Tag Archives: Food

The Feast For The King

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Tarantula created an amazing meat cake for King Lion’s birthday, but a problem arises. The centerpiece of his cake, an extra tender piece of meat, is missing! Tarantula is determined to find the thief who thoughtlessly ruined his masterpiece. He examines each animal’s mouth to find the criminal and is surprised by what he finds. The book’s festive characters and illustrations are perfect to create a classroom discussion about the characteristics of various animals. ema

Title: The Feast For The King Author: Marlies Verhelst Illustrator: Linde Faas Publisher: Lemniscaat Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Dutch Translator: Lemniscaat Publishing Original Title: Feestmaal voor de koning Original Publisher: Lemniscaat  Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-1-935954-44-6 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Dutch Author’s residence: The Netherlands Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch Illustrator’s residence: The Netherlands Subjects: Birthday, Feast, Party, Theft

When The Earth Lost Its Shapes

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One day, the Earth loses all of its shapes and nobody knows how or why they have gone. Triangles, rectangles, ovals, circles, and squares have all disappeared. Maybe it was a thief or giant aliens? Vibrant acrylic artwork shows eggs that are scrambled, oranges that are squeezed, sandwiches that are squished, and kites that look windswept. The only shape left is a little dot. She declares that she must do something and teams up with the other dots to save the world from shapeless confusion. Soon, everything is shipshape once again. The author is Co-founder and Publishing Director of Karadi Tales Company, an independent children’s publisher in Chennai. mjw

Title: When The Earth Lost Its Shapes Author: Shobha Viswanath Illustrator: Christine Kastl Publisher: Karadi Tales Company Pvt. Ltd.  Chennai, India Copyright: 2011 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 2008 ISBN: 978-81-8190-192-7 Paperback pages: 36 Age range: 3 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: Chennai, India Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany, France, and India Subjects: Environment, Size and shape

In Andal’s House (Tales Of The World)

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Young Kumar is invited to his classmate Andal’s house to watch the fireworks for the celebration of Diwali, India’s 5-day Festival of Light. Andal is a high-caste Brahmin and his family is wealthy. Kumar’s family had been Dalit, outcasts or untouchables. Kumar thinks he has been invited because he is the best student in their class, but when he arrives at Andal’s house, Andal’s grandmother sends him away. He cannot join the festivities. Disappointed, he returns home, where his grandfather explains how things used to be and that India is changing. Men like Mahatma Gandhi and Doctor B.R. Ambedkar have helped to outlaw discrimination against the Dalit, or the broken people. The story ends with Kumar feeling hopeful about both his and India’s future. A Glossary helps with unfamiliar words and an Author’s Note provides more information. Colorful folk-art illustrations in pencil crayon and watercolor ink depict the Diwali celebration and everyday life in contemporary India. mjw

Title: In Andal’s House (Tales Of the World) Author: Gloria Whelan Illustrator: Amanda Hall Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press.  Ann Arbor , Michigan Copyright: 2013 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-58536-603-3 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Gujarat, India Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: Michigan, U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: United Kingdom Subjects: Castes, Diwali, Gandhi, Prejudice, Social classes, Untouchables

Shooting Kabul

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Twelve-year-old Fadi and his family are illegally leaving Afghanistan for asylum in the U.S. in 2001. As they hurriedly board the escape truck, Fadi’s six-year-old sister Mariam lets go of his hand and is lost. As the Taliban is patrolling, there is no going back. They arrive in San Francisco to begin anew, but they are heart-broken and are constantly searching for Mariam. Fadi joins and finds comfort in the photography club at his middle school, with the hope that he can win a photo competition. The prize is a trip to India. Since Afghanistan is close to India, he thinks he can go there and find his sister. Fadi’s family also has to deal with the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Kids at school assume Fadi is responsible for what happened and make him fearful and miserable. A clever and satisfying ending will encourage readers to move on to the Glossary, Author’s Note, Suggestions for Further Reading, and Reading Guide. A map is also included. This story about family relationships, with realistic detail about the immigrant experience and Afghani (particularly Pukhtun) culture, is based on the author’s husband’s personal history of fleeing his home in Soviet controlled Afghanistan in the 1970s. One note: “shooting” in the title is a reference to photography, and not violence. mjw

Title: Shooting Kabul Author: N.H. Senzai Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2010 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4424-0194-2 Hardcover pages: 273 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: San Francisco.  Afghanistan Author’s residence: U.S.  Has lived in Saudi Arabia and England. Awards: 2010 Middle East Outreach Book Award for Youth Literature, 2011 CBC/NCSS Notable Children’s Book Subjects: Afghan-Americans, Bravery, California, Cameras, Emigration, Immigration, Love, Perseverance, Photography, Prejudice, Tolerance

Halfway Home: Drawing My Way Through Japan

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At 15, the cartoonist-author traveled solo to Japan to stay with her grandparents who live in Kashiwa, a small city outside of Tokyo, to rediscover her roots. She was born in 1997 in Japan and lived there until 2003, when her American father and Japanese mother moved the family to the U.S. She explores Japan with her Baba (grandmother), but also ventures out alone. She visits the trendy Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo, where she enjoys a Japanese crepe. She rides the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto to see the ancient Zen Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-Ji. Later, her family joins her and they travel to Tsukiji for sushi “worth waking up at 5 a.m.” for and to Shibuya to see the statue of the legendary dog, Hachiko. She is a smart observer. The book is a combination of expressive comics, illustrations, photos, and thoughtful and humorous prose. The title refers to her “somewhat feeling half at home in both Japan and America.” mjw

Title: Halfway Home: Drawing My Way Through Japan Author: Christine Mari Inzer Illustrator: Christine Mari Inzer Publisher: Naruhodo Press Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-9907014-8 Paperback pages: 102 Age range: 12 up Genre: Graphic Novel, Fiction Book setting: Japan Author’s ethnicity: Japanese-American, born in Tokyo Author’s residence: Connecticut, U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese-American, born in Tokyo Illustrator’s residence: Connecticut, U.S. Awards: 2015 Benjamin Franklin Silver Award – Best New Voice: Children’s and YA (Independent Book Publishers Association) Subjects: Coming of age, Cultural exploration, Grandparents, Identity, Memoir, Mixed-race issues, Travelogue

Slovenly Peter: Freely Translated Into English By Mark Twain

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Struwwelpeter (translated as “slovenly” or “shock-headed” Peter) is one of the most popular and influential children’s books ever written. It is the most widely published German book.  It has been translated into over 35 languages. Rhyming couplets and grotesque pictures portray the often gruesome consequences that befall children who misbehave. A boy who doesn’t groom himself is unpopular. A girl plays with matches and burns to death. A child, who won’t stop sucking his thumb, has both thumbs cut off. A boy, who refuses to eat his soup, wastes away and dies. Today’s children will distinguish these tales from reality and will probably even giggle. Also included are a Foreword by Mark Twain’s daughter (1934), an Introduction with information on how the book came to be written, and a note by Mark Twain (1891). Maurice Sendak said that Struwwelpeter is “graphically one of the most beautiful books in the world.” And Slovenly Peter’s influence is evident in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. mjw

Title: Slovenly Peter: Freely Translated Into English By Mark Twain Author: Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-1894) Illustrator: Fritz Kredel (1900-1973) Publisher: Calla Editions, an imprint of Dover Publications, Inc.   Mineola, New York Copyright: 2013 Original Language: German Translator: Mark Twain (1835-1910) Original Title: Der Struwwelpeter (or Shockheaded Peter) Original Publisher: Marchbanks Press, New York Original Copyright: 1935, 1845 ISBN: 978-1-60660-048-1 Hardcover pages: 34 Age range: 8-14 Genre: Poetry, Rhymed stories Author’s ethnicity: German Translator’s ethnicity: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Subjects: Boys, Conduct of life, Exaggeration, Girls, Misbehavior, Morality tales, Morals, Nursery rhymes

Imelda and the Goblin King

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This entertaining story about fairies and goblins tells of adventurous Imelda, who helps her fairy friends devise a plan to turn the toothy, grumpy, mean, and greedy Goblin King into a worm. After he imprisons their Fairy Queen, he is given a chance to be generous, but he remains a bully, and so deserves what he gets. Vivid illustrations of the fairies, who come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, and hairstyles and the straightforward, crisp storytelling enrich this brand new fairytale. mjw

Title: Imelda And The Goblin King Author: Briony May Smith Illustrator: Briony May Smith Publisher: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Ltd., London Copyright: 2105 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-909263-65-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Sandhurst, U.K. Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Sandhurst, U.K. Subjects: Fairies, Fairytales and folklore, Goblins, Pie, Royalty

Thea’s Tree

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A little girl named Thea lives in a city full of “houses, houses, and more houses” and longs for a tree to climb, to hide in, and to sit under and dream. A solitary, beautiful leaf floats past her window and Thea drifts off into a dream. She awakes with a seed in hand. She plants it and a tiny plant sprouts from the soil. Thea and the tree grow. Thea’s children play under the tree, and Thea’s grandchildren, too. The story’s setting is not specified, but Thea’s Papa tells about picking mangoes and guavas and neem leaves to eat. The tender, Chagall-like, ink, pastel, colored pencil, and collage illustrations are magical and portray the beauty in nature. The text is printed over delicate leaf prints. mjw

Title: Thea’s Tree Author: Judith Clay Illustrator: Judith Clay Publisher: Karadi Tales Company Pvt.Ltd., Chennai, India Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-8-181-90297-9 Hardcover pages: 28 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Asia Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany Awards: 2011 White Ravens List of the International Youth Library Subjects: Environment, Natural world, Nature, People and places, Trees

Little White Duck: A Childhood In China

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Andrés Vera Martínez’s mash of comic and classical styles with brown-palette illustrations captures what it was like for his wife, Na Liu, to grow up in China in the 1970s and 1980s. Na Liu, who is called by her nickname Da Qin “Big Piano” in the novel, and her sister Xiao Qin “Little Piano” grew up during a transitional time when China was slowly opening up to the world both economically and culturally. Illustrations and words simply capture the reality of China following Chairman Mao’s death without being overly pedantic. These changes are shown in the eight short stories describing Da Qin’s childhood, life in post-Mao China era, and Chinese traditions and stories. A glossary of terms, a timeline, translations of Chinese characters, a map of China, and a note about the author and illustrator are included. ema

Title: Little White Duck: A Childhood In China Author: Na Liu Illustrator: Andrés Vera Martínez Publisher: Graphic Universe a division of Lerner Publishing Group Copyright: 2012 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-7613-8115-0 Paperback pages: 108 Age range: 8 up Genre: Graphic Novel, Biography Book setting: China Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s ethnicity: American Illustrator’s residence: United States Awards: 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book, 2012 SLJ Best Children’s Books in Fiction, 2012 Horn Book Fanfare in Fiction, 2012 Cybils Award Finalist for Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novels Subjects: Biography, Childhood, China, Comics,  Government, Graphic Novels, History, Language, Memoir, Mythology, World Politics

Totto-Chan: The Little Girl At The Window

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Japan’s most popular television personality, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, reflects upon her childhood growing up in Japan during World War II. “Totto-chan”, as the author is called in the novel, after she is expelled from her elementary in the first grade chooses to attend Tomoe Gakuen. Headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi’s elementary school, which has old train cars for classrooms, is considered unusual, but it is the perfect school for Totto-chan. The headmaster’s pedagogy is that children should be able to freely express their thoughts and choose what they would like to learn. Brilliantly written text will have readers laughing, crying, and cheering for Totto-chan. The book features softly beautiful illustrations by the late picture book illustrator Chihiro Iwasaki, a postscript from the author, an epilogue explaining where Totto-chan’s classmates are now, and notes which translate some words into Japanese characters. ema

Title: Totto-Chan: The Little Girl At The Window Author: Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Illustrator: Chihiro Iwasaki Publisher: Kodansha USA Copyright: 2011 Original Language: Japanese Translator: Dorothy Britton Original Title: Madogiwa no Totto-chan Original Publisher: Kodansha  Ltd. Original Copyright: 1981 ISBN: 978-1-56836-391-2 Paperback pages: 229 Age range: 9 up Genre: Historical Nonfiction, Memoir Book setting: Japan during WWII Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Died on August 8, 1974 Awards: Non-Fiction Prize Subjects: Biography, Elementary schools, Nontraditional schools, Tomoe Gakuen, TV personalities

Where The Streets Had A Name

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Thirteen-year-old Palestinian Hayaat and her family have been uprooted from their home and are living behind the Israeli-built Separation Wall in Bethlehem on the occupied West Bank. She and her soccer-loving, Christian friend Sami decide to journey across the wall to Jerusalem, with an empty hummus jar, to get a handful of soil from her ailing grandmother’s beloved ancestral home. It is only a few miles, but checkpoints, curfews, barriers, and the permit system make crossing the border dangerous. They encounter armed soldiers, an Israeli peace activist couple, fellow travelers, and a young boy who needs a friend. Humor and a loving family keep the story light despite the violence, anguish, and suspense in the realistic 2004 war zone setting. This fascinating and heart-breaking story does end on a hopeful note.   A Glossary enhances the understanding of Arabic words used throughout the novel, which was written by the acclaimed author of the young adult novel Does My Head Look Big in This? mjw

Title: Where The Streets Had A Name Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah Publisher: Scholastic Press, New York Copyright: 2010 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Pan Macmillan, Australia Original Copyright: 2008 ISBN: 978-0-545-17292-9 Hardcover pages: 313 Age range: 10-13 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Jerusalem, Israel.  Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine Author’s ethnicity: Palestinian and Egyptian heritage Author’s residence: Sydney, Australia Awards: 2011 Middle East Outreach Council Youth Literature Award Subjects: Arab-Israeli conflict, Grandmothers, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Palestinian Arabs

Worms

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John-Paul finds himself dying of boredom at a dinner party his father hosts for the senior executives from the factory. The adults are chatting about subjects he doesn’t understand when John-Paul’s father asks him to bring in the salads. He seizes this perfect opportunity to have a bit of fun and make the dinner more lively. Carefully, the mischievous boy places one bait worm in each of the guest’s salad bowls, brings them out to the dining room, and proceeds to eagerly observe each guest’s varied reaction. Dinner has finally become more entertaining for John-Paul and he laughs hysterically until scolded by his father to eat his salad. The boy eats up all his leafy greens, worm and all. The delightful retro style illustrations, especially the expressive tiny pink worms, capture the reader’s imagination and enhance the silly nature of the story. cc

Title: Worms Author: Bernard Friot Illustrator: Aurélie Guillerey Publisher: Kids Can Press Copyright: 2015 Original Language: French Translator: Yvette Ghione Original Title: Asticots Original Publisher: Éditions Milan Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-1-77138-571-8 Hardcover pages: 24 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Subjects: Dining, Dinners, Practical jokes, Worms