![]() In this sequel to the OmniLibros post Waffle Hearts (Adventures With Waffles in the U.S.), Trille and Lena are growing up in Mathildewick Cove in Norway, where they have another year of adventures. They hoist Trille’s little sister up a flagpole, sail into a fjord on a flimsy raft, and go caroling during a hurricane. Trille becomes interested in a new girl in town and Lena plays soccer and takes music lessons. There is a smattering of Norwegian culture, which is interesting and lovely. mjw |
Title: Lena, The Sea, And Me Author: Maria Parr Illustrator: Lara Paulussen Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2020 Original Language: Norwegian Translator: Guy Puzey Original Title: Keeperen og havet Original Publisher: Det Norske Samlaget. Oslo, Norway Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-5562-0772-9 Hardcover pages: 304 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Fiction, Novel Book setting: Norway Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian Author’s residence: Norway Subjects: Best friends, Family life, Grandparents |
Category Archives: Uncategorized
When The Sakura Bloom
![]() In winter, people “hustle, bustle; hurry, dash” to work and to school. Little by little the days get longer and warmer. In spring, the Sakura (Japanese cherry) trees begin to bloom. Birds visit the brand new cherry blossoms. The people realize that something is different. They pause. The Sakura blossoms make them happy and everyone enjoys the Sakura Festival. The delicate illustrations perfectly complement the message of the importance of slowing down to appreciate the moment. mjw |
Title: When The Sakura Bloom Author: Narisa Togo Illustrator: Narisa Togo Publisher: Berbay Publishing, Australia Copyright: 2022 Original Language: Japanese Translator: Michael Sedunary Original Title: Sakura Ga Sakura Original Publisher: Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers, Inc. Tokyo, Japan Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-6489-5331-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Japan Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Japan Subjects: Cherry blossoms, City life, Festivals, Sakura, Spring, Trees |
I Hate Borsch!
![]() A young girl living in Ukraine hates the red, thick, disgusting beet and vegetable soup known as borsch. But all Ukrainians are supposed to love it. Even the grandmothers of Kiev cannot get her to change her mind about it. When she immigrates to the U.S., she finds that she doesn’t like American food, especially the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, flat and shiny square cheese, and the mysterious pumpkin spice latte. She then finds borsch recipes hidden in her suitcase and she is transported back home. She makes the soup and invites everyone to eat her borsch. Illustrations created with acrylic, pencils, and digital collage, with splashes of borsch-bright red add to the fun in this story of rejecting and then embracing one’s culture. An author’s note and a recipe for borsch are included. mjw |
Title: I Hate Borsch! Author: Yevgenia Nayberg Illustrator: Yevgenia Nayberg Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2022 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-8028-5580-0 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Ukraine and U.S. Author’s ethnicity: Ukrainian Author’s residence: New York Illustrator’s ethnicity: Ukrainian Illustrator’s residence: New York Subjects: Cultures, Eastern Europe, Emigration, Food, Heritage, Immigration, Picky eaters, Soup, Recipes, Sunflowers, Vegetables |
Dulcinea In The Forbidden Forest
![]() It’s Dulcinea’s birthday and her father is making her pancakes with blueberries and whipped cream. However, they forgot to buy blueberries at the market. Dulcinea’s loving father knows that blueberries grow in the forbidden forest – the forest that he told Dulcinea to never go into because a witch, who is a hideous singer, lives in a castle there. He decides that nothing could happen to him in the forest, but then the witch sees him and turn s him into a tree. Dulcinea braves the dark forest, sneaks into the castle, finds the witch’s book of spells, and frees her father. The short chapters in this easy-to-read book are just right for young readers. The funny, inky black-outlined illustrations and the orange and brown palette perfectly enhance this hilarious, contemporary fairytale. mjw |
Title: Dulcinea In The Forbidden Forest Author: Ole Konnecke Illustrator: Ole Konnecke Publisher: Gecko Press. New Zealand Copyright: 2021 Original Language: German Translator: Shelley Tanaka Original Title: Dulcinea im Zauberwald Original Publisher: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH and Co. Munich Original Copyright: 2021 ISBN: 978-1-776573-95-0 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Fairytale, Fiction Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany Subjects: Birthdays, Fathers, Humor, Witches |
A Kind Of Spark
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Title: A Kind Of Spark Author: Elle McNicoll Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-593-37425-2 Hardcover pages: 192 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction, Novel Book setting: Scotland Author’s ethnicity: Scottish Author’s residence: London Awards: 2022 ALA Schneider Family Book Award – Middle Grade Honor Subjects: Autism, Bullies, Disabilities, Neurodivergency, Sharks, Teachers, Witch trials |
Red Stars: The Case Of Viktor And Nadya’s Notebooks
![]() Diary entries, maps, drawings, and historical photos tell this story of Viktor and Nadya, twelve-year-old twins who were evacuated from Leningrad when Hitler declared war on the Soviet Union. They were separated when they were put on trains that were meant to take them to safety. The story is told in three voices, alternating between Viktor (printed in red), Nadya (printed in dark blue), and an offstage voice of a Soviet Secret Police officer. His handwritten comments are written in the margins. Viktor’s train makes it to Moscow, where he is expected to do hard labor on a kolkhoz (farm). It is rumored that Nadya’s train was bombed with no survivors. Viktor doesn’t believe this and sets off through cold and harsh conditions to find Nadya. They eventually find each other and unravel a mystery of treason and betrayal at the highest level of Soviet leadership. mjw |
Title: Red Stars: The Case Of Viktor And Nadya’s Notebooks Author: Davide Morosinotto Illustrator: Simone Tso Publisher: Delacorte Press Copyright: 2020 Original Language: Italian Translator: Denise Muir Original Title: La Stolgorante luce di due stelle rosse Original Publisher: Mondadori, Milan Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-9848-9332-1 Hardcover pages: 432 Age range: 10-12 Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Soviet Union Author’s ethnicity: Italian Author’s residence: Italy Subjects: European historical fiction, Evacuation, Germany, Hitler, Leningrad, MIlitary fictioon, Siblings, Trains, World War II |
The Crow And The Peacock
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Title: The Crow And The Peacock Author: Jo Fernihough Illustrator: Jo Fernihough Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2021 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Oxford University Press. Oxford, England Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5568-8 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book. Fable Author’s ethnicity: British Author’s residence: Cambridge, England Illustrator’s ethnicity: British Illustrator’s residence: Cambridge, England Subjects: Birds, Fables, Happiness |
Christmas Is Coming: Traditions From Around The World
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Title: Christmas Is Coming: Traditions From Around The World Author: Monika Utnik Strugala Illustrator: Ewa Poklewska Kozietto Publisher: NorthSouth Books, New York Copyright: 2021 Original Language: Polish Translator: Antonia Lloud-Jones Original Title: Ida swieta! Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG, Zurich Original Copyright: 2019 ISBN: 978-0-7358-4443-8 Hardcover pages: 136 Age range: 7 up Genre: Information Book, Nonfiction Author’s ethnicity: Polish Author’s residence: Italy Illustrator’s ethnicity: Polish Illustrator’s residence: Poland Subjects: Celebrations, Christmas, Customs, Traditions |
The Speckled Feather
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Title: The Speckled Feather Author: Johanna Ries Illustrator: Johanna Ries Publisher: NorthSouth Books, Inc. New York Copyright: 2020 Original Language: German Translator: David Henry Wilson Original Title: Die Fleckenfeder Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG, Zurich Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-7358-4447-6 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 40 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: African savanna Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany Subjects: Birds, Elephants, Greed, Loyalty, Savanna, Theft, Vanity, Wild dogs |
Ninos: Poems For The Lost Children Of Chile
Sleep Like Me
![]() A little boy goes for a walk because he cannot go to sleep. He asks ten different animals for advice. The giraffe suggests resting his head on his back, but that doesn’t work. A bird offers, “Tuck your head under your wing,” but that doesn’t work either. A sloth, otters, sperm whales, a horse, koalas, bats, some ducks, and an albatross all give their ideas for falling asleep. Meanwhile the boy is feeling tired. He goes to bed and falls asleep. This delightful bedtime story is whimsically illustrated with acrylic and digital materials. mjw |
Title: Sleep Like Me Author: Tatia Nadareishvili Illustrator: Tatia Nadareishvili Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2021 Original Language: German Original Title: Schlaf gut Original Publisher: Baobab Books, Basel, Switzerland Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5566-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Georgian Author’s residence: Tbilisi, Georgia in Eastern Europe Illustrator’s ethnicity: Georgian Illustrator’s residence: Tbilisi, Georgia Subjects: Animals, Bedtime story, Dreams, Sleep |
Now That Night Is Near
![]() It’s bedtime and everyone is settling down to sleep. Little children are tucked into bed. The cows and calves are sleeping in the fields. The foals, piglets, rabbits, lambs, and birds are going to sleep, too. A cat wanders through the fields. He is not ready for bed until the last page of the book, where he finally curls up on the child’s bed. The hand-painted gouache, ink, watercolor pencil, pastel, and acrylic illustrations are beautiful and filled with secret animals curled up in their beds. mjw |
Title: Now That Night Is Near Author: Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) Illustrator: Marit Tornqvist Publisher: Floris Books Copyright: 2020 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Polly Lawson Original Title: Alla Ska Sova Original Publisher: Raben & Sjogren Original Copyright: 2019 ISBN: 978-178250-675-1 Hardcover pages: 24 Age range: 3-6 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Sweden Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Sweden Subjects: Bedtime story, Cats, Earth, Nature, Sleep |