Tag Archives: Animals

Temple Alley Summer

Temple Alley SummerWhile watching a ghost story on TV one night, fifth-grader Kazuhiro Sada sees a pale figure in a white kimono sneaking out of his house. He sees the same figure in school the next day. She is Akari, a girl his classmates insist he has known since kindergarten. Then he finds out that his house sits on the exact location of an ancient temple called Kimyo. Legend has is that the name Kimyo implies the dead coming back to life. Kazu befriends Akari and they spend the summer trying to make sense of the mystery. This thrilling adventure filled with the living dead, a story-within-a-story, a meddling neighbor, and a black cat is illustrated with manga-like drawings. mjw
Title: Temple Alley Summer
Author: Sachiko Kashiwaba
Illustrator
: Miho Satake
Publisher
: Restless Books, Inc. New York
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: Japanese
Translator
: Avery Fischer Udagawa
Original Title
: Kimyoji Yokocho no Natsu
Original Publisher
: Kodansha Ltd. Tokyo
Original Copyright
: 2011
ISBN
: 978-1-6320-6303-8
Hardcover pages
: 240
Age range
: 8-13
Genre
: Fiction, Novel
Book setting
: Japan
Author’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Author’s residence
: Iwate Prefecture, Jan
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence
: Japan
Awards
: 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award
Subjects
: Cats, Fairytales, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural, Suspense, Temple

The Crow And The Peacock

The Crow and the PeaockCrow sets off on a journey to find happiness. He first meets a gentle dove. Dove says that he thought he was the happiest bird alive until he heard Nightingale. So Crow goes to hear Nightingale, who says he thought he was happy until he heard Rooster. Crow then visits Rooster and is told that Swan must be the happiest bird alive. Finally he is encouraged to see Peacock, who truly must be the happiest bird in the world. Peacock says that once he was happy, but the emperor put him in a cage and all he wanted then was to be free to fly like a crow. So Crow flies back to the woods knowing that he is happy with his life and that all he wants is to share his happiness. This beautiful fable about happiness is illustrated in glorious, joyful colors. mjw
Title: The Crow And The Peacock
Author: Jo Fernihough
Illustrator
: Jo Fernihough
Publisher
: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: English
Original Publisher:
Oxford University Press. Oxford, England
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5568-8
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book. Fable
Author’s ethnicity
: British
Author’s residence
: Cambridge, England
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: British
Illustrator’s residence
: Cambridge, England
Subjects
: Birds, Fables, Happiness

Christmas Is Coming: Traditions From Around The World

Christmas Is ComingAn international collection of legends, histories, traditions, and celebrations from around the world is included in this beautifully illustrated and detailed book. Thirty-nine brief sections take readers from Greece to Ethiopia, explaining many diverse perspectives. The book is organized by topics listed in the table of contents. Intriguing stories include Why do we decorate Christmas trees?, Why are there so many Christmas markets in Germany?, How the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree originated?, and much more. A glossary lists the words for Merry Christmas and Santa Claus in many different languages. mjw
Title: Christmas Is Coming: Traditions From Around The World
Author: Monika Utnik Strugala
Illustrator
: Ewa Poklewska Kozietto
Publisher
: NorthSouth Books, New York
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: Polish
Translator
: Antonia Lloud-Jones
Original Title
: Ida swieta!
Original Publisher
: NordSud Verlag AG, Zurich
Original Copyright
: 2019
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4443-8
Hardcover pages
: 136
Age range
: 7 up
Genre
: Information Book, Nonfiction
Author’s ethnicity
: Polish
Author’s residence
: Italy
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Polish
Illustrator’s residence
: Poland
Subjects
:  Celebrations, Christmas, Customs, Traditions

The Speckled Feather

The speckled FeatherjpegThree birds named Ade, Emem, and Nuru live on the back of an elephant in the savanna. They are friends until one day a beautiful speckled feather blows into their midst. Ade grabs the feather and claims it as his. The birds fight over the feather. The elephant stamps his foot and says, “Enough!” But the birds keep quarreling into the night. Suddenly, a wild dog attacks the birds and the elephant swings his trunk to bang on the dog’s chest and hurls the dog away. The birds thank the elephant and promise, “No more quarreling” and “No more speckled feathers.” The colorful illustrations appear to be hand-drawn and are stunning. mjw
Title: The Speckled Feather
Author: Johanna Ries
Illustrator
: Johanna Ries
Publisher
: NorthSouth Books, Inc. New York
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: German
Translator
: David Henry Wilson
Original Title
: Die Fleckenfeder
Original Publisher
: NordSud Verlag AG, Zurich
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4447-6
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 40
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: African savanna
Author’s ethnicity
: German
Author’s residence
: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: German
Illustrator’s residence
: Germany
Subjects
: Birds, Elephants, Greed, Loyalty, Savanna, Theft, Vanity, Wild dogs

Sleep Like Me

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A little boy goes for a walk because he cannot go to sleep. He asks ten different animals for advice. The giraffe suggests resting his head on his back, but that doesn’t work. A bird offers, “Tuck your head under your wing,” but that doesn’t work either. A sloth, otters, sperm whales, a horse, koalas, bats, some ducks, and an albatross all give their ideas for falling asleep. Meanwhile the boy is feeling tired. He goes to bed and falls asleep. This delightful bedtime story is whimsically illustrated with acrylic and digital materials. mjw

Title: Sleep Like Me
Author: Tatia Nadareishvili
Illustrator
: Tatia Nadareishvili
Publisher
: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: German
Original Title
: Schlaf gut
Original Publisher
: Baobab Books, Basel, Switzerland
Original Copyright
: 2017
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5566-4
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Georgian
Author’s residence
: Tbilisi, Georgia in Eastern Europe
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Georgian
Illustrator’s residence
: Tbilisi, Georgia
Subjects
: Animals, Bedtime story, Dreams, Sleep

Now That Night Is Near

Now that Night is Near

It’s bedtime and everyone is settling down to sleep. Little children are tucked into bed. The cows and calves are sleeping in the fields. The foals, piglets, rabbits, lambs, and birds are going to sleep, too. A cat wanders through the fields. He is not ready for bed until the last page of the book, where he finally curls up on the child’s bed. The hand-painted gouache, ink, watercolor pencil, pastel, and acrylic illustrations are beautiful and filled with secret animals curled up in their beds. mjw

Title: Now That Night Is Near
Author: Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002)
Illustrator
: Marit Tornqvist
Publisher
: Floris Books
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: Swedish
Translator
: Polly Lawson
Original Title
: Alla Ska Sova
Original Publisher
: Raben & Sjogren
Original Copyright
: 2019
ISBN
: 978-178250-675-1
Hardcover pages
: 24
Age range
: 3-6
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Sweden
Author’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence
: Sweden
Subjects
: Bedtime story, Cats, Earth, Nature, Sleep

The Story Of Bodri

The Story of BodriHedi and her friend Marika spend their days playing in the park with Hedi’s dog Bodri. Hedi is Jewish and Marika is Christian, but that doesn’t stop them from being friends. All is well until Adolf Hitler ’s frightening voice is heard on the radio saying that he hates Jews. His soldiers come and round up Hedi’s family and all the other Jews and put them onto a train for the camps. Bodri is left behind. Hedi dreams of Bodri for the many months that she and her sister are separated from Bodri and their parents. They are cold and hungry in the camp. Their heads are shaved and they have to wear dirty uniforms and hard shoes. The sisters survive and they are reunited with Bodri. Carefully chosen language tells this difficult story. The author, who was born in 1924, is a Holocaust survivor who experienced the horrors of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and several work camps. The illustrations, which were created with watercolor, ink, and digital media, evoke the time and place perfectly. mjw
Title: The Story Of Bodri
Author: Hedi Fried
Illustrator
: Stina Wirsen
Publisher
: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: Swedish
Translator
: Linda Schenck
Original Title
: Historien om Bodri
Original Publisher
: Natur & Kultur. Stockholm, Sweden
Original Copyright
: 2019
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5565-7
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 6-10
Genre
: Picture Book. Historical Fiction
Author’s ethnicity
: Swedish-Hungarian
Author’s residence
: Stockholm, Sweden
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence
: Stockholm, Sweden
Awards: 2022 USBBY Outstanding International Books List
Subjects
: Concentration camps, Dogs, Germany, Adolf Hitler, Holocaust, Jews

Atlas Of Dogs

Atlas of DogsThis amazing collection of over 200 breeds of dogs is loaded with fun facts and playful illustrations. The dog breeds are grouped by category: sighthounds, scent hounds, pointers & setters, terriers, sheepdogs & cattle dogs, retrievers & water dogs, spitz & primitive breeds, dachshunds, pinschers, schnauzers, molosser breeds & Swiss mountain dogs, and companion dogs. Included are Dog Record Holders, How to Take Care of Dogs, and A Dictionary of Dog Speech. Also provided are historical stories from the Dogs’ Post Daily Newspaper. Some of these are about the hound Donnchadh who saved the King of Scotland in 1613, the dog movie hit 101 Dalmations, Nipper the RCA dog, Greyfriar’s Bobby of Edinburgh, Toto of OZ, Rin Tin Tin, Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Corgies, Husky Balto, and even composer Richard Wagner’s King Charles Spaniel named Peps. This book is so fun and engaging. mjw
Title: Atlas Of Dogs
Author: Ester Dobiasova, Stepanka Sekaninova, Jana Sedlackova
Illustrator
: Marcel Kralik
Publisher
: Albatross Media Group. Prague, Czech Republic
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-80-00-05935-8
Hardcover pages
: 104
Age range
: 6-10
Genre
: PIcture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Czech
Author’s residence
: Czech Republic
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Czech
Illustrator’s residence
: Czech Republic
Subjects
: Dogs, Dog breeds, Encyclopedia

Meet Me By The Sea

Meet Me By the Sea

A little girl feels overlooked by her busy parents, so she packs up and goes to her favorite place by the sea. On the way, she goes through a forest and meets a friendly fox. At the end of the book, her family comes to join her. Delicate pastel illustrations complement the simple text. mjw

Title: Meet Me By The Sea
Author: Taltal Levi
Illustrator
: Taltal Levi
Publisher
: NorthSouth Books
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: German
Original Title
: Wo ihr mich findet
Original Publisher
: NordSud Verlag AG
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4432-2
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 5-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Born in Galilee, Israel
Author’s residence
: Basel , Switzerland
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Born in Galilee, Israel
Illustrator’s residence
: Basel, Switzerland
Subjects
: Forest animals, Foxes, Girls, Parents and child, Running away, Sea

The Night Walk

The Night WalkTwo young children and their parents go for a summer nighttime walk through the darkness. The world is quiet and shadowy. They walk out of their village and through the forest until they come to a lake where they stop to play with the moon. They lie down in the grass to watch the glittering sky. Finally, they climb a hillside just in time to see the dawn of a new day. The rich illustrations were hand-drawn using graphite pencils and watercolors and finished digitally. The only lights in the evocative darkness are lamps, porch lights, lights in windows, a flashlight, and the moon, until the sun rises on a double-page spread of the sun and its bright yellow light. mjw
Title: The Night Walk
Author: Marie Dorleans
Illustrator
: Marie Dorleans
Publisher
: Floris Books
Copyright: 2020
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Polly Lawson
Original Title
: Nous Avons Rendez-Vous
Original Publisher
: Editions du Seuil
Original Copyright
: 2018
ISBN
: 978-178250-639-3
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: French
Illustrator’s residence
: France
Awards
: Prix Landerneau
Subjects
: Forest, Natural world, Night, Lakes, Moon, Sunrise, Village

Peace

Peace

This rhyming concept book explores peace for children. “Peace is a smile, a hug. Peace can be bold or quiet and snug.” At the end of the book, fold-out pages reveal children in delightful, peaceful interactions. The children in the colorful illustrations are diverse in skin color and abilities. Many of the animals in the book are cultural symbols of peace from nations around the world. The endpapers depict a tree, with the leaves showing the word for peace in many different languages. An author’s note tells how peace affects all inhabitants of our planet. A Spanish edition is also available. 978-0-7358-4455-1. mjw

Title: Peace
Author: Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul
Illustrator
: Esteli Meza
Publisher
: NorthSouth Books Inc. New York
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4449-0
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Baptiste- grew up in Saint Lucia
Author’s residence
: Baptiste and Miranda – Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Mexican
Illustrator’s residence
: Mexico City
Awards
: Illustrator has won A la Orilla del Viento in Mexico
Subjects
: Friendship, Interpersonal relations, Peace, Stories in rhyme

The Elevator

downloadA girl and her dog Roco want to go on their afternoon walk. They get on the elevator on Floor 4 and the girl pushes the down button, but the elevator goes up. It stops at Floor 7 and Ms. Paula gets on. She is afraid of dogs. She presses the down button, but the elevator goes up again. On Floor 8, old Mr. Miguel gets on with his walker. He presses the down button and the elevator stops on Floor7 and Cora and the twins in their stroller get on. After pressing the button again, the elevator stops between Floor 5 and Floor 4. Then Ms. Paula opens the box that she is carrying and gives everyone a slice of birthday cake that she was planning to give to her friend. Next, Mr. Miguel tells a story called Who Cares? about a bear that always said he didn’t care when he really did. All of a sudden the elevator starts to move, though no one pushed the button. It stops at Floor 4 and everyone gets off and has tea at the girl’s apartment. At the end of the book, in a real envelope, there is a surprise mini-book titled Who Cares? The playful black, white and red illustrations were created with drawing, collage, and photography all assembled digitally. The tall and slender format of the book resembles an elevator. mjw
Title: The Elevator
Author: Yael Frankel
Illustrator
: Yael Frankel
Publisher
: Tapioca Stories. Huntington, New York.
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Kit Maude
Original Title
: El ascensor
Original Publisher
: Limonero, Argentina
Original Copyright
: 2019
ISBN
: 978-1-7347839-0-2
Hardcover pages
: 44
Age range
: 5-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Argentinian
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Argentinian
Awards
: 2021 Outstanding International Books USBBY, 2020 White Raven Award
Subjects
: Apartment buildings, Dogs, Elevators, Pets, Twin