Tag Archives: Families

The Paper Bridge

Anya, a young girl who has a special talent for kirigami, the Japanese art of cutting and folding paper, lives in the village of Paperlee. All of the village houses are made of paper. The trees are made of delicate paper, and even the happy villagers are paper-thin and paper-light. They carry stones in their pockets when the summer winds blow. The villagers can see the lights of another village on a neighboring mountain across a deep chasm. It is called Forestlee, and no one knows anything about it. The winds in Paperlee become more frequent and stronger, and the worrisome villagers think that maybe Forestlee can help, but they don’t know how to get there. Anya consults with the clever crane, and they come up with a plan to build a paper bridge to Forestlee. Brave Anya is the first to walk across the bridge. She meets a girl named Hazel and learns that the villagers of Forestlee build their homes in branches of thick, solid trees and that their Elephant Brothers blow their windmills. As their windmills turn, they grind wheat into flour for baking breads, cakes, buns, and cookies. In doing so, they have changed the weather! Anya pleads for the Elephant Brothers to blow in a different direction to save Paperlee. They finally agree. People from both villages now cross the bridge and share the kirigami craft and cookie baking. They all become friends, and there are no more dangerous winds in Paperlee. The light, exquisite illustrations in The Paper Bridge were created using the Japanese art of kirigami. The artwork was hand-crafted with pencil and watercolor on paper and cardboard, which was hand-cut, arranged into scenes, and then photographed to capture the stunning details in this delightful story about friendship, bravery, and climate change. The art really makes this book!

Title: The Paper Bridge
Author: Joelle Veyrenc
Illustrator
: Seng Soun Ratanavanh
Publisher
: Floris Books
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Katy Lockwood-Holmes
Original Title
: Hana et le vent
Original Publisher
: La Martmiere Jeunesse, Paris
Original Copyright
: 2022
ISBN
: 978-178250-9007-3
Hardcover pages
: 28
Age range
: 4-7
Genre
: Picture Book, Fairytale
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: French, born in Laos
Illustrator’s residence
: Paris
Subjects
: Bridges, Climate change, Kirigami, Paper cutting, Paper folding, Parable

Finding The Way To Faraway Valley

Finding the WayA little polar bear and his bespectacled grandfather decide to take the long, difficult journey north to Faraway Valley. It’s “a special place, a wild place …” where great elks, tawny foxes, and mountain goats live, and  “the air smells of warm pine needles.” Before they depart, they must learn how to pitch a tent, study maps, and read about the creatures of the North and safety on ships. They travel far to discover the importance of protecting the special place and leaving it, taking only their learning and memories away. The rich illustrations were created using watercolors, gouache, pastels, and digital methods in this inspiring and moving book with an environmental theme. A star chart is included as back matter. mjw
Title: Finding The Way To Faraway Valley
Author: Cecilia Heikkila
Illustrator
: Cecilia Heikkila
Publisher
: Floris Books, Edinburgh
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: Swedish
Translator
: Polly Lawson
Original Title
: Den sista utposten
Original Publisher
: Bonnier Carlsen Bokfortag, Stockholm
Original Copyright
: 2021
ISBN
: 978-178250-854-0
Hardcover pages
: 48
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Author’s residence
: Dalarna, Sweden
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence
: Dalarna, Sweden
Awards
: Selma Lagerlof Society Prize, 2024
Subjects
: Conservation, Dreams, Grandchildren, Grandfathers, Intergenerational, Maps, Polar Bears, Wilderness Appreciation

Music Of The Mountains: A Story In Pakistan

In a contemporary Pashtun village in rural Pakistan, Roohi loves to listen to her grandfather play songs from Pashtun folklore on his beautiful rabab, a stringed musical instrument. She longs to play like he does, and he tells her that to play the music of the mountains, “you must feel the rhythm and feel the beat of your people.”  She takes lessons, but sounds nothing like her grandfather. She is supposed to play in a school concert for Eid, but she is worried. Her grandfather is ill and she must play without his help. When the day of the concert arrives, her grandfather is able to sit in the audience. Roohi sees him, and her music flows and fills the hall. She plays to her own beat and brings everyone together as the sounds of her ancestors’ music echo over the auditorium. The rich, vivid illustrations were created digitally. Back matter includes information about the rabab, with a detailed image; sources and rabab musicians, with a QR code for listening to the music; a map of Pakistan; What is Eid?; details about traditional Pakistani dress; a Pashto glossary; an author’s note; and an illustrator’s note.
Title: Music Of The Mountains: A Story In Pakistan
Author: Sabrina Shah
Illustrator
: Manal Mirza
Publisher
: Barefoot Books. Concord, MA
Copyright
: 2025
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-8-88859-367-7
Paperback pages
: 32
Age range
: 6-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity
: Pakistani (Pashtun)
Author’s residence
: Singapore
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Muslim American Pakistani
Illustrator’s residence
: Chicago, IL
Subjects
: Courage, Culture, Eid, Grandfathers, Holidays, Instruments, Intergenerational, Music, Muslim fiction, Pashtun, Performing arts, Rabab

Ajay And The Mumbai Sun

In this fast-paced adventure set in modern-day Mumbai, Ajay, a street kid abandoned on the Mumbai railways, dreams of becoming a journalist. He and his friends find an old printing press and start their own newspaper, The Mumbai Sun. As they search for stories for their paper, they uncover a plan to tear down their slum. Hundreds of people will become homeless. Ajay is clever, courageous, and determined. His ambition is to print the truth about the political corruption threatening his home. The bustle of Mumbai is brought to life in this beautifully written novel. mjw 

Author: Varsha Shah
Publisher: Chicken House
Copyright: 2023
Original LanguageEnglish
ISBN
: 978-1-338-87546-1
Hardcover pages: 208
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction, Novel
Book setting: Mumbai, India
Author’s ethnicity: India
Awards: 2024 South Asia Book Award
Subjects: Cricket, Homelessness, Journalism, Newspapers, Poverty, Railways, Slums, Social justice


The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story

Inspired by the author’s own life as an Afghani refugee, this impactful story expresses the importance of the family carpet. The carpet is the centerpiece of life – sipping tea and talking together, helping, sharing, caring, playing, learning, listening, remembering, and dreaming. The carpet is a piece of home. The bold-colored illustrations were made with ink drawings on paper and digital coloring. An author’s note tells the author’s backstory. mjw

Title: The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story
Author: Dezh Azaad
Illustrator
: Nan Cao
Publisher
: Abrams Books for Young Readers.New York
Copyright: 2023
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4197-6361-8
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Afghani
Author’s residence
: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence
: New York City
Awards
: 2024 South Asia Book Award
Subjects
: Cuisine, Culture, Cooking, Games, Folklore, Home, Refugees, Stories, Traditions

Pavlo Gets The Grumps

Pavlo
Pavlo is a cat with the grumps. His mother suggests going to the park, but Pavlo says the swings are too swingy and the slide is too slidey. How about swimming? says Mama, but the water is too wet and the fishes will nibble Pavlo’s toes. Going to the movies isn’t right either for Pavlo. Finally, Pavlo hears his friend Mila calling him. She knows just what to do to get rid of Pavlo’s grumps. The simple comforting text is printed in an extra-large font, making sharing easy, especially for children who have difficulty reading regular-sized print. The brilliantly created illustrations have a soft, fuzzy quality, were rendered in acrylic paint and watercolor pencil, and were finished digitally. mjw
Title: Pavlo Gets The Grumps
Author: Natalia Shaloshvili
Illustrator
: Natalia Shaloshvili
Publisher
: Candlewick Press
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: English
Original Publisher
: Walker Books Ltd. UK
Original Copyright
: 2024
ISBN
: 978-1-5362-3554-8
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Ukrainian
Author’s residence
: UK
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Ukrainian
Illustrator’s residence
: UK
Subjects
: Anger, Cats, Feelings, Love, Sadness

The Color Of Your Skin

colorVega and her friend Alex are drawing pictures at an art table at school. Alex asks for the skin-colored pencil. Vega asks if he means the color of her skin or the color of his. Maybe he means the beautiful caramel brown skin color of his neighbor Vincent or the light apple shade of the new girl. With curiosity and creativity, they explore the diversity of skin colors of the people around them. They discover that skin color has many shades and that colors are like hugs: the more the better. The illustrations are brightly colored and rich. The book is printed on “stone paper,” a special paper made of limestone. The paper doesn’t come from cutting down trees, doesn’t use water, and doesn’t need chemical products. mjw
Title: The Color Of Your Skin
Author: Desiree Acevedo
Illustrator
: Silvia Alvarez
Publisher
: Cuento De Luz. Madrid, Spain
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Jon Brokenbrow
Original Title
: El color de tu piel
ISBN
: 978-84-19464-43-9
Paperback pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Author’s residence
: Huelva, Spain
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Honduran and Spanish
Illustrator’s residence
: Seville, Spain
Subjects
: Colors, Crayons, Diversity, Multi-colored, Multiculturalism, Paints, Pencils, Skin color, Uniqueness

Thirst


Twelve-year-old Minni and her older brother Sanjay live in a poor neighborhood in Mumbai, India. Their only access to clean water happens at a set time of the day when members of the community stand in line to fill their containers. One night, Sanjay and his friends witness the “water mafia” stealing water from a tanker truck. To be safe, Sanjay and his friend have to leave town. Minni’s ill mother has to move to the countryside to recover and Minni takes over her mother’s maid job until her she can return. On top of all of this, Minni has to balance school and an extra computer class she is enrolled in. Minni’s introspective narration and occasional poetry instill hope in her environment which is especially hard on women and children. Minni is a smart, strong, and optimistic girl. The book is a look at the importance of free water and how the unfairness surrounding its distribution impacts poor communities in India. It also reveals class differences that still exist today. An author’s note provides more information about the water crisis in India.  mjw

Title: Thirst
Author: Varsha Bajaj
Publisher
: Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. New York
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0593-3544-14
Paperback pages
: 192
Age range
: 10-12
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Mumbai, India
Author’s ethnicity
: Indian
Author’s residence
: Houston, Texas
Awards
: 2023 South Asia Book Award
Subjects
: Education, Environment, Injustice, Justice, Poetry, Water, Water crisis, Water security

Peter Pan

peterThis beloved children’s classic is retold in rollicking rhyme accompanied by new art. The fantastic adventure features Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, the Darling family, Nana, and the villainous Captain Hook. When Peter Pan flies into the Darling children’s bedroom, he convinces Wendy and her brothers to come with him to the magical Neverland, where children never grow old. The gorgeous illustrations are rendered in muted blues. A favorite is the magnificent map of Neverland, with pirates, mermaids, and the relentless ticking crocodile. This fabulous introduction to Peter Pan has a silver-embossed cover and a ribbon bookmark. Based on the original story by J.M. Barrie, a percentage of the profits from this book go to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. mjw
Title: Peter Pan
Author: J.M. Barrie (1860 – 1937). Caryl Hart
Illustrator
: Sarah Warburton
Publisher
: Nosy Crow Ltd.
Copyright
: 2018 – Verse adaptation
Original Language
: English
Original Publisher
: Hodder & Stoughton
Original Copyright
: 1911
ISBN
: 978-1-78800-007-9
Hardcover pages
: 72
Age range
: 4 up
Genre
: Fantasy Fiction. Picture Book
Book setting
: London and Neverland
Author’s ethnicity
: English
Author’s residence
: Sheffield, England (Hart)
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s residence
: Bristol, England
Subjects
: Crocodiles, Fairies, Fantasy, London, Magic, Neverland, Pirates, Rhyme, Rhythm

I Kick And I Fly

Fourteen-year-old Heera lives near the Red Light District in Behar, India. Soon her father will sell her into the sex trade to help feed the family and pay off his debts. The owner of a local hostel for at-risk girls offers to repay her family’s debt and teach Heera kung fu with the other girls in the hostel. Heera learns that her body isn’t an object to be sold, but an instrument through which she can protect herself and other girls. She also discovers the whereabouts of her missing friend, Rosy, through a king fu pen pal in the U.S. She launches into a dangerous rescue mission to New York to save her. This is an unforgettable, and captivating story of overcoming hardship by an activist/author who has dedicated her life to creating a world where no child is bought or sold. She is the founder of Apne Aap, an NGO working to end sex trafficking. A letter from the author captures her journey. Additional information and resources are also provided.  mjw

Title: I Kick And I Fly
Author: Ruchira Gupta
Publisher
: Scholastic Press. New York
Copyright
: 2023
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-338-82509-1
Hardcover pages
: 352
Age range
: 12 up
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Nepal, India, USA
Author’s ethnicity
: Indian
Author’s residence
: New York and Delhi
Awards
: 2024 South Asia Book Award
Subjects
: Activism, Caste system, Hostels, Kidnapping, Kung fu, Martial arts, Poverty, Prostitution, Sex trafficking, Social issues, Social justice, Women’s empowerment

John The Skeleton

John is a newly retired skeleton. He was a classroom teaching aid in a South Estonian school. Gramps and Grams bring John to their outdoor summer kitchen on their farm deep in the woods. Every day is exciting for John. He rides in a car, meets the farm animals, scares some crooks in the village, visits with the grandchildren, takes a bath and makes a snow angel. He even becomes part of an art exhibit at the city museum. Short chapters and folk art pencil illustrations in black and white with pops of beet red present a view of Estonian culture with saunas, pixies, and linden-blossom tea. The text is also medically accurate. This quirky, affectionate story portrays what it means to care for one another, grow old together, and appreciate the little things. mjw
Title: John The Skeleton
Author: Triini Laam
Illustrator
: Marja-Liisa Plats
Publisher
: Yonder, an imprint of Restless Books
Copyright
:2024
Original Language
: Estonian
Translator
: Adam Cullen
Original Title
: Luukere Juhani juhtumised
Original Publisher
: Paike ja Pilve, Saue, Estonia
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-1632063700
Hardcover pages
: 64
Age range
: 6-12
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: South Estonia
Author’s ethnicity
: Estonian
Author’s residence
: Estonia
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Estonian
Illustrator’s residence
: Estonia
Awards
:2025 Batchelder Award, soo5 ISBBY Outstanding International Books, 20221 White Raven Catalog
Subjects
: Aging, Death, Farms, Grandchildren, Grandparents, Retirement, Skeletons

Honk Honk Beep Beep Putter Putt!

HonkBaba takes his son Ibraheem and the cat Mitu in his rickshaw on a trip through the big city. They encounter all kinds of vehicles and discover that each one has its own language. The rickshaw’s motor says Putter Putt. The car says Honk Honk. The bus tries to barge in with a Toot Toot and the mighty truck joins with a Rumble Rumble. The vehicles screech to a stop when there is a toad in the road saying Burp! Everyone safely shares the road. The bright, playful illustrations that convey each vehicle’s personality were digitally drawn. An author’s note describes her experiences with big city traffic around the world. mjw
Title: Honk Honk Beep Beep Putter Putt!
Author: Rukhsana Khan
Illustrator
: Chaaya Prabhat
Publisher
: Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House of Canada, Ltd.
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-774882-658
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity
: Pakistani
Author’s residence
: Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Indian
Illustrator’s residence
: Goa, India
Subjects
: Buses, Cars, Cities, City life, Horns, Rickshaws, Sharing, Toads, Traffic, Trucks, Vehicles