Tag Archives: Families

Peter Pan

This 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

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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

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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!

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Baba 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

Zia’s Story

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In Kabul, Afghanistan, twelve-year-old Zia’s father tells him to take care of his mother, as he is arrested, never to be seen again. After that, in 1989, the Russian army pulls out of Afghanistan, there is a civil war, and the Taliban take over. Zia becomes the “man” for the neighborhood widows. He can no longer attend school, and the Taliban forbids women and children to be seen outdoors. Zia and his mother eventually are forced to flee Kabul and take refuge in Pakistan. A historical note provides additional information. Black and white drawings capture the mood of the story. This eye-opening story is based on the author’s own experiences as a young mother having to flee an Afghanistan torn apart by war with her young son. mjw

Title: Zia’s Story
Author: Shahnaz Qayumi
Illustrator: Nahid Kazemi
Publisher: Tradewinds Books. Vancouver, BC. Canada
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-990598-14-2
Paperback pages: 88
Age range: 9-12
Genre: Historical fiction
Book setting: Afghanistan and Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity: Afghan
Author’s residence: Vancouver, British Columbia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Iranian
Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec
Subjects: Afghanistan, Civil war, Kabul, Middle East, Refugees, Taliban, War

Sunday

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For Martin and his dog Maize, every Sunday is the same. His family always sits in the same seats at the dinner table, watches TV, cooks, and folds laundry. But this Sunday, things will be different because Martin and Maize decide to travel the world. The world is waiting. They travel to freezing ice caps, baking lava flows, the home of sacred creatures, arid deserts, fertile forests, and seas teeming with pirate ships, After their adventure, they long to find their way home to tell Grandma where they have been, They might even travel beyond the world on their next magical Sunday. The line art, bold matte colors, and hidden pictures produce an etched look that adds to the drama in this story about imagination, dreams, and play. mjw

Title: Sunday
Author: Marcelo Tolentino
Illustrator: Marcelo Tolentino
Publisher: Blue Dot Lids Press, Sacramento, California
Copyright: 2025
Original Language: Portuguese
Translator: Rahul Bery
Original Publisher: Companhia das Letras. Sao Paulo, Brazil
ISBN: 979-898985-88-11
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 3-7
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Author’s residence: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Illustrator’s residence: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Subjects: Action, Camels, Creativity, Dogs, Dragons, Grandmother-son relationships, Imagination, Pirates, Penguins, Play

A Bright Light In Buenos Aires

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It’s Dani’s birthday. He lives with his parents and sister in his Jewish community in Buenos Aires. He worries that his classmates won’t come to his party because they think the unique bright light that follows him everywhere is too annoying. His friends do attend his party and he realizes they like him just the way he is. His light is there to share with the world. When he blows out the candles on his cake, his big light becomes many small lights for his friends, who are delighted. Together, they create a brighter world. The cheerful illustrations rendered in pencil and Procreate, show how the Argentinian and Jewish cultures combine in Dani’s world. Backmatter explains Jewish life, experiences, and strength in Argentina, where 250,000 Jews now live in the capital city of Buenos Aires. A glossary of Spanish and Hebrew words is also included. This gentle story has an accompanying activity guide at KalaniotBooks.com. mjw

Title: A Bright Light In Buenos Aires
Author: Santiago Nader
Illustrator: Paula Wegman
Publisher: Kalaniot Books. Moosic, Pennsylvania
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 979-8-986-3965-8-3
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-10
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Author’s ethnicity: Argentine
Author’s residence: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Argentine
Illustrator’s residence: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Subjects: Argentina, Birthdays, Buenos Aires, Celebrations, Diversity, Futbol, Hebrew, Jewish fiction, Shabbat, South America

L Is For Love

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Two adults and four children set off in the dark to sell lemons at the market in this L-focused story, leaving grandparents behind. They are lucky to catch a lift on a red bus. They travel through lightning until the morning light, looking at lazy lions and a lonely leopard. They arrive at the loud, large market in Lagos, where they sell their lemons and enjoy lunch. On the long way home, this time by foot, they see elephants and arrive home late to greet the grandparents, where L is for love. The beautiful double-page spreads, loaded with detail, and rendered in mixed media depict the bustling market stalls, the natural world, and the rich relationship of the family. mjw

Title: L Is For Love
Author: Atinuke
Illustrator: Angela Brooksbank
Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, MA
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. UK
Original Copyright: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-5362-3555-5
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 3-7
Genre: PIcture Book, Alphabet Book
Book setting: Nigeria
Author’s ethnicity: Nigerian
Author’s residence: Wales
Illustrator’s residence: LOndon
Subjects: Alphabet, Cities, Lagos, Lemons, Love, Markets, Transportation

My Name Is Long As A River

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Kaveri Thanjavur Jayalakshmi Ganesan doesn’t think her very long name is special. She wants to be called Kav. Her paati (grandmother) explains that her name comes from her family’s heritage, where she was born, and the powerful Kaveri River in South India. Kav learns that it is okay to have a long name and that she should be proud of it. She was carefully named and each of her four names bonds her to her family and her homeland. The language in the book is beautiful and full of lovely imagery. The radiant artwork was rendered in gouache. Backmatter includes a glossary with pronunciations; an author’s note; tips on pronouncing names; a map and information about the Kaveri River; and some poems and sayings about Kaveri from ancient Tamil Sangam literature and Kannada, Kodav, and Sanskrit languages. mjw

Title: Hannah’s Winter
Author: Suma Subramaniam
Illustrator: Tara Anand
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0593-522936
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: India
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: Seattle, Washington
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian
Illustrator’s residence: New York City
Subjects: Culture, Festivals, Ganesha, Goddesses, Multigenerational family life, Rivers, Sarees, Self-confidence, Self-esteem, Traditions

Esma Farouk, Lost In The Souk

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While Esma is on holiday visiting her extended family in Morocco, she goes to the souk – a huge marketplace full of street performers, delicious food, and sassy monkeys. Charmed by the bustling market’s sights, smells, and sounds, she loses track of her mother and aunt. Through the unexpected help of a troupe of acrobats, a fortune teller, and a monkey, Esma is reunited with her family, The lively and humorous artwork was created using digital gouache, watercolor, and colored pencils. mjw

Title: Esma Farouk, Lost In The Souk
Author: Lisa Boersen and Hasna Elbaamrani
Illustrator: Annelies Vandenbosch
Publisher: Floris Books, Edinburgh
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: Dutch
Translator: Polly Lawson
Original Title: 1001 paarse djellabas
Original Publisher: Uitgeverij JH Gottmer/HJW Becht BV, Haarlen, the Netherlands
Original Copyright: 2020
ISBN: 978-178250-885-4
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Marrakesh, Morocco
Author’s ethnicity: Dutch and Dominican
Author’s residence: Amsterdam
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Moroccan
Illustrator’s residence: Amsterdam
Subjects: Acrobats, Djellabas, Fortune tellers, Grandparents, Markets, Monkeys, Multicultural, North Africa, Souks, Spices

Water: Discovering The Precious Resource All Around Us

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This question-and-answer book features a young girl and her grandfather exploring water’s role in world history and earth science. Topics include: How much water is there on earth? Why does it rain? How are rainbows and water related? How is a sea different from an ocean? What lives in our oceans? How powerful is water? What is life without water? How can we protect our planet’s water? The answers offer many vocabulary words clearly explained in the energetic text. The book’s endpapers reveal fascinating water facts. To illustrate the book, the author/artist sprinkled, dripped, and thinned acrylic paints with water. Approximately ten liters (2.6 gallons) of water were used to create the book’s gorgeous artwork. mjw

Title: Water: Discovering The Precious Resource All Around Us
Author: Olga Fadeeva
Illustrator: Olga Fadeeva
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: Russian
Translator: Lena Traer
Original Title: Boda
Original Publisher: Rech
Original Copyright: 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5622-7
Hardcover pages: 56
Age range: 8-14
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book
Author’s ethnicity: Russian
Author’s residence: St. Petersburg, Russia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Russian
Illustrator’s residence: St. Petersburg, Russia
Subjects: Earth Science, Ecology, History, Natural resources, Nature, Oceans, Rain, Science, Seas, STEAM. Weather

Puppet

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The aging English puppeteer Silvester creates one last puppet, named Puppet. Puppet is different because he can talk and move on his own. Silvester takes Puppet to show him the wonders of the big wide world – reading books, love, growing up, music, play-acting, and much more. They meet new friends, Fleur and her mother, and they share Silvester’s puppet-making skills with the next generation. This is a heartwarming story about creativity, imagination, and the circle of life. The language is rich and warm. This beautiful tale, inspired by Pinocchio, is illustrated with quirky black-and-white drawings. mjw

Title: Puppet
Author: David Almond
Illustrator: Lizzy Stewart
Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, Massachusetts
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. UK
Original Copyright: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-5362-3917-1
Hardcover pages: 240
Age range: 8 up
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting: England
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: London
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award, Carnegie Medal, Printz Medal
Subjects: Circle of life, Community, Creativity, Death, Imagination, Magic, Old age, Play, Puppetmasters, Puppets, Storytelling, Trust