Tag Archives: Families

Snow

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Walter de la Mare’s gentle poem has illustrations of a family preparing for Christmas, done in screen prints with a limited, muted palette.  The family decorates their home, goes to bed, and waits for Santa Claus to arrive.  The children wake up to presents, going sledding, and making a snowman.  The text is perfect for the illustrations.  The book makes a beautiful winter bedtime story. mjw

Title: Snow Author: Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) Illustrator: Carolina Rabei Publisher: Faber & Faber Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Faber & Faber, Bloomsbury House. London Original Copyright: 2014.  The poem “Snow” was first published in Peacock and Pie in 1924 ISBN: 978-0-571-31219-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5 up Genre: Poetry Author’s ethnicity: British Illustrator’s ethnicity: Moldova Illustrator’s residence: England Subjects: Christmas, Santa Claus, Snow, Weather

A Dog Named Haku: A Holiday Story From Nepal

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In Kathmandu, Nepal, courageous dogs are honored on Divali, the Hindu holiday called the Festival of Lights.  Brothers Alu and Bhalu have been searching in the earthquake ruins for a stray dog, a kukur, to celebrate. They finally spot a small black dog, who is in need of a home.  The illustrations that were created with a combination of hand drawing and digital imagery add to the simple text.  A glossary of Nepali words, a list of sources to learn more about Nepal, and another list of suggested activities are included.  mjw

Title: A Dog Named Haku: A Holiday Story From Nepal Author: Margarita Engle with Amish Karanjit and Nicole Karanjit Illustrator: Ruth Jeyaveeran Publisher: Millbrook Press. Minneapolis Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1512432053 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Kathmandu, Nepal Author’s ethnicity: Engle – Cuban, Karanjit – born in Nepal Author’s residence: San Francisco, CA Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born in Zambia, Africa to Indian parents Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Awards: Engle is the 2018  United States Young Peoples Poet Laureate Subjects: Brothers Divali. Dogs, Holidays. Nepal

Astrid The Unstoppable

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Nicknamed “the little thunderbolt,” ten-year-old Astrid likes to spend her days skiing, sledding, singing, and drinking hot chocolate with her grumpy best friend and godfather, Gunnvald.  She is the only child living in the village of Glimmerdal and she wishes there were other children in the town.  When two children unexpectedly show up, and then another strange woman appears, Astrid’s life suddenly gets very exciting.  This hilarious book will charm fans of Pippi Longstocking and Heidi. A map of Glimmerdal sets the scene. mjw

Title: Astrid The Unstoppable Author: Maria Parr Illustrator: Katie Harnett Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2018 Original Language: Norwegian Translator: Guy Puzey Original Title: Tonje Glimmerdal Original Publisher: Det Norske Samlaget. Oslo Original Copyright: 2009 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0017-1 Hardcover pages: 320 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Norway Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian Author’s residence: Norway Translator’s ethnicity: Grew up in Scotland Translator’s residence: Scotland Subjects: Girls, Humor, Norway, Rural children, Songs

The Bridge Home

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Eleven-year-old Viji and her younger sister Rukku who has intellectual and developmental disabilities have run away into the harsh streets of Chennai to get away from their abusive father.  The girls find shelter and friends on an abandoned bridge.  Two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, and the girls survive by scavenging the city’s garbage heaps and by selling the bead necklaces that Rukku makes.  The four bond into a family of sorts.  They are often hungry and scared, but they have each other and their dog Kutti. When the rainy season comes, Rukku and Muthi get sick and Viji and Arul have to make decisions about who they can trust to help them.  The courage and strength of the children is an inspiration. mjw

Title: The Bridge Home Author: Padma Venkatraman Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5247-3811-2 Hardcover pages: 208 Age range: 10-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Chennai, India Author’s ethnicity: Born in Chennai, India Author’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2020 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Asia, Domestic violence, Homelessness, Lower caste children, Runaways, Sisters

Mary Poppins

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Based on the original 1934 novel by P.L. Travers, this picture book version has beautiful soft pastel and colored pencil illustrations that take readers back to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane in London to meet Mary Poppins and the Banks children.  There is a tea party on the ceiling, a visit to the night zoo, and a trip to the star shop.  This is the perfect introduction to everyone’s favorite nanny. mjw

Title: Mary Poppins Author: P.L.Travers (1899-196), adapted ny Amy Novesky Illustrator: Genevieve Godbout Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Copyright:  1934 ISBN: 978-1-328-91677-8 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture Book, Fantasy Book setting: London Author’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born and raised in Quebec Illustrator’s residence: Montreal Subjects: Fantasy; London, England: Magic: Nannies

When Morning Comes

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It is Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1976, and there is a secret movement of students plotting against the apartheid government.  This compelling account is written from the points of view of four young people in Soweto, the black township.  Zanele is the black female student organizer.  She works as a nightclub singer.  Meena is a South Asian girl who works in her father’s shop.  Jack is an affluent white student, who is about to go to Oxford and Thabo is a teen gang member.  The Soweto Uprising was the beginning of the end of apartheid.  A historical note and a glossary are very helpful. mjw

Title: When Morning Comes Author: Arushi Raina Publisher: Tradewind Books, Vancouver Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English  Original Publisher: Tradewind Books Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-1-926890-14-2 Paperback pages: 232 Age range: 14 up Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa Author’s ethnicity: Grew up in Johannesburg Author’s residence: Canada Awards: 2018 Children’s Africana Book Award for Older Readers Subjects: Ant-apartheid movements, High school students, Race relations, Resistance to government

40 Things I Want To Tell You

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Amy (a.k.a. Bird) writes an online advice column full of top tips for teens.  She has trouble taking her own advice.  She seems to have the perfect boyfriend, best friend, parents, and future at Oxford University.  But after one mistake, everything falls apart and her life changes forever. The book is beautifully written and hard to put down. mjw

Title: 40 Things I Want To Tell You Author: Alice Kuipers Publisher: Harper Trophy, Canada Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-44340-588-1 Paperback pages: 304 Age range: 14 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: London, England Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Saskatoon Awards: Saskatchewan Book Award for Young Adult Literature  Subjects: Blogs, Teenagers, Teen pregnancy

The True Tale Of A Giantess: The Story Of Anna Swan

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This historical non-fiction children’s book follows the rich life of acclaimed Nova Scotia Giantess Anna Swan. Anna grows up feeling (figuratively and physically) out-of-place in her hometown and yearns for  a life of travel and adventure. She decides to join P.T. Barnum’s Gallery of Wonders and meets other people who are unique like she is. Being a part of the Gallery opens up doors for Anna and she is able to have all the adventures she dreamed about as a little girl. She meets and befriends Queen Victoria and falls in love with fellow giant Martin Van Buren Bates. Her life story emphasizes the value of individuality and creating one’s own world to fit into if such an environment is not provided. The illustrations in mixed media and Photoshop include a spectrum of shaded grey, blue, and olive-green pastels and feature soft round-faced characters with blush faces.    mm

Title: The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan Author: Anne Renaud Illustrator: Marie Lafrance Publisher: Kids Can Press, Toronto Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77138-376-9 Hardcover pages:  32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Biography, Picture Book Book setting: Nova Scotia, New York, England Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Westmount, Quebec Illustrator’s ethnicity:  Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec Subjects: Biography, Circus, Giants, Nova Scotia, Performing arts, Women

Elephant Secret

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Thirteen-year-old Samantha Gray lives with her dad on an elephant sanctuary with eleven elephants. She understands the elephants’ behavior and has a special relationship with each one.  When one of the elephants, named Daisy Mae, dies while giving birth to a very unusual baby, Sam’s world is turned upside down.  She names the baby elephant Woolly and she becomes the mother, feeding her bottles of formula and protecting her.  Sam meets the billionaire genius who funded the impregnated elephant and he explains that the birth was a cloning experiment and that Woolly is a woolly mammoth.  This is a captivating family story of love and our responsibility to all living things on earth. mjw

Title: Elephant Secret Author:  Eric Walters Publisher: Clarion Books, New York Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-328796172 Hardcover pages: 352 Age range: 10-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: North America Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Ontario, Canada Awards: Author has won the Children’s Africana Book Award Subjects: Animal sanctuaries, Cloning, Elephants, Human/animal relationships, Orphaned animals, Woolly mammoths

Island Born

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Lola goes to a school where all the students are from faraway places.  Lola is from the Dominican Republic.  Her teacher wants the class to draw pictures of where their families immigrated from, but Lola can’t remember.  She was just a baby when she came here.  With the help of family and friends and their memories, she draws a lively picture of La Isla.  She also discovers a lot about her culture and heritage.  The digitally created illustrations are vibrant and bold. There is a Spanish edition called Lola. mjw

Title: Island Born Author: Junot Diaz Illustrator: Leo Espinosa Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, NY Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Spanish Title: Lola ISBN: 978-0735-2298-60 Hardcover pages: 48  Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Born in the Dominican Republic Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Bogota, Colombia Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Awards: Author has won a Pulitzer Prize Subjects: Central and South America, Hispanic and Latino, Multigenerational, School

The Truth Commission

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Normandy Pale is a high school junior at the Green Pastures Academy of Art and Applied Design.  This is the year she is supposed to come into her own and come out from under the shadow of her brilliant older sister Keira, who as a teen became a best-selling graphic novelist.  Normandy turns to her writing, her needlework, and the “truth commission.”  Her friends have started the project because they believe the theory that the truth can heal.  So they begin asking people truths about things that other people already suspect. Things go well until it leads straight back to Keira and her dysfunctional family.  The book is Normandy’s “narrative nonfiction” project at school, complete with footnotes, drawings, and notes to her creative writing teacher.  The characters are real and the language is witty. mjw

Title: The Truth Commission Author: Susan Juby Illustrator: Trevor Cooper Publisher: Penguin Teen, Canada Books, Inc. Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Razorbill.  Toronto, Canada Original Copyright: 2105 ISBN: 978-0-14-318916-9 Paperback pages: 320 Age range: 14 up Genre: Narrative Nonfiction Book setting: Vancouver Island Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada Awards: Sheila A. Egoff Award for Children’s Literature, Amy Mothers Teen Book Award Subjects: Art students, High school, Humor, Siblings, Values and virtues, Writing

Alma And How She Got Her Name

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This is the story of Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela and how she got such a long name.  Daddy tells that Sofia was her grandmother who loved books, poetry, jasmine, and flowers.  Esperanza was her great-grandmother who hoped to travel, but never did.  He continues that Jose was his father who was an artist.  Pura was Alma’s great-aunt who believed that the spirits of their ancestors always watched over them.  Candela was her other grandmother who always stood for what was right.  And Alma’s name was picked just for her so she could make her own story.  The softly colored illustrations were done with graphite, colored pencils, and print transfers on handmade textured paper.  The book is also published in Spanish. mjw

Title: Alma And How She Got Her Name Author: Juana Martinez-Neal Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-7636-9355-8 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Peruvian Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Peruvian Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Subjects: Belonging, Identity, Multigenerational, Self-esteem and self-respect, South America