Tag Archives: Adventure

Honk Honk Beep Beep Putter Putt!

HonkBaba takes his son Ibraheem and the cat Mitu in his rickshaw on a trip through the big city. They encounter all kinds of vehicles and discover that each one has its own language. The rickshaw’s motor says Putter Putt. The car says Honk Honk. The bus tries to barge in with a Toot Toot and the mighty truck joins with a Rumble Rumble. The vehicles screech to a stop when there is a toad in the road saying Burp! Everyone safely shares the road. The bright, playful illustrations that convey each vehicle’s personality were digitally drawn. An author’s note describes her experiences with big city traffic around the world. mjw
Title: Honk Honk Beep Beep Putter Putt!
Author: Rukhsana Khan
Illustrator
: Chaaya Prabhat
Publisher
: Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House of Canada, Ltd.
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-774882-658
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity
: Pakistani
Author’s residence
: Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Indian
Illustrator’s residence
: Goa, India
Subjects
: Buses, Cars, Cities, City life, Horns, Rickshaws, Sharing, Toads, Traffic, Trucks, Vehicles

Sunday

sundayFor Martin and his dog Maize, every Sunday is the same. His family always sits in the same seats at the dinner table, watches TV, cooks, and folds laundry. But this Sunday, things will be different because Martin and Maize decide to travel the world. The world is waiting. They travel to freezing ice caps, baking lava flows, the home of sacred creatures, arid deserts, fertile forests, and seas teeming with pirate ships, After their adventure, they long to find their way home to tell Grandma where they have been, They might even travel beyond the world on their next magical Sunday. The line art, bold matte colors, and hidden pictures produce an etched look that adds to the drama in this story about imagination, dreams, and play. mjw
Title: Sunday
Author: Marcelo Tolentino
Illustrator
: Marcelo Tolentino
Publisher
: Blue Dot Lids Press, Sacramento, California
Copyright
: 2025
Original Language
: Portuguese
Translator
: Rahul Bery
Original Publisher
: Companhia das Letras. Sao Paulo, Brazil
ISBN
: 979-898985-88-11
Hardcover pages
: 48
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Brazilian
Author’s residence
: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Brazilian
Illustrator’s residence
: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Subjects
: Action, Camels, Creativity, Dogs, Dragons, Grandmother-son relationships, Imagination, Pirates, Penguins, Play

Esma Farouk, Lost In The Souk

EsmaWhile Esma is on holiday visiting her extended family in Morocco, she goes to the souk – a huge marketplace full of street performers, delicious food, and sassy monkeys. Charmed by the bustling market’s sights, smells, and sounds, she loses track of her mother and aunt. Through the unexpected help of a troupe of acrobats, a fortune teller, and a monkey, Esma is reunited with her family, The lively and humorous artwork was created using digital gouache, watercolor, and colored pencils. mjw

Title: Esma Farouk, Lost In The Souk
Author: Lisa Boersen and Hasna Elbaamrani
Illustrator
: Annelies Vandenbosch
Publisher
: Floris Books, Edinburgh
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: Dutch
Translator
: Polly Lawson
Original Title
: 1001 paarse djellabas
Original Publisher
: Uitgeverij JH Gottmer/HJW Becht BV, Haarlen, the Netherlands
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-178250-885-4
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Marrakesh, Morocco
Author’s ethnicity
: Dutch and Dominican
Author’s residence
: Amsterdam
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Moroccan
Illustrator’s residence
: Amsterdam
Subjects
: Acrobats, Djellabas, Fortune tellers, Grandparents, Markets, Monkeys, Multicultural, North Africa, Souks, Spices

Agreement Under The Stars

AgreementThere was a time in the forest when the animals lived together in peace and harmony. But little by little the outside grew around them and the forest seemed to grow smaller and smaller. The animals couldn’t stand it anymore and soon there were quarrels. An emergency committee came up with a solution to restore peace. Some animals would be active during the day and sleep at night. Others would come out at night and sleep during the day. Since nobody volunteered to take the night shift, the committee selected animals to be the night creatures. However, the reason why we have daytime and nocturnal animals is not how it is told in the story. The book’s real message is that deforestation has caused the disappearance of one-third of our forests. The realistic-looking animals and bright colors rendered in ink and watercolors with rubbings and stamped textures are very appealing. The book is printed on “stone paper,” a special paper made of limestone. The paper doesn’t come from cutting down trees, doesn’t use water, and doesn’t need harmful chemical products. A final note tells more about deforestation and things we can do to save our forests. mjw
Title: Agreement Under The Stars
Author: Susana Rosique
Illustrator
: Susana Rosique
Publisher
: Cuento De Luz. Madrid,, Spain
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Jon Brokenbrow
Original Title: Acuerdo jajo las estrellas

ISBN
: 978- 84-19464-82-8
Hardcover pages
: 38
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Author’s residence
: Spain
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Illustrator’s residence
: Spain
Subjects
: Cooperation, Deforestation, Empathy, Forests, Harmony, Nocturnal animals, Parable, Peace, Solidarity, Survival, Sustainability

The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall

The wolves of greycoat hallBoris Greycoat is a friendly, sophisticated young wolf who likes to meet people and try new foods. He, his father, a polymath (an expert in many things), and his mother, who gives warm, reassuring smiles, return to their Scottish homeland to save Drommuir Castle. The castle has been in the family for generations, and now it is being threatened by a dishonest developer who wants to build villas for vacation rentals. The refined wolf family stays in the exclusive Highland Hotel, visiting turreted castles and quaint shops. They learn about other cultures and enjoy delicious cakes. Their adventure is full of surprising discoveries, one of which leads to Drommuir Castle being saved. The book includes a family tree, a table of contents, a recipe for Boris’s bannocks, a detailed map of the wolf family’s ancestral Scotland, and humorous illustrated sidebar comments on wolfish etiquette. The brilliant, amusing pen and ink drawings are magnificent. Lucinda Gifford’s author website offers fun activities to go with the book. mjw
Title: The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall
Author: Lucinda Gifford
Illustrator
: Lucinda Gifford
Publisher
: Kane Miller, a division of EDC Publishing
Copyright
: 2023
Original Language
: English
Original Publisher
: Walker Books, Australia
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-1-68464-719-4
Paperback pages
: 187
Age range
: 7-10
Genre
: Fiction, Humor, Fantasy
Book setting
: Scotland
Author’s ethnicity
: English
Author’s residence
: Melbourne, Australia
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s residence
: Melbourne, Australia
Subjects
: Acceptance, Architecture, Bannocks, Birds, Cakes, Castles, Dogs, Heroes, Nature preservation, Prejudices, Recipes, Vacations, Villians, Wolves

A Bird Day

A Bird dayIt’s an ordinary day for the bird family. The young ones, Lena and her little brother Bo, play, sing, hunt mosquitoes, and talk about their legs and toes. They have worm pie for dinner. Bo picks out the worms and only eats the pie shell. At night they fall asleep in their nest. Watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations show the funny facial expressions and cute hairstyles of the birds. The details in the family’s home are offbeat and interesting. This gentle story reflects on human behavior through this humorous bird family. mjw
Title: A Bird Day
Author: Eva Lindstrom
Illustrator
: Eva Lindstrom
Publisher
: Gecko Press, New Zealand
Copyright
: 2023
Original Language
: Swedish
Translator
: Julia Marshall
Original Title
: En Fageldag
Original Publisher
: Alfabeta Bokforlag AB
Original Copyright
: 2002
ISBN
: 978-177-6575275
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Author’s residence
: Sweden
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence
: Sweden
Awards
: Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2022
Subjects
: Birds, Caterpillars, Mosquitoes, Songs, Worms

The Cricket War

The Cricket WarSet in 1980s Vietnam, Tho and his best friend, Lam, love cricket fighting, and soccer, but there is fear in his village that twelve-year-old boys, like them, will be conscripted into the Communist army. People are trying to leave Vietnam and move to safer countries. One day, Lam and his brother disappear. Tho’s family sells their furniture to make money to send Tho and his brother, Vu, away. Vu leaves first and a year later Tho boards a small boat to escape. He stows away on a pirate boat, crosses the South China Sea, and eventually gets to a refugee camp in Palawon in the Philippines, where he stays for six months. Finally, a Canadian elementary school teacher adopts him and he flies to his new home in Toronto. This harrowing story is based on true events in the author’s life. A map, a pronunciation guide, an afterword, and a brief recent history of Vietnam further enhance Tho’s intense account of his journey. mjw
Title: The Cricket War
Author: Tho Pham and Sandra Mc Tavish
Publisher
: Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto
Copyright
: 2023
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-5253-0655-6
Hardcover pages
: 160
Age range
: 9-12
Genre
: Historical fiction
Book setting
: Vietnam; Palawan, Philippines; Toronto, Canada
Author’s ethnicity
: Vietnamese
Author’s residence
: Ottawa, Canada (Pham), Madoc, Ontario (McTavish)
Subjects
: Asian- Canadian authors, Boat people, Diverse characters, Hunger, Loneliness, Immigration, Pirates, Refugee camps, Refugees, Survival, Vietnam

Umbrella Over Berlin

Umbrella Over berlin
An umbrella goes to Berlin on holiday with its owner, Ed, but is left in the hotel because every day, the weather is sunny and warm. Ed visits the Brandenburg Gate, what’s left of the Berlin Wall. and the Holocaust Memorial. On the last day of the holiday, the umbrella rolls off the windowsill, pops open, and floats outside. The umbrella flies over all the sights Ed had talked about. It also flies over the Berlin Zoo, Central Square, and the Reichstag building. Later at the hotel, Ed and his umbrella are reunited and Ed says, “Well old sport, I guess you got to see Berlin after all!” The expressionistic paintings in mostly earth tones round out this fun story. mjw
Title: Umbrella Over Berlin
Author: Cao Wenxuan
Illustrator
: Pan Jian and Pan Ying
Publisher
: Cardinal Media. Chicago, Illinois
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: Chinese
Original Copyright
: 2012
ISBN
: 978-1-64996-171-6
Hardcover pages
: 22
Age range
: 5-9
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Berlin
Author’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Author’s residence
: China
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence
: China
Awards
: The author won the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award
Subjects
: Berlin, Sightseeing, Travel, Umbrellas

Comings And Goings

Comings and GoingsSix-year-old Alex, who lives in the North, is traveling all by himself to meet his grandparents, his aunt and uncle, and his cousins who live far away in the South. Every day, he gets up early to stuff his suitcase with books, games, gifts for the family, pictures he has drawn, clothing, beach gear, and some toys. Meanwhile, Grandpa Leander, Grandma Alexi, Aunt Sophie, Uncle Mike, and twins Sam and Tina get ready for Alex’s arrival by planning fun activities and projects, including a bicycle, a train set, Alex’s favorite fruits, a skateboard, plays to perform, and five boxes of shoes. The family paints a big “Welcome Alex” banner to greet Alex at the airport. Bold artwork rendered in colored pencil, collage, charcoal, and photographs rounds out this heartwarming story that is told in a dual narrative. Little compass roses on every page, marking North and South, indicate the point-of-view – Alex in the North and his extended family in the South. A world map enhances the book’s endpapers. mjw
Title: Comings And Goings
Author: Anna Kontoleon and Manos Kontoleon (Father-daughter team)
Illustrator
: Fotini Tikkou
Publisher
: Star Bright Books, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: Greek
Original Title
: Pheugei erchetai
Original Publisher
: Kaleidoscope Publications
Original Copyright
: 2017
ISBN
: 978-1-59572-920-0
Hardcover pages
: 48
Age range
: 7-10
Genre
: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity
: Greek
Author’s residence
: Athens, Greece
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Greek
Illustrator’s residence
: Copenhagen, Denmark
Subjects
: Creativity, Distance, Extended families, Family relationships, Intergenerational, Self-confidence, Travel

Heidi

HeidiHeidi, the Swiss classic, is one of the bestselling books of all time. This new picture book version tells about Heidi and her grandfather living in the Alps, Heidi’s difficult move to Frankfurt to live with wheelchair-bound Clara, and Heidi’s return home to the mountains and her grandfather, complete with Clara’s recovery. Thirty bold, handcrafted paper-cut and digital collage illustrations capture Heidi’s heartwarming story, which is as relevant today as ever. mjw
Title: Heidi
Author: Johanna Spyri (1827-1901), Carole Aufranc
Illustrator
: Carole Aufranc
Publisher
: Bergli Books, an imprint of Helvetiq Sarl. Basel, Switzerland
Copyright
: 1880, 2023
Original Language
: German in 1880, French in 2023
Translator
: Anika K. Clausen
Original Title
: Heidi
Original Copyright
: 1880
ISBN
: 978-3-0369-151-8
Hardcover pages
: 48
Age range
: 4 up
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Switzerland, Germany
Author’s ethnicity
: Swiss
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swiss
Illustrator’s residence
: Switzerland
Subjects
: Alps, Domestic fiction, Germany, Goats, Grandfathers, Mountains, Orphans, Switzerland

Duck’s Backyard

ducks backyardA duck with a limp and a blind chicken embark on an adventure. The duck will guide the chicken and the chicken will support the duck’s wonky leg. They search for a place where their most secret wishes will come true. They encounter a wild forest, a deep canyon, the highest mountain, and they experience many differences of opinion along the way. Their final destination is a hilarious surprise. The book’s philosophical tone and sophisticated vocabulary make the book ideal for a range of readers. Full-color illustrations with bold, dynamic lines and brush strokes are included. mjw
Title: Duck’s Backyard
Author: Ulrich Hub
Illustrator
: Jorg Muhle
Publisher
: Gecko Press, New Zealand
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: German
Translator
: Helena Kirkby
Original Title
: Lahme Ente, blindes Huhn
Original Publisher
: Carlsen Verlag GmgH. Hamburg, Germany
Original Copyright
: 2021
ISBN
: 978-1-776574-735
Hardcover pages
: 96
Age range
: 7-11
Genre
: Fiction, Illustrated Chapter Book, Novel
Author’s ethnicity
: German
Author’s residence
: Berlin
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: German
Illustrator’s residence
: Frankfurt
Awards
: 2022 White Raven Award
Subjects
: Birds, Blindness, Differences, Disabilities, Friendships, Humor, Leadership

Boy From Berlin

Boy from BerlinIt’s 1938 in pre-war Berlin. Eight-year-old Kafer and his Jewish family flee from their comfortable life to the safety of the shores of England and eventually to Canada. Kafer is a courageous and clever boy. The story is told from his perspective as he pieces together the horrors of World War II and helps his family escape. Based on real people and true facts, Kafer’s story is riveting and filled with interesting historical and geographical details. mjw
Title: Boy From Berlin
Author: Nancy McDonald
Publisher
: Iguana Books. Canada
Copyright
: 2018
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-77180-264-2
Paperback pages
: 142
Age range
: 8-12
Genre
: Historical Fiction
Book setting
: Berlin, Holland, England
Author’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Author’s residence
: Stratford, Ontario
Subjects
: Germany, Jewish fiction, Nazis, World War II