Category Archives: Uncategorized

My Sweet Orange Tree

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Zeze, a precocious five-year-old born to a poor family in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, taught himself to read at a very young age and wants to grow up to be “a poet with a bow tie.” Zeze is a naughty child with a heart of gold.  He plays clever pranks on his neighbors and is punished severely for them by his parents. Imaginative Zeze adopts a small orange tree that grows in his yard as his magical friend.  Inspired by the author’s childhood, the book is a Brazilian classic, adopted by schools and adapted for cinema, television, and the stage. It has been translated into nineteen languages. mjw
Title: My Sweet Orange Tree
Author: Jose Mauro De Vasconcelos (1920-1984)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: Portuguese
Translator: Alison Entrekin
Original Title: Meu pe de laranja lima
Original Publisher: Editora melhoramentos Ltda, Brazil
Original Copyright: 1968
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0328-8
Hardcover pages: 272
Age range: 14-17
Genre: Autobiographical novel
Book setting: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Author’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Subjects: Abuse, Imagination, Magic, Orange trees, Poverty

A Map Into The World

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Paj Ntaub, a young Hmong girl, moves into a new home with her pregnant mother, father, and Tais Tais (grandmother). Across the street lives Bob and Ruth, a kind elderly couple who sit on their special bench. With the change of each season the family encounters changes of their own. In the summer, Paj Ntaub’s twin brothers are born. In the Fall, she notices the falling of the golden ginkgo leaves. In winter, Ruth passes away. In the Spring, Paj Ntaub watches her brothers’ growth and Bob’s mourning. She decides to use sidewalk chalk to draw a map into the world, showing aspects from the past year and allowing Bob to reflect on life’s beauty. Digital graphite, pastels, watercolor, and scanned handmade textures give each page a colorful and personal depth into Paj Ntaub’s thoughtful observations. mm
Title: A Map Into The World
Author: Kao Kalia Yang
Illustrator: Seo Kim
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-3836-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-9
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Hmong American
Author’s residence: Minnesota
Illustrator’s ethnicity: South Korean
Illustrator’s residence: Busan, South Korea and Baltimore, Maryland
Subjects: Birth, Death, Family, Hmong Culture, Nature, Seasons, Stories

Hey There, Earth Dweller!

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This quirky Earth Science book takes readers through a plethora of subjects including the big bang, the history of humankind, climate change, the galaxy, and beyond. A combination of photography and mixed media illustrations add a humorous touch to this comprehensive and engaging read. mm
Title: Hey There, Earth Dweller!
Author: Marc ter Horst
Illustrator: Wendy Panders
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division/ Aladdin/Beyond Words
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: Dutch
Translator: Laura Watkinson
Original Title: Hé aardbewoner!
Original Publisher: Uitgeverij J.H. Gottmer
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-58270-656-6
Hardcover pages: 176
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Information book
Author’s ethnicity: Dutch
Author’s residence: Nijmegen, Netherlands
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch
Illustrator’s residence: Netherlands
Subjects: Animals, Civilization, Earth, History, Humans, Nature, Plants, Space

Bounce Back: Zayd Saleem, Chasing The Dream

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This is the third in a series about Pakistani-American fourth-grade basketball player Zayd Saleem. An ankle injury leaves him on the sidelines just as he is about to become team captain of the Gold Team. He is on the bench for several weeks and worries about how he can help his team win the championship.  Meanwhile, at home, his family is preparing Pakistani wedding festivities for his uncle. Specific cultural information is smoothly integrated into this universal story.  Black and white drawings enhance the text. mjw
Title: Bounce Back: Zayd Saleem, Chasing The Dream
Author: Hena Khan
Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport
Publisher: Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-534412057
Hardcover pages: 144
Age range: 7-11
Genre: Fiction
Author’s ethnicity: Pakistani-American
Author’s residence: Rockville, Maryland. U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity: U.S.
Illustrator’s residence: U.S.
Subjects: Basketball, Family life,Leadership, Middle schools, Muslims, Urdu, Weddings

I’m An Immigrant Too!

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This book uses poetry to guide the reader though the journeys of several young people, as they immigrate from various countries around the world to Australia. Brightly colored computer graphics set the tone marvelously for this story of perseverance and hope. mm
Title: I’m An Immigrant Too!
Author: Mem Fox
Illustrator: Ronojoy Ghosh
Publisher: Beach Lane
Copyright: 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3602-2
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Australian
Author’s residence: Adelaide, Australia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian
Illustrator’s residence: Sydney, Australia
Subjects: Australia, Family, Immigrants

The Dark And The Light

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Shaggy is a furry creature who lives in darkness and who longs to visit the light. In the light lives Sparkle, who is fascinated yet fearful of the darkness. The two meet at the edge of the dark and light and soon become friends, meeting in the grey-blue inbetween.  When Shaggy visits Sparkle for the first time he brings a parasol to shield the light and when Sparkle visits him she brings a flashlight. While each is initially scared of entering the other’s world, their bond as friends helps them overcome their fears and enforces the importance of compromise. Cyanotype prints beautifully illustrate the contrast from dark to light in stunning indigos, navy blues, and brilliant whites. mm
Title: The Dark And The Light
Author: Kerstin Hau
Illustrator: Julie Völk
Publisher: NorthSouth Books
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780735843851
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Darmstadt, Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Austrian
Illustrator’s residence: Vienna, Austria
Subjects: Darkness, Friendship, Light

The Secret Of The Blue Glass

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In the library, in a house in a Tokyo suburb, live the Little People: Fern and Balbo, Robin and Iris. Just a few inches high, a beloved nanny brought them from England to the Moriyama family in Japan. Since then, each generation of the Moriyama family children take care of the Little People by filling the blue glass goblet daily with milk to feed them.  Now it is Yuri Moriyama’s turn.  When World War II comes to Japan, and the older Moriyama brother becomes a fanatic nationalist, the family is divided.  Yuri and a loyal pigeon keep the Little People safe.  This tender fantasy story is full of adventure, hardship, and cultural revelations. mjw
Title: The Secret Of The Blue Glass
Author: Tomiko Inui (1924-2002)
Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books.  London
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Japanese
Translator: Ginny Tapley Takemori
Original Title: Kokage No Ie No Kobitotachi (Yuri And The Little People)
Original Publisher: Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers.  Tokyo
Original Copyright: 1967
ISBN: 978-1-782690-34-4
Paperback pages: 192
Age range: 12-16
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting: Tokyo suburb
Author’s ethnicity: Japanese
Awards: 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Shortlist
Subjects: Asian historical fiction, Libraries, Pigeons, World War II

Marwan’s Journey

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Marwen is a young boy and refugee who flees from starvation, poverty, and war. Along with thousands of other refugees, he takes an incredible journey across the desert and away from his homeland and culture. Marwen hopes to return to his home in the future and create a place that is safe, happy, and filled with hope. Brown, black, blue, red, and yellow watercolors combine in variations to establish scenes that reflect the ups and downs of Marwen’s journey. mm
Title: Marwan’s Journey
Author: Patricia de Arias
Illustrator: Laura Borrás
Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing ltd
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-988-8341-55-9
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 5-7
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Spanish
Author’s residence: Brazil
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish
Awards: 2019 USBBY Honor List of Outstanding International Books
Subjects: Family, Hope, Refugees

Spur: A Wolf’s Story

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A young wolf named Spur, who is looking for food, is hurt when a shot comes from a helicopter that appears in the sky.  Spur’s family scatters for cover.  When the woods get quiet again, Spur finds another pack of wolves.  She tells them of the attack.  Although she misses her family, she feels grateful to the new pack. After a while, the roar of the helicopter returns.  She warns the other wolves and they hide.  Then, Spur hears a familiar wolf call.  It is her brother.  She splits from the pack and joins him.  Evocative artwork of wolves in their natural habitats enhances this empowering story. An author’s note tells more about culling wolves to protect livestock and to stabilize caribou populations, and the fact that there is evidence that killing wolves helps.  A resource list is also included. mjw
Title: Spur: A Wolf’s Story
Author: Eliza Robertson
Illustrator: Nora Aoyagi
Publisher: Greystone Kids Books
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77164-341-2
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-9
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s residence: Montreal, Canada
Illustrator’s residence: Berkeley, California
Subjects: Caribou, Nature and environment, Seasons, Wolves

Who Built That? Modern Houses

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Who Built That? Modern HousesPart-biography, part-introduction to modern homes; this book offers up an incredible amount of information about the lives and design styles of architects such as Gerrit Rietveld and Frank Lloyd Wright. Primary color pen illustrations clearly depict the materials and floor layouts of each architect’s unique design and creative voice. mm

 

Title: Who Built That? Modern Houses
Author: Didier Cornille
Illustrator: Didier Cornille
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press, New York
Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 9781616892630
Hardcover pages: 75 
Age range: 10-13
Genre: Nonfiction, Information books
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: Le Mans, France
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: Le Mans, France 
Subjects: Architecture, Color, Design, Houses

Ida And The Whale

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Ida and the whaleIda, a curious little girl, spends her days sitting in a tree house pondering existential questions. One night, she befriends a giant flying whale who takes her on an incredible journey beyond the stars. They visit many strange and wonderful places including one where everything is upside down and one where everything is still and empty. Along the way, Ida’s questions are answered and she and the whale part ways as friends. Combined mediums of watercolor, pen, and computer graphics illustrate the beautiful and philosophically situated worlds Ida and the flying whale visit on their journey. mm

Title: Ida And The Whale
Author: Rebecca Gugger
Illustrator: Simon Rothlisberger
Publisher: NorthSouth Books
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780735843417
Hardcover pages: 33 
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Swiss
Author’s residence: Thun, Switzerland
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swiss
Illustrator’s residence: Thun, Switzerland 
Subjects: Emotions, Human-animal relationships, Philosophy, Whales

 

The Second Sky

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Gilbert, a baby penguin, wants to fly in the sky like an albatross.  He practices to no avail because he has big clumsy feet and small fluffy wings.  He falls on his face, his back, and his bottom.  His uncle tells him to give it up, but Gilbert knows he will find a way to fly.  He finally spreads his wings, jumps, tumbles, and splashes into the sea.  He sinks and sees stars, moons, clouds, forests, gardens, and mountaintops.  Under the sea, he flies.  He discovers the second sky in his own element.  The watercolor and pencil illustrations are beautiful with Gilbert’s movement and action. mjw
Title: The Second Sky
Author: Patrick Guest
Illustrator: Jonathan Bentley
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0802-855206
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Australian
Author’s residence: Australia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian
Illustrator’s residence: Australia
Subjects: Determination, Flight, Penguins