Tag Archives: Families

The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy

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The Wonderful Fluffy Little SquishyFive and half-year-old Eddie believes she is the only one in her family who is not special. Her father can speak five languages, her mother can sing like a bird, and her sister is an ice-skating queen. When Eddie overhears her sister talking to her mother about getting her a birthday present, she is determined to give her mother the perfect gift. During her search for her mother’s birthday present, Eddie realizes that she has a unique gift of her own. The hand-drawn and vintage looking illustrations showcase the amiable and relatable heroine’s adventures in her neighborhood. ema
Title: The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy
Author: Beatrice Alemagna
Illustrator: Beatrice Alemagna
Publisher: Enchanted Lion
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: French
Translator: Claudia Zoe Bedrick
Original Title: Le merveilleux Dodu-Velu-Petit
Original Publisher: Albin Michel Jeunesse
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59270-180-3
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Italian
Author’s residence: Italy
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian
Illustrator’s residence: Italy
Awards: 2016 Mildred L. Batchelder Award
Subjects: Birthday, Community, Daughters, Gift, Mothers

Two White Rabbits

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Two White Rabbits“Where are we going?” a little girl asks her father, but he does not answer. The little girl and her father are migrating to a land suggestive of America. On the way, the two encounter several animals, a group of people encamped on train tracks, and a family who helps them. The drab brown and blue toned illustrations of the family crossing a muddy river on rafts built on rubber tires, riding on top of a rusted-out train, and sleeping in the back of a pick-up truck convey the hardships many refugees face. The narrowed-eyed coyote that follows the family on their journey is a metaphor representing those who smuggle migrants and refugees across borders with not always good intentions. The open-ended ending shows that there are few certainties in a refugee family’s life. This compelling book about a loving family’s determination to find a better future is an excellent read to introduce immigration to young readers. ema
Title: Two White Rabbits
Author: Jairo Buitrago
Illustrator: Rafael Yockteng
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Elisa Amado
ISBN: 978-1-55498-741-2
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Mexico
Author’s ethnicity: Mexican
Author’s residence: Colombian
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Mexico
Illustrator’s residence: Colombia
Subjects: Immigration, Mexico, Refugees

Child Soldier: When Boys And Girls Are Used In War

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Child Soldier

At age five, in 1993, Michel Chikwanine was kidnapped from his schoolyard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a child soldier for a brutal rebel militia. He managed to escape, find his family, and emigrate to Canada at age eleven, where his teacher encouraged him to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world. He has since traveled to 35 African countries and become an activist. The story is told in first person in graphic novel format, with earthy-tone illustrations that are gentle and child-friendly. A map and a bit of history help readers understand Michel’s experience. This true story concludes with a photograph and more information about Michel, facts about child soldiers, what is being done to help, and a list of primary sources for further research. This book is part of the CitizenKid series of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to make a difference locally and globally. mjw
Title: Child Soldier: When Boys And Girls Are Used In War
Author: Jessica Dee Humphreys and Michel Chikwanine
Illustrator: Claudia Davila
Publisher: CitizenKid, Kids Can Press Ltd.
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77138-126-0
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 8-14
Genre: Information Book, Nonfiction, Graphic Novel
Book setting: Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa
Author’s ethnicity: Chikwanine – Born in Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa
Author’s residence: Chikwanine – Toronto, Canada.  Humphrey – Toronto, Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born in Chile
Illustrator’s residence: Toronto, Canada
Subjects: Autobiography, Children and war, Comic books, Conflict and change, Global awareness, Social justice.

Little Red Riding Hood

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Little Red Riding HoodThis eye appealing retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with die-cut patterns and textures is absolutely gorgeous. The brilliantly placed text and die-cut illustrations create a fun and alluring interactive reading experience.The die-cut pages’ placement foreshadows upcoming events which invite readers to guess what will happen next. The mixture of patterns, textures, ominous shades, and bright colors evokes Little Red Cap’s  carefree attitude despite being surrounded by clues of looming dangers. ema
Title: Little Red Riding Hood
Author: Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859)
Illustrator: Sybille Schenker
Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd.
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: German
Translator: Anthea Bell
Original Title: Little Red Cap
Original Copyright: 1857
ISBN: 978-988-8240-79-1
Hardcover pages: 52
Age range: 5-7
Genre: Picture Book, Fairytale
Author’s ethnicity: German
Illustrator’s ethnicity: German
Illustrator’s residence: Berlin
Subjects: Fairytale reimaginings/ retellings, Folklore, Folktales, Little Red Riding Hood

You Can’t See The Elephants

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You can't see the elephantsThirteen-year-old Mascha is bored living with her grandparents for the summer in their quiet, small town. She meets siblings, Max, 7, and Julia, 9, who are withdrawn and shy and covered with bruises. Mascha suspects that their father is physically abusing them and when the adults don’t listen, she takes matters into her own hands. She makes some unusual choices, kidnaps the children, and locks them in an abandoned farmhouse in a nearby field. Mascha is brave, helpless, and desperate, and she wants to do the right thing, but her actions bring unintended consequences for everyone. This disturbing, heartbreaking, and straightforward novel about child abuse is discussion provoking  mjw
Title: You Can’t See The Elephants
Author: Susan Kreller
Publisher: G.P.Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, USA
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: German
Translator: Elizabeth Gaffney
Original Title: Elefanten sieht man nicht
Original Publisher: Carlsen Verlag Gmb H
Original Copyright: 2012
ISBN: 978-0-399-17209-0
Hardcover pages: 192
Age range: 10 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: The translator set the book in the USA
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Germany
Awards: Author has been nominated for the German Youth Literature prize twice and has won the Kranichsteiner Literary Prize
Subjects: Abuse, Brothers and sisters, Child abuse, Dysfunctional relationships, Grandparents, Siblings

When Dad Showed Me The Universe

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When Dad Showed Me The UniverseA boy’s father one day decides it is time that his son is introduced to the universe. They travel afar to reach the universe. They go to a supermarket to buy treats to eat on their journey, walk past a park, a hardware store, a fish shop, and jump over a creek before they reach their destination. The son believes that he has found the universe when he looks at the dog park. His father tells him, “Don’t be silly,… You’re supposed to look up.”  Looking up he finds thousands of stars in the sky. Captivating soft colored pencil illustrations along with the brush of abstract thinking and low comedy will engage early readers. ema
Title: When Dad Showed Me The Universe
Author: Ulf Stark
Illustrator: Eva Eriksson
Publisher: Gecko Press
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Swedish
Translator: Julia Marshall
Original Title: När papa visade mig världsallet
Original Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen
Original Copyright: 1998
ISBN: 978-1-927271-81-0
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-9
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Swedish
Author’s residence: Sweden
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence: Sweden
Awards: Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, August Prize (Illustrator)
Subjects: Fathers, Sons, Stargazing, Universe

The Never Snowy Christmas

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The never Snowy ChristmasA young boy living in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands wishes for snow on his island and comes up with ingenious and impetuous ways to get it. He asks a policeman. He saves his money to buy a snow maker he saw in an electronics magazine. He has a friend in Belgium send some snow. And he even puts flour in the freezer and then throws it in the air, only to get “grounded until he’s old.”  Cartoon-like illustrations showing US Virgin Islands architecture and landscapes accompany the rhyming text.  A note about the US Virgin Islands and information about the story and author are included. mjw
Title: The Never Snowy Christmas
Author: Zenzi Hodge
Illustrator: Jonathan Brown
Publisher: Sandscript Publishing, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-9905662-8-1
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Author’s ethnicity: Born in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Author’s residence: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Illustrator’s residence: Utah, USA
Subjects: Christmas, Dreams, Snow, Tropics

The Nest

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The NestAnxious, OCD-ridden, pre-adolescent Steve has a new baby brother who has congenital health problems. The baby needs surgery and may never be completely normal. Steve’s parents are pre-occupied with the baby and Steve starts to have dreams and nightmares with angels/wasps who promise that they can grow a new, healthy baby to replace his sickly newborn brother. And at the same time, a wasps’ nest is rapidly growing outside the baby’s bedroom window. Scientific information about wasps is woven into Steve’s first-person perspective. Black and white graphite drawings add to the mood of this very intense, intriguing, and scary story that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman mjw
Title: The Nest
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Illustrator: John Klassen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3232-0
Hardcover pages: 256
Age range: 10 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Canada (Toronto)
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Toronto, Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian
Illustrator’s residence: Los Angeles, California, USA
Awards: Author has won the Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award.  Illustrator has won the Caldecott Medal
Subjects: Babies, Changelings, Ghost stories, Horror stories, Infants, Paranormal fiction, Special needs, Supernatural, Wasps

Moko Jumbi Dreams

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Moko Jumbi DreamsTen-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

The Bernadette Watts Collection: Stories And Fairy Tales

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Bernadette Watts CollectionWatts’s works “display warm and pleasing colors that bathe each image in an almost theatre-like setting” -Eric Carle.

Bernadette Watts is an iconic English children’s book author and illustrator who has illustrated several fairy tales and fables. This huge collection of fairy tales features some stories written by world renowned storytellers and Watts herself. The gorgeous impressionistic illustrations of animals, creatures, people, and nature complement the wondrous stories. This collection is excellent for introducing readers to popular tales, such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, The Ugly Duckling, Sleeping Beauty, and The Snow Queen, as well as some unfamiliar works. ema
Title: The Bernadette Watts Collection: Stories And Fairy Tales
Author: Short stories by Bernadette Watts, Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Aesop (620-560 BC), Gerda Marie Scheidl (1913-2005), Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), and more
Illustrator: Bernadette Watts
Publisher: North-South 
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: German
Translator: North-South Books
Original Title: Bernadette
Original Publisher: NordSüd
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4242-0
Hardcover pages: 317
Age range: 4 up
Genre: Fables, Fairy Tales, Picture Books
Author’s ethnicity: Watts: English, Grimm Brothers: German, Andersen: Danish, Aesop: Greek, Scheidl: German, Tolstoy: Russian
Author’s residence: Watts: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence:  England
Subjects: Fables, Fairy tales, Fairy tale reimaginings/ retellings, Folktales, Illustrated children’s books, Short stories

Wall

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WallA young boy, his mother, and younger sister were separated from their father when the Berlin Wall was built between East and West Germany. Escape attempts were common. Some who tried “were lucky, others were not.” The boy succeeds in digging a tunnel to the West. A sympathetic guard helps him and when he and his family reach the West, they discover that their dad has begun a tunnel east to find them. Dark, dramatic digital illustrations pierced by spotlights and the carefully worded, minimalist text will appeal to young children’s natural instinct for fairness and justice. The book was published to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and is based on true stories. A brief note provides more information about the Wall. mjw
Title: Wall
Author: Tom Clohosy Cole
Illustrator: Tom Clohosy Cole
Publisher: Templar books, an imprint of Candlewick
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7560-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 32
Genre: Historical Fiction, Picture book
Book setting: Berlin
Author’s ethnicity: British
Author’s residence: London
Illustrator’s ethnicity: British
Illustrator’s residence: London
Subjects: Berlin, Berlin Wall (1961-1989), Cold War

John Diamond

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John DiamondTwelve-year-old William Jones cannot stop hearing his father’s footsteps and sighs at night. When William learns that his father is troubled because he swindled his old business partner, Mr. Diamond, he promises to himself that he will travel to London to rectify his father’s wrongs. He quickly realizes that London is an eerie city full of danger, death, and betrayal. The author’s gothic writing is reminiscent of Charles Dickens’s works. Middle-grade readers who are fans of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events will devour this mystery novel. ema
Title: John Diamond
Author: Leon Garfield (1921-1996)
Illustrator: Isobel Lundie
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
Original Title: John Diamond
Original Publisher: Kestrel Books
Original Copyright: 1980
ISBN:978-0099583271
Paperback pages: 256
Age range: 9-11
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: Victorian London
Author’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: London
Awards:1980 Whitbread Prize for Children’s Novel
Subjects: Creepy, Death, Detective stories, Mystery, Scary stories