Tag Archives: Nature

The Jasmine Sneeze

Leave a reply

Haroun is a happy cat living in Damascus, Syria.  He loves lazing and sleeping on the marble floor next to the fountain in his favorite courtyard.  But Haroun has a problem.  The fragrance of the beautiful jasmine flowers causes him to sneeze.  He decides to eradicate the problem by putting old fish skeletons, chicken bones, and other stinky smells into the jasmine tree pots. However, the jasmine spirit is watching his every move.  She is not happy and so she counter attacks Haroun in a funny way.  Haroun learns his lesson and peace returns to Damascus.  The illustrations are bright and cheery.  An author’s note explains more about Damascus, the City of Jasmine.  mjw

Title: The Jasmine Sneeze Author: Nadine Kaadan Illustrator: Nadine Kaadan Publisher: Lantana Publishing, Ltd. Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd. United Kingdom Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-1-911373-31-5 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Damascus, Syria Author’s ethnicity: Syrian Author’s residence: United Kingdom Illustrator’s ethnicity: Syrian Illustrator’s residence: United Kingdom Subjects: Cats, Flowers, Jasmine

Patience, Miyuki

Leave a reply

A young Japanese girl Miyuki anxiously awaits spring with her grandfather.  One sleepy flower doesn’t bloom and Miyuki goes in search of the finest water to awaken the precious and delicate flower.  Her grandfather suggests that she just sit in the sunshine with him and watch and wait.  The magical illustrations with bold origami floral patterns are rendered in watercolor and colored pencils.  They invite children to pay attention to the natural world. mjw

Title: Patience, Miyuki Author: Roxane Marie Galliez Illustrator: Seng Sound Ratanavanh Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press. New York Copyright: 2019 Original Language: French Original Title: Attends Miyuki Original Publisher: De La Martiniere Jeunesse. Paris Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-1-61689-843-4 Hardcover pages: 28 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Japan Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Saint-Etienne, France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: Paris, France Subjects: Flowers, Gardens, Grandfathers, Kindness, Patience, Spring, Water

Koala

Leave a reply

Beautiful watercolor illustrations and interesting text introduce young readers to koalas.  Baby koalas are called joeys.  They drink milk in their mothers’ pouches.  The koala in this story gets swatted from his mother’s pouch because it is time for him to find his own way, forage for food, and escape from predators.  Factual material is included in smaller print.  The last page of the book contains even more information about koalas. The book concludes with an index. mjw

Title: Koala Author: Claire Saxby Illustrator: Julie Vivas Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5362-0896-2 Paperback pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book Book setting: Australia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Melbourne, Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian Illustrator’s residence: Sydney, Australia Subjects: Australia, Eucalypts, Koalas, Marsupials, Zoology

Hello, Crow!

Leave a reply

Franny is a dreamer. Her dad calls her Franny Featherhead. She loves listening to the cries of the birds in the branches outside.  To her, every bug, every leaf, and every petal is shimmering with wonder. She meets a crow that brings her presents in its beak.  Her dad doesn’t believe that she can have a crow as a friend, so she takes him out to her favorite spot to wait for the crow, to prove that they are friends. Information about crows is included in this fun story illustrated with vivid drawings. mjw

Title: Hello, Crow! Author: Candace Savage Illustrator: Chelsea O’Byrne Publisher: Greystone Kids Books Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77164-444-0 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Saskatchewan, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Vancouver, Canada Subjects: Animal behavior, Birds, Crows, Outdoor activities, Self-esteem

Panthera Tigris

Leave a reply

A highly educated scientist whose knowledge is astounding realizes that he knows nothing about Bengal tigers.  He reads every book about tigers that he can find and concludes that he must travel to the Indian jungle to learn more.  After his long journey, he asks a local hunter to be his guide.  He proceeds to tell the guide all he knows about tigers. He doesn’t stop talking and the guide never gets a word in.  When confronted by a magnificent tiger, the guide climbs the nearest tree and the scientist learns that the guide’s practical experience is best.  The tale is inspired by Swami Prajnanpad, a modern Indian guru and philosopher (1891-1974).  Fine lined drawings splashed with greens, browns, and neon orange complement the humorous text.  They include complicated diagrams and anatomical details. mjw

Title: Panthera Tigris Author: Sylvain Alzial Illustrator: Helene Rajcak Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2019 Original Language: French Translator: Vineet Lal and Sarah Ardizzone Original Title: Panthera Tigris Original Publisher: Rouergue. Paris Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-0-802855299 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Born in Monaco Author’s residence: Paris Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: Paris Subjects: Bengal tigers, Humor, Scientific expeditions

The Dot (The Dot That Couldn’t Sit Still)

Leave a reply

Once upon a time there was a dot in the big broad universe.  One day, it gets tired of sitting still and starts to move around. The dot meets other dots and together they make shapes – squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles.  The shapes realize they can make a house. They are amazed by what they can make if they work together – highrises, the sun, the moon, and even a boy, a girl, and a cat.  The brief text is accompanied by stark black and white drawings with bright red, yellow, and orange accents.  The book is a celebration of creativity. mjw

Title: The Dot Author: Gulnar Hajo Illustrator: Gulnar Hajo Publisher: Darf Children’s Books. London Copyright: 201 Original Language: Arabic Translator: Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp Original Title: Hekayat Nuqta’ala dafter abyadh Original Publisher: Bright Fingers Publishing House. Damascus, Syria Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-1-85077-329-0 Paperback pages: 20 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Syrian Author’s residence: Istanbul Illustrator’s ethnicity: Syrian Illustrator’s residence: Istanbul Subjects: Creativity, Shapes, Universe

The Forest

Leave a reply

This beautiful book is for those who are captivated by a walk in the forest.  The open-ended mystery of what lies beyond the forest is achieved through bold illustrations, embossing, die cuts, and gatefolds.  The elaborate embossed images show first a baby, then a young child, and on through to an old, wrinkled face.  New greenery grows from lines in the landscape.  This stunning work of art is about the adventure of life. mjw

Title: The Forest Author: Riccardo Bozzi Illustrator: Violeta Lopiz and Valerio Vidali Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York Copyright: 2018 Original Language: Italian Translator: Debbie Vidali Original Title: La Foresta Original Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-1-59270-218-3 Paperback pages: 72 Age range: 10 up Genre: Picture Book, Information Book Author’s ethnicity: Italian Author’s residence: Italy Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish – Lopiz, Italian – Vidali Illustrator’s residence: Ibiza, Spain.  Berlin Awards: A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2018 Subjects: Allegory, Explorers, Forests and forestry, Metaphysical, Natural world, Paper engineering, Toy book

Milky Way

Leave a reply

In the remote mountains of Ladakh in India, Tashi is worried about his friend the roly-poly moon.  The moon always gives him “a special smile-eyes closed and no teeth showing,” But every night, the moon gets smaller and smaller until it eventually disappears.  Tashi thinks this is because the moon doesn’t get enough milk to drink.  So Tashi leaves a tall glass of milk on the window sill every night for the moon, and little by little the moon gets its full round shape back with its special smile.  Tashi’s grandma explains the phases of the moon.  Bold, colorful illustrations enhance the fun story.  A glossary of Ladakhi words and a note about Ladakh is included.  A lesson plan can be downloaded from the Yali Books website. mjw

Title: Milky Way Author: Mamta Nainy Illustrator: Siddhartha Tripathi Publisher: Yali Books.  New York Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-9890615-6-8 Hardcover pages: 44 Age range: 4-6 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Ladakh, India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: New Delhi Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: Ahmedabad Subjects: Buddhism, Culture, Himalayas, Moon, Tibet

Birdsong

Leave a reply

In spring, Katherena and her mother pack up their belongings and move from their home in the city by the sea.  Their new home sits on a hill overlooking a field and another home.  An older woman named Agnes lives in that home.  In summer, Katherena visits Agnes, whose yard is filled with berries, flowers, and birds.  In fall, Katherena visits Agnes again and again and they talk about the moon and the seasons.  In winter, it’s harder for Agnes to get around and Katherena draws pictures.  In the next spring, Agnes has grown weaker and Katherena decorates Agnes’s room with all of her drawings.  The textured illustrations in this book were rendered in TBC.  They warmly depict the story of a young girl and an elderly woman who share their love of nature and art.  A glossary explains Cree words that are integrated into the text. mjw

Title: Birdsong Author: Julie Flett Illustrator: Julie Flett Publisher: Greystone Books Ltd. Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77164-473-0 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 3-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Cree-Metis Author’s residence: Vancouver, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Cree-Metis Illustrator’s residence: Vancouver, Canada Awards: 2020 ALA American Indian Literature Award, 2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List Subjects: Emotions, Indigenous, Intergenerational friendship, Nature, Seasons

The Color Of The Sun

Leave a reply

This story takes place in one day of Davie’s life in Tyneside, his small town home.  He takes off on a journey after what appears to be the murder of a boy he knows.  Half real and half imagined, he meets characters from his town, which has rival gangs,. Davie thinks he knows who the murderer is.  As the story progresses, it gets harder to fathom what is real.  The ending is brilliant and leaves readers feeling positive and hopeful.  The book is beautifully written. mjw

Title: The Color Of The Sun Author: David Almond Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group. U.K. Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0785-9 Hardcover pages: 224 Age range: 12 up Genre: Fiction, Fantasy Book setting: England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K. Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Medal, Carnegie Medal Subjects: Adventure, Coming of Age, Death and dying, Violence, Young adult boys

The Elephant

Leave a reply

The illustrations of the elephants in this book are done in watercolor, acrylic, pencil, and crayon. They are accurate, strikingly detailed, and beautifully rendered.  They make the book!   Here, we join a young boy as he learns interesting facts about Asian and African elephants.  Elephants are intelligent and have amazing memories and excellent hearing.  They walk on their tip-toes and are either right-tusked or left-tusked.  Tusks can be as long as two seven-year-old children from toe to toe.  An introductory note describes modern threats to elephants and a map shows where these fascinating animals live today. mjw

Title: The Elephant Author: Jenni Desmond Illustrator: Jenni Desmond Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books.  New York Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-59270-264-0 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Nonfiction, Information book Author’s ethnicity: British Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s ethnicity: British Illustrator’s residence: London Subjects: Africa, African elephants, Asiatic elephants, India, Zoology

The Whale The Sea And The Stars

Leave a reply

Gerda the blue whale listens to her mother’s beautiful song.  She sings that if Gerda ever gets lost, she should look to the stars and they would guide her.  When Gerda leaves home, she travels from warm equatorial waters to freezing polar waters. She meets penguins, a grouchy octopus, seagulls, orcas, a polar bear, and a narwhal.  Gerda wants to stop traveling and find a special place of her own. She eventually hears someone singing her mother’s song.  It is Lars, her brother.  She has found the most beautiful bay filled with more and more whales: Beluga whales and grey whales, beaked whales and bowhead whales, humpback whales and right whales, all living happily.  She knows her journey is over.  The luminous illustrations were drawn by hand on a graphics tablet and finished using natural color palettes and textures. mjw

Title: The Whale The Sea And The Stars Author: Adrian Macho Illustrator: Adrian Macho Publisher: Floris Books, Edinburgh Copyright: 2019 Original Language: Czech Translator: Peter Kavecky Original Title: Gerda Prise Velryby Original Publisher: Albatros Media A.S. Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-178250-559-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Slovak Author’s residence: Bratislava, Slovakia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Slovak Illustrator’s residence: Bratislava, Slovakia Subjects: Marine life, Narwhal, Penguins, Polar bears, Stars, Whales