Tag Archives: Arts

Alpha

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Alpha, Bravo, Charlie . . . The NATO phonetic alphabetic was adopted in 1956 and is used by various emergency services, including firefighters, police, the military, and the Red Cross, as a way to communicate clearly and precisely in urgent situations. Each spread features a colorful watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustration on the right and the word printed in large block letters on a white page on the left. The illustrations are quite sophisticated in this nontraditional ABC book. A black derby represents “Charlie” (Charlie Chaplin). A red plastic Monopoly piece defines “hotel.” O portrays a beautiful evening gown (Oscar de la Renta). A note at the back of the book gives more information about the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet and suggests that the images will invite imagination and interpretation. mjw

Title: Alpha Author: Isabelle Arsenault Illustrator: Isabelle Arsenault Publisher: Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2015 Original Language: French, NATO phonetic alphabet Original Publisher: Les Editions de la Pasteque Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-7636-7852-4 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book, ABC Book Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Montreal Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Montreal Awards: Author/illustrator has won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature three times Subjects: Alphabet, ICAO alphabet code

Sadako’s Cranes

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The true story of Sadako is told through the eyes of her cat in this beautifully illustrated tribute to hope and peace. Sadako Sasaki was two and a half when the atomic bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. She survived and seemed healthy until ten years later, when she was diagnosed with leukemia, a result of radiation from the bomb. Her brother told her of an old Japanese legend that says that a person who folds 1000 paper cranes would be granted a wish. She began folding cranes, but died before finishing her task. The digitally processed colored pencil drawings are decorated with images of brightly patterned Origami cranes. Back matter provides more information about Sadako and a website with directions for folding a paper crane. mjw

Title: Sadako’s Cranes Author: Judith Loske Illustrator: Judith Loske Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd. Copyright: 2015 Original Language: German Translator: Kate Westerlund Original Title: Sadako’s Kraniche Original Publisher: Minedition Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-988-8341-00-9 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 6-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Hiroshima, Japan Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany Subjects: Asia, Death, Girls, Leukemia-patients, Origami, Sadako Sasaki (1943-1955), World War II

Imagine A World

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Imagine a book with words and images which evoke delight. Author and illustrator Rob Gonsalves has created another masterpiece. In his fourth book in his “Imagine a…” series, the paintings and text work seamlessly to show that our world is a marvelous place. It only takes a creative mind to find beauty. The magical realistic images of exquisite architecture, landscapes, and nature will enthrall both avid and reluctant readers. ema

Title: Imagine A World Author: Rob Gonsalves Illustrator: Rob Gonsalves Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN:  978-1481449731 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Fiction Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Canada Awards: The author and illustrator is a recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award Subjects: Art, Imaginative, Paintings, Magical, Realism, World

Imaginary Fred

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Fred is the best imaginary friend for a boy named Sam. They act in plays, read, look at the clouds, imagine, figure out how the toilet works, and pretend they are French. Everything is fine until Sam meets a “real friend” named Sammi. Sammi has her own imaginary friend named Frieda. But the imaginary friends do not fade away when real friendships are found. The power of friendship is stronger than Fred had imagined. Fred’s shape is made of digital, blue dots with no outline. He floats “like a feather in the wind.”  Sam and real objects are made of quirky line drawings. This engaging picture book is a perfect collaboration between two master book creators. mjw

Title: Imaginary Fred Author: Eoin Colfer Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers Publisher:  Harper Collins Children’s Books Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-06-237955-9 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Irish Author’s residence: Ireland Illustrator’s ethnicity: Originally from Northern Ireland Illustrator’s residence: New York Awards: 2105 Specsavers Ireland Children’s Book of the Year Junior Award Subjects: Emotions and feelings, Friendship, Imaginary companions, Imaginary playmates, Social skills

A Prayer For World Peace

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Jane Goodall, world-renowned anthropologist and conservationist, speaks out against greed, slave labor, animal abuse, bullying and torture, harm to the natural world, and more in this “family book” for adults to read along with their children. She asks for generosity to the living world and justice for all humankind in this nondenominational prayer for peace and equality. Beautiful double-page spreads of birds, animals, flowers, and humans are set on glowing, mysterious abstract patterns. Back matter includes a message from Jane Goodall as the UN Ambassador of Peace, notes about the Jane Goodall Institute and her Roots and Shoots organization, and a biography of the illustrator. mjw

Title: A Prayer For World Peace Author: Jane Goodall Illustrator: Feeroozeh Golmohammadi Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing, Minedition Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-988-8240-49-4 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range:  7 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: British Author’s residence: England Illustrator’s ethnicity: Iranian Illustrator’s residence: Tehran, Iran Subjects: Hope, Justice, Peace, Prayers, Values

The Snowman’s Wish

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The other toys made fun of the snowman who has been living in his little snow globe on the bottom shelf of the playroom toy case forever. “It hadn’t snowed in his globe for ages, his music was out of tune, and nobody had played with him for such a long time, he was beginning to gather dust.” The snowman was very sad. Then, one winter’s night, sweet music filled the air. The snowman’s wish to see who was singing was granted by the golden angel on the top of the mantelpiece clock. He was given one hour outside of his snow globe to dance with the beautiful little music box dancer in a pink tutu. She was the one who was singing! In the end, the angel grants the dancer her wish and the two dance together forever inside the snow globe. This sweet, holiday love story is adorned with soft watercolor and ink illustrations of the secret lives of the toys. mjw

Title: The Snowman’s Wish Author: Harmen van Straaten Illustrator: Harmen van Straaten Publisher: NorthSouth Books Inc.  New York Copyright: 2013 Original Language: Dutch Translator: Andrew Rushton Original Title: Ik wil voor altijd bij je zijn Original Publisher: Leopold Publishing in Amsterdam, The Netherlands Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978- 0-7358-4144-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book, Fairy Tale Author’s ethnicity: Dutch Author’s residence: Amsterdam Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch Illustrator’s residence: Amsterdam Subjects: Ballerinas, Dancers, Music boxes, Snow globes, Snowmen, Toys, Wishes

The Message Of The Birds

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The wise owl begins telling the Christmas story, with its message of peace, to a gathering of birds. The young robin asks why the birds don’t sing the story anymore and the partridge explains that people don’t listen. When the lark offers that perhaps people don’t understand the language, the inventive robin suggests that children listen with their hearts and they understand. And so, the birds fly far and wide singing the song of peace. The tale is not a traditional Christmas book. It is a universal story of peace that brings people together. The book ends with “Let there be peace. Peace on Earth!” and the word peace in over 60 different languages. The rich, soft, and realistic watercolor illustrations in wintry colors awaken warm emotions in readers and complement the text beautifully. mjw

Title: The Message Of The Birds Author: Kate Westerlund Illustrator: Feridun Oral Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd.  Minedition Copyright: 2014 North American edition Original Language: German, French Original Title: Doe Botschaft der Vogel, Le Message des Oiseaux Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-988-8240-55-5 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Born in Florida, USA  Author’s residence: Salzburg, Austria Illustrator’s ethnicity: Turkish Illustrator’s residence: Istanbul, Turkey Subjects: Birds, Christmas stories, Peace

Moko Jumbi Dreams

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Ten-year-old Lexi dreams of becoming a moko jumbi majorette, a stilt walker in a parade. Though Lexi misses her best friend, she befriends her new neighbors, Miss Ivy and her foster children.  Unfortunately, people petition that  they should move out of the neighborhood. Moreover, Lexi’s family worries about the threatening hurricane which is quickly approaching. This lively first book in a series has a glossary of terms, questions which accompany the reading, a list of vocabulary words, and a bibliography of helpful resources.  ema

Title: Moko Jumbi Dreams Author: Alscess Lewis-Brown Illustrator: Wayne “Bully” Petersen and Cynthia Hatfield Publisher: Little Bell Caribbean an imprint of Editorial Campana Copyright: 2011 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-934370-22-3 Paperback pages: 112 Age range: 9-14 Genre: Fiction Novel Book setting: The US Virgin Islands/ the Caribbean Author’s ethnicity: Born in Antigua Author’s residence: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands Illustrator’s ethnicity: Petersen: Caribbean  Illustrator’s residence: Petersen: The Virgin Islands, Hatfield:  St. Croix Subjects: Caribbean, Dreams, Foster children, Neighbors, Racism, Small towns, Stilt walkers

When The Earth Lost Its Shapes

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One day, the Earth loses all of its shapes and nobody knows how or why they have gone. Triangles, rectangles, ovals, circles, and squares have all disappeared. Maybe it was a thief or giant aliens? Vibrant acrylic artwork shows eggs that are scrambled, oranges that are squeezed, sandwiches that are squished, and kites that look windswept. The only shape left is a little dot. She declares that she must do something and teams up with the other dots to save the world from shapeless confusion. Soon, everything is shipshape once again. The author is Co-founder and Publishing Director of Karadi Tales Company, an independent children’s publisher in Chennai. mjw

Title: When The Earth Lost Its Shapes Author: Shobha Viswanath Illustrator: Christine Kastl Publisher: Karadi Tales Company Pvt. Ltd.  Chennai, India Copyright: 2011 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 2008 ISBN: 978-81-8190-192-7 Paperback pages: 36 Age range: 3 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: Chennai, India Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany, France, and India Subjects: Environment, Size and shape

Brother Hugo And The Bear

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Brother Hugo is unable to return his library book because it was consumed by a bear. The Abbot of Hugo’s monastery was very disappointed because he lost their only copy of St. Augustine’s letters. It is now Hugo’s responsibility to travel to a neighboring monastery to retrieve a copy of the cherished text, craft a new book, and return his library book on time without it becoming bear food again. These beautifully detailed illustrations resembling monks’ manuscripts were created using ink and watercolor. Brother Hugo And The Bear is loosely based on a true twelfth-century story  where the monk, Abbot Peter the Venerable, asked the neighboring monastery to send him St. Augustine’s letters because their volume was eaten by a bear. The book also features a historical note, a glossary of terms and people, an author’s note, and an illustrator’s note. ema

Title: Brother Hugo And The Bear Author: Katy Beebe Illustrator: S.D. Schindler Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-8028-5407-0 Hardcover pages: 34 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Middle Ages France Author’s ethnicity: American Author’s residence: Texas Illustrator’s ethnicity: American Illustrator’s residence: Pennsylvania Awards: 2014 American Booksellers Association Best Books for Children Catalog, 2014 Society of Illustrators “The Original Art” annual exhibition, 2014  Kirkus Best of the Year, 2014 School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2014 Huffington Post Best Picture Books of the Year: Honorable Mention, A 2015 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, A 2015 Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year Subjects:  Bears, Books, Manuscripts, Middle Ages, Monks, Reading

In Search Of The Little Prince: The Story Of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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In 1942,  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote the beloved classic, The Little Prince. This picture book biography follows “Tonio” (what Saint-Exupéry is called in the book)  as he grows up to be a man who is fascinated by flying. Tonio becomes interested in writing when he is incapable of flying a plane any longer. He finds a new way to journey to far away places through his writing. The book features photographs of  Antoine at the beginning of the book, text explaining the inspiration for The Little Prince, and full-page illustrations with a lush palette of colors showcasing the vivid dreams and imagination of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s world. ema

Title: In Search Of The Little Prince: The Story Of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Author: Bimba Landmann Illustrator: Bimba Landmann Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2014 Original Language: Italian Translator: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Original Title: Antoine de Saint-Expéry in cerca del piccolo principe Original Publisher: Edizioni ARKA S.r.l., Via Raffaello Sanzio Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5435-3 Hardcover pages: 34 Age range: 6 up Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book  Book setting: France, Africa, and  New York Author’s ethnicity: Italian Author’s residence: Milan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian Illustrator’s residence: Milan Awards: A 2015 Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year Subjects: Air Pilots, Arts, Biography, French Authors, Writers

A Persistent Vine

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A retired Japanese magistrate’s family works together to make their new house’s garden their own. The magistrate and his wife are appalled when they learn from their daughter Morning Glory that morning glories are growing in their garden. The morning glories continue to grow despite their efforts to rid the plant. When Morning Glory’s parents pass away, she is left in charge of the house. Her uncle and servants become worried when they cannot find Morning Glory anywhere on the propriety. Morning Glory’s uncle and servants flee the propriety when they see that the morning glories have taken over the garden. Morning Glory’s identity has become a part of the morning glories in her garden. Illustrations are beautifully done in a mix of styles including acrylics, watercolors, and mixed media. There is a page explaining morning glories and other similar plants at the end of the book.  This is the first book in the Botanical Tales series, which is inspired by the Montessori material known as the Botany Cabinet. ema

Title: A Persistent Vine Author: Han Tran and Christinia Cheung Illustrator: Hsiao- Yen Chi Publisher: Hands-on-Prints Copyright: 2013 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0989014007 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 7 up Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Japan in the Heian Period Author’s residence: Both live in California Illustrator’s ethnicity: Taiwanese, born in Hong Kong Illustrator’s residence: California Awards: 2013 Winner of the Silver Moonbeam Children’s Book Award For Picture Book (‘All Ages’ Category) Subjects: Environment, Family, Female Protagonist, Flowers, Heian Period, Japan, Morning Glories, Nature, Teenage Girl