Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Opposite Zoo

9780553511277_grande.jpegAt night when the Zoo is closed to people, the monkey decides to explore. He sees many animal opposites such as a hairy lion and a bald hippo or a slow sloth and a fast cheetah. The monkey explores the whole zoo but the sun is rising. He needs to make it back to his cage before the zoo keepers return in the morning. This book will entertain young readers with brightly colored animals and their contrasting characteristics and teach an introductory lesson in opposites.   amo
Title: The Opposite Zoo
Author: Il Sung Na
Illustrator
: Il Sung Na
Publisher
: Knopf
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
:978-0553-5112-7-7
Hardcover pages
: 24
Age range
: 2-5
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: South Korean
Author’s residence
: New Jersey
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: South Korean
Illustrator’s residence
: New Jersey
Subjects
: Animals, Opposites,  Zoos

Between Shades Of Gray


Between Shades Of Gray
Fifteen-year-old Lina’s life takes a drastic turn when the Soviet Secret Police force her out of her home. Lina, her mother, and her younger brother Jonas are treated like criminals and dragged onto a train to Siberia. Along the journey, Lina leaves behind hints for her father in the form of her drawings. This account of the tragedies and  horrors Lithuanians and others experienced during Stalin’s rule in Word War II is filled with hope, love, and compassion. Readers can look forward to the upcoming movie adaptation of the novel called Ashes In The Snow.  ema

 

 

 

 

Title: Between Shades Of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2012
Original Language
: English
Original Copyright:  2011
ISBN
: 978-0-14-242059-1
Paperback pages: 384
Age range
: 14 up
Genre
: Historical Fiction
Book setting
: Lithuania and Siberia
Author’s ethnicity
: American
Author’s residence: Tennessee
Awards: 2011 Prix-RTL LIRE Award for Best Novel for Young People, 2012 Golden Kite Award, An ALA Notable, A Carnegie Medal Nominee, and A New York Times Notable
Subjects
: Drawings, Letters, Lithuania, Paintings, Prison Camps, Siberia, Soviet Union, World War II

Night Guard

Night GuardVarious family members, particularly a young child, explore friendship, fear, love, loneliness, and the world around them in this sensitive poetry collection. The surrealistic illustrations are striking and haunting. They interact with the words, but do not say the same thing. Readers will ponder, be soothed, and smile, when they peruse this book. mjw
Title: Night Guard
Author: Synne Lea
Illustrator
: Stian Hole
Publisher
: Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: Norwegian
Translator
: John Irons
Original Title
: Nattevakt
Original Publisher
: Cappelen Damm. Oslo, Norway
Original Copyright
: 2013
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5458-2
Hardcover pages
: 82
Age range
: 9 up
Genre
: Illustrated poetry
Author’s ethnicity
: Norwegian
Author’s residence
: Norway
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Norwegian
Illustrator’s residence
: Norway
Subjects
: Bedtime, Dreams, Emotions, Families, Fear, Feelings, Friendship. Loneliness, Social issues

Babak The Beetle

 

page_1_thumb_largeBabak the dung beetle sets out on a laborious journey to find the mother of the mysterious egg he discovered. He asks birds, frogs, and even snakes but cannot seem to find the right mother. Finally, he finds another egg just like his! He looks for the mother and discovers that she is hitting her eggs across a field with a stick. Babak does not approve of this mothering so he takes matters into his own hands to save his egg. The bright illustrations created through lino-cutting will keep the reader engaged in the mystery of the lost egg.  amo
Title: Babak The Beetle
Author: Fred Paronuzzi
Illustrator
: Andree Prigent
Publisher
: NorthSouth
Copyright
:  2016
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Elie Brangbour
Original Title
: Gérard le Bousier
Original Publisher
: Kaleidoscope
Original Copyright
: 2014
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4251-9
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: French
Illustrator’s residence
: France
Subjects
: Birds, Dung Beetles, Eggs, Frogs, Golf, Snakes

Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey Of A Mouse To The Moon

ArmstrongIn the mid 1950s, a dreamer/inventor mouse has his sights set on the moon. His mouse friends insist the moon is made of cheese, but he knows better. He experiments unsuccessfully with a catapult, a space capsule made from a clock, and a vessel with a firecracker attached to a roller skate. Eventually, he creates a space suit with an ink bottle helmet and constructs a multi-stage tin can craft that carries him into space and on to a lunar landing. He gathers a moon rock and plants a tiny flag. He returns and is acclaimed by his mouse peers. Precisely rendered, lavish illustrations in watercolor and pencil make the book a work of art. The book ends with a brief nonfiction history of space travel from Galileo’s observations about the moon to the July 1969 Apollo moon landing. Our hero gets encouragement from an elderly mouse at the Smithsonian, who is Charles Lindbergh from Kuhlmann’s companion book, Lindbergh: The Tale of A Flying Mouse.  mjw
Title: Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey Of A Mouse To The Moon
Author: Torben Kuhlmann
Illustrator
: Torben Kuhlmann
Publisher
: NorthSouth Books, Inc.  New York
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: German
Translator
: David Henry Wilson
Original Title
: Armstrong: Die Abenteueliche Reise einer Maus zum Mond
Original Publisher
: NordSud Verlag AG
Original Copyright
: 2016
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4262-5
Hardcover pages
: 128
Age range
: 4-12
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: New York, Washington DC
Author’s ethnicity
: German
Author’s residence
: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: German
Illustrator’s residence
: Germany
Subjects
: Armstrong, Neil: Mice; Moon; Space flight

Mabrook!: A World Of Muslim Weddings

MabrookCongratulations – Mabrook! This colorful picture book looks at Muslim wedding ceremonies all over the world. In Pakistan, there is a henna party and the groom rides in on a great white horse. In Morocco, guests feast for days and days and days. In Great Britain, the party wears hijabs, kilts, and kurtas. Although Muslims celebrate in different ways all around the world, they all share the same ceremonies and religious rites. They join two hearts and begin a new journey. The acrylic and collage illustrations bring the weddings and the different communities to life. A note about Muslim weddings and a glossary complete the celebration. mjw
Title: Mabrook!: A World Of Muslim Weddings
Author: Na’ima B. Robert
Illustrator
: Shirin Adl
Publisher
: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. London
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-84780-588-1
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 5-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Great Britain, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia
Author’s ethnicity
: Scottish/Zulu
Author’s residence
: London and Cairo
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Born in U.K., brought up in Iran
Illustrator’s residence
: Oxford, England
Subjects
: Holidays and celebrations, Islam. Marriage, Religion. Weddings

Trunk To Trunklet

51NP5FIKmdLIn this rhyming picture book readers will learn about animals and their babies. Each page is a new verse about a different animal mother and her young. The illustrations are black and white rubbings with accents of color on each page. They highlight the natural forms and shapes of the animals that we see in our world. Young readers will love learning about the connection that these baby animals have to their mothers.  amo
Title: Trunk To Trunklet
Author: Jorge Luján
Illustrator
: Mandana Sadat
Publisher
: Enchanted Lion Books
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: John Oliver Simon
Original Title
:
Original Publisher
: Enchanted Lion Books
Original Copyright
: 2016
ISBN
: 978-1-5927-0194-0
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Information, Poetry, Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Argentinian
Author’s residence
: Mexico
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Belgian
Illustrator’s residence
: Paris, France
Subjects
: Animals, Bears, Cats, Elephants, Kangaroos, Lambs, Monkeys, Owls, Pigeons, Seals, Tigers

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: Parts One And Two, Special Rehearsal Edition Script

Harry PotterBased on a story by J.K. Rowling, this play is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series. The play received its world premier in London’s West End on July 30, 2016. It is nineteen years after Voldemort’s death in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows and Harry is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic and the father of three school-age children. The story follows his younger son Albus Severus Potter as he struggles with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. The book sold over 2 million copies in the first two days of release. mjw
Title: Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, Special Rehearsal Edition Script
Author: J.K.Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
Publisher
: Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-338-09913-3
Hardcover pages
: 320
Age range
: 8 up
Genre
: Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting
: England
Author’s ethnicity
: British (Rowling)
Author’s residence
: Scotland (Rowling)
Awards
: OBE Order of the British Empire
Subjects
: Fantasy, Good and evil, Harry Potter, Magic, Wizardry

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel

It ain't so Awful FalafelIt’s 1978, and sixth grader Zomorod (Cindy) Yousefzadeh, who was born in Abadan, Iran, has just moved to Newport Beach, California. Her fitting in is very difficult because of the protests, revolution, and the taking of the U.S. hostages in Iran. Her father loses his job as an engineer at an oil refinery and Cindy has to face hostile prejudice at school and in her neighborhood. Humorous asides will keep readers engaged as Cindy finds new friends after moving, deals with family issues, and discovers her middle school self. Each short chapter has a clever title and the final author’s note suggests documentaries and websites with more information about the historical and cultural facts of this semi-autobiographical novel. mjw
Title: It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel
Author: Firoozeh Dumas
Publisher
: Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-544-61231-0
Hardcover pages
: 384
Age range
: 10-12
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
:  Southern California, U.S.
Author’s ethnicity
: Iranian
Author’s residence
: Munich, Germany
Subjects
: Emigration and immigration, Friendship, Humorous stories, Iran, Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1981), Iranian-Americans, Middle East, Muslim-Americans. Prejudice and racism, Social issues – adolescence, United States history – 20th century

999 Frogs and a Little Brother

22493744999 tadpoles are growing together in a big, big pond. One tadpole isn’t growing quite so fast and gets left behind all alone. Fortunately he finds a friend in a small crayfish who thinks the small frog is his big brother. A strong bond is formed until the mother crayfish comes to take little brother away, but their friendship is not forgotten when a big snake comes to the lake. This vividly colored picture book will teach readers to “never underestimate the size of true friendship!”  amo
Title: 999 Frogs and a Little Brother
Author: Ken Kimura
Illustrator
: Yasunari Murakami
Publisher
: North South 
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: Japanese 
Translator
: Japan Foreign-Rights Center
Original Title
:999-hiki no kyodai no Otouto
Original Publisher
: Child Honsha Co., Ltd.
Original Copyright
: 2015
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4202-1
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Author’s residence
: Japan
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence
: Japan 
Subjects
: Crayfish, Friendship, Frogs, Ponds

The Little Hippo: A Children’s Book Inspired By Egyptian Art

the little hippoLittle Hippo is one of many blue hippos living in the Nile River in Ancient Egypt. When his friend Antef dies, Little Hippo rests beside him in his tomb. Centuries later, when archeologists open the tomb, Little Hippo becomes frightened, and he escapes to find his family. His search leads him to the Louvre in Paris, where he is reunited with his family and friends. Bold and vibrant illustrations, inspired by Egyptian-style art, and hieroglyphs make the book a work of art. A large photo of an Egyptian earthenware blue hippo (circa 2040-1640 b.c.) housed in the Louvre brings Little Hippo to life and the endpages provide information about the story of the hippopotamuses, archeologists, pyramids, and where these ancient relics can be found today. mjw
Title: The Little Hippo: A Children’s Book Inspired By Egyptian Art
Author: Geraldine Elschner
Illustrator
: Anja Klauss
Publisher
: Prestel Verlag, Munich
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Agathe Joly
Original Title
: Petit Noun, L’hippopotame bleu de bords du Nil
Original Publisher
: L’Elan Vert
Original Copyright
: 2012
ISBN
: 978-3-7913-7167-2
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 6-10
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Ancient Egypt.  Paris France
Author’s ethnicity
: French/German
Author’s residence
: Heidelberg, Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: German
Illustrator’s residence
: Strasbourg, Germany
Subjects
: Egypt, Hippopotamus, Mummies, Musee du Louvre, Nile River, Paris, Pyramids, Statuettes, Tombs

The Perfect Tree

mediumYoung Jack travels through the forest one night to find the perfect tree. The perfect tree to chop down. As Jack journeys through the woods he finds many trees, but finding the perfect tree is difficult. Suddenly, there is a breakthrough. A kind woodpecker promises Jack that he will take him to the perfect tree. Many animals show Jack the perfect tree and he starts to see that the perfect tree shouldn’t be cut down but instead lived in, climbed on, and loved. The whimsical cut-paper collages show the natural beauty of nature and help the reader understand that any tree can be the perfect tree. amo
Title: The Perfect Tree
Author: Chloe Bonfield
Illustrator
: Chloe Bonfield
Publisher
: Running Press Kids
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-7624-5586-7
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-6
Genre
: Fantasy, Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: English
Author’s residence
: London, England
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s residence
: London, England
Subjects
: Animals, Nature, Trees