In this cautionary ecological parable, best friends Hulda and Brimir, live on a beautiful, tranquil blue planet that is inhabited by children who never grow old. One day, a grown-up, Gleesome Goodday, “Dream Come True Maker and joy bringer,” crashes his spaceship on the beach. He sprinkles all the children with sun-activated fly powder, nails the sun in the sky so it can always be play time, and charges them a bit of their youth. When the children fly to the other side of the planet and see sickly, pale, dying children, they realize the Goodday is not all that he seems. mjw |
| Title: The Story Of The Blue Planet Author: Andri Snaer Magnason Illustrator: Aslaug Jonsdottir Publisher: Seven Stories Press Copyright: 2012 Original language: Icelandic Translator: Julian Meldon D’Arcy Original title: Sagan Af Blaa Hnettinum Original publisher: Forlagio Original copyright: 1999 ISBN: 978-1-60980-428-2 Hardcover pages: 96 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Eco-lit Author’s residence: Iceland Illustrator’s residence: Iceland Awards: Icelandic Children’s Book Prize Subjects: Adventure, Best friends, Conduct of life, Europe, Iceland, Interpersonal relations, Northern Europe |
The Story Of The Blue Planet
Leave a reply

In this cautionary ecological parable, best friends Hulda and Brimir, live on a beautiful, tranquil blue planet that is inhabited by children who never grow old. One day, a grown-up, Gleesome Goodday, “Dream Come True Maker and joy bringer,” crashes his spaceship on the beach. He sprinkles all the children with sun-activated fly powder, nails the sun in the sky so it can always be play time, and charges them a bit of their youth. When the children fly to the other side of the planet and see sickly, pale, dying children, they realize the Goodday is not all that he seems. mjw
In 1884, in Washington Territory just miles from the British Columbia border, 15-year-old George Gillies and his siblings discover a local white settler murdered. Suspicion falls on 14-year-old Louie Sam, a member of the Stó:lo tribe. George and his friend Pete secretly follow a lynch mob into Canada, where Louie Sam is seized and hanged. But, George and his father have doubts about Louie Sam’s guilt. Based on the only recorded lynching to occur on Canadian soil, this is a gripping story about racism, injustice, mob mentality, and discrimination. A final note provides historical facts. mjw
This semi-autobiographical wordless graphic novel illustrates the story of a young boy who emigrates with his family from an Asian land to New York City. Facial expressions, body language, and colors in the whimsical, abstract watercolor and digital art depict his transition and triumph in discovering his new place in a foreign landscape. An author’s note describes her journey at age four from Korea to Washington D.C. This universal tale would be useful with immigrant populations in any community. mjw