 Young Nemy sows seeds, pulls weeds, and strips leaves in the sugarcane plantation where she is enslaved. She listens to stories told by “Big Mother” in a hidden shack where women braid each other’s hair. The braids create patterns that hide secrets. They tell stories that only the women can understand. They are maps to freedom. Beyond slaveholders and sugar fields, freedom braids will lead the way to a new home. The new homes in this story are based on free communities in the thickly forested mountains of Colombia and are called palenques. The dark-toned artwork in this story of friendship, solidarity, and escape to freedom was created using digital tools. An author’s note provides more information, and the endpapers show different braid patterns. mjw |
| Title: Freedom Braids Author: Monique Duncan Illustrator: Oboh Moses Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd., U.K. Copyright: 2024 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-915244-80-2 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Colombia, South America Author’s ethnicity: Jamaican Author’s residence: New York City Illustrator’s ethnicity: Nigerian Illustrator’s residence: Lagos, Nigeria Subjects: Braids, Diversity, Escape, Freedom, Hairstyles, Liberty, Slavery, Slave trade, Traditions |
Freedom Braids
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Rumi (1207-1273) was a poet, an Islamic scholar, and a Sufi mystic. He wrote in Persian/Farsi. He is one of the best-known and most widely-read poets in the world. As a child, he was enchanted by birds and books. He loved to play and dance in the garden. He had many questions, which his father answered patiently. When Rumi was older, he met Attar the great Persian poet. He read Attar’s epic poem called “The Conference of Birds” and searched for its deeper meaning. Years, later, Rumi moved to Turkey, where he met Shams, who was a great Persian spiritual teacher. Shams was a sun shining in Rumi’s heart and mind. Later, Rumi wrote his poetic masterpiece, “The Masnavi.” He also loved telling stories to children. “Be a friend to everyone” was his great message. This touching picture book biography radiates Rumi’s wisdom and warmth. Strong colors and ornamental details in the glorious illustrations feature traditional Persian clothing and motifs and distinguish the story. Back matter includes an author’s note and more information about Rumi. mjw
In the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia at the turn of the 21st century, hardly anyone knows how to read or write. The young female narrator of the story is curious about the letters her older sister receives in the mail from her doctor friend. She hopes that they are love letters. Senor Velandia, the shop owner, is one of the few in the pueblo who can read. He helps the girl to read if she will help him in his shop. Slowly she learns the alphabet by writing letters on the ground with a piece of charcoal. She teaches the other children of the pueblo to read the letters with her and discover the magic of reading. The digital, richly colored, textured illustrations depict the Afro-Latine community. An author’s note explains the history of enslaved people in Central and South America, who were forbidden to read by the colonizing Spaniards. This story is woven together from the stories the author heard from various women across Colombia. mjw
It’s an ordinary day for the bird family. The young ones, Lena and her little brother Bo, play, sing, hunt mosquitoes, and talk about their legs and toes. They have worm pie for dinner. Bo picks out the worms and only eats the pie shell. At night they fall asleep in their nest. Watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations show the funny facial expressions and cute hairstyles of the birds. The details in the family’s home are offbeat and interesting. This gentle story reflects on human behavior through this humorous bird family. mjw
Set in 1980s Vietnam, Tho and his best friend, Lam, love cricket fighting, and soccer, but there is fear in his village that twelve-year-old boys, like them, will be conscripted into the Communist army. People are trying to leave Vietnam and move to safer countries. One day, Lam and his brother disappear. Tho’s family sells their furniture to make money to send Tho and his brother, Vu, away. Vu leaves first and a year later Tho boards a small boat to escape. He stows away on a pirate boat, crosses the South China Sea, and eventually gets to a refugee camp in Palawon in the Philippines, where he stays for six months. Finally, a Canadian elementary school teacher adopts him and he flies to his new home in Toronto. This harrowing story is based on true events in the author’s life. A map, a pronunciation guide, an afterword, and a brief recent history of Vietnam further enhance Tho’s intense account of his journey. 
Vera and her family live on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, which seems like the edge of the world. A map of the peninsula includes geographical features and native animal life. Vera shares her most valuable things – her feather collections; her favorite book: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; her flashlight; and her favorite food – syrniki (cottage cheese and pancakes). She introduces her mom and her grandma but says that she doesn’t have any friends. She also describes her sekretik – a secret treasure of blue glass, Legos, and forget-me-nots. Lucas and his family live in a small town on the coast of Chile, which also seems like the edge of the world. A map of his country also includes geographical features and native animal life. Lucas shares his most valuable things – ammonite fossils, his soccer ball, his flashlight, his favorite food – a hamburger, and his favorite book: The Hobbit. He introduces his mom, dad, and his grandma. He, too, has no friends. One evening, both Vera and Lucas go to the beach, and blink their flashlights into the dark using the international language of Morse Code. “What if I had a friend over there, beyond the edge of the world?” If they look hard enough, they’ll find that we’re all so very similar, and connected to each other. One set of endpapers shows the Morse Code. The other endpapers present a map depicting Russia, Chile, and the 9942 miles of Pacific Ocean between the children’s homes. The interesting illustrations were created digitally in this unique flip-formatted, two-story picture book
Heidi, the Swiss classic, is one of the bestselling books of all time. This new picture book version tells about Heidi and her grandfather living in the Alps, Heidi’s difficult move to Frankfurt to live with wheelchair-bound Clara, and Heidi’s return home to the mountains and her grandfather, complete with Clara’s recovery. Thirty bold, handcrafted paper-cut and digital collage illustrations capture Heidi’s heartwarming story, which is as relevant today as ever. mjw
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