Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Bear And The Piano

The Bear And The Piano A curious bear cub finds a peculiar object in the forest. He discovers that he can make strange noises by pressing his paws on it. The bear continues to come back and play around with the object. He eventually is a master at making beautiful sounds. One day, as he plays for his bear friends, a group of humans ask him to come with them to their city to play the piano. The bear agrees and becomes famous. As time goes on, the bear feels homesick. He longs to see his friends again, but he worries they are angry that he left them. The book’s multilayered-mixed media illustrations of woods, bears, and cityscapes are absolutely beautiful. Everyone of all ages will enjoy the message of friendship and pursuing your dreams. ema

Title: The Bear And The Piano
Author: David Litchfield
Illustrator: David Litchfield
Publisher: Clarion Books
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-544-67454-7
Hardcover pages:
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Picture Book
Authors’ ethnicity: British
Authors’ residence: United Kingdom
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Israelis
Illustrator’s residence: United Kingdom
Subjects: Bears, Famous, Forests, Music, Musician, Piano, Woods
Awards: 2016 Winner of Waterstones Children’s Book Prize:Best Illustrated Book, 2016 Nominated for ‘Read It Again’ Cambridgeshire Libraries Children’s Picture Book Award

Greenling

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Mr. Barleycorn finds what looks like a giant artichoke under a railroad trestle near his remote Australian farmhouse and comes home with a bright green baby. His wife is wary, but Barleycorn takes it in, nurtures it, and it becomes part of its natural world until fall when it disappears. Melons twine through the kitchen, apples grow in the living room, and grass sprouts from the phone. Nature runs wild – the greenling is nature’s bounty personified. A haunting final double-page spread shows wind turbines instead of power lines and grass and flowers growing, but no humans. The intricately detailed, surreal watercolor and gouache paintings include Australian animals and the rhyming text will certainly invite discussion. mjw

Title: Greenling
Author: Levi Pinfold
Illustrator: Levi Pinfold
Publisher: Templar Books, and imprint of Candlewick
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: English
Original Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7598-1
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 9 up
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Australia
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: Cornwall, England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: Cornwall, England
Awards: Author/illustrator has won 2013 Kate Greenaway Medal
Subjects: Ecology, Fable, Fantasy, Fruit, Nature stories, New baby, Science, Vegetables, Vegetation

Clap, Clap!

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Every time you open and close this colorful book, something inside comes to life and makes a noise. “Doing” and cymbals crash. “Uh” and a boy does seven sit-ups. “Flap” and a butterfly flutters by. “Fzzz” and cheese and veggies are pressed in a panini. Bringing the book’s covers together creates many more actions and sounds in this fun, interactive counting book. Bold and bright geometric illustrations include pink, black, and white faces exploring the noises and sounds – no batteries are required! mjw

Title: Clap, Clap!
Author: Madalena Matoso
Illustrator: Madalena Matoso
Publisher: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Press
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: Portuguese
Original Title: Livro Clap
Original Publisher: Planeta Tangerina, Portugal
Original Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 978-1-909263-82-6
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 3-5
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Portuguese
Author’s residence: Portugal
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Portuguese
Illustrator’s residence: Portugal
Subjects: Counting, Movement, Percussion, Sound

Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved A Mystery That Baffled All Of France

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While Ben Franklin was in France raising money for the American Revolution, King Louis XVI asked Franklin to investigate mysterious Austrian Dr. Mesmer who claimed to cure illnesses by waving a wand around his patients while they listened to the music of a glass armonica. As Franklin debunks Mesmer’s magic, he explains the basic principles of the scientific method and the placebo effect. The lively and rhythmic text, which is excellent for reading aloud, and the humorous, digitally colored artwork, which is loaded with period detail, make this tale mesmerizing. A lengthy author’s note gives more fascinating information. mjw

Title: Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved A Mystery That Baffled All Of France
Author: Mara Rockliff
Illustrator: Iacopo Bruno
Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, Massachusetts
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6351-3
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 6-9
Genre: Picture Book, Historical Fiction
Book setting: Paris, France
Author’s ethnicity: American
Author’s residence: U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian
Illustrator’s residence: Italy
Awards: 2016 Orbis Pictus Honor
Subjects: Biography; Electricity; Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790); History; Hypnosis; Mesmer, Franz Anton (1734-1815); Mesmerism; Music; Psychology experiments; Science methodology

Funny Bones Posada And His Day Of The Dead Calaveras

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Nineteenth century Mexican artist and social commentator Jose Guadalupe Posada is well known for his satirical political cartoons and his calavera drawings. Calaveras are festive and fun bony skeletons riding bicycles, wearing fancy hats, playing guitars, and dancing. They have become associated with el Dia de Muertos – the Day of the Dead. The well-written text details Posada’s life in this thought-provoking picture book. Posada’s artistic techniques of lithography, engraving, and etching are clearly explained and reproductions of his calaveras will involve readers in answering questions about his intentions. Tonatiuh’s signature hand-drawn and digitally collaged illustrations with profile figures are inspired by ancient Mexican art. Back matter includes a lengthy author’s note, a glossary with pronunciations, a bibliography, art credits, an index, and a list of places where Posada’s work can be seen in the United States. mjw

Title: Funny Bones Posada And His Day Of The Dead Calaveras
Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, New York
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1647-8
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 6-10
Genre: Picture Book Biography
Book setting: Mexico
Author’s ethnicity: Mexican
Author’s residence: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Mexican
Illustrator’s residence: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Awards: 2016 Pura Belpre Honor – Illustration, 2016 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2016 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
Subjects: Biography, Culture, Engravers, History, Holidays and celebrations, Human skeletons in art, Mexico

I Capture The Castle

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Readers follow seventeen-year-old Cassandra’s diary accounting her life with her extraordinary family in their crumbling castle. Her family slides into genteel poverty after her father falls into a long phase of writer’s block. Rose, Cassandra’s sister, is desperate to marry for riches as a way of supporting her family. The castle’s atmosphere changes when their new neighbors and landlords from America arrive. Rose and Cassandra discover that the heart cannot choose who it falls in love with no matter how hard the mind may try. Fans of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte will be enchanted by this captivating and bittersweet read. The author, who is best known for her novel The Hundred And One Dalmatians, wrote I Capture The Castle during World War II when she moved to California. Cassandra’s story is inspired by the author’s experiences in England during the 1930s. ema

Title: I Capture The Castle
Author: Dodie Smith (1896-1990)
Publisher: Vintage Classics
Copyright: 2012
Original Language: English
Original Title: I Capture The Castle
Original Publisher: William Heinemann
Original Copyright: 1949
ISBN: 978-0-099-57288-6
Paperback pages: 566
Age range: 14 up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: 1930s England
Author’s ethnicity: English
Subjects: Artists, Castles, Love, Poverty, Romance, Sisters, Writers

Boys Don’t Knit (In Public)

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Seventeen-year-old Ben Fletcher tells his story in a witty and funny diary format. After an unfortunate incident with some stolen liquor and a crossing guard, he is put on probation and has to choose an evening course at the local college as part of his rehabilitation. He takes up knitting and discovers he’s really good at it, but he has to keep his knitting a secret from his friends and his sports-loving dad. There is even more for him to worry about – his knitting teacher is the mom of the girl of his dreams and his friends are real troublemakers. Ben gains confidence, wins the All-United Kingdom Knitting Championship, and even gets the girl. He is quirky, perceptive, and adorable and his passion for knitting will encourage readers to take up knitting, regardless of gender stereotypes. Packed with pop culture references and jokes, the book is a laugh-aloud fast read. A sequel, An English Boy in New York (2014, Hot Key Books) follows Ben on his trip to New York for the U.S. National Knit Fair. mjw

Title: Boys Don’t Knit (In Public)
Author: T.S. Easton
Publisher: Fiewel and Friends, New York, an imprint of Macmillan
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Hot Key Books
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-250-05331-2
Hardcover pages: 272
Age range: 12-16
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: England
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: England
Awards: 2015 Carnegie Medal nomination
Subjects: Adolescence, Communities, Conduct of life, England, Family life, Fathers and sons, Humorous stories, Knitting, Social issues, Teenage boys, Women teachers

Timeline: A Visual History Of Our World

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This oversize picture book is a perfect introduction to history for young and old. The journey begins with the Big Bang and ends with the terrorism, conflict, and eco-disasters of the 2010s and the dream of peace and prosperity for all. Scenes include dinosaurs, Vikings, Aztecs, Egyptians, kings, and knights. The timeline covers wars and disasters and introduces artists, explorers, and leaders. Dragons, mythical figures, TV characters, toys, and technology are also included. Readers will have fun spotting different people from history hidden in the playful cartoons, infographics, and mainly black on gray/sepia illustrations that are bursting with detail. Watch for Harry Potter, Mr. Potato Head, and Dorothy and her friends from Oz. This is a powerful classroom resource. mjw

Title: Timeline: A Visual History Of Our World
Author: Peter Goes and Sylvia Vanden Heede
Illustrator: Peter Goes
Publisher: Gecko Press, New Zealand
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Dutch
Translator: Bill Nagelkerke
Original Title: Tijdlijn
Original Publisher: Uitgeverij Lannoo nv., Belgium
Original Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 978-1-776570-69-0
Hardcover pages: 80
Age range: 4 up
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Dutch
Author’s residence: Belgium
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch
Illustrator’s residence: Belgium
Subjects: Chronology, Civilization, Discoveries, History, Inventions, Pictorial works, World history

Miss Moon: Wise Words from A Dog Governess

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Red-haired Miss Wilhelmina Moon, who works as a governess to sixty-seven dogs on an island off the coast of France, shares twenty lessons she has learned “for raising happy, healthy, well-mannered pooches – and people.” Each page presents one lesson that is accompanied by an elegant, yet whimsical oil painting. Examples of lessons are “Never stop learning” and “Make-believe is food for the soul.” There are dogs in hats, dogs wearing glasses, dogs in Halloween costumes, dogs dressed as pirates, dogs in the bathtub, and more. Dog breeds range from dachshunds and dalmatians to poodles and pugs. Included is a class photo of all sixty-seven dogs with their canine pupil names. mjw

Title: Miss Moon: Wise Words From A Dog Governess
Author: Janet Hill
Illustrator: Janet Hill
Publisher: Tundra Books
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: English, French
Original Title: Mademoiselle Moon, gouvernante de chiens
Original Publisher: Les Editions Marchand de feuilles
Original Copyright: 2013
ISBN: 978- 1-101-91793-0
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: France
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian
Illustrator’s residence: Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Subjects: Dogs, Governesses, France

The Wolf Wilder

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Twelve-year-old Feodora, Feo for short, lives in the snowy woods of Russia with her mother. They are wolf wilders. They take wolves that were bought as pups by St. Petersburg aristocrats and abandoned; teach the wolves to hunt, fight, and distrust humans; and then release them back into the wild. Feo’s house was burned and her mother was attacked and captured by the Russian Army. Accompanied by three loyal wolves, Ilya, a sensitive, lost young soldier who loves ballet, and Alexei, a 15-year-old agitator from a nearby village, Feo sets off into the ice and snow of the woods on a journey to rescue her mother. Set near the end of Tsar Nicholas II’s reign, the story combines history with fairytale, and suggests the hope of the Revolution. Feo is a feisty and beautiful heroine, who stands for everything that is right. This captivating book begins with a note on wolf wilders (which the author made up). mjw

Title: The Wolf Wilder
Author: Katherine Rundell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York
Copyright: 2105
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, London
Original Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4814-1942-0
Hardcover pages: 240
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: Russia
Author’s Ethnicity: Grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London
Author’s residence: Oxford, England
Subjects: Ballet, Bravery, Fairytales, Fantasy, Mothers and daughters, Russia – history – Nicholas II, 1894-1917, Russian Revolution, Survival, Wolves

Kuma-Kuma Chan, The Little Bear

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A young child narrates how his friend Kuma-Kuma Chan uses his time during the day. The simplistically charming text and illustrations evoke a meditative feeling of the story. The narrator describes the activities the adorable bear does, such as doing his daily chores, participating in seasonal activities, writing letters, and composing a love song. The short sentences make it easy for young readers to follow. They will be able to imagine the type of tasks Kuma-Kuma Chan, as the narrator, describes how the little bear spends his day. ema

Title: Kuma-Kuma Chan, The Little Bear
Author: Kazue Takahashi
Illustrator: Kazue Takahashi
Publisher: Museyon
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: Japanese
Translator: Poplar Publishing
Original Title: Kuma-Kuma Chan
Original Publisher: Poplar Publishing
Original Copyright: 2001
ISBN: 978-1-940842-01-1
Hardcover pages: 52
Age range: 3-5
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Japanese
Author’s residence: Japanese
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence: Japanese
Subjects: Activities, Bears, Days, Imagination, Seasons

Harry Miller’s Run

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Eleven-year-old Liam is an enthusiastic runner who, with his mates, has entered his first Junior Great North Run. He visits an elderly neighbor, Harry Miller, who is about to move into a nursing home and who his mum helps to look after. Harry tells that he ran the thirteen-mile race from Newcastle to the sea at South Shields when he was a lad in 1938. This touching and uplifting story about friendship is illustrated with detailed black and white drawings. The Great North Run is an actual English athletic event. mjw

Title: Harry Miller’s Run
Author: David Almond
Illustrator: Salvatore Rubbino
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd., London
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
Original copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4063-6224-4
Hardcover pages: 64
Age range: 7 up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: England
Author’s ethnicity: British
Author’s residence: Northumberland, England
Illustrator’s residence: London
Awards: Author has won 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Medal
Subjects: Friendship, Marathon running, Reminiscing in old age, Running