Category Archives: Uncategorized

Cinderella: An Islamic Tale

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Zahra is left alone with a cruel stepmother and snobby stepsisters after her parents die. She is a pious, sweet young woman who endures many trials and tribulations as she is made the servant in her household. When an invitation to the ‘Eid party at the palace arrives at Zahra’s house, she longs to attend. With the help of her long-lost grandmother, Zahra finishes her housework in time to attend the party and gain the attention and affection of the prince. In a hurry to leave the party in time to beat her stepmother and stepsisters home, Zahra loses her beautiful glass slipper. Faith, prayer, and goodness are rewarded in the end of this Islamic version of the classic fairy tale. Beautiful, richly detailed illustrations help bring the text to life. cc

Title: Cinderella: An Islamic Tale Author: Fawzia Gilani Illustrator: Shireen Adams Publisher: The Islamic Foundation Copyright: 2010 Original language: English ISBN: 978-0-86037-473-2 Hardcover pages: 44 Age range: 5-10 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Medieval Andalusia Author’s ethnicity: Punjabi Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s residence: United Kingdom Subjects: Cinderella, Fairy tales, Faith, Folklore, Islam, Muslim, Religion, Spirituality

The Boy On The Page

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This whimsical tale begins with a young boy’s landing on the page. Things begin to unfold and grow around him and by circumstance, the boy begins to discover the wonder of life. As the boy grows into adulthood, he becomes more of a participant in the creation of the vibrant world around him. Everyday activities including painting portraits, climbing mountains, falling in love, and building a house help answer the grown man’s existential question of “Why am I here?” Lush, warm colors complement the deep, thoughtful text. cc

Title: The Boy On The Page Author: Peter Carnavas Illustrator: Peter Carnavas Publisher: Kane Miller, A Division of EDC Publishing Copyright: 2014 Original language: English Original publisher: New Frontier Publishing, Australia ISBN: 978-1-61067-245-0 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-10 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian Illustrator’s residence: Australia Subjects: Existentialism, Imagination, Life, Wonder

Saving Kabul Corner

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12 year old Ariana Shinwali eagerly counts down the days until she will have her own room in a beautiful new house. Laila, Ariana’s perfect, well-mannered cousin,arrives from Afghanistan and seemingly intrudes on Ariana’s life: stealing her best friend, Mariam, and her personal space. Kabul Corner, the Shinwali family’s store, faces hardship when another Afghan grocery store competitor arises in Wong Plaza. An old family feud that supposedly was left in Afghanistan is reignited and the rival families blame each other for the vandalism and issues that take place at the two stores. Ariana, Laila, Mariam, and Wali (son of the rival store’s owner) set aside differences and meet to discuss suspicions about a third party being involved in the mishaps at each store. The mystery unfolds as the foursome uncover clues that point to the truth. A glossary of terms follows the compelling read which portrays the multicultural main characters in a manner that is not stereotypical. cc

Title: Saving Kabul Corner Author: N. H. Senzai Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division Copyright: 2014 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-4424-8494-8 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: California Author’s residence: United States Subjects: Afghan Americans, California, Family life, Grocery trade, Immigrants, Mystery and detective stories, San Francisco Bay area, Vendetta

That Night’s Train

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Five-year-old Banafsheh is traveling on a train with her grandmother. She meets a kindly teacher who reminds her of her dead mother. The teacher is also a writer, who reads her works-in-progress to her fifth grade students. She promises to call Banafsheh and to visit and tell her stories. But she does not call. The book is a curious look at metafiction, relationships, and how fiction and reality wrap together. This sophisticated read portrays contemporary Iranian society and universal experiences. mjw

Title: That Night’s Train Author: Ahmad Akbarpour Illustrator: Isabelle Arsenault Publisher: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, Toronto, Ontario Copyright: 2012 Original language: Persian Translator: Majid Saghafi Original title: Ghatar-e An Shab Original publisher: Cheshmeh Publications Co., Tehran, Iran Original copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-55498-169-4 Hardcover pages: 96 Age range: 9 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Iran Author’s ethnicity: Iranian Author’s residence: Iran Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Canada Subjects: Girls, Iran, Promises, Teachers

Woolly Jumpers

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Twins Mike and Jake reluctantly move with their family to sheep country in Australia. They miss email, the dishwasher, and their friend Justin, until their father offers them spending money for mowing the grass. They borrow the neighbor’s sheep to do the job. Chaos results as the sheep end up in their bedroom closet and in the family car. The story is told from both Mike’s point of view and the animals’ with whom he interacts. Four black-and-white drawings appear multiple times. mjw

Title: Woolly Jumpers Author: Nette Hilton Illustrator: Emma Quay Publisher: Kane Miller, A Division of EDC Publishing Copyright: 2012 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-61067-050-0 Paperback pages: 150 Age range: 8-11 Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction Book setting: Australia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Australia Subjects: Animals, Australia, Farm life, Rural

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A young girl rides a sleek neon green and orange elevated train through crowded French cityscapes and fantastical landscapes to her grandmother’s house. She wants to travel, and she believes that it is possible to know the entire world and understand things better, even though her mother and grandmother are doubtful. Her positive attitude and adventurous spirit come to life in the delicate black and white fine-line double spreads. mjw

Title: Line 135 Author: Germano Zullo Illustrator: Albertine Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco Copyright: 2013 Original language: French Translator: Chronicle Books, LLC Original title: Ligne 135 Original publisher: Editions La Joie de lire SA, Geneva, Switzerland Original copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4521-1934-2 Hardcover pages: 44 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture book Book setting: France Author’s residence: Switzerland Illustrator’s residence: Switzerland Awards: 2014 USBBY Outstanding International Books List Subjects: Railroad travel, Travel, Voyages

Viva Zapata

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This humorous story is a fictional incident in the childhood of Emiliano Zapata, Mexican revolutionary hero. From the age of seven, Emiliano has struggled to understand why the children of the village are unhappy. Upon explanation from his mother, he learns this is because they are malnourished. One night, a group of bandits steal all of his family’s horses including his favorite horse, Sombra. Emiliano, ten years old at the time, takes the one remaining horse, an old mare named Lucita, and tracks down the bandits. If he can make all of the bandits laugh, he will get to take the horses back. After trying several tricks, Emiliano finally succeeds when he suggests that in the future he will help the farmers in the land so that no one has a need to become a bandido. The bandidos laugh hysterically and even split their pants. A short biography of Emiliano Zapata follows the story. The black and white illustrations are dramatic and bold, making this story a perfect introduction to a great historical figure. cc

Title: Viva Zapata Author: Emilie Smith and Margarita Kenefic Tejada Illustrator: Stefan Czernecki Publisher: Tradewind Books, Canada/Great Britain Copyright: 2009 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-896580-55-5 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: Argentinian, Guatemalan Author’s residence: Canada, Guatemala Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Canada Subjects: Emiliano Zapata, Food, Horses, Malnutrition, Mexican revolution, Mexico, Thieves

I See The Sun In Russia

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Anton is a young boy growing up in St. Petersburg, Russia, who plays the violin and hopes to be in an orchestra someday. The book offers a snapshot of the daily life of an average Russian family through a child’s eyes. Anton wakes to a snowy morning, attends a special public music school, visits the Hermitage Museum with his class, grocery shops with his mother, plays soccer with a friend, and enjoys dinner with his family. Colorful collage illustrations of St. Petersburg scenery combine photography, cut paper, and drawings. The book is in two languages, print English and cursive Russian. A cultural overview of St. Petersburg, a map, and a glossary are included. This is the fourth book in the I See The Sun series, which reflects both the diversity and similarity of children’s experiences throughout the world. The possibilities for learning are endless. mjw

Title: I See The Sun In Russia Author: Dedie King Illustrator: Judith Inglese Publisher: Satya House Publications, Hardwick, Massachusetts Copyright: 2014 Original language: English and Russian Translator: Irina Ossapova ISBN: 978-19358742-5-6 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5 and up Genre: Picture book Book setting: St. Petersburg, Russia Author’s residence: United States Subjects: Dance-Ballet, Eastern Europe, Grandmothers, Music, Russian Language, St. Petersburg, Violin

Boy On The Edge

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Teenage Henry, with a club foot, a terrible stutter, and dyslexia, is the target of unrelenting bullying.  After committing several violent acts at school and at home, he is sent to the Home of Lesser Brethren, a desolate farm for troubled boys, in the middle of the lava fields on the Icelandic coast.  The farm is run by the frightening and misguided Reverend Oswald and his loving wife. Henry finds some peace in tending the cows and sheep, but he is lonely and desperate for a friend.  Each time he trusts someone, he is betrayed.  The prologue explains that the story is a flashback written by Henry’s friend.  Not until the end, do we learn who the friend is.  This sophisticated and engrossing story of an outcast’s hope is a clear tribute to Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince.  The poetic language describes moments of tenderness and also unspeakable cruelty.  It will transport you to the cold, harsh, yet comforting Icelandic landscape.  mjw

Title: Boy On The Edge Author: Fridrik Erlings Publisher: Candlewick Copyright: 2012 Original language: Written in English but based on a book the author had previously written in Icelandic. ISBN: 978-0-7636-6680-4 Hardcover pages: 240 Age range: 14 and up Genre: Fiction – novel Book setting: Iceland Author’s ethnicity: Icelandic Author’s residence: Iceland Subjects: Clergy, Club Foot, Dyslexia, Foster Children, Iceland, Northern Europe, Stutter, Teenage Boys

Summoning The Phoenix

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Children will be able to explore traditional Chinese instruments and relate to the challenges and rewards of learning to play a musical instrument as they follow twelve children who practice their instruments in preparation for a concert as all musician do. Lively poems convey each child’s unique experience learning to play their chosen traditional Chinese musical instrument. Sidebars featured with each poem give a more in-depth description of how the instrument sounds, how it is made, and how it feels to play. This musical journey is accompanied with vivid, warm pencil and digital illustrations all the way to the grand finale. An author’s note about Chinese music and the recent introduction of the Chinese orchestra follows the text. cc

Title: Summoning The Phoenix: Poems And Prose About Chinese Musical Instruments Author: Emily Jiang Illustrator: April Chu Publisher: Shen’s Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books, Inc., New York Copyright: 2013 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-885008-50-3 Hardcover pages: 454 Age range: 6-12 Genre: Poetry Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s residence: United States Subjects: China, Eastern Asia, Musical instruments

A Tale Of Two Parrots

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This delightful tale about the importance of love and freedom was inspired by a story by Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet. A wealthy mustachioed merchant, elaborately dressed in traditional wide-legged silk pants, flowing robe, and tall black hat keeps a beautiful parrot in a shiny golden cage. But the parrot is sad. When the merchant travels to India to bring a message to the parrot’s friend, the friend drops dead. The merchant returns home, tells the parrot the sad news, and his parrot also drops dead. He removes the bird from the cage and it flies out into the garden. The parrot tricked the merchant. The wise merchant learned a valuable lesson and became friends with the parrot, who now lives freely in the garden. Hidden in the whimsical, mostly green and red, acrylic paintings is a Farsi narrative written on an envelope that further explains the Persian concept of gifts and the parrot’s message to his friend. There is an accompanying animation on North South Book’s YouTube channel. mjw

Title: A Tale Of Two Parrots Author: Rashin Kheiriyeh Illustrator: Rashin Kheiriyeh Publisher: North South Books Inc., New York Copyright: 2014 Original language: English ISBN: 978-0-7358-4171-0 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Iran/Persia, India Author’s ethnicity: Iranian Author’s residence: United States Subjects: Friends, India, Iran, Merchants, Parrots, Persia, Southern Asia

Abby Spencer Goes To Bollywood

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Thirteen-year-old biracial Abby Spencer, who lives in Houston, discovers that her long lost father is Bollywood’s biggest movie star. She is spunky and adventurous. She thinks in rhyme and has an imaginary string quartet in her head. Her journey to Mumbai to meet her father is entertaining and also an eye-opening experience about modern Indian culture. Smoothly integrated into this fun story are descriptions of India- colors, sounds, dress, foods; Hindi phrases; Indian history; and the contrast between the extreme poverty in India and the glamorous life of a Bollywood superstar. She connects with her wonderful father and even meets a cute boy. This sweet, quick read mixes literature, geography, cultural diversity, and reveals Abby’s zest for life. mjw

Title: Abby Spencer Goes To Bollywood Author: Varsha Bajaj Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company Copyright: 2014 Original language: English ISBN: 978-0-8075-6363-2 Hardcover pages: 256 Age range: 9-13 Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction Book setting: Mumbai, India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: United States Subjects: Bollywood, Fathers and daughters, India, Motion picture actors and actresses, South Central Asia