Tag Archives: Language

Dancing The Tinikling

Dancing the TiniklingJojo is learning to dance between two worlds. His grandmother, who learned the tinikling in the Philippines and now lives in America, encourages him to dance to the bamboo beat. She teaches the dance at the cultural center. He finds it difficult at first, but eventually, he “spins and hops to the rhythm of his life,” jumping between the two clapping bamboo poles. Ample use of onomatopoeia with the clapping, clicking, and tapping of the bamboo poles and Tagalog words are integrated into the music of this festive story. At the end of the book, there is more information about the dance, which will inspire Americans of all cultures to appreciate the Filipino national dance. mjw
Title: Dancing The Tinikling
Author: Bobbie Peyton
Illustrator
: Diobelle Cerna
Publisher
: Sleeping Bear Press. Ann Arbor, Michigan
Copyright
: 2023
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1534111967
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 5-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Filipino
Author’s residence
: Oregon, USA
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Filipino
Illustrator’s residence
: Philippines
Subjects
: Asian-American, Dance, Filipino Americans. Food, Grandmothers, Grandparents, Music, Tagalog, Tinikling

Maya And Her Friends: A Story About Tolerance And Acceptance To Support The Children of Ukraine

Maya

The author wrote this book while hiding in Kyiv near the beginning of the war in Ukraine. This is explained in an author’s note on the front end papers, which is written in both English and Ukrainian. The book is about nine-year-old Maya, who goes to school in Ukraine with her sixteen classmates. She introduces them and their teacher and tells their backgrounds and stories. We meet Hrystyna, who lives with her grandma and talks to her parents on Skype. We meet Tymko, whose mother plays the violin and her dad sings at the Opera House. Rayis is a Crimean Tatar, indigenous of Ukraine, and Petro is a Romani who has a huge family clan. Maya herself has two mums. Maya and her friends share an important message about love, respect, and what it means to be a family. The surrealistic illustrations in vivid colors enhance this interesting story about the resilience of the Ukrainian people. All proceeds from the book go to charities helping to protect the children of Ukraine. mjw

Title: Maya And Her Friends: A Story About Tolerance And Acceptance To Support The Children Of Ukraine
Author: Larysa Denysenko
Illustrator
: Masha Foya
Publisher
: Studio Press Books. London. An imprint of Bonnier Books
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: Ukrainian
Translator
: Burshtyna Tereshchenko
Original Publisher
: Vydavnytstvo
Original Copyright
: 2017
ISBN
: 978-1-80078-414-7
Hardcover pages
: 72
Age range
: 7-11
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Ukraine
Author’s ethnicity
: Ukrainian
Author’s residence
: Ukraine
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Ukraine
Illustrator’s residence
: Ukraine
Subjects
: Acceptance, Difference, Multiculturalism, Schools, Tolerance, War

Where We Live: Mapping Neighborhoods Of Kids Around the Globe

Where we LiveThis intriguing book is a fun look at sixteen children’s neighborhoods around the world. First, there is a helpful page with information about maps, compass roses, legends, and scale bars. Next, we meet the children and learn about their neighborhoods – where they live, go to school and play, what they eat, and sometimes their religions. Maps of each child’s neighborhood show important places, a legend, and some words from the child’s language. The places featured are the Cook Islands, Canada, the United States, Honduras, Venezuela, Antarctica, Spain, the Netherlands, Romania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Zambia, Pakistan, India, China, and Cambodia. Both small communities and big cities are included. Back matter provides activities, a glossary, an author’s note, a further-reading list, and an index. A world map with all the locations is presented on the endpapers. The digitally rendered artwork is perfect for the book. mjw
Title: Where We Live: Mapping Neighborhoods Of Kids Around The Globe
Author: Margriet Ruurs
Illustrator
: Wenjia Tang
Publisher
: Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1525-3013-77
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 7-10
Genre
: Information Book, Nonfiction
Book setting
: Sixteen locations around the world
Author’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Author’s residence
: British Columbia
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence
: New York City
Subjects
: Communities, Customs, Explorations, Human settlements, Mapping, Maps, Neighborhoods, Traditions

At The Drop Of A Cat

At the drop of a catThe French six-year-old narrator in this gorgeous picture book loves spending time in his Spanish grandfather’s incredible garden. The grandfather, Luis, left Spain because of the terrible war. He didn’t have a chance to be a kid, and he never learned to read and write. Together they watch birds. Luis speaks BIRD language. They also draw what they see in the magnificent garden. Luis is a great cook, too, making his house always smell good. Luis speaks in a vibrant and unique language, hence the title of the book, At the Drop of a Cat, and another phrase like “the apple of his pie.” At the end of the story, Luis gives his grandchild a guitar. Even though Luis cannot read or write, he imparts wonderful knowledge about nature and life to his grandchild. Dreamy, colorful, and rich, plant-filled pictures in watercolor and collage depict their natural world effectively. mjw
Title: At The Drop Of A Cat
Author: Elise Fontenaille
Illustrator
: Violeta Lopiz
Publisher
: Enchanted Lion Books. New York
Copyright
: 2023
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Karin Snelson and Emilie Robert Wong
Original Title
: Les poings sur les iles
Original Publisher
: Editions du Rouergue
Original Copyright
: 2011
ISBN
: 978-1-59270-382-1
Hardcover pages
: 36
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: France
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: Haute-Loire, France
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Illustrator’s residence
: Peru
Subjects
: Birds, Gardens, Grandfathers, Intergenerational, Multigenerational family life, Music

The Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga, Book One

The Barren groundsSeventh grader Eli and eighth grader Morgan are Indigenous foster children in this middle-grade First Nations fantasy. The children feel disconnected from their culture and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home. They find a secret portal in an unfinished attic that leads to another reality, Aski, with frozen, barren grounds. They meet Ochek, a hunter supporting his starving community. He teaches the children traditional ways, and together they embark on a mission to save Misewa. Engaging characters, life lessons, adventure, cliffhangers, evocative descriptions, and twists make this a compelling read about the importance of taking care of the land. “The land provides everything that anybody would need. If you take only what your need, the land renews itself so that it can provide more…In exchange, because we don’t really have anything the land wants, we honor it for what it gives us.” The book is reminiscent of The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. A map of the North Country and a Swampy Cree Glossary and Pronunciation Guide are included. mjw
Title: The Barren Grounds
Author: David A. Robertson
Publisher
: Puffin Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0735-2661-24
Paperback pages
: 256
Age range
: 10-17
Genre
: Fiction, Novel, Fantasy First Nations
Book setting
: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Author’s ethnicity
: Norway House Cree Nation
Author’s residence
: Winnipeg, Manitoba 
Awards
: Honor Book in the USBBY-CBC Outstanding International Trade Books, Robertson is a two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award
Subjects
: Cree culture, Fantasy, Folk tales, Foster homes, Indigenous stories, Myths, Chronicles of Narnia, Orphans, Traditions

Run, Little Chaski! An Inka Trail Adventure

Run Little Chaski

It is Little Chaski’s first day of delivering royal messages. He has to be strong, swift, and sharp. He gets his first mission from Queen Qoya. He is to take an important khipu (a knotted rope and thread recording system) to the King. He puts the khipu into his bag, called a ch’uspa. He runs off as fast as a puma. Along the way, he stops to help a chinchilla, a drowning allqu, and a trapped condor. When he finally gets to the temple and the King asks for the khipu, Little Chaski discovers that his ch’uspa is empty. But just then, his three grateful animal friends soar from the clouds and drop the message into Little Chaski’s hands. He is so relieved. The King tells him that his adventure was a test and since he was so kind along the way, he is now an official messenger – Big-Hearted Chaski. The colorful, bold illustrations in this engaging tale combine traditional Peruvian folk art techniques and digital media. A glossary of Quechua words, interesting information about the culture, history, and animals of the Inka, and a map of the Inka Empire at around 1525 CE further distinguish the storytelling. mjw

Title: Run, Little Chaski! An Inka Adventure
Author: Mariana Llanos
Illustrator
: Mariana Ruiz Johnson
Publisher
: Barefoot Books. Concord, MA
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: English. Also a Spanish edition.
ISBN
: 978-1-64686-164-4
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 3-7
Genre
: Picture Book, Historical Fiction, Information Book
Book setting
: Ancient Inka (Inca) Empire, Peru
Author’s ethnicity
: Peruvian
Author’s residence
: Oklahoma
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Peruvian
Illustrator’s residence
: Buenos Aires Argentina
Subjects
: Action, Ancient civilizations, Cultures, Incan Empire, Kindness, Multicultural, Peru, Peruvian tales, South America

Pablo Neruda Book of Questions

Pablo NerudaThis bilingual Spanish-English edition, the first illustrated selection of 70 questions from Pablo Neruda’s original poem (320 questions), The Book of Questions, is a glorious introduction to Neruda’s works for young children. “Why don’t they teach helicopters how to draw honey from the sun? How did the abandoned bicycle find its freedom? Does the earth chirp like a cricket in the symphony of the skies?” These are a few of the unanswerable imaginative questions posed in the text. The book is large and includes fold-out pages. Blues, reds, and yellows against black or white backgrounds created by pencil and ink have a folk art feel. This is a gorgeous book. mjw
Title:  Pablo Neruda Book Of Questions – Bilingual Spanish-English
Author: Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
Illustrator
: Paloma Valdivia
Publisher
: Enchanted Lion Books
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Sara Lissa Paulson
Original Title
: Libro de las Preguntas
Original Copyright
: 1974
ISBN
: 978-1-59270-322-7
Hardcover pages
: 80
Age range
: 5 up
Genre
: Picture Book, Poetry
Author’s ethnicity
: Chilean
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Chilean
Illustrator’s residence
: Santiago, Chile
Awards
: Nobel Prize in Literature 1971
Subjects
: Bilingual, Chilean, Hispanic, Imagination, Poetry, Questions, Spanish

Different: A Story Of The Spanish Civil War

DifferentSiblings, seven-year-old Socorro and nine-year-old Paco tell their story of Spain during the turbulent Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Fascist dictator Francisco Franco persecuted everyone who opposed him, and consequently, the children’s father had to flee Spain because of his political beliefs. The children and their mother remain in Spain and have to keep their secret. A letter arrives from their father in Venezuela that results in the family being reunited in Caracas, where they are still different but safe. Oil-pastel illustrations portray the worlds of the family. Based on the author’s family history, this middle-grade novel is supplemented with more information about Spain and the war, wartime refugees, a new life beyond Spain, and the lives of refugees today. A glossary of Spanish words and resources for children, young adults, and older readers are also included. mjw
Title: Different: A Story Of The Spanish Civil War
Author: Monica Montanes
Illustrator
: Evan Sanchez Gomez
Publisher
: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Lawrence Schimel
Original Title
: Los distintos
Original Publisher
: Ediciones Ekare. Barcelona, Spain
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5598-5
Hardcover pages
: 88
Age range
: 9-14
Genre
: Historical fiction
Book setting
: Spain, Venezuela
Author’s ethnicity
: Venezuelan
Author’s residence
: Madrid
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Illustrator’s residence
: Spain
Awards
: 2021 White Raven, 2023 Batchelder Award
Subjects
: Brothers and sisters, Caribbean and Latin America, Emigration and immigration, Military and wars, Refugees, Spain Civil War 1936-1939, Survival, Venezuela

A Story About Afiya

A Story About Afiya

Afiya has a white summer frock that becomes decorated each new day with memories of her childhood. First, sunflowers are imprinted on her frock. Then it has patterns of more flowers and butterflies. Every day the dress is cleared and ready for new images. Pigeons, tigers, and fishes also adorn Afiya’s magical dress as she dances across every page. The expressive earth tone and pastel colored art was rendered in mixed media and finished digitally. mjw

Title: A Story About Afiya
Author: James Berry (1924-2017)
Illustrator
: Anna Cunha
Publisher
: Lantana Publishing Ltd. London
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: English
Original Copyright
: 1991
ISBN
: 978-1-911373-33-9
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Jamaica
Author’s ethnicity
: Jamaican
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Brazilian
Awards
: 2021 USBBY Outstanding International Book
Subjects
: Childhood, Clothing, Dresses, Flowers, Swahili

Lands Of Belonging: A History of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Britain

Lands of BelongingPublished for the 75th anniversary of the Partition of India, this engaging book is an exploration of the history, achievements, and culture of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Britain. “This book aims to piece together how South Asian and British history are connected. You might find it interesting, surprising, and sometimes very sad – but for the people of South Asia, and for South Asians in Britain, the future is full of hope and excitement.” The book not only provides historical details but it also spotlights Indian cuisine, traditions, festivals, dances, sports, famous people, language, and more. Included are a table of contents, a calendar of celebrations, a timeline of events, a glossary, and an index. Glorious artwork brings each page to life in this beautiful information book. mjw
Title: Lands Of Belonging: A History Of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Britain
Author: Donna and Vikesh Amey Bhatt
Illustrator
: Salini Perera
Publisher
: Nosy Crow, London
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-83994-468-0
Hardcover pages
: 64
Age range
: 7-12
Genre
: Nonfiction, Information Book
Book setting
: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Britain
Author’s ethnicity
: East African (Vikesh)
Author’s residence
: London
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Born in Sri Lanka
Illustrator’s residence
: Toronto
Subjects
: Ancient empires, East India Company, Festivals, Food, Games, Holidays, Independence, Partition, World War I, World War II

My Name Is Bana

my name is bana

Seven-year-old Bana, a Syrian girl from Aleppo, took to Twitter to describe her war-torn home. In this picture book memoir, she offers her perspective on the war and being a refugee. She explains the origin of her name. Bana is a tall bushy tree that grows in Syria. Her father and mother wanted her to be strong just like the tree – being kind to others, standing up against injustice, and being brave in the face of fear. She also shows her strength by bringing joy to her brothers amidst bombings, starting over in a new country, and speaking to world leaders on behalf of Syrian refugee children. The illustrations rendered in acrylic paint and finished in procreate are emotional and bright. Arabic words are smoothly integrated into the text. An author’s note tells that the book is based on a true story. mjw

Title: My Name Is Bana
Author: Bana Alabed
Illustrator
: Nez Riaz
Publisher
: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1534412484
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture book, Autobiography
Book setting
: Syria and Turkey
Author’s ethnicity
: Syrian
Author’s residence
: Turkey
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Pakistani
Illustrator’s residence
: Boston, MA
Awards
: 2022 NCSS Notable Books
Subjects
: Autobiography, Biography, Children’s writings, Human rights, Refugee children, Syria – Civil War, Trees

The Library Bus

The Library Bus

Author Bahram Rahman grew up in Afghanistan during the civil war and Taliban regime of 1996-2001. His story was inspired by the first library bus in Kabul that brought books to girls in remote villages and refugee camps who had no other access to education. Five-year-old Pari is starting her first day as her mother’s helper on the library bus. The girls in the villages and camps are learning English, but Pari cannot even read or write in Farsi yet. She is lucky that she will attend school next year. Her mother had to learn in secret because not long ago, girls were forbidden to read. The captivating watercolor and digital media artwork portrays the girls’ smiling faces, the rich landscape of Afghanistan, and the power of education. Included are notes about refugee camps and the author’s experiences in Kabul. mjw

Title: The Library Bus
Author: Bahram Rahman
Illustrator
: Gabrielle Grimard
Publisher
: Pajama Press. Toronto
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-77278-101-4
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 5-8
Genre
: Picture book
Book setting
: Kabul, Afghanistan
Author’s ethnicity
: born in Kabul, Afghanistan
Author’s residence
: Ontario, Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: born in Montreal
Illustrator’s residence
: Canada
Awards
: 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award, 2021 Middle East Book Award Winner, 2021 Sout Asian Book Award – Highly recommended book
Subjects
: Books, Education, Libraries, Homelessness, Middle East, Poverty, Reading, Refugees