Tag Archives: Families

My Favorite Memories

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This gentle story tells of a young girl who is moving to a new country. She has a suitcase in which to pack her most favorite things. She wants to take her aquarium, a wooden chair, the pear tree outside, her best friend, and even the bus driver, but these things are all too big. She comes to understand that while we can’t always carry our favorite things physically, we can travel with them in other ways. The charming illustrations complement this hopeful story of change and resilience. mjw
Title: My Favorite Memories
Author: Sepideh Sarihi
Illustrator: Julie Volk
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press. San Francisco, CA
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: German
Translator: Elisabeth Lauffer
Original Title: Meine liebsten Dinge müssen mit
Original Publisher: Beltz & Gelberg
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-7331212-4-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Iranian
Author’s residence: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Austrian
Illustrator’s residence: Vienna
Awards: 2020 Bologna Ragazzi Award, Illustrator has won the White Raven Award
Subjects: Change, Emotions, Moving, Permanence, New experiences

Beyond Me

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This novel-in-verse examines the aftershocks of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and damaged a nuclear power plant in March, 2011, through the eyes of eleven-year-old Maya.  Maya and her family were lucky. They didn’t lose their Tokyo home or the lives of family members, but Maya is still terrified. She feels helpless and hopeless. What can she do to help? She chronicles the 24 days after the quake, sometimes minute by minute. Maya and her friend Yuka fold paper cranes and ask for sunflower seeds to plant. She continues writing her journal for 113 days with interesting formatting and timelines. An author’s note tells more about the Great Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011. mjw

Title: Beyond Me
Author: Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-48143-789-9
Hardcover pages: 304
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction, Verse
Book setting: Japan
Author’s ethnicity: U.S.
Author’s residence: Tokyo, Japan
Subjects: Earthquakes, Family life, Japan, Novels in verse, Paper cranes, Sunflowers, Survival, Tsunamis

Anita And The Dragons

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Anita and the DragonsYoung Anita lives in a village in the Dominican Republic where she is a valiant princesa. She worries about boarding dragons (airplanes) that will take her to a new life in a new country. The vivid text describes her anxiety about what she will miss and what she will encounter in a new land. She becomes a brave princesa when she meets the dragon. “With one step I move away from the familiar. With another step, I walk into the unknown.” She becomes a “fearless dragon” of her own. The textured artwork was created using mixed media and finished digitally. mjw
Title: Anita And The Dragons
Author: Hannah Carmona
Illustrator: Anna Cunha
Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd.
Copyright: 2021
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-911373-63-6
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 7-10
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Dominican Republic
Author’s ethnicity: U.S.
Author’s residence: Tennessee
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Illustrator’s residence: Brazil
Subjects: Airplanes, Central America, Social situations

From My Window

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A boy looks out the window and sees in his favela (his district in Rio de Janeiro), patched roofs, rainbows, and people everywhere. He talks to his friends and starts a telephone game. He sees children playing soccer and going to school and he hears Brazilian funk, also called favela funk. He sees his favela and asks, “What do you see from your window?” Colorful, extremely detailed illustrations prepared in acrylics and finished digitally celebrate the boy’s diverse urban community. Back matter explains favelas in Brazil. mjw
Title: From My Window
Author: Otavio Junior
Illustrator: Vanina Starkoff
Publisher: Barefoot Books. Cambridge, MA
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: Portuguese
Translator: Beatriz C. Dias
Original Publisher: Companhia das Letras. Sao Paulo
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78285-977-2
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Brazil
Author’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Author’s residence: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Illustrator’s residence: Brazil
Subjects: Brazil, Cities, Favela, Soccer, South America, Urban community living

Mexique: A Refugee Story From The Spanish Civil War

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On May 27,1937, 456 children sailed on the Mexique from Spain to Morelia, Mexico, to escape the violence of the Spanish Civil War. It was supposed to be a short trip, but they stayed for a long time and many never returned to Spain because of Francisco Franco’s dangerous dictatorship after the war. The haunting, dark, images in the book are based on photographs of the “Children of Morelia” and the ship that brought them to Mexico. mjw
Title: Mexique: A Refugee Story From The Spanish Civil War
Author: Maria Jose Ferrada
Illustrator: Ana Penyas
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Elisa Amado
Original Title: Mexique: El nombre del barco
Original Publisher: Alboroto Ediciones, Mexico
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5545-9
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 7-10
Genre: Historical Fiction, Information Book, Nonfiction
Book setting: Spain, Mexico
Author’s ethnicity: Chilean
Author’s residence: Chile
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish
Illustrator’s residence: Madrid
Subjects: Displaced people, Francisco Franco, Mexico, Refugees, Ships, Spain, Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

Ritu Weds Chandni

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Young Ayesha can’t wait for her cousin Ritu’s wedding. She is excited about dressing up and dancing in the baraat – the wedding procession. Ayesha’s mother thinks that not everyone will be pleased seeing Ritu leading the lively procession that the groom usually leads. Ritu is marrying her girlfriend Chandni and some people do not understand that kind of love. The vivid illustrations are filled with details, like the lovely red lehengas of the brides and their henna-decorated hands. A helpful glossary explains Hindi words used in the text and an author’s note tells that same-sex marriages are not legally recognized in India. mjw
Title: Ritu Weds Chandni
Author: Ameya Narvankar
Illustrator: Ameya Narvankar
Publisher: Yali Books. New York
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-949528-94-7
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 5-7
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: India
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian
Subjects: Bigotry, Gay weddings, Hindi, Hinduism, Intolerance, Prejudice, Weddings

Bear And Fred: A World War II Story

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This is a touching true story of a Jewish boy hiding during World War II, as told by his teddy bear. He is Fred’s bear and he is very happy. He and Fred do everything together. But one night there is a soft knock at the door.  It is a warning that they would be forced to leave their home. They flee to Amsterdam where Fred goes into hiding, apart from the rest of his family. After the war, Fred and his family are reunited and they move to the United States. An author’s note tells how the bear ended up in the Yad Vashem Museum – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel. A photo of the real bear is included. This endearing story is illustrated digitally with beautiful drawings. mjw
Title: Bear And Fred
Author: Iris Argaman
Illustrator: Avi Ofer
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids, New York
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: Hebrew
Translator: Annette Appel
Original Title: Ha Doobi Shel Fred
Original Publisher: Hakibbutz Hameucchad. Israel
Original Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 978-1-542018234
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 6-9
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Holland and U.S.
Author’s ethnicity: Israeli
Author’s residence: Israel
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Israeli
Illustrator’s residence: Spain
Awards: Vad Vashem Prize in Israel, Giovanni Arpino Proze for Children’s Literature in Italy.
Subjects: Holocaust, Jewish people, Nazi party, Prejudice and racism, Teddy bear

Piglettes

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This laugh-aloud coming-of-age story tells of the bicycle road trip across France to Paris of three teenage girls, Mirielle, Astrid, and Hakima. The girls were voted by their classmates on Facebook to be the ugliest girls in their school. They take off on their bikes, accompanied by Kader, Hakima’s wheelchair-bound older brother. Their goal is a garden party with the French president. They pull a trailer along with them and sell sausages to make money for the trip. The girls, known as the Piglettes, become stars of social media and television. The story is told through the eyes of funny, philosophical, and awkward Mirielle. This is a powerful book for self-conscious teens. mjw
Title: Piglettes
Author: Clementine Beauvais
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Copyright: 2017
Original Language: French
Translator: Clementine Beauvais
Original Title: Les Petites Reines
Original Publisher: Editions Sarbacane. Paris
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1782691204
Paperback pages: 287
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: France
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: U.K.
Awards: Prix Sorcieres in France
Subjects: Bicycles, Bullying, Coming of age, Cyber-bullying, Feminism, Girls and women, Paris, Racism, Roadtrip, Sausages, Teens and young adult fiction, Ugly girls, Wheelchair

Five Sisters

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An old couple cares for the woods they live in and desperately wants a family. The old man is given a magic branch from a great white oak tree from which he carves five beautiful Matryoshka dolls – Russian nesting dolls. The dolls come to life, paddle in the stream, and play in the trees. The old woman loves the dolls as daughters. One evening, the old man goes deep into the woods to thank the great white oak for its gift. While he is gone, a wolf stalks up to the cottage. The old man returns in time to rescue the dolls and he takes them to the hollow heart of the oak tree where they are replaced by a real and true daughter. The old couple receives the joy they had always longed for. Striking, traditional illustrations enhance this tale of heartache, hope, and love. mjw
Title: Five Sisters
Author: Stephanie Campisi
Illustrator: Madalina Andronic
Publisher: Familius LLC
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-64170-1570
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 3-8
Genre: Picture book, Folktale
Author’s ethnicity: Australian
Author’s residence: U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Romanian
Illustrator’s residence: Puglia, Italy
Subjects: Folktales, Matryoshka dolls, Myths, Wolves

The Little Wolves

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Four little wolves venture out of their cave alone, while their mother is off hunting. They sniff the forest-scented darkness and see the towering pine trees. They come to a lake and are puzzled by their reflection in the water. They befriend a hedgehog and they even escape a hunter. The wolf babies finally hear their mother’s howl and find the opening to their cave. Mother Wolf is worried sick about her babies. The four little wolves lower their heads and put their tails between their legs and soon all is forgiven. The watercolor illustrations are truly magical. mjw
Title: The Little Wolves
Author: Svenja Herrmann
Illustrator: Jozef Wilkon
Publisher: NorthSouth Books, Inc. New York
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: German
Translator: David Henry Wilson
Original Title: Wolfskinder
Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG. Zurich, Switzerland
Original Copyright: 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4397-4
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Zurich, Switzerland
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Polish
Illustrator’s residence: Warsaw, Poland
Subjects: Baby animals, Wolf, Wolves

Everest: The Remarkable Story Of Edmund Hilary And Tenzing Norgay

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After a brief introduction, a section called Why Climb Everest? describes why Hillary and Tenzing’s achievement was so remarkable. Two very different, yet equally determined, men battled frost-biting temperatures, icefalls, snow, wind, and death-defying crevasses to climb to the top of the world’s highest mountain, Everest. The narrative is captivating and the digitally created, breathtaking illustrations are very detailed and loaded with fascinating information. A Table of Contents lists the four parts of the book: The Story of Two Very Different Childhoods, The Race for Everest, Hillary and Tenzing Climb Everest, and Their Stories Continue after Everest. The book is exciting and engaging. mjw
Title: Everest: The Remarkable Story Of Edmund Hilary And Tenzing Norgay
Author: Alexandra Stewart
Illustrator: Joe Todd-Stanton
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books. New York
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Great Britain
Original Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0159-2
Hardcover pages: 64
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Information book, Nonfiction, Picture book, Biography
Book setting: New Zealand, Tibet, Nepal
Author’s ethnicity: British
Author’s residence: London
Illustrator’s ethnicity: British
Illustrator’s residence: England
Subjects: Asian history, Mountain climbing, Sherpas, Yaks, Yetis

Under My Tree

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When Susanne, who lives in the city, visits her grandmother, she discovers a special tree in the forest. She observes unique things about her tree, such as a family of owls, the rough bark of the tree, the fruit growing on the tree, hundreds of insects, and more. She brings her friend Max to visit her tree. She won’t see her tree much in the winter, but she knows that her tree hibernates and that it will be there when she visits next year.  Integrated into the text are facts about trees and activities that will encourage readers to learn more about trees. The warm illustrations will teach children to appreciate and respect nature. mjw
Title: Under My Tree
Author: Muriel Tallandier
Illustrator: Mizuho Fujisawa
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press, San Francisco, CA
Copyright: 2020
Original Language: French
Translator: Sarah Klinger
Original Title: Sous Mon Arbre
Original Publisher: Editions Grund
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-7331212-3-1
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 3-8
Genre: Picture Book, Information book
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence: France
Subjects: Biodiversity, Country life, Environment, Forests, Multigenerational, Trees