Everyone in the Von Trapeze family likes to perform in the circus, except for Adam, the youngest member of the family. Grandma Antonia breathes fire. Uncle Artem and his clan perform an unforgettable human pyramid. Papa Alexei and Mama Anastasia bravely walk the tightrope. And daughter Aria rides a unicycle and juggles six clubs all at once. But Adam doesn’t like circus tricks or the loud applause. The family is so worried about their youngest son. They try different approaches to change him. One day, something unusual happens – they are enchanted by Adam playing the tuba. From now on, the circus has a new performer and Adam becomes a star. Warm sepia-colored paintings light up the Von Trapeze’s circus world in this lighthearted story about finding one’s own path. mjw |
| Title: Adam And His Tuba Author: Ziga X. Gombac Illustrator: Maya Kastelic Publisher: NorthSouth Books, Inc., New York Copyright: 2023 Original Language: German Translator: Olivia Hellewell Original Title: Adam und seine Tuba Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG. Zurich, Switzerland Original Copyright: 20223 ISBN: 978-0-7358-4497-1 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Slovenian Author’s residence: Ljubljana, Slovenia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Slovenia Illustrator’s residence: Slovenia Awards: Illustrator has won the White Ravens Award Subjects: Circus, Grandparents, Growing up, Music, Performing arts, Tubas |
Tag Archives: Animals
A Story About Afiya
Afiya has a white summer frock that becomes decorated each new day with memories of her childhood. First, sunflowers are imprinted on her frock. Then it has patterns of more flowers and butterflies. Every day the dress is cleared and ready for new images. Pigeons, tigers, and fishes also adorn Afiya’s magical dress as she dances across every page. The expressive earth tone and pastel colored art was rendered in mixed media and finished digitally. mjw |
| Title: A Story About Afiya Author: James Berry (1924-2017) Illustrator: Anna Cunha Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd. London Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 1991 ISBN: 978-1-911373-33-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Jamaica Author’s ethnicity: Jamaican Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian Awards: 2021 USBBY Outstanding International Book Subjects: Childhood, Clothing, Dresses, Flowers, Swahili |
It’s Up To Us: Building A Brighter Future For Nature, People, and Planet
This beautifully illustrated book is introduced by King Charles. His call to action for our planet is divided into four sections –Nature, People, Planet, and Terra Carta. The Terra Carta is a plan of action for the Earth created by HRH the Prince of Wales, now King Charles. The text is included in the book. Thirty-three award-winning artists from around the world have contributed wonderful artwork. Profiles of the illustrators are included as back-matter. The story tells how Nature operates and how People have damaged it. Information about the Prince’s Foundation and an index/glossary are also provided. mjw |
| Title: It’s Up To Us: Building A Brighter Future For Nature, People, and Planet Author: Christopher Lloyd Illustrator: 33 artists from around the world Publisher: What On Earth Books Copyright: 2022 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-9137505-6-5 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture book, Information book, Nonfiction Author’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s ethnicity: 33 illustrators from around the world Subjects: Climate change, Conservation, Earth, Environment, Global community, Green living, Prince of Wales, Recycling, Sustainability. Terra Carta, Values |
The Mountain
The bear claims that a mountain is a forest full of trees and green things. The sheep says that a mountain is a meadow with flowers, herbs, fresh smells, and buzzing bees. All the animals have their own opinions in this clever story about different perspectives. The detailed artwork is very appealing and magnificent. mjw |
| Title: The Mountain Author: Rebecca Gugger Illustrator: Simon Rothlisberger Publisher: NorthSouth Books, New York Copyright: 2021 Original Language: German Translator: Marshall Yarbrough Original Title: Der Berg Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG. Zurich, Switzerland Original Copyright: 2021 ISBN:978-0-7358-4457-5 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Swiss Author’s residence: Switzerland Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swiss Illustrator’s residence: Switzerland Subjects: Ants, Bears, Chamois. Forests, Octopi, Perspectives, Poin of view, Sheep, Snow hare, Tolerance |
Leilong’s Too Long!
Every morning, Leilong the brontosaurus shuttles through the city, picking up children for school. But he is longer than a tennis court, and he weighs as much as five elephants. He breaks bridges and knocks over houses. He feels awkward in the city. There are so many complaints that the school is forced to take its brontosaurus bus off the road. The children find a way to help Leilong fit in. He becomes the city’s most popular playground. The imaginative cartoon illustrations are rendered in crayon and watercolor and have a child-like quality. This book follows the bestselling Leilong the Library Bus (2021). mjw |
| Title: Leilong’s Too Long Author: Julia Liu Illustrator: Bei Lynn Publisher: Gecko Press. New Zealand Copyright: 2022 Original Language: Chinese Translator: Helen Wang Original Title: Riding A Brontosaurus To School Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-77657-433-9 Hardcover pages: 28 Age range: 2-5 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Taiwanese Author’s residence: Taiwan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Taiwanese Illustrator’s residence: Taiwan Subjects: Brontosaurus, Bus, Dinosaurs, Imagination, School bus, Transportation |
Bandoola: The Great Elephant Rescue
The colored pencil drawings are stunningly beautiful in this incredible true story about war veteran James Howard Williams; Bandoola, a working elephant; and Po Toke, the elephant’s keeper. They work together on a teak plantation in Myanmar (Burma), a country in Southeast Asia that was a colony of the British Empire. When World War II forces them to evacuate their home in the jungle, they lead a group of over 200 refugees and over 50 elephants across mountainous terrain to safety in Assam, India. A table of contents, a map, a wonderfully illustrated glossary, suggestions for further reading, and an author’s note add to this highly educational masterpiece. mjw |
| Title: Bandoola: The Great Elephant Rescue Author: William Grill Illustrator: William Grill Publisher: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Ltd. London Copyright: 2021 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-83874-123-8 Hardcover pages: 88 Age range: 8-14 Genre: Picture Book, Information Book, Nonfiction Book setting: Myanmar and India Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London Awards: Author /Illustrator has won the 2015 Kate Greenaway Medal Subjects: Asian history, Burma, Deforestation, Elephants, Green living, Jungle, Logging industry, Monsoons, Mountains, Rainforests, Timber, Timber elephants, World War II |
189 Canaries
Yellow canaries sing melodies to the silver miners in the Harz Mountains in Germany. Today, a bird dealer has come to put the canaries into individual wooden cages and take them on a voyage by train and then by steamship across the Atlantic Ocean to bustling New York City. Beautiful mixed media illustrations enhance this fascinating story about the little-known history of the canaries and their lovely melodies. Back matter includes notes on the history of canaries and the ways they were used and transported by humans in the 1800s. In the year 1882 alone, 120,000 canaries were shipped to New York City. A map of their journey is featured on the book’s endpapers. mjw |
| Title: 189 Canaries Author: Dieter Boge Illustrator: Elsa Klever Publisher: Eerdmans Book for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2021 Original Language: German Translator: Laura Watkinson Original Title: 189 Original Publisher: Aladin Verlag, an imprint of Thienemann-Esslinger. Stuttgart Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5574-9 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Germany and United States Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany Awards: 2022 USBBY Outstanding International Books List. Author has won the German Youth Literature Prize and has been included in the White Ravens Catalog Subjects: Birds, Canaries, Harz Mountains, Home, Miners, Voyages |
A Gift For Amma: Market Day In India
It’s market day in the author’s hometown of Chennai, India. A young girl is searching for a treasure for her mother. She looks at saffron rice: orange marigolds; pink lotus flowers; green peacock feathers, mint, and coriander; red-hot peppers; and many more colorful items. She finally decides on rainbow bangles as the perfect gift. Back matter includes information about the unique color words in the book, facts about markets around the world, and photographs taken by the author. The gorgeous illustrations, rendered in pencils, pastels, and water-based paints make the story come alive. mjw |
| Title: A Gift For Amma: Market Day In India Author: Meera Sriram Illustrator: Mariona Cabassa Publisher: Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-64686-062-3 Paperback pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Chennai, India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: Spain Awards: 2021 South Asian Book Award Subjects: Colors, Flowers, Markets, Mothers, Peacocks, Saris, Spices |
Temple Alley Summer
While 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
Crow 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
An 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
Three 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 |


Yellow canaries sing melodies to the silver miners in the Harz Mountains in Germany. Today, a bird dealer has come to put the canaries into individual wooden cages and take them on a voyage by train and then by steamship across the Atlantic Ocean to bustling New York City. Beautiful mixed media illustrations enhance this fascinating story about the little-known history of the canaries and their lovely melodies. Back matter includes notes on the history of canaries and the ways they were used and transported by humans in the 1800s. In the year 1882 alone, 120,000 canaries were shipped to New York City. A map of their journey is featured on the book’s endpapers. mjw
While 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
Crow 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
An 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
Three 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