Tag Archives: Language

Golden Domes And Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book Of Colors

Golden DomesThis informative color-concept book captures the vibrant world of Islam. A red prayer rug, a blue hijab, orange henna designs, and a green Quran are some of the elements that make up the world of the young female narrator’s faith. The short rhyming text is supplemented by beautiful illustrations that hint of fabric collage and photography, and are influenced by Islamic art. A Glossary with pronunciations completes this introduction to the culture and religion. mjw
Title: Golden Domes And Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book Of Colors
Author: Hena Khan
Illustrator
: Mehrdokht Amini
Publisher
: Chronicle Books
Copyright
: 2012
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-8118-7905-7
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-6
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Pakistani-American
Author’s residence
: U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Grew up in Iran
Illustrator’s residence
: England
Awards
: 2013 Middle East Outreach Council Book Award – Honorable Mention
Subjects
: Colors, Hijab, Holidays, Islam customs and practices, Muslims, Stories in rhyme

The Wrath And The Dawn

The Wrath and The Dawn Cover 1The brutal Caliph of Khorasan each night kills his new bride before dawn breaks. This changes when Khalid marries Shahrzad. Shahrzad volunteers herself as the caliph’s bride. She wishes to get revenge for her best friend’s death by marrying the King of Kings and giving him the same fate as her friend. Although Shahrzad plans on killing the king, she realizes that Khalid is not the callous monster that she believed he would be. When Shahrzad falls in love with him, she must decide whether to follow her heart or avenge the lives of the caliph’s late wives.  The book’s gorgeous cover and fantastical end pages will entice readers to open the book, while the story will keep them mesmerized. The book also features a map of the book’s setting and a glossary of words readers may be unfamiliar with. The Wrath and The Dawn is a dazzling retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. This romance versus loyalty tale has beautiful imagery, great characterization, and magical elements which will leave readers craving for the next book. ema
Title: The Wrath And The Dawn
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher
: G.P.  Putnam’s Sons, a Penguin Publishing Group
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-399-17161-1
Hardcover pages
: 388
Age range: 14 up
Genre
: Fairytale Reimagining, Fantasy
Book setting
: Fantasy World Based on the Middle East 
Author’s ethnicity
: Asian American
Author’s residence
: United States
Awards
: A Junior Library Guild Selection, A Summer 2015 Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten Pick
Subjects
: Arabian Nights, Arranged Marriages, Fairy Tale Reimaginings/ Retellings, Fantasy, Friendships,  Loyalty, Love, Magical Elements, Marriages, Middle East, Murder, One Thousand and One Nights, Persian, Relationships, Romance

Once Upon An Alphabet: Short Stories For All The Letters

once upon an alphabetThere is a unique story for every letter of the alphabet in this clever large-format book. A is about an astronaut named Edmund who has a fear of heights. B’s story is about battling Bernard and Bob who burned the bridge between them and learned an important lesson. E’s enigma asks how many elephants can you fit inside an envelope? A nun reveals the answer in N – nearly nine thousand, but it depends on the size of the envelope. Edmund the astronaut appears again in Z for zeppelin, where he drives a steady four feet from the ground. Offbeat wordplay and quirky drawings created with ink and spots of color added digitally enrich this sophisticated alphabet book. mjw
Title: Once Upon An Alphabet: Short Stories For All The Letters
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Illustrator
: Oliver Jeffers
Publisher
: Philomel Books
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: English 
Original Publisher
: Harper Collins, U.K.
Original Copyright
: 2014
ISBN
: 978-0-399-16791-1
Hardcover pages
: 112
Age range
: 5-12
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Born in Australia.  Bred in Belfast, Ireland
Author’s residence
: Brooklyn, U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Born In Australia.  Bred in Belfast, Ireland
Illustrator’s residence
: Brooklyn, U.S.
Awards
: 2015 CBI Book of the Year Award and Children’s Choice Award (Ireland), 2015 ALA Notable Books for Children
Subjects
: Alliteration, Alphabet, Letters, Short stories

Moribito: Guardian Of The Spirit

Moribito Guardian of the spiritBalsa is a formidable warrior. After she saves the Second Prince of New Yogo, Chagum, from an attempt on his life, the Second Queen hires Balsa to protect her son. The eleven year old second prince is the guardian of the water spirit, the Moribito. The Moribito is chosen every hundred years to deliver the egg of the water spirit to its home. Although Balsa realises taking the assignment puts herself in danger, Balsa’s heart empathizes with the innocent Chagum, and she vows to protect his life. This thrilling fantasy story based on Japan during the Middle Ages told in third person narrative from multiple viewpoints will captivate readers. Uehashi’s writing demonstrates that characters’  motives, desires, and actions do not always align. Moreover, this book illustrates  how differences in politics, traditions, histories, ethnicities and beliefs can impact people’s thoughts and actions.This English translated edition also features black and white action packed illustrations at the beginning of each part of the book, a glossary of character names, a list of places and terms, and a note from the author. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is the first book in a ten book fantasy series. There is also a manga series, and a subtitled and dubbed anime series in English based on the book series.      ema
Title: Moribito: Guardian Of The Spirit
Author: Nahoko Uehashi
Illustrator: Yuko Shimizu
Publisher
: Scholastic
Copyright
: 2009
Original Language
: Japanese
Translator
: Cathy Hirano
Original Title
: Seirei no Moribito
Original Publisher: Kaisei-sha
Original Copyright
: 1996
ISBN
: 978-0545005432
Paperback pages
:  288
Age range
: 12 up
Genre
: Fantasy
Book setting
: Middle Ages Japan
Author’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Author’s residence
: Japan
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence
: New York
Awards
: 1997 Sankei Children’s Book Award, 2009 Batchelder Award, 2009 Beacon Award, 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing 
Subjects
: Displaced indigenous people, Family, Fantasy, Fathers, Fiction, Friends, Japan,  Middle Ages, Monsters, Mothers, Princes, Religious tolerance, Spirits,Traditions, Water Spirits

A Moment Comes

a moment comesSet preceding the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan, this story of turmoil and politics is told from the alternating points of view of three very different narrators. Margaret is a privileged British girl, living in India because her father is one of the cartographers finalizing the borders that will divide the country into two separate religious states. She is spoiled and finds India hot, loud, and dangerous, but is enthralled by the culture. Anupreet, a beautiful Sikh girl, once confined to her home to protect her from violent angry men, is employed as a maid for Margaret’s family, where her family believes she will be safe. Eighteen-year-old Tariq, a Muslim, hired as a translator for Margaret’s father, is caught between his forbidden interest in Anupreet and Margaret, who might be able to help with his goal of studying at Oxford. It is a dark and violent time, when no one is safe. Ultimately, 10 to 14 million people in India relocated and over one million died as a result. The time of Partition is underexplored in Western literature, especially in young adult historical fiction. A Glossary defines words used in the book and also mentions places and foods.   An Author’s Note offers even more information and details Bradbury’s connection to India. mjw
Title: A Moment Comes
Author: Jennifer Bradbury
Publisher
: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster, New York
Copyright
: 2013
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-4169-7876-3
Hardcover pages
: 288
Age range
: 12 up
Genre
: Historical fiction
Book setting
: Jalandhar, India
Author’s ethnicity
: U.S.
Author’s residence
: U.S.  Author has lived in India.
Awards: 2014 South Asia Book Award
Subjects
: Culture, Household employees, India, Muslims, Pakistan, Partition 1947, Punjabi, Radcliffe Line, Sikhs, Tolerance

Written In The Stars

Written in the StarsPakistani-American Naila is a graduating senior at her high school in Florida. She has a college scholarship to become a medical student and she is in love with a wonderful boy named Saif. She has to keep Saif a secret from her conservative immigrant parents. They want what they think is best for her and the choosing of her husband is left up to them with no input from her. But they do find out and they are furious. They whisk her off to Pakistan to find her roots and a husband. Naila has to endure so much – terror, anguish, and loneliness. Everything she knew, loved, and dreamed was taken from her. She is drugged, threatened with shame and death, and coerced into an unwanted, forced marriage. Naila’s first person account of the Pakistan world – huge families, marketplaces, homes, buses, and cuisine – add an extra dimension to this heart-wrenching, but ultimately hopeful novel. A touching Author’s Note explains the difference between arranged and forced marriages and that forced marriages can happen in any country, culture, or religion. Though they are opposed everywhere, they are real and dangerous. Also included are a Glossary and Resources for advice and help. mjw

Title: Written In The Stars
Author: Aisha Saeed
Publisher
: Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, New York
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-399-17170-3
Hardcover pages
: 284
Age range
: 14 up
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Pakistan and Florida
Author’s ethnicity
: Pakistani-American
Author’s residence
: U.S.
Subjects
: Arranged marriages, Dating, Forced marriages, Love stories, Marriage, Pakistani-Americans, Relationships.

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

Boy who harnessed the windFourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s village in Malawi was hit by a drought in 2001 and 2002. Everyone’s crops failed and Malawi began to starve. William went to the community library, studied old science textbooks, and taught himself English so that he could build a windmill. Those around him thought he was crazy as he turned junkyard scraps into a working windmill that brought electricity to his home and water to his village. The stunning oil paint and cut paper illustrations, which are inspired by African artisan paintings, inform and entertain in this uplifting and inspiring true story about a family banding together to overcome adversity and a young boy becoming a man of science. An author’s note provides a photograph and more information on Kamkwamba’s “Green Machine.” He is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and hopes to return to Malawi to work on renewable energy. This is the picture book edition of the original adult book and the 2015 middle grade edition of the same title. mjw
Title: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Author: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Illustrator
: Elizabeth Zunon
Publisher
: Dial Books for Young Readers, New York
Copyright
: 2012
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-8037-3511-8
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 6-8
Genre
: Picture book, Biography
Book setting
: Malawi, Africa
Author’s ethnicity
: Malawi born
Author’s residence
: U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Grew up on the Ivory Coast
Illustrator’s residence
: U.S.
Awards
: 2013 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, 2013 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books
Subjects
: Ecology, Electric power production, English language learning, Famine, Hunger, Irrigation, Libraries, Mechanical engineers, Recycling, Self-empowerment, Windmills

Nine Open Arms

Nine Open ArmsA family of nine – three sisters, four brothers, their ever-optimistic father, and their strong-tongued grandmother Oma Mei – move into a run-down, mysterious brick house outside a small village in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands, in 1937. The house stands as long as nine open arms. The first and third parts of the story are narrated by eleven-year-old Fing, who tells of their new school, her father’s money-making schemes, family relationships, “tragical tragedy”, and the mysterious button-chewer, Oompah Hatsi. The middle part, narrated by Oma Mei, is set in the 1860s, and tells the story of the lovers Charley Bottletop and Nienevee, the traveler girl. By the end of this unique Dutch import, all the secrets are revealed and they neatly and believably click into place. Some Dutch words have been left untranslated and are defined in a Slang Words and Character List. A Map and Translator’s Note are also included in this well-crafted, challenging, and quirky story about storytelling. mjw
Title: Nine Open Arms
Author: Benny Lindelauf
Illustrator
: Dasha Tolstikova
Publisher
: Enchanted Lion Books, New York
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: Dutch
Translator
: John Nieuwenhuizen
Original Title
: Negen Open Armen
Original Publisher
: Em. Querido’s Uitgeverij B.V.
Original Copyright
: 2004
ISBN
: 978-1-59270-146-9
Hardcover pages
: 264
Age range
: 9 up
Genre
: Historical fiction, Mystery
Book setting
: Limburg, The Netherlands
Author’s ethnicity
: Dutch
Author’s residence
: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Translator’s ethnicity
: Dutch
Translator’s residence
: Australia
Awards
: 2015 Mildred L. Batchelder Award
Subjects
: Dwellings, Family life, Grandmothers, Mystery, Romanies, Single-parent families, Sisters

Soccer Star

Soccer StarIn an impoverished favela in Brazil, young Felino’s enthusiasm for soccer is infectious. He works on a fishing boat and visits his friends, who also cannot attend school because they must work to support their families. His little sister Maria longs to play soccer with Felino’s team, but their rule is no girls. But when the team’s goalie injures his wrist, they call Maria from the sidelines. No “useless old rule” will keep his team of hopeful soccer stars from a win. Digitally colored drawings dramatically portray the Brazilian setting in this uplifting story. Portuguese words are smoothly integrated and are easy to translate through context. This is a timely picture book, since the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be held in Brazil. mjw
Title: Soccer Star
Author: Mina Javaherbin
Illustrator
: Renato Alarcao
Publisher
: Candlewick Press,  Somerville, Massachusetts
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-7636-6056-7
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 5-8
Genre
: Picture book
Book setting
: Brazil
Author’s ethnicity
: Iranian
Author’s residence
: California, U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Brazilian
Illustrator’s residence
: Brazil
Subjects
: Brazil, Brothers and sisters, Poverty, School, Sexism, Soccer, Sports

In The Forbidden City

In the forbidden cityAccompanied by a mischievous cat, readers will tour the Forbidden City, which was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. Intricately detailed, delicate line drawings of buildings, gardens, courtyards, emperors, empresses, and even modern-day tourists illustrate exciting tales of architecture, history, and art. Engaging text, fun cartoons, and dialog bubbles present 600 years of Chinese rulers, including Empress Dowager Cixi, the powerful and charismatic woman who controlled the Manchu Qing dynasty for 47 years. Relevant information about events in the world at large is included to provide historical context. For example, the Garden of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity was completed in 1776, the same year as another big event – the creation of the United States of America. Several grand foldout spreads emphasize the size of the 178 acre complex, and a plastic magnifying glass is wisely provided for spending hours scrutinizing the wealth of visual detail. mjw
Title: In the Forbidden City
Author: Chiu Kwong-Chiu
Illustrator
: Design and Cultural Studies Workshop
Publisher
: China Institute in America, New York
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: Chinese
Translator
: Ben Wang
ISBN
: 978-0-9893776-0-7
Hardcover pages
: 52
Age range
: 9 up
Genre
: Nonfiction picture book
Book setting
: Beijing, China
Author’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Author’s residence
: Hong Kong
Subjects
: Architecture, Art, Emperors, Empresses, Forbidden City, History, Palaces

The Dinner That Cooked Itself

Dinner that cooked itselfLong ago in ancient China, respectful and hardworking Tuan longed for a wife. However, the matchmaker’s suggestions were all unsuitable, either because of clashing zodiac symbols or unsimilar backgrounds. One evening, Tuan discovered a large snail. He took pity on it and took it home. The next night, when he returned home from working in his field, a delicious dinner was waiting for him. This happened night after night. Tuan learned that the mystery cook was White Wave, who was sent by the Lord of Heaven to look after him until he married. The mixed media, textured illustrations in an earthy muted palette are enchanting. Chinese calligraphy appears above certain animals and objects in the story. A note on Chinese calligraphy completes this picture book, which is based on a Chinese folktale that proposes that hard work will result in good fortune. mjw
Title: The Dinner That Cooked Itself
Author: J.C. Hsyu
Illustrator
: Kenard Pak
Publisher
: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Ltd., London
Copyright
: 2104
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-909263-41-3
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 5-7
Genre
: Picture book
Book setting
: Ancient China
Author’s ethnicity
: Taiwan born
Author’s residence
: San Francisco, California
Illustrator’s residence
: San Francisco, California
Subjects
: Calligraphy, China, Chinese characters, Chinese zodiac, Folklore, Kindness, Snails, Tales

A Good Home for Max

A Good Home for MaxAt night, Tabi, a kind-hearted little mouse, tidies the little toyshop where he lives. He worries about his best friend, Max the Dog, who never gets taken by a customer to a new home. Barnaby the Elephant, Gemma the Giraffe, Clarence the Bear, and the other toys all find good homes with a child to play with and a family to love. Since Max is always kept behind, Tabi decides to help Max find a good home. He tries every trick he knows. Finally, he notices something different. Max is gone. He sneaks on to the toyshop’s delivery truck and discovers that Max has a new home – across the street from the toyshop. And they remain best friends. The patterned, muted-color, paper-craft illustrations have many French words in signs and labels that add to this charming story about friendship. mjw
Title: A Good Home for Max
Author: Junzo Terada
Illustrator
: Junzo Terada
Publisher
: Chronicle Books, San Francisco, California
Copyright
: 2014
Original Language
: Japanese
Original Title
: Tabi no zakkaya (Tabi’s General Store)
Original Publisher
: Gakushu Kenkyusha
Original Copyright
: 2005
ISBN
: 978-1-4521-2702-6
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 3-5
Genre
: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Author’s residence
: Osaka, Japan
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence
: Osaka, Japan
Subjects
: Dogs, Friendship, Mice, Soft toys, Retail stores, Toys