Tag Archives: Friends

Once Upon A Diwali

once upon a diwalidownloadRiya loves Diwali for the tasty treats called ladoos, but not for the dark night and the very loud fireworks. Mama says that Diwali is more than treats. She goes on to explain that it’s about the celebration of light over darkness and good over evil. Riya’s Papa decorates the house with lights and candles. Her sister makes rangoli, which are decorations of patterns made with powdered rice and colorful sand or flowers. Riya helps her. But she still is afraid of the darkness and the spooky, loud fireworks. So Mama tells the legend of why lights are used on Diwali. Riya listens and learns about Ram, the crown prince, who, with his wife and brother, was banished from his kingdom. There was a terrible battle. Ram won and returned to his kingdom on a path with glittering diyas (oil lamps) and glowing lights. Riya understands, becomes a bit braver, and asks to bring her own lantern to the celebration, just in case. Brightly colored cartoon-style artwork further distinguishes the storytelling. An author’s note, an illustrated glossary, a recipe for ladoos, and instructions for a Diwali paper diya craft are included as back matter. mjw
Title: Once Upon A Diwali
Author: Anita Mishra
Illustrator
: Diah Chakraborty
Publisher
: Soaring Kite Books, LLC. Washington D.C.
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-958372-44-9
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: India
Author’s ethnicity
: Indian
Author’s residence
: El Paso, Texas
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Indian
Illustrator’s residence
: Assam, India
Subjects
: Celebrations, Differences, Diversity, Fireworks, Folktales, Holidays. Religions, Sweets

Papa’s Butter Chicken: A Celebration Of Family And Community

Papa's BMonica loves the butter chicken that her father makes. It’s been a family favorite since her father ate it as a young boy in a wonderful restaurant in Delhi. The two have fun preparing the meal, and they set the table for two. But then the doorbell rings and Grandma, Uncle Jai, Uncle Arjun, Cousin Anya, and so many more appear with food for everyone – fresh mangoes, channa masala, palak paneer, naan, dumplings, and cupcakes. They all share the feast that was made with love. Brightly colored artwork in reds, oranges, and blues features South Asian arches and arabesque designs. This celebration of family, food, and Indian heritage includes a foreword by renowned chef José Andrés and the author’s own recipe for butter chicken. mjw
Title: Papa’s Butter Chicken: A Celebration Of Family And Community
Author: Monica Saigal
Illustrator
: Abeeha Tariq
Publisher
: Tiger Tales
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-6643-0044-6
Hardcover pages
: 36
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Indian
Author’s residence
: Washington, DC
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Pakistani-Irish
Illustrator’s residence
: UK
Subjects
: Celebrations, Communities, Cooking, Father-daughter relationships, Indian heritage, Recipes

The House On The Canal: The Story Of The House That Hid Anne Frank

This moving and beautiful picture book tells the history of the house where Anne Frank and family hid for more than 2 years in German-occupied Netherlands during World War II. Built 400 years ago, it has served as a home, stable, warehouse, and hiding place. People travel from all over the world to visit the home where Anne wrote her famous diary. The building is now a museum, a symbol of hope and resistance, and the seat of the Anne Frank Foundation. The illustrations are detailed sepia-toned mixed-media collages. A map, a photograph taken in 1954, and additional information on the house throughout history are included as back matter in this story of the extraordinary building that Anne Frank called “the old house on the canal.” mjw
Title: The House On The Canal: The Story Of The House That Hid Anne Frank
Author: Thomas Harding
Illustrator
: Britta Teckentrup
Publisher
: Candlewick Studio
Copyright
: 2025
Original Language
: German
Original Title
: Das late Haus an der Gracht
Original Publisher
: Jacoby & Stuart
Original Copyright
: 2023
ISBN
: 978-1-5362-4070-2
Hardcover pages
: 56
Age range
: 7-10
Genre
: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book
Book setting
: Amsterdam
Author’s ethnicity
: English
Author’s residence
: U.K.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s residence
: Berlin
Subjects
: Biography, Hiding, Historical context, Holocaust, Prejudice and racism, World War II

The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery

This engaging mystery follows Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, who seeks to uncover the truth behind the missing family inheritance of her friend, Tara. Tara is promised to the greedy tea plantation manager who wants the precious gold jewelry. Sona has to prove her brother’s innocence, worry about her sickly mother, who is a tea plucker, and fret about her exams that will allow her to attend the Darjeeling International School. The story deftly intertwines the themes of friendship, bravery, and the rich tapestry of Indian heritage. The digitally rendered back-and-white illustrations add to the drama of this delightful blend of adventure and cultural exploration. The mystery is both entertaining and enlightening.
Title: The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery
Author: Mitali Perkins
Illustrator
: Maithili Joshi
Publisher
: Charlesbridge
Copyright
: 2025
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-62354-373-0
Hardcover pages
: 128
Age range
: 7-10
Genre
: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary
Book setting
: Darjeeling, India
Author’s ethnicity
: Indian
Author’s residence
: San Francisco
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Indian
Illustrator’s residence
: New York City
Awards
: The Author was nominated for the National Book Award
Subjects
: Arranged marriages, Darjeeling, Examinations, Gold, Inheritance, Jewelry, School issues, Tea plantations

The Paper Bridge

Anya, a young girl who has a special talent for kirigami, the Japanese art of cutting and folding paper, lives in the village of Paperlee. All of the village houses are made of paper. The trees are made of delicate paper, and even the happy villagers are paper-thin and paper-light. They carry stones in their pockets when the summer winds blow. The villagers can see the lights of another village on a neighboring mountain across a deep chasm. It is called Forestlee, and no one knows anything about it. The winds in Paperlee become more frequent and stronger, and the worrisome villagers think that maybe Forestlee can help, but they don’t know how to get there. Anya consults with the clever crane, and they come up with a plan to build a paper bridge to Forestlee. Brave Anya is the first to walk across the bridge. She meets a girl named Hazel and learns that the villagers of Forestlee build their homes in branches of thick, solid trees and that their Elephant Brothers blow their windmills. As their windmills turn, they grind wheat into flour for baking breads, cakes, buns, and cookies. In doing so, they have changed the weather! Anya pleads for the Elephant Brothers to blow in a different direction to save Paperlee. They finally agree. People from both villages now cross the bridge and share the kirigami craft and cookie baking. They all become friends, and there are no more dangerous winds in Paperlee. The light, exquisite illustrations in The Paper Bridge were created using the Japanese art of kirigami. The artwork was hand-crafted with pencil and watercolor on paper and cardboard, which was hand-cut, arranged into scenes, and then photographed to capture the stunning details in this delightful story about friendship, bravery, and climate change. The art really makes this book!

Title: The Paper Bridge
Author: Joelle Veyrenc
Illustrator
: Seng Soun Ratanavanh
Publisher
: Floris Books
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Katy Lockwood-Holmes
Original Title
: Hana et le vent
Original Publisher
: La Martmiere Jeunesse, Paris
Original Copyright
: 2022
ISBN
: 978-178250-9007-3
Hardcover pages
: 28
Age range
: 4-7
Genre
: Picture Book, Fairytale
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: French, born in Laos
Illustrator’s residence
: Paris
Subjects
: Bridges, Climate change, Kirigami, Paper cutting, Paper folding, Parable

Music Of The Mountains: A Story In Pakistan

In a contemporary Pashtun village in rural Pakistan, Roohi loves to listen to her grandfather play songs from Pashtun folklore on his beautiful rabab, a stringed musical instrument. She longs to play like he does, and he tells her that to play the music of the mountains, “you must feel the rhythm and feel the beat of your people.”  She takes lessons, but sounds nothing like her grandfather. She is supposed to play in a school concert for Eid, but she is worried. Her grandfather is ill and she must play without his help. When the day of the concert arrives, her grandfather is able to sit in the audience. Roohi sees him, and her music flows and fills the hall. She plays to her own beat and brings everyone together as the sounds of her ancestors’ music echo over the auditorium. The rich, vivid illustrations were created digitally. Back matter includes information about the rabab, with a detailed image; sources and rabab musicians, with a QR code for listening to the music; a map of Pakistan; What is Eid?; details about traditional Pakistani dress; a Pashto glossary; an author’s note; and an illustrator’s note.
Title: Music Of The Mountains: A Story In Pakistan
Author: Sabrina Shah
Illustrator
: Manal Mirza
Publisher
: Barefoot Books. Concord, MA
Copyright
: 2025
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-8-88859-367-7
Paperback pages
: 32
Age range
: 6-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity
: Pakistani (Pashtun)
Author’s residence
: Singapore
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Muslim American Pakistani
Illustrator’s residence
: Chicago, IL
Subjects
: Courage, Culture, Eid, Grandfathers, Holidays, Instruments, Intergenerational, Music, Muslim fiction, Pashtun, Performing arts, Rabab

The Yellow Road

This whimsical tale follows Sam on an adventurous journey. The story unfolds along a mysterious yellow road, filled with enchanting encounters and unexpected surprises, as Sam navigates through various landscapes, with friendly folk, strange giraffes, scary trolls, a gruff submarine captain, and a magical painting.  The watercolor, acrylic paint, and ink illustrations are vibrant and meticulously detailed, bringing the characters and their fantastic world to life. Overall, this charming book captivates readers of all ages with its delightful narrative and stunning visuals.
Title: The Yellow Road
Author: Sven Nordqvist
Illustrator
: Sven Nordqvist
Publisher
: Floris Books, Edinburgh
Copyright
: 2025
Original Language
: Swedish
Original Title
: Vagen Hem
Original Publisher
: Bokforlaget Opal AB, Stockholm
Original Copyright
: 2023
ISBN
: 97178250-928-8
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Author’s residence
: Sweden
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence
: Sweden
Awards
: The Author has won the Swedish Literature Award and the German Youth Literature Prize 
Subjects
: Fairy tales, Fantasy, Forests, Journey Magic, Mountains, Submarines, Trolls

Pavlo Gets The Grumps

Pavlo
Pavlo is a cat with the grumps. His mother suggests going to the park, but Pavlo says the swings are too swingy and the slide is too slidey. How about swimming? says Mama, but the water is too wet and the fishes will nibble Pavlo’s toes. Going to the movies isn’t right either for Pavlo. Finally, Pavlo hears his friend Mila calling him. She knows just what to do to get rid of Pavlo’s grumps. The simple comforting text is printed in an extra-large font, making sharing easy, especially for children who have difficulty reading regular-sized print. The brilliantly created illustrations have a soft, fuzzy quality, were rendered in acrylic paint and watercolor pencil, and were finished digitally. mjw
Title: Pavlo Gets The Grumps
Author: Natalia Shaloshvili
Illustrator
: Natalia Shaloshvili
Publisher
: Candlewick Press
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: English
Original Publisher
: Walker Books Ltd. UK
Original Copyright
: 2024
ISBN
: 978-1-5362-3554-8
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Ukrainian
Author’s residence
: UK
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Ukrainian
Illustrator’s residence
: UK
Subjects
: Anger, Cats, Feelings, Love, Sadness

A Map For Falasteen: A Palestinian Child’s Search For Home

At school, a young Palestinian girl named Falasteen struggles to find her homeland on a map. She is troubled, confused, and curious when her teacher tells her she “thinks there’s no such place.” Falasteen asks her grandfather why Palestine isn’t on the map, and he draws her a colorful outline map showing various Palestinian cities and villages that she can take to school to show her teachers and classmates. She also asks her grandma, who is working in the kitchen. Grandma tells her of when soldiers, tanks, and guns forced her family from their home. Finally, Falesteen asks her mother why Palestine isn’t on the map. Mama replies that there are places you don’t need a map to find – their favorite trail, the bird’s nest in the chimney, their music and food, their names and language, and things that they haven’t seen with their own eyes. She says, “Palestine lives in you and me.”  Beautiful, inspiring illustrations and thorough back matter round out this important and timely book. mjw

Title: A Map For Falasteen
Author: Maysa Odeh
Illustrator
: Aliaa Betawi
Publisher
: Henry Holt and Company. New York
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-250-89670-4
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Palestinian
Author’s residence: California, USA
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Palestinian
Illustrator’s residence: Alexandria, Egypt
Awards: 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award. Elementary Honor
Subjects
: Arabs, Family life, Homes, Israel, Maps, Middle East, Multigenerational, Palestine, Refugees

The Color Of Your Skin

colorVega and her friend Alex are drawing pictures at an art table at school. Alex asks for the skin-colored pencil. Vega asks if he means the color of her skin or the color of his. Maybe he means the beautiful caramel brown skin color of his neighbor Vincent or the light apple shade of the new girl. With curiosity and creativity, they explore the diversity of skin colors of the people around them. They discover that skin color has many shades and that colors are like hugs: the more the better. The illustrations are brightly colored and rich. The book is printed on “stone paper,” a special paper made of limestone. The paper doesn’t come from cutting down trees, doesn’t use water, and doesn’t need chemical products. mjw
Title: The Color Of Your Skin
Author: Desiree Acevedo
Illustrator
: Silvia Alvarez
Publisher
: Cuento De Luz. Madrid, Spain
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Jon Brokenbrow
Original Title
: El color de tu piel
ISBN
: 978-84-19464-43-9
Paperback pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Author’s residence
: Huelva, Spain
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Honduran and Spanish
Illustrator’s residence
: Seville, Spain
Subjects
: Colors, Crayons, Diversity, Multi-colored, Multiculturalism, Paints, Pencils, Skin color, Uniqueness

The Gray City

The Gray City
Robin has moved to a new city where everything is gray – buildings, traffic, people, streets, her school, and even all the paint in a paint shop. She sets out in search of color. At school, she meets Alani, who hates “all this gray business.” Together, they use their detective skills to discover that the faceless Gray Works is responsible for the lack of color in the city. She and Alani sneak into the building and adjust the company’s controls to colorful. The Gray City’s colors had been hidden. Now it’s full of color. This imaginative story has eleven chapters with quite a bit of text for a picture book. The illustrations are masterful in this introduction to color theory, which is explained in the back matter.
mjw
Title: The Gray City
Author: Torben Kuhlmann
Illustrator
: Torben Kuhlmann
Publisher
: NorthSouth Books, Inc., New York
Copyright
: 2024
Original Language
: German
Translator
: David Henry Wilson
Original Title
: Die graue Stadt
Original Publisher
: NordSud Verlag AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Original Copyright
: 2023
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4554-1
Hardcover pages
: 64
Age range
: 6-10
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: German
Author’s residence
: Hamburg
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: German
Illustrator’s residence
: Hamburg
Awards
: 2019 Batchelder for Edison
Subjects
: Cities, Color, Color Theory, Discovery, Imagination, Libraries, Mystery, Science

Thirst


Twelve-year-old Minni and her older brother Sanjay live in a poor neighborhood in Mumbai, India. Their only access to clean water happens at a set time of the day when members of the community stand in line to fill their containers. One night, Sanjay and his friends witness the “water mafia” stealing water from a tanker truck. To be safe, Sanjay and his friend have to leave town. Minni’s ill mother has to move to the countryside to recover and Minni takes over her mother’s maid job until her she can return. On top of all of this, Minni has to balance school and an extra computer class she is enrolled in. Minni’s introspective narration and occasional poetry instill hope in her environment which is especially hard on women and children. Minni is a smart, strong, and optimistic girl. The book is a look at the importance of free water and how the unfairness surrounding its distribution impacts poor communities in India. It also reveals class differences that still exist today. An author’s note provides more information about the water crisis in India.  mjw

Title: Thirst
Author: Varsha Bajaj
Publisher
: Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. New York
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0593-3544-14
Paperback pages
: 192
Age range
: 10-12
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Mumbai, India
Author’s ethnicity
: Indian
Author’s residence
: Houston, Texas
Awards
: 2023 South Asia Book Award
Subjects
: Education, Environment, Injustice, Justice, Poetry, Water, Water crisis, Water security