Category Archives: USBBY Books List

Vanishing Colors

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In this haunting story, a young girl and her mother take shelter in their roofless house to sleep. The mother tells the story of a large bird that flies from the mountains to protect them.  Dark illustrations show that the city is ravaged by war.  The bird reminds the girl of happy memories and colors that were there before.  The girl and her mother can leave when the girl sees all the colors in the rainbow, which makes a bridge across the sky.  The book ends with the mother and child walking on, holding hands, under a rainbow. They will stay together and help each other. mjw
Title: Vanishing Colors
Author: Constance Orbeck-Nilssen
Illustrator: Akin Duzakin
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: Norwegian
Translator: Kari Dickson
Original Title: Fargene som forsvant
Original Publisher: Vigmostad & Bjorke
Original Copyright: 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5518-3
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 5-9
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Eastern Europe
Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian
Author’s residence: Norway
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Turkish-Norwegian
Illustrator’s residence: Norway
Awards:  2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List
Subjects: Destruction, Emigration and Immigration, Homelessness and poverty, Migration, Parents, Refugees, Social issues

Marwan’s Journey

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Marwen is a young boy and refugee who flees from starvation, poverty, and war. Along with thousands of other refugees, he takes an incredible journey across the desert and away from his homeland and culture. Marwen hopes to return to his home in the future and create a place that is safe, happy, and filled with hope. Brown, black, blue, red, and yellow watercolors combine in variations to establish scenes that reflect the ups and downs of Marwen’s journey. mm
Title: Marwan’s Journey
Author: Patricia de Arias
Illustrator: Laura Borrás
Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing ltd
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-988-8341-55-9
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 5-7
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Spanish
Author’s residence: Brazil
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish
Awards: 2019 USBBY Honor List of Outstanding International Books
Subjects: Family, Hope, Refugees

The Moose Of Ewenki

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The Ewenki people live in the forest of Greater Khingan, in northern China, and they live on hunting and raising reindeer. The old hunter Gree Shek hunts a mother moose by mistake. She leaves a young moose.  He feels terrible because Ewenki hunters would never hunt a female moose that was raising a baby.  The motherless baby follows Gree Shek back to the campsite where Gree Shek feeds the hungry moose.  He names it Little Moose. The moose and the man form a bond and go on adventures together.  As Little Moose grows older and bigger, Gree Shek knows he must return the moose to the forest.  Beautifully detailed paintings complement this touching story, which highlights the traditional and vanishing way of life of the Ewenki people. mjw
Title: The Moose Of Ewenki
Author: Gerelchimeg Blackcrane
Illustrator: Jui Er
Publisher: Greystone Kids Books
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77164-538-6
Hardcover pages: 68
Age range: 5-9
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Inner Mongolia
Author’s ethnicity: Chinese
Author’s residence: Hulunbuir Grassland in Mongolia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence: Beijing, China
Awards:  2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List
Subjects: Asia, Caribou, Deer, Global studies, Moose, People and places, Reindeer

A Year In Our New Garden

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a year in our new gardenAnna and Benjamin’s family has moved into a new house in the city and they have big plans for their garden. They draw maps of their garden plots, gather their garden tools, and get straight to work, digging and planting. They plant flowers and vegetables, and learn about birds and insects. They make lemonade and leaf and acorn jewelry and toys. A recipe and directions are included. Also provided are gardening tips. Benjamin even writes a poem. This seasonal story is accompanied by beautifully detailed watercolor and ink illustrations. Young readers will be inspired to explore their own gardens. mjw
Title: A Year In Our New Garden
Author: Gerda Muller
Illustrator: Gerda Muller
Publisher: Floris Books, Edinburgh
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: German
Original Title: Ein Garten fur Kinder in der Stadt
Original Copyright: 1988
ISBN: 978-1-78250-259-3
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Dutch
Author’s residence: Paris
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch
Illustrator’s residence: Paris
Awards: 2017 USBBY Outstanding International Books List
Subjects: Birds, Gardens, Seasons, Wildlife

The Herd Boy

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The Herd Boy CoverReaders experience a typical day of the courageous and bright Malusi who is responsible for protecting a herd of sheep in South Africa. Malusi dreams of becoming president despite his friend’s doubts. Expressive illustrations of the lively landscape, a special appearance by Nelson Mandela, a glossary of words from South Africa, and a note from the author describing the inspiration for the book are featured. ema
Title: The Herd Boy
Author: Niki Daly
Illustrator: Niki Daly
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2012
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Janetta Otter-Barry Books, Frances Lincoln Books
Original Copyright: 2012
ISBN: 978-0802854179
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 6-10
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: South Africa
Author’s ethnicity: South African
Author’s residence: Cape Town
Awards: 2012 Junior Library Guild Selection, Poetry Center at Passaic County CC, 2013 Paterson Prize for Young People Honor Book, United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), 2013 Outstanding International Books
Subjects: African People, Animals, Baboons, Family, Food, Friends, Herders, Language, Leaders, Nelson Mandela, Presidents, Sheep, South Africa, Xhosa, World Leaders

I Have The Right To Be A Child

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I Have A Right To Be A ChildInspired by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, I Have The Right To Be A Child is a picture book that makes young readers ponder about rights of  children. The simplistically beautiful acrylic illustrations perfectly accompany the book’s first person narration. This moving picture book explains the types of rights children around the world should be entitled to. It is important to note that at the end of the book, there is an explanation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This explanation details the specific rights the states who sign the agreement must uphold. There is also a list of states who are party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. There are only three members of the UN who are not party to the Convention. These three countries are Somalia, the United States, and South Sudan. I Have The Right To Be A Child is a perfect book to teach about peace and human rights. It illustrates the type of world we hope to live in and challenges readers to advocate for children’s rights. ema
Title: I Have The Right To Be A Child
Author: Alain Serres
Illustrator: Aurélia Fronty
Publisher: Groundwood Books House of Anansi Press
Copyright: 2012
Original Language: French
Translator: Helen Minster
Original Title: S’ai le droit d’être un enfant
Original Publisher: Rue du Monde 
Original Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-55498-149-6
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Non-Fiction Picture Book 
Book setting: Around the World
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: Paris
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: France
Awards: IRA Notable Books for a Global Society List, Selected for Children’s Literary Assembly, 2013 Notable Children’s Books, and USBBY Outstanding International Booklist
Subjects: Activism, Children’s Rights, Disabilities, Diversity, Education, Families, Friends, Gender, Human Rights, Peace, Race, United Nations, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Shackleton’s Journey

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Shackleton's JourneyThis large-format picture book tells of the rewards and trials of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 landmark expedition across Antarctica on the “Endurance.” The very detailed story includes the names of the dogs and all the crew, and quotations from crew members. Inventories of supplies, maps, and plans of the anatomy of the ship help to communicate this extraordinary journey. The unique, meticulous colored-pencil drawings in mostly blacks, blues, and browns evoke the adventure and excitement of the expedition. The ample use of white captures the snow and ice of the polar region. Included are a Table of Contents, and a Glossary of bolded words that appear in the text, such as crow’s nest, glacier, and sledge. mjw
Title: Shackleton’s Journey
Author: William Grill
Illustrator: William Grill
Publisher: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Ltd., London, New York
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-909263-10-9
Hardcover pages: 80
Age range: 7-11
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information
Book setting: Antarctica
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: London
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: London
Awards: 2015 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, AOI Illustration New Talent Award Winner, 2014 NY Times Best illustrated Children’s Book Award, 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Book,  Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2014.
Subjects: Antarctica; Biography; Exploration and discovery; Explorers; Polar regions; Shackleton, Ernest Henry, Sir (1874-1922); Ships

Lindbergh: The Tale Of A Flying Mouse

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lindbergh“One small step for a mouse; one giant leap for aviation.” A courageous and intelligent little German mouse, terrified of mechanical mousetraps in his homeland, decides to flee to safety in America. He is inspired by bats (mice with wings), and after several failed attempts, he eventually builds a tiny airplane for his solo transatlantic flight to freedom. His designs are fascinating and reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci. The realistic-looking little daredevil rodent becomes a mini-celebrity in New York and all of America and inspires a young boy named Charles Lindbergh. Minute details in the natural-toned, watercolor and pencil illustrations of facial expressions, machinery, and architecture are evocative and gorgeous. Aerial views and close-ups of old Hamburg are stunning. Back matter includes A Short History of Aviation with notes about Otto Lilienthal, the Wright brothers, and Charles Lindbergh. mjw
Title: Lindbergh: The Tale Of A Flying Mouse
Author: Torben Kuhlmann
Illustrator: Torben Kuhlmann
Publisher: North South Books, New York
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: German
Translator: Suzanne Levesque
Original Title: Lindbergh: Die abenteuerliche Geschichte einer fliegenden Maus
Original Publisher: Nord Sud Verlag. Zurich, Switzerland
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4167-3
Hardcover pages: 96
Age range: 4 up
Genre: Picture book
Book setting: Hamburg and New York
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: German
Illustrator’s residence: Germany
Awards: 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books Grades 3-5, 2015 Golden Island Award
Subjects: Airplanes; Flight; Germany; Hamburg; Lindbergh, Charles A; Mice

Branded By The Pink Triangle

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branded by the pink triangleTen well-researched chapters describe how early 20th century tolerant attitudes toward homosexuals changed with the rise of Nazism in the 1930s. The pink triangle was used by the Nazis to identify homosexual prisoners in concentration camps. It has since been adopted by the gay movement as a symbol of strength and pride. First-person accounts from concentration camp survivors of the treatment and persecution of homosexuals by the Nazi regime, period photographs, a lengthy timeline, maps, and an extensive bibliography contribute to this well-documented history. The story of this little-known aspect of the holocaust is brought up to date with a final chapter titled, “It Gets Better.” mjw
Title: Branded By The Pink Triangle
Author: Ken Setterington
Publisher: Second Story Press. Ontario, Canada
Copyright: 2013
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-926920-96-2
Paperback pages: 157
Age range: 12-16
Genre: Information book, Nonfiction
Book setting: Germany
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Awards: 2014 Stonewall Honor Book – ALA, 2014 USBBY Outstanding International Books, 2014 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist.
Subjects: Atrocities, Berlin, Concentration camps, Gays, Homosexuals, Nazis, Persecution, World War II

The End of the Line

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The End of the LIneIt is 1942 in Amsterdam and five-year-old Jewish Beatrix is left on a tram when her mother is taken away by Nazi soldiers. She is saved when elderly ticket-taker Lars Gorter and his brother, Hans the conductor, claim that she is their niece. The two brothers have no idea how to take care of a child and they know that harboring a Jew could cost them their lives. They turn to their neighbors, Mrs. Vos and Lieve van der Meer, for help. The unlikely group becomes a family. They survive through the horrors of war, hunger and cold, bombings, fear, and anxiety. The book concludes with explanations of the characters’ futures after Holland’s liberation in 1945. It also includes a description of “When Strangers Were Saviors” and an Afterword that provides information about details of the war. Based on historical facts about World War II, this suspenseful short novel is written from the point of view of the two brothers, yet it will engage young readers. mjw
Title: The End of the Line
Author: Sharon E. McKay
Illustrator: Serena Malyon
Publisher: Annick Press, Toronto
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-55451-658-2
Paperback pages: 120
Age range: 8-11
Genre: Historical fiction
Book setting: Amsterdam
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Awards: 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books Grades 6-8, 2008 First children’s author to be awarded the title of CFAP -Vet (War Artist), Canadian Forces (War) Artists Program
Subjects: Amsterdam, Courage, Elderly, Holocaust, Jews, Netherlands, Prejudice, Survival, Tolerance, World War II

Anna’s Heaven

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Anna's HeavenAs church bells chime, young Anna and her restless father prepare to attend her mother’s funeral, though the funeral, death, and grief are never mentioned in the text. They fly through a hole in the sky and make their way to heaven. Their world becomes dreamlike and surreal with floating mailboxes, flying elephants, cooing sea urchins, and even an Elvis cameo. They take turns questioning, imagining, and commenting. This is their pathway to peace. A hopeful ending shows Anna comforting her now-smiling father and strawberries raining down from the sky. Beautiful language and fantastic photo collages don’t give answers, just space for questions about life’s mysteries. Anna’s Heaven may not be appropriate for some public schools, since there is a discussion of God in the story. mjw
Title: Anna’s Heaven
Author: Stian Hole
Illustrator: Stian Hole
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: Norwegian
Translator: Don Bartlett
Original Title: Anna’s himmel
Original Publisher: Cappelen Damm
Original Copyright: 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5441-4
Hardcover pages: 42
Age range: 6-10
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian
Author’s residence: Norway
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Norwegian
Illustrator’s residence: Norway
Awards:  2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books Grades 3-5
Subjects: Daughters, Death, Dying, Fathers, Social issues

Wanting Mor

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wanting morJameela, a young Islamic girl who has a cleft lip, lives with her mother and father in a war-torn village in Afghanistan. When her beloved mother, Mor, dies suddenly, her father takes Jameela with him to Kabul to seek a new life. He turns to drugs and alcohol and marries a new wife who treats Jameela like a slave and urges him to abandon Jameela in Kabul’s busy marketplace. Through the kindness of strangers, Jameela is placed in an orphanage, where she goes to school, learns the power of an education, and has surgery on her deformed lip. This, together with her strong faith and memories of her mother, allows her to turn her life around. This touching story, rich in cultural content, is set in 2001 and is based on real incidents. The many Pushto and Arabic words in Jameela’s first-person narrative are explained in a helpful glossary. The author has a teaching guide and book talk/tutorial for this book on her website at http://www.rukhsanakhan.com mjw
Title: Wanting Mor
Author: Rukhsana Khan
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Copyright: 2010
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-88899-862-0
Paperback pages: 192
Age range: 10-14
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Kandahar, Kabul, Afghanistan
Author’s ethnicity: Pakistani
Author’s residence: Toronto, Canada
Awards: 2009 Middle East Book Award, 2010 United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Books List
Subjects: Afghanistan, City and town life, Disabilities, Girls, Muslims, Orphanages, Taliban