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 |
Tag Archives: Animals
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
Hedi 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
This 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
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
Two 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
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
![]() |
| 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 |
The Story Of Baldomera
Baldomera the donkey became famous worldwide, when a video of her reunion with her owner, Ismael, after three months without seeing him due to COVID-19, went viral on YouTube. When they met, the little donkey burst into tears. This delightful picture book with its simple text and sweet, playful illustrations was inspired by the true story of the donkey and his owner. A Spanish edition is also available, La Burrita Baldomera. mjw |
| Title: The Story Of Baldomera Author: Enrique G. Ballesteros and Ismael F. Arias Illustrator: Ayesha L. Rubio Publisher: NubeOcho Copyright: 2021 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Laura Fielden Original Title: La Burrita Baldomera Original Publisher: NubeOcho Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-84-18133-69-5 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 3-8 Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book Book setting: Spain Author’s ethnicity: Spanish Author’s residence: Spain Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Illustrator’s residence: Spain Subjects: Donkeys, Emotions, Feelings, Farm animals, Friendship, Pandemic, Reunion, Separation |

Hedi 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
This 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
Two 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



