Tag Archives: Animals
The Tree That Was A World
Azizi And The Little Blue Bird
This contemporary fairy tale is set in the Land of the Crescent Moon, where oppressive rulers have captured all the blue birds and imprisoned the population in fear and suffering. Young Azizi lives with his parents under this iron-fisted regime, watching as the leaders grow fat and indulgent while the people shrink from hunger and oppression until they are nearly invisible. When a small blue bird escapes from the palace cage, it inspires Azizi—now no bigger than a pine nut—to take action against tyranny. Together, Azizi and the brave little bird embark on a courageous journey to liberate their people from the cruel and greedy rulers and restore peace to their land. The colorful brush and acrylic illustrations bring this allegorical tale to life with vivid imagery that contrasts the darkness of oppression with the hope symbolized by the little blue bird, as the story draws inspiration from Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution. The book is a powerful narrative about freedom and resistance for young readers. mjw
| Title: Azizi And The Little Blue Bird Author: Laila Koubaa Illustrator: Mattias De Leeuw Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd. Copyright: 2025 Original Language: Flemish Translator: David Colmer Original Title: Azizi en de lkeine blauwe vogel Original Publisher: Book Island. New Zealand Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-83629-009-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-10 Genre: Picture Book, Fairy Tale Book setting: Tunisia Author’s ethnicity: Tunisian and Flemish Author’s residence: Flanders, Belgium Illustrator’s ethnicity: Belgian Illustrator’s residence: Belgium Subjects: Activism, Fairy Tales, Freedom, Jasmine Revolution, Oppression, Politics and government, Social justice |
Einstein The Penguin
Jack And The Beanstalk
The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery
The Paper Bridge
Finding The Way To Faraway Valley
A little polar bear and his bespectacled grandfather decide to take the long, difficult journey north to Faraway Valley. It’s “a special place, a wild place …” where great elks, tawny foxes, and mountain goats live, and “the air smells of warm pine needles.” Before they depart, they must learn how to pitch a tent, study maps, and read about the creatures of the North and safety on ships. They travel far to discover the importance of protecting the special place and leaving it, taking only their learning and memories away. The rich illustrations were created using watercolors, gouache, pastels, and digital methods in this inspiring and moving book with an environmental theme. A star chart is included as back matter. mjw |
| Title: Finding The Way To Faraway Valley Author: Cecilia Heikkila Illustrator: Cecilia Heikkila Publisher: Floris Books, Edinburgh Copyright: 2024 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Polly Lawson Original Title: Den sista utposten Original Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen Bokfortag, Stockholm Original Copyright: 2021 ISBN: 978-178250-854-0 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Dalarna, Sweden Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Dalarna, Sweden Awards: Selma Lagerlof Society Prize, 2024 Subjects: Conservation, Dreams, Grandchildren, Grandfathers, Intergenerational, Maps, Polar Bears, Wilderness Appreciation |
The Yellow Road
Slow Adventures: Every Moment: 40 Real-Life Journeys By Boat, Bike, Foot, And Train
![]() This gorgeous travel guide for kids encourages them to travel slowly and experience the world in all its richness and wonder. “When you slow down and take your time, you notice the details that make each place unique. You meet people and learn about their histories and cultures. You discover new sounds, aromas, and flavors.” Four slower modes of transport: train, boat, bicycle, and your own two feet are featured in the book. A Table of Contents lists twelve journeys on foot, ten journeys by bike, ten journeys by boat, and eight journeys by train. Maps for all the journeys enrich the trips. Discover more about the world as you: slow down with the sloths in Costa Rica, trek the Inca Trail in Peru, bike through the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, discover the riches of Rajasthan in India, take a Mississippi steamboat, and more. A list of ways to travel slowly and suggestions for further reading round out this impressive work. The illustrated journeys were created in pencil and colored digitally. mjw |
| Title: Slow Adventures: Every Moment: 40 Real-Life Journeys By Boat, Bike, Foot, And Train Author: Carl Honore Illustrator: Kevin and Krista Howdeshell Publisher: Magic Cat Publishing. UK. An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, New York Copyright: 2024 Original Language: English Original Title: It’s The Journey Not The Destination Original Publisher: Magic Cat Publishing, Ltd. Original Copyright: 2022 ISBN: 978-1-4197-7132-3 Hardcover pages: 96 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Information Book, Nonfiction, Picture Book, Travel Guide Book setting: The World Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s residence: London Subjects: Boats, Bicycles, Cities, Culture, Hiking, Journeys, Mindfulness, People, Trains, Transportation, Travel Guides, World |
Pavlo Gets The Grumps
![]() Pavlo is a cat with the grumps. His mother suggests going to the park, but Pavlo says the swings are too swingy and the slide is too slidey. How about swimming? says Mama, but the water is too wet and the fishes will nibble Pavlo’s toes. Going to the movies isn’t right either for Pavlo. Finally, Pavlo hears his friend Mila calling him. She knows just what to do to get rid of Pavlo’s grumps. The simple comforting text is printed in an extra-large font, making sharing easy, especially for children who have difficulty reading regular-sized print. The brilliantly created illustrations have a soft, fuzzy quality, were rendered in acrylic paint and watercolor pencil, and were finished digitally. mjw |
| Title: Pavlo Gets The Grumps Author: Natalia Shaloshvili Illustrator: Natalia Shaloshvili Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2024 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. UK Original Copyright: 2024 ISBN: 978-1-5362-3554-8 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Ukrainian Author’s residence: UK Illustrator’s ethnicity: Ukrainian Illustrator’s residence: UK Subjects: Anger, Cats, Feelings, Love, Sadness |
SOS Water
Lalo, a sailor, encounters a talking goldfish in a fishbowl on a pile of trash. Her name is Rosa, and she longs to have a better life. Lalo takes Rosa to a pond, a mountaintop, the Arctic, the jungle, the desert, the beach, and the River Seine. But everywhere is polluted with empty plastic water bottles. Lalo dreams that he has magical powers to clean the world. Several spreads show different animals cleaning up the ubiquitous water bottles. They come to a community garden and meet Bibo, a gentle little garden gnome, who suggests the perfect place for Rosa – a magic pond next to his house. The final page shows Lalo drinking a big glass of refreshing tap water. Whimsical line drawings saturated with water bottles further distinguish this important environmental lesson. A Spanish-language edition is also available. mjw |
| Title: SOS Water Author: Yayo Illustrator: Yayo Publisher: Tradewinds Books. Vancouver, Canada Copyright: 2024 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-990598-23-4 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 6-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Colombian Author’s residence: Montreal, Quebec Illustrator’s ethnicity: Colombian Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec Subjects: Goldfish, Plastic water bottles, Pollution, Sailors, Water, Water pollution |












