Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Never Snowy Christmas

A young boy living in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands wishes for snow on his island and comes up with ingenious and impetuous ways to get it. He asks a policeman. He saves his money to buy a snow maker he saw in an electronics magazine. He has a friend in Belgium send some snow. And he even puts flour in the freezer and then throws it in the air, only to get “grounded until he’s old.” Cartoon-like illustrations showing US Virgin Islands architecture and landscapes accompany the rhyming text. A note about the US Virgin Islands and information about the story and author are included. mjw

Title: The Never Snowy Christmas
Author: Zenzi Hodge
Illustrator: Jonathan Brown
Publisher: Sandscript Publishing, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-9905662-8-1
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Author’s ethnicity: Born in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Author’s residence: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Illustrator’s residence: Utah, USA
Subjects: Christmas, Dreams, Snow, Tropics

The Message Of The Birds

Leave a reply

The wise owl begins telling the Christmas story, with its message of peace, to a gathering of birds. The young robin asks why the birds don’t sing the story anymore and the partridge explains that people don’t listen. When the lark offers that perhaps people don’t understand the language, the inventive robin suggests that children listen with their hearts and they understand. And so, the birds fly far and wide singing the song of peace. The tale is not a traditional Christmas book. It is a universal story of peace that brings people together. The book ends with “Let there be peace. Peace on Earth!” and the word peace in over 60 different languages. The rich, soft, and realistic watercolor illustrations in wintry colors awaken warm emotions in readers and complement the text beautifully. mjw

Title: The Message Of The Birds
Author: Kate Westerlund
Illustrator: Feridun Oral
Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd. Minedition
Copyright: 2014 North American edition
Original Language: German, French
Original Title: Doe Botschaft der Vogel, Le Message des Oiseaux
Original Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 978-988-8240-55-5
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 3-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Born in Florida, USA
Author’s residence: Salzburg, Austria
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Turkish
Illustrator’s residence: Istanbul, Turkey
Subjects: Birds, Christmas stories, Peace

The Tortoise And The Hare

Leave a reply

As the animals are having a picnic in a meadow, the Tortoise says to the Hare, “I bet I can beat you in a running race!” Despite everyone’s laughter, the Hare accepts the challenge. This favorite classic about how “slow and steady wins the race” is retold in this book’s wondrous artwork. The illustrations of the woodland creatures and stunning landscape were created using ink drawings with soft watercolor washes. Intricately detailed illustrations make this book excellent for one-on-one reading. ema

Title: The Tortoise And The Hare
Author: Aesop (620-560 BC), retold by Bernadette Watts
Illustrator: Bernadette Watts
Publisher: North-South Books
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: German
Translator: North-South Books
Original Title: Der Hase und die Schildkröte
Original Publisher: North-South Books
Original Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4207-6
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book, Fable
Author’s ethnicity: Aesop: Greek, Watts: English
Author’s residence: Watts: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: England
Subjects: Fairytales, Folklore, Folktales, Races, Running, Retellings

Moko Jumbi Dreams

Leave a reply

Ten-year-old Lexi dreams of becoming a moko jumbi majorette, a stilt walker in a parade. Though Lexi misses her best friend, she befriends her new neighbors, Miss Ivy and her foster children. Unfortunately, people petition that they should move out of the neighborhood. Moreover, Lexi’s family worries about the threatening hurricane which is quickly approaching. This lively first book in a series has a glossary of terms, questions which accompany the reading, a list of vocabulary words, and a bibliography of helpful resources. ema

Title: Moko Jumbi Dreams
Author: Alscess Lewis-Brown
Illustrator: Wayne “Bully” Petersen and Cynthia Hatfield
Publisher: Little Bell Caribbean an imprint of Editorial Campana
Copyright: 2011
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-934370-22-3
Paperback pages: 112
Age range: 9-14
Genre: Fiction Novel
Book setting: The US Virgin Islands/ the Caribbean
Author’s ethnicity: Born in Antigua
Author’s residence: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Petersen: Caribbean
Illustrator’s residence: Petersen: The Virgin Islands, Hatfield: St. Croix
Subjects: Caribbean, Dreams, Foster children, Neighbors, Racism, Small towns, Stilt walkers

When The Earth Lost Its Shapes

Leave a reply

One day, the Earth loses all of its shapes and nobody knows how or why they have gone. Triangles, rectangles, ovals, circles, and squares have all disappeared. Maybe it was a thief or giant aliens? Vibrant acrylic artwork shows eggs that are scrambled, oranges that are squeezed, sandwiches that are squished, and kites that look windswept. The only shape left is a little dot. She declares that she must do something and teams up with the other dots to save the world from shapeless confusion. Soon, everything is shipshape once again. The author is Co-founder and Publishing Director of Karadi Tales Company, an independent children’s publisher in Chennai. mjw

Title: When The Earth Lost Its Shapes
Author: Shobha Viswanath
Illustrator: Christine Kastl
Publisher: Karadi Tales Company Pvt. Ltd. Chennai, India
Copyright: 2011
Original Language: English
Original Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-81-8190-192-7
Paperback pages: 36
Age range: 3 up
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: Chennai, India
Illustrator’s ethnicity: German
Illustrator’s residence: Germany, France, and India
Subjects: Environment, Size and shape

The Day Everything Went Wrong

Leave a reply

One day Badger wakes up and tells himself that he will do only things he enjoys. From this moment on, it seems like everything is going wrong for Badger. He almost knocks his lamp off his bedpost, accidentally breaks his favorite mug, loses his colored pencils, trips over his shovel, and knocks his wheelbarrow over. Badger decides to visit his friends to see if they are having as bad of a day as he is. When he visits his friends, Badger helps solve their problems. Although everything has gone wrong for Badger, he finds some consolation in helping his friends. Badger wants to go straight to bed after his horrible day, but he finds a surprise when he returns home. Adorable illustrations created using playfully vibrant colors work with the text in showing readers that they can always find good even when it seems like everything is wrong. ema

Title: The Day Everything Went Wrong
Author: Moritz Petz
Illustrator: Amélie Jackowski
Publisher: North South Books
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: German
Translator: David Henry Wilson
Original Title: Der Dachs hat heute einfach Pech
Original Publisher: NordSüd Verlag AG
Original Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4209-0
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: France
Subjects: Bad days, Badgers, Friendship, Helping others

Tales From Rumi: Mathnawi Selections For Young Readers

Leave a reply

This collection of 32 anecdotes, fables, and tales of everyday life from the Mathnawi is adapted for younger audiences. The Mathnawi is a compilation of more than 24,000 verses by Rumi (1207-1273) and is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of mystical poetry. The stories, such as The Rabbit and The Lion, The Merchant and The Parrot, and The Teacher’s Fear, have interesting, action-packed plots that illustrate a point and morals at the end that reinforce the message. Amusing black-and–white drawings and a ribbon bookmark add to this lively and insightful introduction to world literature for young readers. mjw

Title: Tales from Rumi: Mathnawi Selections For Young Readers
Author: Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi (1207-1273)
Edited by: A. Fuat Bilkan
Illustrator: Erdinc Semen
Publisher: Tughra Books, New Jersey
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: Persian, also Turkish, Arabic, Greek
Translator: Jeannette Squires Okur
Original Title: Mathnawi
Original Publisher: Rumi dictated the verses
Original Copyright: 1258-1273
ISBN: 978-1-59784-124-5
Hardcover pages: 128
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Fiction, Fables, Folklore
Author’s ethnicity: Persian
Subjects: Fables, Folk tales, Iran, Islam, Poetry, Religion, Storytelling

The Bernadette Watts Collection: Stories And Fairy Tales

Leave a reply

Watts’s works “display warm and pleasing colors that bathe each image in an almost theatre-like setting” -Eric Carle.

Bernadette Watts is an iconic English children’s book author and illustrator who has illustrated several fairy tales and fables. This huge collection of fairy tales features some stories written by world renowned storytellers and Watts herself. The gorgeous impressionistic illustrations of animals, creatures, people, and nature complement the wondrous stories. This collection is excellent for introducing readers to popular tales, such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, The Ugly Duckling, Sleeping Beauty, and The Snow Queen, as well as some unfamiliar works. ema

Title: The Bernadette Watts Collection: Stories And Fairy Tales
Author: Short stories by Bernadette Watts, Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Aesop (620-560 BC), Gerda Marie Scheidl (1913-2005), Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), and more
Illustrator: Bernadette Watts
Publisher: North-South
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: German
Translator: North-South Books
Original Title: Bernadette
Original Publisher: NordSüd
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4242-0
Hardcover pages: 317
Age range: 4 up
Genre: Fables, Fairy Tales, Picture Books
Author’s ethnicity: Watts: English, Grimm Brothers: German, Andersen: Danish, Aesop: Greek, Scheidl: German, Tolstoy: Russian
Author’s residence: Watts: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: England
Subjects: Fables, Fairy tales, Fairy tale reimaginings/ retellings, Folktales, Illustrated children’s books, Short stories

The Velveteen Rabbit

Leave a reply

Margery Williams wrote this classic in 1922 about a young boy and his soft stuffed rabbit. The oldest and wisest toy in the nursery, the Skin Horse, assures the rabbit that toys are made real by children’s love. The rabbit becomes the boy’s most beloved companion. When the boy falls ill, the rabbit stays by his side. As the boy recovers, the doctor advises the boy’s mother to burn all of his belongings, even the shabby rabbit because they may have become infected. In the magical ending, the beautiful nursery fairy transforms the rabbit into a “real to everyone” rabbit. Sakai’s text is simpler than the original, allowing the richly textured, gorgeous and luminous acrylic and oil pencil paintings to tell the gentle story. mjw

Title: The Velveteen Rabbit
Author: Komako Sakai, based on the story by Margery Williams (1881-1944)
Illustrator: Komako Sakai
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York
Copyright: 2012
Original Language: Japanese
Translator: Yuki Kaneko
Original Title: Biroudo no Usagi
Original Publisher: Bronze Publishing Inc,, Tokyo
Original Copyright: 2007. 1922, Margery Williams for the original text, published as The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real
ISBN: 978-1-59270-128-5
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Japanese. Margery Williams – English
Author’s residence: Japan
Translator’s ethnicity: Japanese
Translator’s residence: Brooklyn, U.S.
Subjects: Friendship, Imagination, Rabbits, Toys

Wall

Leave a reply

A young boy, his mother, and younger sister were separated from their father when the Berlin Wall was built between East and West Germany. Escape attempts were common. Some who tried “were lucky, others were not.” The boy succeeds in digging a tunnel to the West. A sympathetic guard helps him and when he and his family reach the West, they discover that their dad has begun a tunnel east to find them. Dark, dramatic digital illustrations pierced by spotlights and the carefully worded, minimalist text will appeal to young children’s natural instinct for fairness and justice. The book was published to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and is based on true stories. A brief note provides more information about the Wall. mjw

Title: Wall
Author: Tom Clohosy Cole
Illustrator: Tom Clohosy Cole
Publisher: Templar books, an imprint of Candlewick
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7560-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 32
Genre: Historical Fiction, Picture book
Book setting: Berlin
Author’s ethnicity: British
Author’s residence: London
Illustrator’s ethnicity: British
Illustrator’s residence: London
Subjects: Berlin, Berlin Wall (1961-1989), Cold War

Painted Skies

Leave a reply

Leslie has recently moved to the Arctic. Her new friend, Oolipika, teaches her about one of the most amazing wonders of the world, the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights or aqsarniit in Inuktitut. Awe-striking illustrations depict these “painted skies” in various shades of greens, blues, yellows, purples, and pinks. The book includes exquisite artwork, text about the Inuit legend, and an explanation about the science behind the Northern Lights which sure will fascinate readers. ema

Title: Painted Skies
Author: Carolyn Mallory
Illustrator: Ameri Zhao
Publisher: Inhabit Media Inc.
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77227-004-4
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 5 up
Genre: Picture Book, Contemporary Fiction
Book setting: the Arctic
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian
Illustrator’s residence: Sydney
Subjects: Arctic, Aqsarniit, Aurora Borealis, Beliefs, Inuit, Legends, Northern Lights, Science

Pinocchio By Pinocchio

Leave a reply

This reworking of the classic story by the author of War Horse (the West End and Broadway play and blockbuster film) tells the full story of Pinocchio from Pinocchio’s point of view. He starts out as a tiny cherry pip, which grows into a cherry tree, eventually becomes the wooden puppet, and finally, the boy. His curious spirit leads him into many exciting adventures. The captivating full-color illustrations make this famous and much-loved puppet come alive. The original story, The Adventures of Pinocchio, was written by the Italian author, Carlo Collodi, in 1883, and made into the fantastic film by Walt Disney in 1940. mjw

Title: Pinocchio By Pinocchio
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark
Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books
Copyright: 2013
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-00-733962-4
Paperback pages: 272
Age range: 6-11
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting: Italy
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: London
Awards: Author is a former Children’s Laureate – Britain
Subjects: Fairytales, Marionettes, Puppets