Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Tiny King

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Once upon a time, there was a Tiny King, who lived in a big castle guarded by an army of big soldiers. He ate all alone at a big table. He could never finish the huge feast. He had a big white horse, but he always fell off. He bathed in a big bathtub with a water fountain, but splashing alone wasn’t much fun. And he slept in a big bed, but not very well. One day, he met a big princess. They married and were blessed with ten children. Then, everything brightened and became just the right size. The spare text of this new fairytale is complemented by clever, colorful, cut-outs, and digital collage. mjw

Title: The Tiny King Author: Taro Miura Illustrator: Taro Miura Publisher: Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2013 Original Language: Japanese Original Title: Chilsana Osama Original Publisher: Kaisei-sha Publishing Co., Ltd., Tokyo Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-0-7636-6687-3 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 2-5 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Japan Awards: 2011 Sankei Award for Children’s Books and Publications Subjects: Counting, Family, Happiness, Kings and rulers, Shapes, Size, Stature

Anna Hibiscus’ Song

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Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. She is so happy that she almost floats out of the mango tree. When she asks her grandparents, Aunt Joli, Uncle Tunde, and her cousins what they do when they are happy, they all offer suggestions. She asks her father and mother, and her mother knows how to channel Anna’s infectious happiness. Anna climbs back into the mango tree and sings her happiness song. Gorgeous, colorful illustrations feature the daily life of a large extended family in urban Africa. This is the first picture book that brings Anna’s world into full color. It could be used as an introduction to the four chapter books about Anna. mjw

Title: Anna Hibiscus’ Song Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Lauren Tobia Publisher: Kane Miller, A Division of EDC Publishing Copyright: 2011 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Walker Books, Ltd., London Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-1-61067-040-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Africa Author’s ethnicity: Nigerian Author’s residence: Wales Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: England Subjects: African culture, Emotions, Family life, Multi-generational, Music

A Good Home for Max

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At night, Tabi, a kind-hearted little mouse, tidies the little toyshop where he lives. He worries about his best friend, Max the Dog, who never gets taken by a customer to a new home. Barnaby the Elephant, Gemma the Giraffe, Clarence the Bear, and the other toys all find good homes with a child to play with and a family to love. Since Max is always kept behind, Tabi decides to help Max find a good home. He tries every trick he knows. Finally, he notices something different. Max is gone. He sneaks on to the toyshop’s delivery truck and discovers that Max has a new home – across the street from the toyshop. And they remain best friends. The patterned, muted-color, paper-craft illustrations have many French words in signs and labels that add to this charming story about friendship. mjw

Title: A Good Home for Max Author: Junzo Terada Illustrator: Junzo Terada Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco, California Copyright: 2014 Original Language: Japanese Original Title: Tabi no zakkaya (Tabi’s General Store) Original Publisher: Gakushu Kenkyusha Original Copyright: 2005 ISBN: 978-1-4521-2702-6 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 3-5 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Osaka, Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Osaka, Japan Subjects: Dogs, Friendship, Mice, Soft toys, Retail stores, Toys

Bonjour Camille

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On Sunday morning, exuberant Camille has so many things to do. And she has a flair for fashion. She dons her battle dress: a tutu and a top hat and begins her activities. She jumps on the bed, chooses pale yellow as her new favorite color, draws faces on balloons, hides the umbrellas, seeks out the unexpected on a vintage world map, names the ocean waves, eats two pages worth of cherries, asks the wind to tell her a story, and more. Enchanting bold scribbles of black and colorful graphic patterns capture the energy of Camille’s boundless imagination. Camille is a little girl who inspired a line of clothing for Bobo Choses, a high-end children’s apparel company in Spain and around the world. mjw

Title: Bonjour Camille Author: Felipe Cano Illustrator: Laia Aguilar Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco, California Copyright: 2014 Original Language: Spanish Original Title: Bonjour Camille Original Publisher: Bobo Choses, Spain Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4521-2407-0 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Spanish Author’s residence: Girona, Spain Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Illustrator’s residence: Spain Subjects: Fashion, Imagination, Morning, Play

Wandering Wind

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Joginder, Daniel, Nicole, and Yasim are four friends who interact to help each other and solve a problem in this sweet story. The children are Muslim, Sikh, Jewish, and Christian. Lively watercolor paintings depict the different head coverings the children wear in the swirling wind. This book highlights both similarities and differences among children across religions and cultures. There is no intent to impose religious beliefs or practices. Included are a Note to Parents and Teachers and guiding questions for discussion. mjw

Title: Wandering Wind Author: Mubina Hassanali Kirmani and Brach Laster Illustrator: Betsy Carnes Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform Copyright: 2013 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4825-8700-5 Paperback pages: 30 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Indian-Kenyan (Kirmani) Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: U.S. Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Subjects: Hijab, Kippah, Mantilla, Patkas, Religion, Social interaction

Cowgirl

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Gemma is a young teenager, who lives in a sad, run-down Welsh community named Bryn Mawr, where burglaries and muggings are common. Her dad is in prison and her mum has lost hope. Kate, the legendary Cowgirl, who lives out-of-town on her father’s dairy farm, is the school outcast. Gemma and Kate are thrown into an odd friendship. When Gemma learns that Kate’s beloved cows are due to be slaughtered, she concocts an unexpected plan, with the help of her no-nonsense grandmother, that changes the whole community. This refreshing and uplifting story is about everyone peacefully working together toward a common goal. mjw

Title: Cowgirl Author: G.R Gemin Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd., London, England Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-85763-281-4 Paperback pages: 261 Age range: 9 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: South Wales Author’s ethnicity: Welsh and Italian Author’s residence: London and Italy Awards: 2015 Carnegie Medal Nomination, 2015 UKLA Book Awards long list, 2015 Tir na n-Og Award (Welsh Book Council) Subjects: Community, Cows, Dairy farming, Flute, Grandmothers, Hinduism, School, South Wales

Anna Hibiscus

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Anna Hibiscus (probably six-years-old) lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. She lives in an unnamed West African city with her extended family, which is so big that she cannot count them all. This is the traditional way in Africa. Yet her family is modern and interconnected. They text, e-mail, and travel internationally. Each of the four chapters tells a complete story. Anna vacations with her family; awaits the visit of Auntie Comfort, who lives in Canada; sells oranges on the street and learns an important lesson; and finds ice shavings in the freezer and is invited to spend Christmas in Canada where there is real snow. Sweet, black-and-white drawings provide fascinating details of African life and match the rhythm of the text. Contemporary urban African stories to share with young children are hard to find. Cheerful, humorous, and interesting, this story is the first in a series that offers a much-welcomed glimpse of this culture. The author and illustrator team has also created two brilliant picture books about Anna, mjw

Title: Anna Hibiscus Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Lauren Tobia Publisher: Kane Miller, A division of EDC Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma Copyright: 2010 Original Language: English  Original Publisher: Walker Books Ltd., London Original Copyright: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-935279-73-0 Paperback pages: 112 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Chapter book, fiction Book setting: Africa Author’s ethnicity: Nigerian Author’s residence: Wales Illustrator’s ethnicity: British Illustrator’s residence: England Awards: 2011 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award Subjects: African culture, City and town life, Family life, Multi-generational, Nigeria, Responsibility, West Africa

Dance of the Banished

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Teenagers Zeynep and Ali, who live in the village of Harput in Anatolia and plan to marry, are separated in June of 1913. Ali finds passage to Canada in search of a better life, but when World War I breaks out, he is declared an enemy alien and sent to an internment camp. Zeynep is left behind to work in a hospital, where she is faced with the horrors of war, revolution, and genocide. Each writes a journal for the other. Ali writes a chronicle of life in an internment camp in Kapuckasing, Ontario. Zeynep writes an eyewitness account of the Armenian genocide from the point of view of the Alevi Kurds. They are always in each other’s thoughts and are finally reunited in August of 1916. Based on true events, this well-researched story of love, hope, and tenacity to survive includes maps, an Author’s Note, and archival photographs of Kapuskasing Internment Camp, circa 1915. mjw

Title: Dance of the Banished Author: Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch Publisher: Pajama Press, Canada Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-927485-65-1 Paperback pages: 234 Age range: 12 up Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Anatolia, Turkey; Canada Author’s ethnicity: Canadian and Ukrainian Author’s residence: Ontario, Canada Awards: 2008 Order of Princess Olha, Ukraine.  Appointed to Canada’s First World War Internment Recognition Endowment Council Subjects: Canadian history, Emigration, Immigration, Internment camps, Prejudice, Racism, World War I

The Memory of an Elephant: An Unforgettable Journey

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An elephant never forgets! This quirky, oversized, content-rich cabinet of curiosities is the story of Marcel, a very cool elephant. Narrative text describes Marcel. He is a connoisseur of good food, a clotheshorse, a skyscraper expert, and he is compiling an encyclopedia. Illustrations, sidebars, and full-page compendiums give facts about his many interests, including elephants, buildings, ships, geography, and plants. For example, we see Marcel playing a tuba and the opposite page offers facts on instruments, such as the sitar, balalaika, glockenspiel, and electric guitar. The brilliant, detailed spreads are captivating. In the end, his friends arrive to celebrate his birthday. They dance the night away beneath the stars. Marcel’s story concludes with a recipe for La Crepe Marcelette (with banana), his gourmand glossary, a key to the modern furniture in his apartment, and a list of his rare and amazing animal friends. mjw

Title: The Memory of an Elephant: An Unforgettable Journey Author: Sophie Strady Illustrator: Jean-Francoise Martin Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco Copyright: 2014 Original Language: French Translator: Kate Willsky Original Title: La memoire de l’elephant Original Publisher: Helium, Paris Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4521-2903-7 Hardcover pages: 38 Age range: 8 up Genre: Picture book Book setting: Asia, Panama, Paris, Vietnam Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Subjects: Animals, Birthdays, Buildings, Elephants, Encyclopedia, Fashion, Food, France, French history, Furniture, Memory, Music, Paris, Ships

The Fastest Boy in the World

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Eleven-year-old Solomon loves to run and dreams of seeing his heroes, the 2012 London Olympics gold-medal-winning Ethiopian running team. He cannot believe it when his grandfather announces that he is going to take Solomon to Addis Ababa on the day of the team’s victory parade. On their visit, Solomon learns that his grandfather was a famous runner and also that he was a war hero who risked his life to save a friend. When his grandfather collapses, Solomon has to run the twenty miles from the city to his village for help. This easy-to-read, short novel, with black-and-white ink drawings, introduces young readers to a setting that is very different from the Western world. mjw

Title: The Fastest Boy in the World Author: Elizabeth Laird Illustrator: Peter Bailey Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, London Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4472-6717-1 Paperback pages: 163 Age range: 7 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Addis Ababa and Kidame, Ethiopia Author’s ethnicity: British (born in New Zealand) Author’s residence: U.K. Illustrator’s ethnicity: British (born in India) Illustrator’s residence: U.K. Awards: 2015 Carnegie Medal nominee. Author has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal five times Subjects: Addis Ababa, Athletes, Ethiopia, Grandfathers, Olympics (London 2012), Running, Sports, Success

My Dog Thinks I’m A Genius

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An eight-year-old budding artist finds out he is not the only one in the family with talent. When the boy thinks he is finished painting his daily masterpiece, he asks his dog if his work is done. His dog, Louie, barks suggesting his master include him in the picture to perfectly complete the painting. Unfortunately, the boy must leave to go to school as his pouting pooch watches from the window. Louie spends the day in the art studio creating a rendition of Cezanne’s “Still Life with Fruit Basket,” proving he and his master are both creative geniuses. Barroux’s warm and charming illustrations bring life to the loving relationship between a dog and his master. cc

Title: My Dog Thinks I’m A Genius Author: Harriet Ziefert Illustrator: Barroux Publisher: Blue Apple Books, New Jersey Copyright: 2011 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-60905-059-7 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture book Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Subjects: Animals, Art, Creativity, Dogs, Painting, Pets

Malala Yousafzai: Warrior With Words

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When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, fifteen-year-old Malala spoke out.  She began writing and speaking to everyone who would listen about her right to an education.  She wanted to prove that peaceful words have power over violence.  The Taliban responded by shooting her in the head as she sat in her school bus.  She recovered with no injury to her brain.  In 2012, she spoke at the United Nations on her sixteenth birthday and took her message – “Every child.  Every country.  Free school” – around the world.  The author highlights Malala’s bright personality, her favorite color pink, and her love of books.  Detailed cut-paper and photograph collage illustrations provide texture and color.  Back matter includes important facts about Pakistan, a map, Internet resources on Pakistan, and information about the Malala Fund, the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up program, and other organizations where we can all work together to make girls’ education a true priority.  This is an inspiring book for kids, but older readers will want to read Malala’s own story in I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Little Brown and Company, 2013.  On November 10, 2014, Malala was awarded the Nobel Prize. mjw

Title: Malala Yousafzai: Warrior With Words Author: Karen Leggett Abouraya Illustrator: L.C. Wheatley Publisher: Star Walk Kids Media, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-63083-316-9 Paperback pages: 36 Age range: 8-11 Genre: Nonfiction picture book Book setting: Pakistan Author’s ethnicity: American Author’s residence: U.S. Subjects: Biography, Education, Girls, History, Muslim teenagers, Pakistan, Taliban