Category Archives: Uncategorized

Walking Home

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Thirteen-year-old Muchoki and his seven-year-old sister Jata lived, attended school, and played in their bustling Kenyan village until political violence broke out in 2007. Their father was killed, their village was destroyed, and they were forced to move into an overcrowded refugee camp with their ailing mother. When their mother died, they set off on what seemed like an impossible journey over 150 kilometers of Kenyan wilderness and slums to find their grandparents they had never met. It was a dangerous journey for the loveable and brave siblings. Tribal fighting, wild animals, and finding food and shelter were some of the obstacles they faced. The interesting overview of the cultural, political, and geographical landscape of Kenya in this story is filled with determination, charity, and faith. The author walked the same route himself from Mara, up the Rift Valley, down to Nairobi, through Kibera, along the Mombasa highway, to the mountains of Kikima. The author’s website www.ericwalterswalkinghome.com brings Jata and Muchoki’s trek alive. There are symbols throughout the book indicating when readers might want to access the site’s special features, such as pictures, maps, videos, songs, and readings. Proceeds from the book go to the Creation of Hope, an organization that helps provide for orphans in Kenya. mjw

Title: Walking Home Author: Eric Walters Publisher: Doubleday Canada Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0385-68157-5 Paperback pages: 304 Age range: 10 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Kenya Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Ontario, Canada Awards: 2013 Children’s Africana Book Award Subjects: Brothers and sisters, Kenya, Nairobi, Orphans, Political violence, Refugees, Survival

Little Lamb, Have You Any Wool?

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A rosy-cheeked little boy asks a lamb if he can use its wool to knit himself a sweater, a handsome hat, a long scarf, mittens, socks, and a coat to keep him from shivering in the winter. But then, he worries if the lamb will be cold, shorn of his wool and not protected from the cold. So the boy knits another set of clothes for the lamb. Together, in their warm woolly clothes, they enjoy a now-cozy wintertime. The abstract illustrations done in an unusual color palette of greens and earthy tones, with lots of curly lines, convey the warm message of friendship. This is a non-rhyming adaptation of the classic Baa Baa Black Sheep nursery rhyme. mjw

Title: Little Lamb, Have You Any Wool? Author: Isabel Minhos Martins Illustrator: Yara Kono Publisher: Owlkids Books, Inc.  Toronto, Canada Copyright: 2011 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Maureen de Sousa Original Title: Ovejita, dame lana Original Publisher: Kalandraka Ediciones Andalucia Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-1-926973-14-2 Hardcover pages: 28 Age range: 3-6 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Portuguese Author’s residence: Lisbon, Portugal Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian  Illustrator’s residence: Lisbon, Portugal Subjects: Cooperation, KIndness, Knitting, Lambs, Sheep, Winter, Wool

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

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Fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s village in Malawi was hit by a drought in 2001 and 2002. Everyone’s crops failed and Malawi began to starve. William went to the community library, studied old science textbooks, and taught himself English so that he could build a windmill. Those around him thought he was crazy as he turned junkyard scraps into a working windmill that brought electricity to his home and water to his village. The stunning oil paint and cut paper illustrations, which are inspired by African artisan paintings, inform and entertain in this uplifting and inspiring true story about a family banding together to overcome adversity and a young boy becoming a man of science. An author’s note provides a photograph and more information on Kamkwamba’s “Green Machine.” He is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and hopes to return to Malawi to work on renewable energy. This is the picture book edition of the original adult book and the 2015 middle grade edition of the same title. mjw

Title: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Author: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, New York Copyright: 2012 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-8037-3511-8 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 6-8 Genre: Picture book, Biography Book setting: Malawi, Africa Author’s ethnicity: Malawi born Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Grew up on the Ivory Coast Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2013 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, 2013 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books Subjects: Ecology, Electric power production, English language learning, Famine, Hunger, Irrigation, Libraries, Mechanical engineers, Recycling, Self-empowerment, Windmills

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To School. . .

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A young boy offers wild excuses to his teacher for why he is late for school. First, giant ants stole his breakfast. Then, there were evil ninjas, an ape who mistook his school bus for a banana, a red-coated girl looking for her grandmother’s house in the woods, Bigfoot, scary majorettes, the Pied Piper, and more. He actually makes it to school on time, but then realizes that he forgot his backpack. The imaginative cartoon illustrations are full of laugh-out-loud details. This parable is written in the same style as I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . also by Cali and Chaud. mjw

Title: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To School. . . Author: Davide Cali Illustrator: Benjamin Chaud Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4521-3168-9 Hardcover pages: 44 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Swiss Author’s residence: Paris, France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: Die, France Subjects: Excuses, Humor, Imagination, Tardiness, Teachers

This Is The World: A Global Treasury

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Collected for the first time in one volume, this compilation of abridged versions of Sasek’s popular children’s travel books will take young readers on a breezy tour to New York, Paris, Greece, London, Australia, Texas, Munich, Rome, Britain, Hong Kong, Israel, San Francisco, Edinburgh, Venice, Washington DC, and Ireland. Art, architecture, food, music, and traditions of the world’s greatest destinations are explored through whimsical watercolor paintings and concise playful text. The first This Is . . . book, This Is Paris, was published in 1958 and launched the series of now-classic geographical picture books. A page of updated facts is included. mjw

Title: This Is The World: A Global Treasury  Author: Miroslav Sasek (1916-1980) Illustrator: Miroslav Sasek Publisher: Universe Publishing, a division of Rizzoli International, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Publisher: W.H. Allen in the UK, Macmillan, and Simon and Schuster Original Copyright: 1959, 1960,1961,1962,1964,1965,1966,1969,1970,1974 ISBN: 978-0-8478-4396-1 Hardcover pages: 234 Age range: 10 up Genre: Picture book Book setting: New York, Ireland, Britain, London, Edinburgh, Paris, Munich, Rome, Venice, Greece, Israel, Hong Kong, Australia, San Francisco, Texas, Washington DC Author’s ethnicity: Czech Illustrator’s ethnicity: Czech Subjects: Capitals, Cities, Countries, International, States, Travelogue, World

Alice In Wonderland

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Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice and enter her dream world of Wonderland, where fantasy reigns and the rules of reality disappear. The unforgettable cast of characters – the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and the Caterpillar – are gloriously brought to life. Originally released in 1865, Alice has become a timeless classic. This oversized edition features bold text and explosive illustrations that dramatically capture Lewis Carroll’s magic and poetry. The artist, Manuela Adreani, has also illustrated Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, and Pinocchio. mjw

Title: Alice In Wonderland Author: Lewis Carroll ( 1832-1898)  Text adapted by Giada Francia. Illustrator: Manuela Adreani Publisher: White Star Publishers Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 1865 ISBN: 978-88-544-0820-3 Hardcover pages: 80 Age range: 6 up Genre: Fantasy, Illustrated book Author’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian Illustrator’s residence: Italy Subjects: Adventure, Fantasy, Nonsense

A Tale Of Two Beasts

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The same tale is told twice – once from the perspective of a girl who finds a little creature that she names Fang, in the deep, dark woods, and the second time, from the perspective of Fang. In Part One: The Strange Beast, the little girl, in a red beret, finds the strange beast, takes it home, feeds it, shows it off to her friends, and gives it a hat. In Part Two: The Terrible Beast, the beast (a wolf?) tells the scary story of being ambushed, force-fed nuts, and shown off to a herd of even wilder and more terrible beasts. The stories are carefully connected and can only be understood when seen from both characters’ perspectives. The colorful illustrations vary slightly from one version of the tale to the next and are cleverly crafted. mjw

Title: A Tale Of Two Beasts Author: Fiona Roberton Illustrator: Fiona Roberton Publisher: Kane Miller. EDC Publishing Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books, London Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-1-61067-371-7 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London Subjects: Feelings, Friendship, Multiple perspectives, Pets, Point of view, Wild animals as pets, Wolves

Detective Gordon: The First Case

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Squirrel’s precious nuts are being stolen and chief of police and chief of the forest, Detective Gordon (a very fat toad), is on the case, but he is not good at climbing trees or scouting out spiders. He would rather stay indoors eating chocolate cakes, drinking tea, stamping important papers, and philosophizing by a warm fire. He hires a small, fast, and clever young mouse named Buffy to be his assistant. Together they brilliantly solve the case. First in the Detective Gordon series, this sweet, full-color illustrated chapter book is a perfect read-aloud. An intricate Map of Detective Gordon’s Police District is included. mjw

Title: Detective Gordon: The First Case Author: Ulf Nilsson Illustrator: Gitte Spee Publisher: Gecko Press, New Zealand Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Julia Marshall Original Title: Kommissarie Gordon: Det forsta fallet Original Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen, Stockholm, Sweden Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-927271-49-0 Hardcover pages: 96 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Fiction, Chapter book Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Sweden Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indonesian Illustrator’s residence: Amsterdam, the Netherlands Subjects: Crime, Detectives, Mice, Mystery, Theft, Squirrels, Toads

Madeline’s 75th Anniversary Edition

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“In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines…the smallest one was Madeline.” Madeline is also the feistiest and the only redhead. She isn’t afraid of mice, she scoffs at the tiger in the zoo, and she flaunts her appendix scar. Bemelmans’ watercolor and ink illustrations of the Paris Opera, Notre Dame in the rain, and the Tuileries Gardens have become famous. The cheerful humor, charming art, and melodic text have made Madeline a favorite for generations of children. This 75th Anniversary Edition is slip cased and includes a full-color panoramic pop-up spread of Paris. Madeline inspired many sequels, as well as television, movies, and toys. mjw

Title: Madeline’s 75th Anniversary Edition Author: Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) Illustrator: Ludwig Bemelmans Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Simon and Schuster Original Copyright: 1939 ISBN: 978-0-670-78540-7 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Paris Author’s ethnicity: Austria-Hungary born Author’s residence: New York and Paris Illustrator’s ethnicity: Austria-Hungary born Illustrator’s residence: New York and Paris Awards: 1940 Caldecott Honor Subjects: France, Girls, Paris, Rhyme, Sick

The Gruffalo’s Child and The Gruffalo, Gift Slipcase

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This new, deluxe slip-cased edition of The Gruffalo’s Child and The Gruffalo is covered in shiny blue foil and features silhouette artwork by Axel Scheffler. The award-winning stories about a clever little mouse outwitting a hungry fox, a not-so-wise owl, and a sinister snake in the deep, dark wood have been delighting children and adults since 1999. The books have been translated into over fifty languages and made into Oscar-nominated films. Repetitious, rhyming text and cartoonlike watercolor, colored-pencil, and ink illustrations bring the lovable creatures to life in these favorite, humorous tales. mjw

Title: The Gruffalo’s Child and The Gruffalo, Gift Slipcase Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Axel Scheffler Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, London Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 1999 The Gruffalo, 2004 The Gruffalo’s Child ISBN: 978-1-4472-8089-7 The Gruffalo, 978-1-4472-8090-3 The Gruffalo’s Child Hardcover pages: 32, 32 Age range: 3 up Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England and Scotland Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: England Awards: 1999 Nestle Smarties Prize, 2000 Blue Peter Award, 2005 Children’s Book of the Year (G.C), 2011-2013 British Children’s Laureate (Julia Donaldson) Subjects: Foxes, Mice, Nuts, Owls, Rhyme, Snakes

Soccer Star

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In an impoverished favela in Brazil, young Felino’s enthusiasm for soccer is infectious. He works on a fishing boat and visits his friends, who also cannot attend school because they must work to support their families. His little sister Maria longs to play soccer with Felino’s team, but their rule is no girls. But when the team’s goalie injures his wrist, they call Maria from the sidelines. No “useless old rule” will keep his team of hopeful soccer stars from a win. Digitally colored drawings dramatically portray the Brazilian setting in this uplifting story. Portuguese words are smoothly integrated and are easy to translate through context. This is a timely picture book, since the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. mjw

Title: Soccer Star Author: Mina Javaherbin Illustrator: Renato Alarcao Publisher: Candlewick Press,  Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-7636-6056-7 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Brazil Author’s ethnicity: Iranian Author’s residence: California, U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian Illustrator’s residence: Brazil Subjects: Brazil, Brothers and sisters, Poverty, School, Sexism, Soccer, Sports

So Much for Democracy

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Twelve-year-old Astrid has moved from Canada to Ghana with her parents and two younger siblings so that her father can help organize the 1979 national election. Difficulties at school, the oppressive heat, the threat of disease, soldiers on the roads, and her mother’s overprotectiveness are some of the many challenges Astrid faces. She is a strong, kind, and courageous character with good sense. The beauty of the land and the relationships the Ghanaians have with each other and with Astrid’s family are honestly presented. A brief historical note on Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings’ coup provides background information about an event relatively unknown in the United States.mjw

Title: So Much for Democracy Author: Kari Jones Publisher: Orca Book Publishers. Canada Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4598-0481-4 Paperback pages: 175 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Accra, Ghana Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: British Columbia, Canada Subjects: Conflict, Coups, Elections, Ghana