Tag Archives: Friends

The Stone Lion

stone-lion A stone lion watches people outside of a library every day. Though he is made of stone, he is fascinated by the people who sit next to him. The lion longs for the chance to become a warm breathing creature and run in the park near the library. One snowy night a homeless girl and her baby brother sit next to the lion. More than anything the lion wishes he could come alive to help them. This heartwarming story, illustrated with soft pastels, shows that though there are hardships, a little bit of kindness and compassion can change lives. ema

Title: The Stone Lion
Author: Margaret Wild
Illustrator: Rita Voutila
Publisher: Little Hare
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
Original Title: The Stone Lion
Original Publisher: Little Hare
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-921894855
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-9
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Australian
Author’s residence: Australia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Finnish
Illustrator’s residence: Australia
Awards: 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Honour Book of the Year
Subjects: Depression-era, Homeless, Libraries, Lions, Reading

The Green Bicycle

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One of Saudi Arabia’s best-known and most controversial filmmakers has adapted her very successful film Wadjda for middle grade readers. Rebellious, 11-year-old Wadjda lives with her strict parents in modern day Riyadh and dreams of owning the green bicycle that she passes in a store everyday on her way to school. She wants to race her friend Abdullah, but riding bikes is frowned upon for girls and Wadjda’s parents refuse to buy the bike for her. Wadjda tries to raise the money buy selling bracelets and mixtapes that she makes. Fiercely independent, she doesn’t fit in at school, gets into a lot of trouble, and risks expulsion. She eventually enters a Quran competition in order to win the prize money and purchase the bike. She wins, but the school chooses to donate the money to Palestine on her behalf. She returns home to find that her mother has bought the bike and Wadjda then wins the race against Abdullah. Explanations of various elements of Saudi culture and its patriarchal society are woven into the story and provide helpful background for readers unfamiliar with the region. The film Wadjda (2012) was the first full-length feature to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and through 2013, the only feature-length film made in Saudi Arabia by a female director. The film has won numerous awards around the world. mjw

Title: The Green Bicycle
Author: Haifaa Al Mansour
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0525-42806-0
Hardcover pages: 352
Age range: 8 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Author’s ethnicity: Saudi Arabian
Author’s residence: Bahrain
Awards: The film Wadjda (2012) won the 2013 Best International Feature Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival
Subjects: Bicycles and bicycling, Coming of Age, Female empowerment, Gender roles, Girls and women, Koran, Middle East, Music, Muslims, Quran, Sex roles,

The Tea Party In The Woods

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Kikko’s father forgot the pie he was going to bring to Grandmother’s house. Kikko runs through the snow-covered woods to give her father the pie before he reaches the home. Unfortunately, Kikko trips and ruins the pie. Although she is dispirited, she still plans on giving her grandmother the pie. As she continues to follow what she believes to be her father’s footprints, Kikko comes across a house she has never seen before. She meets speaking, clothed, and upright woodland creatures who invite her to their tea party. The mostly black and white charcoaled and penciled illustrations have touches of color and bring this enchanting tale of unexpected friendship and kindness to life. ema

Title: The Tea Party In The Woods
Author: Akiko Miyakoshi
Illustrator: Akiko Miyakoshi
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Japanese
Translator: Kids Can Press
Original Title: Mori no Oku no Ochakai e
Original Publisher: Kaisei-Sha Publishing Co. Ltd.
Original Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-77138-107-9
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 3-7
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Japanese
Author’s residence: Tokyo
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence: Tokyo
Awards: A 2015 Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year Winner
Subjects: Acts of kindness, Grandmother, Party, Pies, Tea, Winter, Woods

A Pig Called Heather

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Heather, the Duroc pig, lives on a lovely 300-year-old farm in Scotland, loves and can identify apples of all kinds, and has Isla, the farmer’s daughter, as her best friend. When the barn is destroyed in a fire and Isla and her father move to London, the new owner, Mr. Busby, has a commercial promoting farm life shot at the farm and Heather is “discovered.” She is whisked off to London to become a national celebrity and the star of an advertising campaign. At a photo shoot, Heather escapes and finds Isla. A pig living in a flat in London proves challenging and Heather ends up finding a home in the London Zoo. Heather’s animal friends are brilliant, perfectly personified, and completely believable. However they don’t talk to humans. Heather and Isla communicate by snout scrunching. The writing is imaginative, fast-paced, and contains fun Britishisms. The ending hints at the two sequels, The Return of A Pig Called Heather (paperback 2014) and Heather’s Piglets (2015), where Heather has more zany adventures. mjw

Title: A Pig Called Heather
Author: Harry Oulton
Publisher: Holiday House, New York
Copyright: 2105
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3290-5
Hardcover pages: 128
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction, Animal Fantasy
Book setting: Aberdeenshire, Scotland. London
Author’s ethnicity: British
Author’s residence: England
Subjects: England, Farm life, Human-animal relationships, Pigs, Voyages and travels

Salt To The Sea

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Salt To The Sea As World War II comes to a close in the winter of 1945, refugees flee East Prussia as the Soviet Union advances in the area. Thousands gather at the coast of the Baltic Sea in the hopes of gaining freedom and security by obtaining a ticket on one of the ships. One of these vessels is the Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys’ courageous novel sheds light on the greatest tragedy in maritime history and how the carnage resulting from warfare collides with the lives of innocents. Though readers can find the story heartbreaking at times, hope and life are ever present in this novel told by four teenagers from different countries. The honest prose gives voice to those incapable of sharing their story. ema

Title: Salt To The Sea
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-16030-1
Hardcover pages: 400
Age range: 12-17
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Setting: East Prussia
Author’s ethnicity: Lithuanian American
Author’s residence: Tenessee
Subjects: Death, Maritime tragedy, Refugees, Warfare, World War II

Adam And Thomas

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Adam and Thomas are two nine-year-old Jewish boys who have been left in the forest by their mothers who must return to the ghetto. They eat berries to survive and build a nest in a high tree for shelter. They witness Nazis chasing other fugitives and help when they can. A peasant girl named Mina discovers the boys and leaves them packages of food at her own risk. Through their positive thinking and resourcefulness, they survive winter’s harsh weather and eventually reach the infirmary of the Red Army, but the story’s ending is uncertain. This powerful fable about survival and friendship is illustrated with delicate dreamlike watercolor and ink paintings. The author’s personal experience was inspiration for the book. mjw

Title: Adam And Thomas
Author: Aharon Appelfeld
Illustrator: Philippe Dumas
Publisher: Seven Stories Press, New York
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Hebrew
Translator: Jeffrey M. Green
Original Title: Yalda Shelo Minhaolam Haze (A Girl From Another World)
Original Copyright: 2013
ISBN: 978-1-60980-634-7
Hardcover pages: 149
Age range: 10-18
Genre: Historical fiction
Book setting: World War II
Author’s ethnicity: Born near Czernowitz, Bukovina, Ukraine
Author’s residence: Beersheba, Israel
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: France
Awards: 2016 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book, 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2016 National Jewish Book Award Finalist
Subjects: Courage, Holocaust, Jews, Refugees, Surfival, War stories, World War II, 1939-1945

This Is The Greatest Place!: The Forbidden City And The World Of Small Animals

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One day the creatures of a forest are visited by a man who raves about the beauty of the forest they live in. This visitor is the architect for the Chinese Emperor and is tasked with finding a place to build the emperor’s palace. The small animals show the builder their home, and he is inspired to construct the palace based on the sights he sees. This picture book with adorable illustrations, real photographs of the palace, maps, lift-flaps, and pull-out pages innovatively describes how the real Chinese Forbidden City was built and exists today. The factual information about how the trees were treated with tender loving care to build the Forbidden City promotes environmental preservation. This work is an excellent addition to the China Institute’s We All Live In The Forbidden City series. ema

Title: This Is The Greatest Place!: The Forbidden City And The World Of Small Animals
Author: Brian Tse
Illustrator: Alice Mak
Publisher: China Institute in America
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: Chinese
Translator: Ben Wan
ISBN: 978-0-9893776-2-1
Hardcover pages: 44 pages
Age range: 4 up
Genre: Picture Book/ Nonfiction
Book setting: China
Author’s ethnicity: Chinese
Author’s residence: China
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence: China
Awards: A Parent’s Choice Recommended Award for Picture Books, and a winner of A Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award, Books on Foreign Culture
Subjects: Architecture, Buildings, Forests, Palaces, History

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

Apple And Rain

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Thirteen-year-old Apollinia Apostolopoulou (Apple) has lived with her strict grandmother since her flighty mother went off to America to be a Broadway actress eleven years ago. Her grandmother makes her go to church on Sundays, won’t let her hang out with her girlfriends, and is too watchful. Apple craves the return of her mother and when she returns, Apple eagerly chooses to live with her. But things aren’t as Apple expects. Her mother does not have a job, is not responsible, and has another ten-year-old daughter, Rain, who has her own set of problems. Rain carries around a doll, which she believes is real and can’t take care of herself. Apple is reduced to being Rain’s babysitter and maid. Del, the boy next door, is a wonderful character who is sweet, smart, geeky, and adds humor to the book. Mr. Gaydon, Apple’s teacher, helps Apple by encouraging her to see poetry and writing as a creative outlet. This quick read about forgiveness, complicated relationships, and Apple’s growth and change is heartbreaking, emotionally intense, but honest. mjw

Title: Apple And Rain
Author: Sarah Crossan
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4088-5306-1
Hardcover pages: 332
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Book setting: England
Author’s ethnicity: Grew up in Dublin and London
Author’s residence: Hertfordshire, England
Awards: 2015 Carnegie Medal Nominee
Subjects: Coming of age, Dysfunctional families, Family problems, Mothers and daughters, Poetry, Sisters

The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy

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Five and half-year-old Eddie believes she is the only one in her family who is not special. Her father can speak five languages, her mother can sing like a bird, and her sister is an ice-skating queen. When Eddie overhears her sister talking to her mother about getting her a birthday present, she is determined to give her mother the perfect gift. During her search for her mother’s birthday present, Eddie realizes that she has a unique gift of her own. The hand-drawn and vintage looking illustrations showcase the amiable and relatable heroine’s adventures in her neighborhood. ema

Title: The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy
Author: Beatrice Alemagna
Illustrator: Beatrice Alemagna
Publisher: Enchanted Lion
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: French
Translator: Claudia Zoe Bedrick
Original Title: Le merveilleux Dodu-Velu-Petit
Original Publisher: Albin Michel Jeunesse
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59270-180-3
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Italian
Author’s residence: Italy
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian
Illustrator’s residence: Italy
Awards: 2016 Mildred L. Batchelder Award
Subjects: Birthday, Community, Daughters, Gift, Mothers

Sadako’s Cranes

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The true story of Sadako is told through the eyes of her cat in this beautifully illustrated tribute to hope and peace. Sadako Sasaki was two and a half when the atomic bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. She survived and seemed healthy until ten years later, when she was diagnosed with leukemia, a result of radiation from the bomb. Her brother told her of an old Japanese legend that says that a person who folds 1000 paper cranes would be granted a wish. She began folding cranes, but died before finishing her task. The digitally processed colored pencil drawings are decorated with images of brightly patterned Origami cranes. Back matter provides more information about Sadako and a website with directions for folding a paper crane. mjw

Title: Sadako’s Cranes
Author: Judith Loske
Illustrator: Judith Loske
Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd.
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: German
Translator: Kate Westerlund
Original Title: Sadako’s Kraniche
Original Publisher: Minedition
Original Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 978-988-8341-00-9
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 6-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Hiroshima, Japan
Author’s ethnicity: German
Author’s residence: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity: German
Illustrator’s residence: Germany
Subjects: Asia, Death, Girls, Leukemia-patients, Origami, Sadako Sasaki (1943-1955), World War II

Two White Rabbits

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“Where are we going?” a little girl asks her father, but he does not answer. The little girl and her father are migrating to a land suggestive of America. On the way, the two encounter several animals, a group of people encamped on train tracks, and a family who helps them. The drab brown and blue toned illustrations of the family crossing a muddy river on rafts built on rubber tires, riding on top of a rusted-out train, and sleeping in the back of a pick-up truck convey the hardships many refugees face. The narrowed-eyed coyote that follows the family on their journey is a metaphor representing those who smuggle migrants and refugees across borders with not always good intentions. The open-ended ending shows that there are few certainties in a refugee family’s life. This compelling book about a loving family’s determination to find a better future is an excellent read to introduce immigration to young readers. ema

Title: Two White Rabbits
Author: Jairo Buitrago
Illustrator: Rafael Yockteng
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Elisa Amado
ISBN: 978-1-55498-741-2
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-7
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Mexico
Author’s ethnicity: Mexican
Author’s residence: Colombian
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Mexico
Illustrator’s residence: Colombia
Subjects: Immigration, Mexico, Refugees