Tag Archives: Food

The Fishing Lesson

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A camera-wielding tourist wakes a fisherman who is napping in his boat.  He points out that if the fisherman went out more, he could catch more fish.  That would allow him to buy a proper motorboat.  He could then hire help, find the best fish, open a restaurant, and eventually relax in the harbor and nap in the sunshine.  The fisherman replies that is “exactly what he was doing just now.” He has his own ideas about what success looks like.  Funny, comic-like illustrations use panels in this adaptation of Boll’s fable about not letting work overtake one’s life. mjw

Title: The Fishing Lesson Author: Heinrich  Boll (1917-1985) Illustrator: Emile Bravo Publisher: Eerdmans Books For Young Readers Copyright: 2018 Original Language: German Translator: Bernard Friot Original Title: Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral Original Publisher: Verlag Kiepenheur & Witsch GmBH & Co. KG. Cologne, Germany Original Copyright: 1963 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5503-9 Hardcover pages: 44 Age range: 5 up Genre: Picture Book, Graphic Novel Author’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Awards: Author has won the 1972 Nobel Prize for Literature  Subjects: Contentment, Fishing

A Different Pond

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This quiet story is about a young Vietnamese boy and his father who go fishing early in the morning in Minneapolis so that the family can have food to eat. They don’t fish for recreation. They bond as the father tells the boy about fishing in his homeland of Vietnam, as well as a bit about the war where he was a soldier. Beautifully illustrated in vividly colored, graphic novel panels, the book conveys a powerful message. Notes from both the poet-author and the illustrator are included. mjw

Title: A Different Pond Author: Bao Phi Illustrator: Thi Bui Publisher: Capstone Young Readers. North Mankato, Minnesota Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1479597468 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 6-8 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Minneapolis Author’s ethnicity: Vietnamese Author’s residence: Minneapolis, Minnesota  Illustrator’s ethnicity: Vietnamese Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2018 Caldecott Honor Subjects: Asian Americans, Fathers and sons, Fishing, Emigrants and immigrants, Poverty, Vietnam

The Night Diary

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It’s 1947, and India, newly independent from British rule, has been divided into two countries: Pakistan and India. Twelve-year-old Nisha, who is half Muslim and half Hindu, doesn’t know where she belongs. Her Muslim mother died when Nisha was a baby. Her Hindu father decides it is too dangerous to stay in what has become Pakistan. Nisha and her family become refugees. They travel by train and foot to reach their new home. Nisha is finally able to meet her mother’s brother and find where she really belongs. Nisha’s story is told through diary entries she writes nightly to her mother. Included in the back is a helpful glossary. The author uses her own father’s story as a basis for this compelling historical novel. mjw

Title: The Night Diary Author: Veer Hiranandani Publisher: Dial Books Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0735-2285-11 Hardcover pages: 272 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: India, Pakistan Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: U.S. Subjects: Diaries, Family life, Hindus, Muslims, Partition 1947, Refugees, Siblings

Bicycling To The Moon

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Purdy the cat and Barker the dog live in a sky blue house on top of a hill. Purdy dreams big. He wants to bicycle to the moon, win the singing contest, fly south with the migrating birds, be Supercat, and search for treasure. Barker is Purdy’s good friend, who likes to garden and take care of the house. The twenty short stories take place over a year and are accompanied by clever, quirky cartoon-style illustrations rendered in oil pastels, crayon, and watercolor. This laugh out-loud chapter book about two very opposite friends was written by Finland’s top children’s writer. mjw

Title: Bicycling To The Moon Author: Timo Parvela Illustrator: Virpi Talvite Publisher: Gecko Press.  Wellington, New Zealand Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Finnish Translator: Rith Urbom Original Title: Maukka ja Vaykka Original Publisher: Werner Soderstrom Ltd.  Finland Original Copyright: 2009 ISBN: 978-1-776570=32-4 Paperback pages: 128 Age range: 7-9 Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: Finnish Author’s residence: Finland Illustrator’s ethnicity: Finnish Illustrator’s residence: Finland Awards: Author has been shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.  Illustrator has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and was awarded the Finlandia Junior Prize in 2006 Subjects: Cats, Dogs, Fishing, Gardening, Honesty, Loyalty, Short stories, Weather

Alive Again

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A boy wonders if the blossoms that fall from trees will ever return. When there is no rain, will it rain again? If no wheat grows, will it grow again? And if no one goes on a journey, will there be new journeys? When spring comes, the boy’s father points out new blossoms, fresh rain, and born-again wheat. And tomorrow will be a day for a new journey. Striking collage artwork enhances this simple story about trust and understanding that will leave readers asking similar questions. mjw

Title: Alive Again Author: Ahmadreza Ahmadi Illustrator: Nahid Kazemi Publisher: Tiny Owl Publishing Ltd.  England Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Persian Translator: Azita Rassi Original Publisher: Salis Publisher. Tehran, Iran Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-910328-05-7 Hardcover pages: 24 Age range: 4-9 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Iranian Author’s residence: Iran Illustrator’s ethnicity: Iranian Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Canada Awards: Author was shortlisted for the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award Subjects: Blossoms, Flowers, Journeys, Questions, Rain, Trust, Understanding, Wheat

Yokki And The Parno Gry

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This traditional Traveler-family folktale tells of Yokki, a young boy who inspires his hard-working family with a tale of a magical white horse. His family experiences hard times and there is no work to be had. They travel from town to town looking for work mending household objects and trying to sell wooden spoons and beautiful paper flowers that they make. At night, they gather around a fire to tell stories they have heard on their travels. Yokki tells the best story about the Parno Gry, which is a horse that comes to take them to a new and better land. Colorful and gentle detailed mixed media illustrations bring Yokki’s family to life in this imaginative Romani folktale. An author’s note gives information about Romani and Traveling People. mjw

Title: Yokki And The Parno Gry Author: Richard O’Neill and Katherine Quarmby Illustrator: Marieke Nelissen Publisher: Child’s Play Inc. Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-84643-927-8 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Romani (O’Neill) Author’s residence: England Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch Illustrator’s residence: Netherlands Subjects: Fairytales, Folktales, Gypsies, Horses, Mythical animals, Romanis, Storytelling, Traveling people

Indian Tales: A Barefoot Collection

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Eight traditional tales from all over the Indian Subcontinent are included in this colorful anthology. Each story is taken from a different region in India, from Punjab in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south. A “Welcome to India!” introduces the country and provides a map. Each tale is accompanied by two pages of information about the state – geography, history, food, dance, culture, traditions, and more. Bright, colorful folk style illustrations in gouache present story elements and frame the narratives. mjw

Title: Indian Tales: A Barefoot Collection Author: Shenaaz Nanji Illustrator: Christopher Corr Publisher: Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English  Original Publisher: Barefoot Books Original Copyright: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-78285-357-2 Paperback pages: 96 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Folktales, Fairytales Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: Calgary, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London Subjects: Anthologies, Gods and goddesses, Myths

The Treasure Of Barracuda

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Eleven-year-old Sparks is a deck hand on the Southern Cross, a pirate ship led by Captain Barracuda. Sparks and the crew discover a book left by the infamous pirate, Phineas Johnson Krane, but they cannot read. The fifty-three zany pirates learn to read and decipher the book’s contents so they can go in search of Krane’s real hidden treasure. In this laugh-aloud story, the pirates learn that the most valuable treasures are reading, writing, and family. An extensive Barracuda’s Glossary is included. mjw

Title: The Treasure Of Barracuda Author: Llanos Campos Illustrator: Julia Sarda Publisher: Little Pickle Press, Inc. California Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Lawrence Schimel Original Title: El Tesoro de Barracuda Original Publisher: Ediciones SM Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-1-939775-14-6 Hardcover pages: 156 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: The Caribbean Author’s ethnicity: Spanish Author’s residence: Spain Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Illustrator’s residence: Spain Awards: 2014 Barco de Vapor Award for Children’s Literature in Spain Subjects: Books, Pirates, Reading

Water’s Children: Celebrating The Resource That Unites Us All

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Twelve young people from different countries around the world describe what water means to them. It is a burst of laughter for children playing in a lake in Quebec. It is a perfect crystal of snow to the Inuktitut child. It is the opening flower of springtime to a girl in Germany. And it is a bowl of rice to Chinese children. All the children convey the universal truth that water is life. The poetic text is accompanied by expressive artwork that examines the importance of water throughout the world. On the final page, a guide identifies the languages in which the phrase “water is life” appears in watermarks embedded in the illustrations. mjw

Title: Water’s Children: Celebrating The Resource That United Us All Author: Angele Delaunois Illustrator: Gerard Frischeteau Publisher: Pajama Press.  Toronto, Canada Copyright: 2017 Original Language: French Translator: Erin Woods Original Title: Les Enfants de l’eau Original Publisher: Editiions de L;lsatis Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-1-77278-015-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: French  Illustrator’s residence: Canada Subjects: Earth science, Oceans and seas, Water, Water supply

The Warli People

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The Warli people lived in ancient India around 2500 BCE. They hunted, fished, and harvested salt from the sea. The women were artists who painted scenes of day-to-day activities on the walls of their mud-brick houses. The artwork in the book , in the Warli style, depicts seasons, the forest, animals, trees, food, a festival, and a wedding day. It is interesting that no mythological characters or deities are shown. The Warli people celebrated life’s joyous moments. Back matter includes a note on the people and their artwork, a timeline of events, key terms and concepts, and information on the rise of civilization. mjw

Title: The Warli People Author: Hye-eun Shin Illustrator: Su-bi Jeong Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, MI Copyright: 2017 Original Language: Korean Editor: Joy Cowley Original Publisher: Yeowon Media Co. Ltd. Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5476-6 Paperback pages: 36 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture Book, Information Book Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Korean Illustrator’s ethnicity: Korean Subjects: Agriculture, Community, Harvest, Indic people, Monsoon, Wedding

The Red Apple

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On a cold winter’s day, Mouse, Rabbit, Fox, and Bear all want to eat a lone red apple hanging from a tree. Working together, they are able to reach the fine ripe apple, but then Fox sneezes and they all tumble into the snow only to discover that the fruit has fallen to the ground. So, they carefully split the big juicy apple into four pieces and eat it for dinner. This tale about problem-solving and cooperation, with its gorgeous, realistic watercolor paintings, will remind readers of Eric Rohmann’s Caldecott Medal-winning My Friend Rabbit (2000).  mjw

Title: The Red Apple Author: Feridun Oral Illustrator: Feridun Oral Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd., Minedition Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Turkish Original Title: Kirmizi Elma Original Publisher: Yapi Kredl Original Copyright: 2008 ISBN: 978-988-8240-005 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 3-5 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Turkish Author’s residence: Turkey Illustrator’s ethnicity: Turkish Illustrator’s residence: Turkey Awards: 2008 Best Picture Book of the Year (IBBY Turkey) Subjects: Bears, Cooperation, Foxes, Friendships, Mice, Rabbits, Wolves

The Blue Jackal

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Little Juno, the jackal, was puny, lean, and hungry. The bigger jackals teased him and would not share their food. The big village dogs chased him, too, until he found safety in the dyer’s shed, where he fell into a vat of indigo dye. Juno, now with blue fur, terrified all the other animals, and they declared him their king. He banished the jackals and then had no more hunger or worries until his true identity was discovered. This is a retelling of a story from the Panchatantra, a collection of Indian fables from the 3rd century, BCE. The illustrations were inspired by the traditional white paintings in rice flour on a mud base of the Warli tribe of western India. An informative historical note is included. mjw

Title: The Blue Jackal Author: Shobha Viswanath Illustrator: Dileep Joshi Publisher: Eerdmans Books.  Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Karadi Tales Company.  Chennai Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5466-7 Hardcover pages: 34 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: India Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: India Subjects: Fables, Folklore, Folk tales, Legends, Myths, Stories in rhyme