Tag Archives: Friends

The Color Of Your Skin

Vega 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

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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

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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

SOS Water

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Lalo, a sailor, encounters a talking goldfish in a fishbowl on a pile of trash. Her name is Rosa, and she longs to have a better life. Lalo takes Rosa to a pond, a mountaintop, the Arctic, the jungle, the desert, the beach, and the River Seine. But everywhere is polluted with empty plastic water bottles. Lalo dreams that he has magical powers to clean the world. Several spreads show different animals cleaning up the ubiquitous water bottles. They come to a community garden and meet Bibo, a gentle little garden gnome, who suggests the perfect place for Rosa – a magic pond next to his house. The final page shows Lalo drinking a big glass of refreshing tap water. Whimsical line drawings saturated with water bottles further distinguish this important environmental lesson. A Spanish-language edition is also available. mjw

Title: SOS Water
Author: Yayo
Illustrator: Yayo
Publisher: Tradewinds Books. Vancouver, Canada
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-990598-23-4
Hardcover pages: 56
Age range: 6-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Colombian
Author’s residence: Montreal, Quebec
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Colombian
Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec
Subjects: Goldfish, Plastic water bottles, Pollution, Sailors, Water, Water pollution

Caterpillar Chryzzle

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Worm and caterpillar are best friends, They go for crawls and they love to sit and talk. One day caterpillar starts describing a strange and quite bewildering feeling – he is chryzzaling. He fixes himself to a stalk and wonders about life’s secrets and surprises and the deeper meaning of it all. Worm only giggles, shakes his head, and crawls away. He therefore misses when a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis and soars up into the sky. The clear, delicate-style watercolor paintings, filled with amazing details, combine realism and fantasy to round out this beautiful work. The author is one of the most successful children’s songwriters and musicians in Switzerland, Many of his songs have become true classics. He gives over 100 concerts each year in Switzerland. A QR code in the book leads to his song “Caterpillar Chryzzle.” . mjw

Title: Caterpillar Chryzzle
Author: Andrew Bond
Illustrator: Julie Volk
Publisher: NorthSouth Books, Inc. New York
Copyright: 2025
Original Language: German
Original Title: Die Raupe spinnt
Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG. Zurich, Switzerland
Original Copyright: 2024
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4559-6
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: The author grew up in DR Congo, UL, and Switzerland
Author’s residence: Wadenswil, Switzerland
Illustrator’s residence: Vienna, Austria
Awards: IBBY Honor Illustrator
Subjects: Butterflies, Caterpillars, Chrysalis, Metamorphosis, New experiences, Worms

Peter Pan

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This beloved children’s classic is retold in rollicking rhyme accompanied by new art. The fantastic adventure features Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, the Darling family, Nana, and the villainous Captain Hook. When Peter Pan flies into the Darling children’s bedroom, he convinces Wendy and her brothers to come with him to the magical Neverland, where children never grow old. The gorgeous illustrations are rendered in muted blues. A favorite is the magnificent map of Neverland, with pirates, mermaids, and the relentless ticking crocodile. This fabulous introduction to Peter Pan has a silver-embossed cover and a ribbon bookmark. Based on the original story by J.M. Barrie, a percentage of the profits from this book go to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. mjw

Title: Peter Pan
Author: J.M. Barrie (1860 – 1937). Caryl Hart
Illustrator: Sarah Warburton
Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd.
Copyright: 2018 – Verse adaptation
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Original Copyright: 1911
ISBN: 978-1-78800-007-9
Hardcover pages: 72
Age range: 4 up
Genre: Fantasy Fiction. Picture Book
Book setting: London and Neverland
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: Sheffield, England (Hart)
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: Bristol, England
Subjects: Crocodiles, Fairies, Fantasy, London, Magic, Neverland, Pirates, Rhyme, Rhythm

I Kick And I Fly

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Fourteen-year-old Heera lives near the Red Light District in Behar, India. Soon her father will sell her into the sex trade to help feed the family and pay off his debts. The owner of a local hostel for at-risk girls offers to repay her family’s debt and teach Heera kung fu with the other girls in the hostel. Heera learns that her body isn’t an object to be sold, but an instrument through which she can protect herself and other girls. She also discovers the whereabouts of her missing friend, Rosy, through a king fu pen pal in the U.S. She launches into a dangerous rescue mission to New York to save her. This is an unforgettable, and captivating story of overcoming hardship by an activist/author who has dedicated her life to creating a world where no child is bought or sold. She is the founder of Apne Aap, an NGO working to end sex trafficking. A letter from the author captures her journey. Additional information and resources are also provided. mjw

Title: I Kick And I Fly
Author: Ruchira Gupta
Publisher: Scholastic Press. New York
Copyright: 2023
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-338-82509-1
Hardcover pages: 352
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Nepal, India, USA
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: New York and Delhi
Awards: 2024 South Asia Book Award
Subjects: Activism, Caste system, Hostels, Kidnapping, Kung fu, Martial arts, Poverty, Prostitution, Sex trafficking, Social issues, Social justice, Women’s empowerment

Hiro, Winter, And Marshmallows

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Hiro is a bear too curious to sleep all winter long. Her stomach rumbles, and her heart longs for adventure. She packs her things into her backpack and slips away from her sleeping family. She discovers winter and snow and smells the odor of burning wood and sweet, gooey toasted marshmallows. She finds a bonfire party, but scares everyone away except for Emile. He is a little boy hiding behind a tree. He whispers to Hiro that the marshmallows are done. He knows because he is a marshmallow expert. Hiro doesn’t want to scare Emile. Slowly, they begin to converse. “What’s it like being a bear?” And “What’s it like being an Emile?” They share stories and have fun together until Emile hears his mom calling for him. They both return to their homes. Hiro’s mom completes this quirky story with, “Goodness, it smells like marshmallows in here!” The delightful artwork in this dreamy fairytale is rendered in colored pencils, watercolors, acrylic paints, and markers. mjw

Title: Hiro, Winter, And Marshmallows
Author: Marine Schneider
Illustrator: Marine Schneider
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: French
Translator: Vineet Lal
Original Title: Hiro, hiver et marshmallows
Original Publisher: Versant Sud
Original Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5632-6
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Belgian
Author’s residence: Brussels, Belgium
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Belgian
Illustrator’s residence: Brussels, Belgium
Subjects: Bears, Bonfires, Hibernation, Marshmallows, Parties, Snow, Winter

Zia’s Story

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In Kabul, Afghanistan, twelve-year-old Zia’s father tells him to take care of his mother, as he is arrested, never to be seen again. After that, in 1989, the Russian army pulls out of Afghanistan, there is a civil war, and the Taliban take over. Zia becomes the “man” for the neighborhood widows. He can no longer attend school, and the Taliban forbids women and children to be seen outdoors. Zia and his mother eventually are forced to flee Kabul and take refuge in Pakistan. A historical note provides additional information. Black and white drawings capture the mood of the story. This eye-opening story is based on the author’s own experiences as a young mother having to flee an Afghanistan torn apart by war with her young son. mjw

Title: Zia’s Story
Author: Shahnaz Qayumi
Illustrator: Nahid Kazemi
Publisher: Tradewinds Books. Vancouver, BC. Canada
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-990598-14-2
Paperback pages: 88
Age range: 9-12
Genre: Historical fiction
Book setting: Afghanistan and Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity: Afghan
Author’s residence: Vancouver, British Columbia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Iranian
Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec
Subjects: Afghanistan, Civil war, Kabul, Middle East, Refugees, Taliban, War

A Bright Light In Buenos Aires

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It’s Dani’s birthday. He lives with his parents and sister in his Jewish community in Buenos Aires. He worries that his classmates won’t come to his party because they think the unique bright light that follows him everywhere is too annoying. His friends do attend his party and he realizes they like him just the way he is. His light is there to share with the world. When he blows out the candles on his cake, his big light becomes many small lights for his friends, who are delighted. Together, they create a brighter world. The cheerful illustrations rendered in pencil and Procreate, show how the Argentinian and Jewish cultures combine in Dani’s world. Backmatter explains Jewish life, experiences, and strength in Argentina, where 250,000 Jews now live in the capital city of Buenos Aires. A glossary of Spanish and Hebrew words is also included. This gentle story has an accompanying activity guide at KalaniotBooks.com. mjw

Title: A Bright Light In Buenos Aires
Author: Santiago Nader
Illustrator: Paula Wegman
Publisher: Kalaniot Books. Moosic, Pennsylvania
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
ISBN: 979-8-986-3965-8-3
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-10
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Author’s ethnicity: Argentine
Author’s residence: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Argentine
Illustrator’s residence: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Subjects: Argentina, Birthdays, Buenos Aires, Celebrations, Diversity, Futbol, Hebrew, Jewish fiction, Shabbat, South America

Agreement Under The Stars

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There was a time in the forest when the animals lived together in peace and harmony. But little by little the outside grew around them and the forest seemed to grow smaller and smaller. The animals couldn’t stand it anymore and soon there were quarrels. An emergency committee came up with a solution to restore peace. Some animals would be active during the day and sleep at night. Others would come out at night and sleep during the day. Since nobody volunteered to take the night shift, the committee selected animals to be the night creatures. However, the reason why we have daytime and nocturnal animals is not how it is told in the story. The book’s real message is that deforestation has caused the disappearance of one-third of our forests. The realistic-looking animals and bright colors rendered in ink and watercolors with rubbings and stamped textures are very appealing. 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 harmful chemical products. A final note tells more about deforestation and things we can do to save our forests. mjw

Title: Agreement Under The Stars
Author: Susana Rosique
Illustrator: Susana Rosique
Publisher: Cuento De Luz. Madrid,, Spain
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Jon Brokenbrow
Original Title: Acuerdo jajo las estrellas
ISBN: 978- 84-19464-82-8
Hardcover pages: 38
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Spanish
Author’s residence: Spain
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish
Illustrator’s residence: Spain
Subjects: Cooperation, Deforestation, Empathy, Forests, Harmony, Nocturnal animals, Parable, Peace, Solidarity, Survival, Sustainability

Puppet

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The aging English puppeteer Silvester creates one last puppet, named Puppet. Puppet is different because he can talk and move on his own. Silvester takes Puppet to show him the wonders of the big wide world – reading books, love, growing up, music, play-acting, and much more. They meet new friends, Fleur and her mother, and they share Silvester’s puppet-making skills with the next generation. This is a heartwarming story about creativity, imagination, and the circle of life. The language is rich and warm. This beautiful tale, inspired by Pinocchio, is illustrated with quirky black-and-white drawings. mjw

Title: Puppet
Author: David Almond
Illustrator: Lizzy Stewart
Publisher: Candlewick Press. Somerville, Massachusetts
Copyright: 2024
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. UK
Original Copyright: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-5362-3917-1
Hardcover pages: 240
Age range: 8 up
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting: England
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: London
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award, Carnegie Medal, Printz Medal
Subjects: Circle of life, Community, Creativity, Death, Imagination, Magic, Old age, Play, Puppetmasters, Puppets, Storytelling, Trust