrations of the Paris Opera, Notre Dame in the rain, and the Tuileries Gardens have become famous. The cheerful humor, charming art, and melodic text have made Madeline a favorite for generations of children. This 75th Anniversary Edition is slip cased and includes a full-color panoramic pop-up spread of Paris. Madeline inspired many sequels, as well as television, movies, and toys. mjw

Title: Madeline’s 75th Anniversary Edition Author: Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) Illustrator: Ludwig Bemelmans Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Simon and Schuster Original Copyright: 1939 ISBN: 978-0-670-78540-7 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Paris Author’s ethnicity: Austria-Hungary born Author’s residence: New York and Paris Illustrator’s ethnicity: Austria-Hungary born Illustrator’s residence: New York and Paris Awards: 1940 Caldecott Honor Subjects: France, Girls, Paris, Rhyme, Sick

Deep Sea

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Almost four years ago, Stephie, now nearly sixteen, and her eleven-year-old sister Nellie, were sent from Nazi-occupied Vienna to Sweden by their parents. She lives in the city on the mainland and attends school. Nellie lives on a remote island in the Goteborg archipelago with her foster parents. Stephie worries about her education, her sister, her faith, and her parents, who are in a concentration camp in Austria. Smoothly integrated into this delicate coming of age story are details about how neutral Sweden was affected by the war. The present tense, third-person narration gives the novel an unusual impact. This is the third installment in a quartet of books about Stephie’s experiences as a Jewish refugee in Sweden during World War II. The first, Faraway Island, won the 2010 Batchelder Award. The second, The Lily Pond, was a Batchelder Honor Book in 2012. mjw

Title: Deep Sea Author: Annika Thor Publisher: Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Press, New York Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Linda Schenk Original Title: Havets djup Original Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen, Stockholm Original Copyright: 1998 ISBN: 978-0-385-74385-3 Hardcover pages: 229 Age range: 12-16 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Sweden Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Stockholm, Sweden Awards: Author has won the Deutsche Jugendliteraturpries Subjects: Jews, Refugees, Sisters, Sweden, World War II