Tag Archives: Animals

The Red Apple

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On a cold winter’s day, Mouse, Rabbit, Fox, and Bear all want to eat a lone red apple hanging from a tree. Working together, they are able to reach the fine ripe apple, but then Fox sneezes and they all tumble into the snow only to discover that the fruit has fallen to the ground. So, they carefully split the big juicy apple into four pieces and eat it for dinner. This tale about problem-solving and cooperation, with its gorgeous, realistic watercolor paintings, will remind readers of Eric Rohmann’s Caldecott Medal-winning My Friend Rabbit (2000).  mjw

Title: The Red Apple Author: Feridun Oral Illustrator: Feridun Oral Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd., Minedition Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Turkish Original Title: Kirmizi Elma Original Publisher: Yapi Kredl Original Copyright: 2008 ISBN: 978-988-8240-005 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 3-5 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Turkish Author’s residence: Turkey Illustrator’s ethnicity: Turkish Illustrator’s residence: Turkey Awards: 2008 Best Picture Book of the Year (IBBY Turkey) Subjects: Bears, Cooperation, Foxes, Friendships, Mice, Rabbits, Wolves

Plume

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Plume is a cat that is lurking on every page of this large-format picture book that introduces readers to all kinds of birds. Sometimes readers only see the cat’s tail or his whiskers. Plume is not trying to hurt the birds. He only wants their feathers for a soft overstuffed pillow. Each page opening shows a bird and its feathers. A peacock, a nuthatch, an eagle, and a kingfisher are only a few of the 18 birds pictured. Wonderfully detailed, digitally created illustrations make this title a fun book. mjw

Title: Plume Author: Isabelle Simler Illustrator: Isabelle Simler Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.  Grand Rapids, MI Copyright: 2017 Original Language: French Original Title: Plume Original Publisher: Editions courses et longues. Paris Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5492-6 Hardcover pages: 42 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Subjects: Birds, Cats, Feathers

A Dog Wearing Shoes

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Mini and her mother find a silly lost dog on their way home one day. Mini is determined to keep him even though he is wearing yellow shoes and probably belongs to someone. When the dog runs off again, Mini realizes that she needs to find his real owner. The whimsical artwork is rendered in pencil and colored digitally with splashes of red and yellow. Information on how to adopt a dog and suggested websites complement the cute, heartwarming story. mjw

Title: A Dog Wearing Shoes Author: Sangmi Ko Illustrator: Sangmi Ko Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House, New York Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-385-38396-7 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Korean Author’s residence: Seoul, South Korea Illustrator’s ethnicity: Korean Illustrator’s residence: Seoul, South Korea Subjects: Dogs, Lost and found possessions, Lost articles, Shoes

The Blue Jackal

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Little Juno, the jackal, was puny, lean, and hungry. The bigger jackals teased him and would not share their food. The big village dogs chased him, too, until he found safety in the dyer’s shed, where he fell into a vat of indigo dye. Juno, now with blue fur, terrified all the other animals, and they declared him their king. He banished the jackals and then had no more hunger or worries until his true identity was discovered. This is a retelling of a story from the Panchatantra, a collection of Indian fables from the 3rd century, BCE. The illustrations were inspired by the traditional white paintings in rice flour on a mud base of the Warli tribe of western India. An informative historical note is included. mjw

Title: The Blue Jackal Author: Shobha Viswanath Illustrator: Dileep Joshi Publisher: Eerdmans Books.  Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Karadi Tales Company.  Chennai Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5466-7 Hardcover pages: 34 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: India Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: India Subjects: Fables, Folklore, Folk tales, Legends, Myths, Stories in rhyme

How The Squirrel Got His Stripes

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Long ago, King Rama was expelled from his father’s kingdom and sent to the forest with his faithful wife, princess Sita, and his loyal brother, Laxmanan. They lived there happily until King Ravana of Lanka tricked Sita. Rama then waged war on Ravana and set off to battle. They traveled until they came to a vast sea. Men and animals worked to complete a bridge. They clever black squirrels helped by covering themselves and their bushy tails with sand and dirt that they shook over the cracks in the bridge to fill the cracks. When the bridge was complete, Rama thanked the squirrels. As he stroked their dusty backs, their black fur beneath the dust was revealed and that is how the squirrels got their stripes. This tale is referred to in the Ramayana of India. The story emphasizes the dignity of labor and that even the smallest contribution is important in some way. The small-format book is enhanced by colorful folk-art illustrations inspired by miniature paintings of medieval Europe. mjw

Title: How The Squirrel Got His Stripes Author: Sam Perera Illustrator: Alex Stewart Publisher: Popsicle Books, an imprint of Perera Hussein Publishing House, Sri Lanka Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-955-0041-08-4 Paperback pages: 28 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book, Folktale Book setting: Sri Lanka and India Illustrator’s residence:  U.K. and Sri Lanka Subjects: Bridges, Folktales, Ramayana, Squirrels, Monkeys

Leaf

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A polar bear arrived unexpectedly in the forest. He was unlike anything the animals had seen before. He collected leaves everyday. The animals were afraid of him, and they called him Leaf, not only after his habit, but because they wanted him to leave. One day Leaf burst through the forest covered in beautiful leaves. A meeting was called to decide what to do about him, but nothing was decided. Finally they let Leaf speak and they listened as he told them that he only wanted to go back home to his family. The crows then determined that they would fly him home. The gorgeous watercolor and pencil illustrations in blues, teal, gray, and black with brightly colored leaves tell of the plight of polar bears in today’s climate change. mjw

Title: Leaf Author: Sandra Dieckman Illustrator: Sandra Dieckman Publisher: Flying Eye Books Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English :  ISBN: 978-1-911171-31-7 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-5 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: U.K. Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: U.K. Subjects: Bears, Climate change, Fear, Helping behavior, Loneliness, Polar bears

Father’s Road

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Wong Chung joins his father’s caravan on a journey on the Silk Road from China to Constantinople. The trip is full of dangers – rough terrain and weather and bandits. He learns to ration water, care for the camels, and endure a sandstorm. He even takes care of the bandit leader’s son. Sand colored illustrations vividly depict travel on the Silk Road. Included are a map of the long desert road, information about the Silk Road and global trade, a timeline, and a list of key terms and concepts. The book is part of the Tradewinds series that presents historical information in a fun, accessible way. mjw

Title: Father’s Road Author: Ji-yun Jang Illustrator: Tan Jun Publisher: Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers.  Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2017 Original Language: Korean Editor: Joy Cowley Original Publisher: Yeomon Media Co. Ltd. Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5472-8 Paperback pages: 36 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture Book, Historical Fiction Book setting: Asia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese Subjects: Asia, China, Commerce, Fathers and sons, Silk Road, Travel

The Little Black Fish

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An old fish tells the story of Little Black Fish to her 12,000 children and grandchildren. Little Black Fish leaves the safety of his small stream to venture out and see the world. He meets many different creatures along the way, including the dreaded pelican and the helpful lizard. Little Black Fish has big questions and is determined to find answers. He makes it to the edge of the sea and finds his answers, though he does not survive. He learns about life, dangers, enemies, and friends. This famous Iranian children’s story is considered to be a political allegory and was banned in pre-revolutionary (1978) Iran. mjw

Title: The Little Black Fish Author: Samad Behrangi (1939-1967) Illustrator: Farshid Mesghali Publisher: Tiny Owl Publishing Ltd.  London, England Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Persian Translator: Azita Rassi Original Publisher: Kanoun Par Varesh Fekri.  Tehran, Iran Original Copyright: 1968 ISBN: 978-1-910328-00-2 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 9 up Genre: Fiction, Allegory Author’s ethnicity: Iranian Author’s residence: Author lived in Iran Illustrator’s ethnicity: Iranian Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Awards: Illustrator has won 1974 Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration Subjects: Coming of age, Fishes, Freedom, Independence

What Elephants Know

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Young Nandu was abandoned in the Nepalese Borderlands and raised by a pack of dhole, Asiatic wild dogs, much like Mowgli in The Jungle Book, until he was brought to the king’s elephant stable. There, Subba-sahib, the stable head, and Devi Kali, a protective female elephant become his new “parents.” Nandu wants to be a mahout, an elephant driver. He goes to boarding school where his teacher, Father Autry, becomes his mentor. When the elephant stable is to be closed, Nandu works to save it. This beautiful coming-of-age story includes rich detail about the culture of Nepal and a wealth of knowledge about the natural world. A glossary helps with the Nepalese words and common elephant commands. Maps adorn the endpapers. The book “dedicated to elephant lovers everywhere” was written by a world-class scientist specializing in the ecology of the Himalayan region. mjw

Title: What Elephants Know Author: Eric Dinerstein Publisher: Disney Hyperion Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1484728543 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Nepal Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2017 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Elephants, India, Jungles, Nepal history 20th century, Orphans

Mrs. White Rabbit

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The wife of the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland describes her busy day and her children in her diary. Beatrix, the eldest, wants to be a supermodel and refuses to eat. There are two pages of 100 ways to cook carrots, but not one will do. The twins are wise and thoughtful boys sitting on their chamber pots. Betty is concerned about starting school. Little Eliot insists on wearing a bunny costume for Halloween and the baby cries all day. The wonderful detailed illustrations make the book. We see Alice’s foot, a portrait of John Tenniel, the Cheshire cat, the Caterpillar, Humpty Dumpty, and much more. Look for mad prices at the hat shop and Lewis Carroll’s photograph of the real Alice Liddell in the window of C. L. Dodgson Photographer. This modern twist is perfect for fans of the Alice books. mjw

Title:  Mrs. White Rabbit Author: Giles Bachelet Illustrator: Giles Bachelet Publisher: Eerdmans Books for young Readers. Grand Rapids, MI Copyright: 2017 Original Language: French Original Title: Madame le Lapin Blanc Original Publisher: Editions du seuil Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5483-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Fiction, Fairytale, Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Subjects: Alice in Wonderland, Characters in literature, Diaries, Fairytales, Folktales Housewives, Humor, Rabbits

The Queen Of The Frogs

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Once upon a time, there was a pond full of frogs doing froggy things – hopping, catching flies, napping, and playing with dragonflies. One evening, something resembling a crown fell from the sky into the water. A frog found it and put it on her head. The frogs called her queen of the frogs. She no longer needed to catch her own flies and she always got the best of everything. But soon, all the frogs were fed up with having a queen and came up with a clever plan for getting things back to normal around the pond. This story, reminiscent of Aesop’s fables, is illustrated with large colorful paintings. mjw

Title: The Queen Of The Frogs Author: Davide Cali Illustrator: Marco Soma Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co. Copyright: 2017 Translator: Lyn Miller-Lachman Original Title: A rainha das ras nao pode milhar os pes Original Publisher: Bruaa Editoria, Portugal Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5481-0 Hardcover pages: 38 Age range: 4-9 Genre: Picture Book, Folktale Author’s ethnicity: Italian Author’s residence: Italy Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian Illustrator’s residence: Italy Awards: 2015 Emanuele Luzzati Prize Subjects: Fables, Fairytales, Frogs and toads, Kings, Leadership, Myths. Queens

Story Worlds Nature

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Every picture tells a story. What do you think it is? Observe, inquire and wonder to discover the answers. Throughout this picture book, wordless images tell true stories of nature. The readers get to guess each story while looking at the minimalist animal illustrations showing scenes from around the globe. From puffins, to giraffes, to the simple tree frog, each animal is painted in its natural environment. At the end of the picture book, the story of each picture is explained with a short sentence describing what the animal is doing or experiencing. amo

Title: Story Worlds Nature Author: Thomas Hegbrook Illustrator: Thomas Hegbrook Publisher: 360 Degrees; Tiger Tales Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-1-944530-01-3 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Around the World Subjects: Animals, Nature