Boris Greycoat is a friendly, sophisticated young wolf who likes to meet people and try new foods. He, his father, a polymath (an expert in many things), and his mother, who gives warm, reassuring smiles, return to their Scottish homeland to save Drommuir Castle. The castle has been in the family for generations, and now it is being threatened by a dishonest developer who wants to build villas for vacation rentals. The refined wolf family stays in the exclusive Highland Hotel, visiting turreted castles and quaint shops. They learn about other cultures and enjoy delicious cakes. Their adventure is full of surprising discoveries, one of which leads to Drommuir Castle being saved. The book includes a family tree, a table of contents, a recipe for Boris’s bannocks, a detailed map of the wolf family’s ancestral Scotland, and humorous illustrated sidebar comments on wolfish etiquette. The brilliant, amusing pen and ink drawings are magnificent. Lucinda Gifford’s author website offers fun activities to go with the book. mjw |
| Title: The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall Author: Lucinda Gifford Illustrator: Lucinda Gifford Publisher: Kane Miller, a division of EDC Publishing Copyright: 2023 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Walker Books, Australia Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-1-68464-719-4 Paperback pages: 187 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Fiction, Humor, Fantasy Book setting: Scotland Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Melbourne, Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Melbourne, Australia Subjects: Acceptance, Architecture, Bannocks, Birds, Cakes, Castles, Dogs, Heroes, Nature preservation, Prejudices, Recipes, Vacations, Villians, Wolves |
Tag Archives: Travel
The Cricket War
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. mjw |
| Title: The Cricket War Author: Tho Pham and Sandra Mc Tavish Publisher: Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto Copyright: 2023 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5253-0655-6 Hardcover pages: 160 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Vietnam; Palawan, Philippines; Toronto, Canada Author’s ethnicity: Vietnamese Author’s residence: Ottawa, Canada (Pham), Madoc, Ontario (McTavish) Subjects: Asian- Canadian authors, Boat people, Diverse characters, Hunger, Loneliness, Immigration, Pirates, Refugee camps, Refugees, Survival, Vietnam |
I’ll See You In Ijebu
Eight-year-old Olu, a Catholic city girl from Lagos, Nigeria, Takes a trip to the country to visit her Muslim extended family in the town of Ijebu to celebrate Eid al-Adha. She enjoys the large family gatherings with their traditional foods, love-filled happy reunions, and games with the cousins. Fascinating back matter provides information about Nigeria (with maps), children’s games and music, Nigeria’s religions, bold, bright clothing, and favorite foods. A recipe for Bunmi’s famous puff puff is included. Yoruba language words, with pronunciation guides, are smoothly integrated into the story. Author’s and illustrator’s notes offer more intriguing details. The book’s vibrant digital artwork further distinguishes the poetic storytelling. mjw |
| Title: I’ll See You In Ijebu Author: Bunmi Emenanjo Illustrator: Diana Ejaita Publisher: Barefoot Books, Inc. Copyright: 2024 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-64686-844-5 Paperback pages: 32 Age range: 4-10 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Lagos, Nigeria Author’s ethnicity: Nigerian Author’s residence: Maryland, USA Illustrator’s ethnicity: Nigerian-Italian Illustrator’s residence: Berlin and Lagos Subjects: Africa, Catholic, Celebrations, Culture, Eid, Fashion, Food, Holidays, Nigeria, Multi-faith, Multi-generational, Music, Muslim, Recipes, Religions, Traditions |
Umbrella Over Berlin
![]() An umbrella goes to Berlin on holiday with its owner, Ed, but is left in the hotel because every day, the weather is sunny and warm. Ed visits the Brandenburg Gate, what’s left of the Berlin Wall. and the Holocaust Memorial. On the last day of the holiday, the umbrella rolls off the windowsill, pops open, and floats outside. The umbrella flies over all the sights Ed had talked about. It also flies over the Berlin Zoo, Central Square, and the Reichstag building. Later at the hotel, Ed and his umbrella are reunited and Ed says, “Well old sport, I guess you got to see Berlin after all!” The expressionistic paintings in mostly earth tones round out this fun story. mjw |
| Title: Umbrella Over Berlin Author: Cao Wenxuan Illustrator: Pan Jian and Pan Ying Publisher: Cardinal Media. Chicago, Illinois Copyright: 2021 Original Language: Chinese Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-64996-171-6 Hardcover pages: 22 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Berlin Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: China Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese Illustrator’s residence: China Awards: The author won the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award Subjects: Berlin, Sightseeing, Travel, Umbrellas |
On The Edge Of The World
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. mjw |
| Title: On The Edge Of The World Author: Anna Desnitskaya Illustrator: Anna Desnitskaya Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2023 Original Language: Russian Translator: Lena Traer ISBN: 978-0-8028-5612-8 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 7-11 Genre: Picture Book, flip-formatted Book setting: Russia, Chile Author’s ethnicity: Russian Author’s residence: Israel Illustrator’s ethnicity: Russian Illustrator’s residence: Israel Subjects: Asia, Beaches, Books, Central and South America, Culture, Dreams, Loneliness, Morse Code |
Comings And Goings
Six-year-old Alex, who lives in the North, is traveling all by himself to meet his grandparents, his aunt and uncle, and his cousins who live far away in the South. Every day, he gets up early to stuff his suitcase with books, games, gifts for the family, pictures he has drawn, clothing, beach gear, and some toys. Meanwhile, Grandpa Leander, Grandma Alexi, Aunt Sophie, Uncle Mike, and twins Sam and Tina get ready for Alex’s arrival by planning fun activities and projects, including a bicycle, a train set, Alex’s favorite fruits, a skateboard, plays to perform, and five boxes of shoes. The family paints a big “Welcome Alex” banner to greet Alex at the airport. Bold artwork rendered in colored pencil, collage, charcoal, and photographs rounds out this heartwarming story that is told in a dual narrative. Little compass roses on every page, marking North and South, indicate the point-of-view – Alex in the North and his extended family in the South. A world map enhances the book’s endpapers. mjw |
| Title: Comings And Goings Author: Anna Kontoleon and Manos Kontoleon (Father-daughter team) Illustrator: Fotini Tikkou Publisher: Star Bright Books, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts Copyright: 2021 Original Language: Greek Original Title: Pheugei erchetai Original Publisher: Kaleidoscope Publications Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-59572-920-0 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Greek Author’s residence: Athens, Greece Illustrator’s ethnicity: Greek Illustrator’s residence: Copenhagen, Denmark Subjects: Creativity, Distance, Extended families, Family relationships, Intergenerational, Self-confidence, Travel |
Tibbles The Cat
A curious house cat named Tibbles and her owner move across the world from England to a small island off the coast of New Zealand in 1894. The cat discovers a new, rare species of flightless birds – the Stephens Island Wren – that had been previously undescribed. Unfortunately, Tibbles causes the extinction of the bird by preying on it. This true story made a huge impact on the world by alerting humans to the dangers of introducing non-native animals to other parts of the world. Included are interesting facts about the bird and its discovery. The vintage-inspired illustrations, speech bubbles, and diagrams enhance this darkly comedic story that brings global awareness of the unintended consequences of human actions on the environment. mjw |
| Title: Tibbles The Cat Author: Michael Sanda Illustrator: David Dolensky Publisher: Albatros Media Group Copyright: 2023 Translator: Mark Worthington Original Publisher: Meander. Prague ISBN: 978-8000070056 Hardcover pages: 24 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book Book setting: New Zealand Author’s ethnicity: Czech Author’s residence: Prague, Czech Republic Illustrator’s ethnicity: Czech Illustrator’s residence: Prague, Czech Republic Subjects: Birds, Cats, Comics, Conservation, England, Extinction, Graphic novels, New Zealand, Ornithology, Stephens Island Wren, Zoology |
Heidi
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 |
| Title: Heidi Author: Johanna Spyri (1827-1901), Carole Aufranc Illustrator: Carole Aufranc Publisher: Bergli Books, an imprint of Helvetiq Sarl. Basel, Switzerland Copyright: 1880, 2023 Original Language: German in 1880, French in 2023 Translator: Anika K. Clausen Original Title: Heidi Original Copyright: 1880 ISBN: 978-3-0369-151-8 Hardcover pages: 48 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Switzerland, Germany Author’s ethnicity: Swiss Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swiss Illustrator’s residence: Switzerland Subjects: Alps, Domestic fiction, Germany, Goats, Grandfathers, Mountains, Orphans, Switzerland |
Berani
Thirteen-year-old bi-racial Malia lives in Indonesia with her Canadian mother. Since her Indonesian father died, her mother wants to return to Canada, but Malia wants to stay and continue her fight for the country’s rainforests. Indonesian Ari works in his uncle’s restaurant where the attractions are a mynah bird called Elvis Presley and an orangutan named Ginger Juice. Ari lives with his uncle so that he can attend an excellent middle school. He is worried that Ginger Juice lives in a too-small cage that is hurting her body and her mind and that her rainforest home is now a palm oil plantation. This story of animal activism in Indonesia is told from three perspectives – Mali, Ari, and even Ginger Juice. The engaging call to action shows readers that they, too, can change the world. The story will remind them of The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2012). A map of Indonesia appears at the beginning of the book. Backmatter includes a glossary, information about orangutans, an author’s note, and suggestions for how we can help. mjw |
| Title: Berani Author: Michelle Kadarusman Publisher: Pajama Press, Inc. Toronto, Ontario, Canada Copyright: 2022 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77278-260-8 Hardcover pages: 224 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction, Novel Book setting: Indonesia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Indonesia, Canada, Australia Awards: Author was a Governor General’s Award finalist Subjects: Activism, Animal rescue, Animal rights, Environmental responsibility, Indonesia, Orangutans, Palm oil plantations, Rainforests |
Boy From Berlin
It’s 1938 in pre-war Berlin. Eight-year-old Kafer and his Jewish family flee from their comfortable life to the safety of the shores of England and eventually to Canada. Kafer is a courageous and clever boy. The story is told from his perspective as he pieces together the horrors of World War II and helps his family escape. Based on real people and true facts, Kafer’s story is riveting and filled with interesting historical and geographical details. mjw |
| Title: Boy From Berlin Author: Nancy McDonald Publisher: Iguana Books. Canada Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77180-264-2 Paperback pages: 142 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Berlin, Holland, England Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Stratford, Ontario Subjects: Germany, Jewish fiction, Nazis, World War II |
Where We Live: Mapping Neighborhoods Of Kids Around the Globe
This 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 |
9 Kilometers
A young boy walks nine kilometers – over five-and-a-half miles – to school through the mountains and rainforests of Chile. He observes butterflies, birds, and animals, as he crosses a stream and crawls under a barbed wire fence. He likes to walk and count. Endpapers show maps of his route. An opening note explains a bit about the metric system. The vibrant and detailed illustrations are rendered in acrylics and show interesting perspectives in this important book about perseverance and the right to an education. Back matter tells of other walkers around the world – in China, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Kenya, Uruguay, Venezuela, and other parts of Chile. Some of them walk as much as 30 kilometers round-trip to get to school. Descriptions and photos of birds that live in southern Chile are also included. mjw |
| Title: 9 Kilometers Author: Claudio Aguilera Illustrator: Gabriela Lyon Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Copyright: 2023 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Lawrence Schimel Original Title: 9 Kilometros Original Publisher: Ediciones Ekare Sur,.Santiago, Chile. Original Copyright: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5600-5 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Chile Author’s ethnicity: Chilean Author’s residence: Chile Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chilean Illustrator’s residence: Chile Awards: 2021 White Ravens Catalog (Spanish edition) Subjects: Birds, Chile, Counting, Education, Global cultures, Journeys, Kilometers, Math, Numbers, Perseverance, Schools |


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
A curious house cat named Tibbles and her owner move across the world from England to a small island off the coast of New Zealand in 1894. The cat discovers a new, rare species of flightless birds – the Stephens Island Wren – that had been previously undescribed. Unfortunately, Tibbles causes the extinction of the bird by preying on it. This true story made a huge impact on the world by alerting humans to the dangers of introducing non-native animals to other parts of the world. Included are interesting facts about the bird and its discovery. The vintage-inspired illustrations, speech bubbles, and diagrams enhance this darkly comedic story that brings global awareness of the unintended consequences of human actions on the environment. mjw
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


A young boy walks nine kilometers – over five-and-a-half miles – to school through the mountains and rainforests of Chile. He observes butterflies, birds, and animals, as he crosses a stream and crawls under a barbed wire fence. He likes to walk and count. Endpapers show maps of his route. An opening note explains a bit about the metric system. The vibrant and detailed illustrations are rendered in acrylics and show interesting perspectives in this important book about perseverance and the right to an education. Back matter tells of other walkers around the world – in China, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Kenya, Uruguay, Venezuela, and other parts of Chile. Some of them walk as much as 30 kilometers round-trip to get to school. Descriptions and photos of birds that live in southern Chile are also included. mjw