Tag Archives: Friends

A Boy And A House

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This wordless book is the story of a boy wandering down dark Grimm Street past interesting street and window scenes.  When he gets to #34 Andersen Street, he sees a cat in an open doorway.  He follows the cat up a stairway where there are discarded drawings on the floor, which he collects.  The sepia-toned watercolor paintings are full of enticing details. The two mice on each page are especially fun.  The boy journeys through the house, drawn forever forward until he reaches a lovely surprise.  Each page in the book is more amazing than the last. mjw
Title: A Boy And A House
Author: Maja Kastelic
Illustrator: Maja Kastelic
Publisher: Annick Press
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: Slovenian
Original Title: Decek in Hisa
Original Publisher: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
Original Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 978-1-77321-055-1
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Wordless Picture Book
Book setting: Slovenian townhouse
Author’s ethnicity: Slovenian
Author’s residence: Slovenia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Slovenian
Illustrator’s residence: Slovenia
Awards: White Ravens List
Subjects: Cats, Companionship, Discovery, Houses, Stories without words, Surprises

Birdsong

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In spring, Katherena and her mother pack up their belongings and move from their home in the city by the sea.  Their new home sits on a hill overlooking a field and another home.  An older woman named Agnes lives in that home.  In summer, Katherena visits Agnes, whose yard is filled with berries, flowers, and birds.  In fall, Katherena visits Agnes again and again and they talk about the moon and the seasons.  In winter, it’s harder for Agnes to get around and Katherena draws pictures.  In the next spring, Agnes has grown weaker and Katherena decorates Agnes’s room with all of her drawings.  The textured illustrations in this book were rendered in TBC.  They warmly depict the story of a young girl and an elderly woman who share their love of nature and art.  A glossary explains Cree words that are integrated into the text. mjw
Title: Birdsong
Author: Julie Flett
Illustrator: Julie Flett
Publisher: Greystone Books Ltd.
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77164-473-0
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 3-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Cree-Metis
Author’s residence: Vancouver, Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Cree-Metis
Illustrator’s residence: Vancouver, Canada
Awards: 2020 ALA American Indian Literature Award, 2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List
Subjects: Emotions, Indigenous, Intergenerational friendship, Nature, Seasons

The Princess Dolls

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In 1942 Vancouver, nine-year-old best friends Esther and Michiko spot Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret dolls in their local toyshop.  They hope they can have the dolls as presents for their shared birthday. But when Esther receives a doll and Michiko doesn’t, their friendship begins to fall apart.  The story is set during a time of increasing hostility and attacks upon Japanese Canadians.  Michiko and her family are sent away to an internment camp.  Esther is Jewish and her family worries about the fate of relatives who remain in Europe.  The story does resolve in a heartwarming way.  Charming black and white drawings complement this gentle story about friendship. mjw
Title: The Princess Dolls
Author: Ellen Schwartz
Illustrator: Mariko Ando
Publisher: Tradewind Books. Vancouver
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-926890-29-6
Paperback pages: 224
Age range: 8-11
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: Vancouver, British Columbia
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Burnaby, British Columbia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence: Vancouver, British Columbia
Subjects: Canadian history, Dolls, Injustice, Japanese internment, Racism, Toys, World War II

The Color Of The Sun

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This story takes place in one day of Davie’s life in Tyneside, his small town home.  He takes off on a journey after what appears to be the murder of a boy he knows.  Half real and half imagined, he meets characters from his town, which has rival gangs,. Davie thinks he knows who the murderer is.  As the story progresses, it gets harder to fathom what is real.  The ending is brilliant and leaves readers feeling positive and hopeful.  The book is beautifully written. mjw
Title: The Color Of The Sun
Author: David Almond
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group. U.K.
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0785-9
Hardcover pages: 224
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting: England
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Medal, Carnegie Medal
Subjects: Adventure, Coming of Age, Death and dying, Violence, Young adult boys

Bilal Cooks Daal

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Six-year-old Bilal helps his dad make his favorite food – daal.  The slow cooked dish from South Asia requires many ingredients and patience. Bilal’s diverse friends are excited to try the new dish.  They break naan around the table and share the steamy, garlicky, salty, sweet, creamy daal.  They all agree that it tastes great.  The colorful illustrations were rendered digitally. An author’s note explains that daal is known as lentils in English.  A recipe for chana daal with split chickpeas is also included. mjw
Title: Bilal Cooks Daal
Author: Aisha Saeed
Illustrator: Anoosha Syed
Publisher: Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-534418103
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Pakistani-American
Author’s residence: Atlanta, Georgia. U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Pakistaani-Canadian
Illustrator’s residence: Toronto, Canada
Awards: 2020 ALA Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Subjects: Bi-racial, Celebrations, Cooking, Cultural differences, Cultural traditions, Family relationships, Friendship, Lentils, Pakistani, Patience

Girl Of The Southern Sea

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Fourteen-year-old Nia lives in the slums of Jakarta, Java, with her father and her little brother. She dreams of attending high school and becoming a writer, but school is too expensive.  Her father runs a banana fritter cart near the railway station, but the money he makes usually just supports his drinking habit.  He is an unhappy and weak man who disappears for days, so Nia has to raise her little brother.  A series of unfortunate events leads to Nia’s father’s plan to marry Nia off to a much older man.  Nia overcomes all the obstacles and determines her own future.  A map of Indonesia and a glossary are included. mjw
Title: Girl Of The Southern Sea
Author: Michelle Kadarusman
Publisher: Pajama Press, Toronto
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77278-081-9
Hardcover pages: 224
Age range: 9-12
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia
Author’s ethnicity: Grew up in Melbourne, has lived in Indonesia
Author’s residence: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Awards: 2020 USBBY Outstanding International Book List
Subjects: Asian literature, Authors, Fantasy, Homelessness, Mythology, Poverty, Self-esteem and self-reliance, Slums, Teenage marriage

My Sweet Orange Tree

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Zeze, a precocious five-year-old born to a poor family in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, taught himself to read at a very young age and wants to grow up to be “a poet with a bow tie.” Zeze is a naughty child with a heart of gold.  He plays clever pranks on his neighbors and is punished severely for them by his parents. Imaginative Zeze adopts a small orange tree that grows in his yard as his magical friend.  Inspired by the author’s childhood, the book is a Brazilian classic, adopted by schools and adapted for cinema, television, and the stage. It has been translated into nineteen languages. mjw
Title: My Sweet Orange Tree
Author: Jose Mauro De Vasconcelos (1920-1984)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: Portuguese
Translator: Alison Entrekin
Original Title: Meu pe de laranja lima
Original Publisher: Editora melhoramentos Ltda, Brazil
Original Copyright: 1968
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0328-8
Hardcover pages: 272
Age range: 14-17
Genre: Autobiographical novel
Book setting: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Author’s ethnicity: Brazilian
Subjects: Abuse, Imagination, Magic, Orange trees, Poverty

Bounce Back: Zayd Saleem, Chasing The Dream

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This is the third in a series about Pakistani-American fourth-grade basketball player Zayd Saleem. An ankle injury leaves him on the sidelines just as he is about to become team captain of the Gold Team. He is on the bench for several weeks and worries about how he can help his team win the championship.  Meanwhile, at home, his family is preparing Pakistani wedding festivities for his uncle. Specific cultural information is smoothly integrated into this universal story.  Black and white drawings enhance the text. mjw
Title: Bounce Back: Zayd Saleem, Chasing The Dream
Author: Hena Khan
Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport
Publisher: Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-534412057
Hardcover pages: 144
Age range: 7-11
Genre: Fiction
Author’s ethnicity: Pakistani-American
Author’s residence: Rockville, Maryland. U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity: U.S.
Illustrator’s residence: U.S.
Subjects: Basketball, Family life,Leadership, Middle schools, Muslims, Urdu, Weddings

The Dark And The Light

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Shaggy is a furry creature who lives in darkness and who longs to visit the light. In the light lives Sparkle, who is fascinated yet fearful of the darkness. The two meet at the edge of the dark and light and soon become friends, meeting in the grey-blue inbetween.  When Shaggy visits Sparkle for the first time he brings a parasol to shield the light and when Sparkle visits him she brings a flashlight. While each is initially scared of entering the other’s world, their bond as friends helps them overcome their fears and enforces the importance of compromise. Cyanotype prints beautifully illustrate the contrast from dark to light in stunning indigos, navy blues, and brilliant whites. mm
Title: The Dark And The Light
Author: Kerstin Hau
Illustrator: Julie Völk
Publisher: NorthSouth Books
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780735843851
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Darmstadt, Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Austrian
Illustrator’s residence: Vienna, Austria
Subjects: Darkness, Friendship, Light

No Ballet Shoes In Syria

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Eleven-year-old Aya has just arrived in Manchester, England, from Syria, with her Mumma and her baby brother.  She is an “asylum seeker, a would–be refugee, a poor little girl from Syria, a fatherless child from a war zone.” Her passion is dance.  One day she comes across a ballet class and the teacher recognizes her talent and thinks she might earn a position at the prestigious Northern Ballet School.  Aya is a powerful, brave character.  Her story engages in a series of flashbacks about her life in Syria.  There is a parallel story about her ballet teacher who had to flee the holocaust.  This incredibly moving, well-written story shows how dance transcends borders.  A map of Aya’s journey from Syria is included. mjw
Title: No Ballet Shoes In Syria
Author: Catherine Bruton
Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd. U.K.
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English 
ISBN: 978-1-78800-4-503
Paperback pages: 272
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Syria, Turkey, Greece, England
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: England
Awards: 2020 Middle Eat Book Award for Youth Literature
Subjects: Aleppo, Asylum seekers, Ballet, Dance, Prejudice and racism, Refugees

Ida And The Whale

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Ida and the whaleIda, a curious little girl, spends her days sitting in a tree house pondering existential questions. One night, she befriends a giant flying whale who takes her on an incredible journey beyond the stars. They visit many strange and wonderful places including one where everything is upside down and one where everything is still and empty. Along the way, Ida’s questions are answered and she and the whale part ways as friends. Combined mediums of watercolor, pen, and computer graphics illustrate the beautiful and philosophically situated worlds Ida and the flying whale visit on their journey. mm

Title: Ida And The Whale
Author: Rebecca Gugger
Illustrator: Simon Rothlisberger
Publisher: NorthSouth Books
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780735843417
Hardcover pages: 33 
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Swiss
Author’s residence: Thun, Switzerland
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swiss
Illustrator’s residence: Thun, Switzerland 
Subjects: Emotions, Human-animal relationships, Philosophy, Whales

 

Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart

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Feisty fourteen-year-old Rasha is abandoned by her mother in a village far from their cosmopolitan Dhaka home, where she is forced to live with her aged and probably mad grandmother. The village has no electricity, heavy rains, and nosy neighbors. Rasha has to attend a primitive school with a bullying teacher.  She rises against her circumstances and exposes the teacher, stops a child marriage from happening, builds a boat so that she can get to school, and teaches her new school friends how to use a computer.  She even wins a science Olympiad. mjw
Title: Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart
Author: Muhanned Zafar Iqbal
Publisher: Puffin Books.  Penguin Random House India
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: Bengali
Translator: Arunava Sinha
Original Title: Rashed Amar Bondhu
Original Publisher: Tamralipi, Dhaka
Original Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 978-780143434887
Paperback pages: 240
Age range: 12-15
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Bangladesh
Author’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi
Author’s residence: Bangladesh
Translator’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi
Translator’s residence: Bangladesh
Awards: Translator has won the Crossword Prize for Translated Books.  The book is on the 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Award Shortlist
Subjects: Bangladesh liberation war, Dhaka, East Pakistan, Freedom, Freedom fighters, Intergenerational