Written from the perspective of an inquisitive child going about an average day, this delightful book explores the many strange habits, fears, and eccentric outfits of the diverse, multigenerational humans around him. It delivers a lighthearted and comforting message: it is entirely normal to be weird, and it might even be weird to be normal. The bold, vibrant, and quirky mixed-media illustrations were rendered with various dry media, watercolor, and wet charcoal digital brushes.
Title: People Are Weird
Author: Victor D.O. Santos
Illustrator: Catorina Sobral
Publisher: Milky Way Picture Books. Canada
Copyright: 2025
Original Language: Portuguese
ISBN: 978-1990252488
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Brazilian-American
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Portuguese
Illustrator’s residence: Lisbon, Portugal
Awards: White Ravens Catalog
Subjects: Emotions, Feelings, Humor, Self-esteem, Urban world
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A young boy walks nine kilometers – over five-and-a-half miles – to school through the mountains and rainforests of Chile. He observes butterflies, birds, and animals, as he crosses a stream and crawls under a barbed wire fence. He likes to walk and count. Endpapers show maps of his route. An opening note explains a bit about the metric system. The vibrant and detailed illustrations are rendered in acrylics and show interesting perspectives in this important book about perseverance and the right to an education. Back matter tells of other walkers around the world – in China, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Kenya, Uruguay, Venezuela, and other parts of Chile. Some of them walk as much as 30 kilometers round-trip to get to school. Descriptions and photos of birds that live in southern Chile are also included. mjw
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War spreads like a disease. It hears nothing, sees nothing, and feels nothing. It feeds on hate and spite. It saddens, crushes, and silences. It destroys everything in its path. This eye-opening book with sparse text reveals the many sides of war. The watercolor illustrations in black, grays, and browns are stunning and surreal. War is the perfect book for starting important discussions between children and their parents and teachers. mjw
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