Category Archives: Uncategorized

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

Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart

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Feisty fourteen-year-old Rasha is abandoned by her mother in a village far from their cosmopolitan Dhaka home, where she is forced to live with her aged and probably mad grandmother. The village has no electricity, heavy rains, and nosy neighbors. Rasha has to attend a primitive school with a bullying teacher.  She rises against her circumstances and exposes the teacher, stops a child marriage from happening, builds a boat so that she can get to school, and teaches her new school friends how to use a computer.  She even wins a science Olympiad. mjw

Title: Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart Author: Muhanned Zafar Iqbal Publisher: Puffin Books.  Penguin Random House India Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Bengali Translator: Arunava Sinha Original Title: Rashed Amar Bondhu Original Publisher: Tamralipi, Dhaka Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-780143434887 Paperback pages: 240 Age range: 12-15 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Bangladesh Author’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi Author’s residence: Bangladesh Translator’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi Translator’s residence: Bangladesh Awards: Translator has won the Crossword Prize for Translated Books.  The book is on the 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Award Shortlist Subjects: Bangladesh liberation war, Dhaka, East Pakistan, Freedom, Freedom fighters, Intergenerational

Ojiichan’s Gift

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Mayumi visits her grandfather (Ojiichan) in Japan every summer.  She helps him in his beautiful rock garden.  But one summer, everything changes.  Ojiichan has grown older and he cannot tend the garden any more.  Mayumi makes him a mini rock garden in a bento box. This is a heartwarming story about the bond of love.  The watercolor paintings are detailed and calming just like a Japanese rock garden. The Japanese words used in the story are explained in a brief glossary. mjw

Title: Ojiichan’s Gift Author: Chieri Uegaki Illustrator: Genevieve Simms Publisher: Kids Can Press. Toronto Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77138-963-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Japan Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: British Columbia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Toronto, Ontario Subjects: Asia, Gardens, Multigenerational, Rock gardens

Borka: The Adventure Of A Goose With No Feathers

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Borka is the youngest of six geese born to Mr. and Mrs. Plumpster.  She has no feathers, so Mrs. Plumpster knits a gray woolen sweater for her. The other geese tease her.  She is left behind when the family migrates south for the winter because she cannot fly.  She makes friends with a dog named Fowler and a boat skipper named Captain McAllister, who takes Borka on his boat.  He brings her to Kew Gardens in London where she fits in nicely because there are so many kinds of strange birds there.  She meets Ferdinand and he and Borka live there happily.  The bold, richly textured illustrations complement this beautiful classic.  This is the 55thanniversary edition, back by popular demand. mjw

Title: Borka: The Adventure Of A Goose With No Feathers Author: John Burningham Illustrator: John Burningham Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, MA Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Jonathan Cape, U.K. Original Copyright: 1963 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0040-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-7 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: North London, England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: North London, England Awards: 1964 Kate Greenaway Medal Subjects: Birds, Dogs, Geese, Knitting

Rain

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Haiku verses accompany 12 scenes of rain in a variety of natural settings.  Each double-page spread features one haiku and one engaging, detailed illustration, such as mountain goats on hills, puffins flying near a lighthouse, and Japanese girls walking amid falling cherry blossoms. Each scene takes place in a different kind of rain.  The book will inspire readers to write their own haiku. mjw

Title: Rain Author: Anders Holmer Illustrator: Max Klein Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2018 Original Language: Swedish Original Title: Regn Original Publisher: Natur and Kultur. Stockholm, Sweden Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-0802855077 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Poetry, Picture Book Book setting: Scenes from all over the globe Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Sweden Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Sweden Subjects: Haiku, Poetry, Rain

The Moose Of Ewenki

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The Ewenki people live in the forest of Greater Khingan, in northern China, and they live on hunting and raising reindeer. The old hunter Gree Shek hunts a mother moose by mistake. She leaves a young moose.  He feels terrible because Ewenki hunters would never hunt a female moose that was raising a baby.  The motherless baby follows Gree Shek back to the campsite where Gree Shek feeds the hungry moose.  He names it Little Moose. The moose and the man form a bond and go on adventures together.  As Little Moose grows older and bigger, Gree Shek knows he must return the moose to the forest.  Beautifully detailed paintings complement this touching story, which highlights the traditional and vanishing way of life of the Ewenki people. mjw

Title: The Moose Of Ewenki Author: Gerelchimeg Blackcrane Illustrator: Jui Er Publisher: Greystone Kids Books Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77164-538-6 Hardcover pages: 68 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Inner Mongolia Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: Hulunbuir Grassland in Mongolia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese Illustrator’s residence: Beijing, China Subjects: Asia, Caribou, Deer, Global studies, Moose, People and places, Reindeer

This Is Me, Mayil

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This is the diary of spirited sixteen-year-old Mayil Ganeshan.  She is curious and intelligent and wants to be a writer.  Also included are her rhymes and doodles.  The diary feels natural and is third in a series. mjw

Title: This Is Me, Mayil Author: Niveditha Subramaniam and Sowmya Rajendran Illustrator: Niveditha Subramaniam Publisher: Tulika Publishers.  Chennai, India Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-93-5046-996-5 Paperback pages: 124 Age range: 13 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: India Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: India Subjects: Autobiography, Diary, Humor, Rhyme, Verse, Young adult