Welcome back to #WorldKidLit Month 2025. Today's post comes to us from Angie Erickson. Some books feel heavy because of what they hold. Mishka (2022), written by Edward van de Vendel and Anoush Elman, illustrated by Annet Schaap, and translated by Nancy Forest-Flier, feels light, even though it is about one of the heaviest things … Continue reading #WORLDKIDLIT MONTH 2025: HOPE HOPS IN ‘MISHKA’
#INTYALITMONTH: The Graphic Lord of the Flies
By Kim Tyo-Dickerson 70th Anniversary Graphic Novel Adaptation of Lord of the Flies by Aimée de Jongh: A Masterpiece Reimagined in English and Dutch What happens when a fictional group of British schoolboys crash-land on a deserted island with no adults, no rules, and no way out? Lord of the Flies is a gripping survival … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: The Graphic Lord of the Flies
#INTYALITMONTH: “Fight HATE. Make ART.” —Interview with Maria van Lieshout, Dutch American author.
By Kim Tyo-Dickerson and Maria van Lieshout Introduction It was a privilege to speak with author and illustrator Maria van Lieshout about her powerful Young Adult graphic novel debut, Song of a Blackbird / Het lied van de merel, a story that has already earned five starred reviews in the United States for its “exploration … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: “Fight HATE. Make ART.” —Interview with Maria van Lieshout, Dutch American author.
#WorldKidLitWednesday: Fast, Cheetah, Slow Tortoise: Poems of Animal Opposites
Up, down, over, under, open, close: learning opposites is an important piece of early childhood development. Learning opposites helps children learn not only vocabulary, but also develop observational skills, critical thinking, and a more concrete understanding of the world around them. Forthcoming this September from Eerdman's Books for Young Readers, Fast Cheetah, Slow Tortoise: Poems … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Fast, Cheetah, Slow Tortoise: Poems of Animal Opposites
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Bear Is Never Alone
A talented performer can certainly play to a crowd, but they may want to lead a quiet life once the show is over. Bear is a performer. He captivates the animals of the forest with his magnificent piano recital. So much so that, when he finishes his final piece, they want MORE—and they’re very vocal … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Bear Is Never Alone
#IntlYALitMonth Review: Girls
Review by Sietse Hagen Note: This review is based on the original Dutch text, De Meisjes: Zeven Sprookjes by Annet Schaap. A translation by Laura Watkinson was published in English by Pushkin Children's Books, under the title Girls. Seven girls, seven fairy tales, seven feminist retellings filled with Dutch culture. De Meisjes is an empowering … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Girls
#IntlYALitMonth Review: The Days of Bluegrass Love
Review by Abby Muth “I found myself yearning for a book that gave a visceral, first-person account of a love sparking between two boys. Until that point, the queer books I’d read—if I could even find any—had mostly been tragic: death and heartbreak were never far away. Now I wanted to write the kind of … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: The Days of Bluegrass Love
#TranslationThurs: The Discomfort of Evening, by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
Today, I go to a book from the Booker International list of 2020. I pick this as it was a book we all in the shadow Jury felt would be on the longlist. But I also have the last book from Lucas Rijneveld, as he is now called, as he was the first trans writer … Continue reading #TranslationThurs: The Discomfort of Evening, by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady
1808. The Napoleonic wars. In Ghent, a draft for the Emperor’s army is looming and the respectable Hoste family is in financial trouble. From the very first sentence, Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady is the engaging story of the two oldest Hoste siblings, 18-year-old Constance ("Stance") and her entitled 14-year-old brother Pieter (Piers), whom … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady
#Veganuary: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
By Frans de Waal Much of what we think we know about animals is based on myths that have been disproven by science a long time ago. We often believe humans are uniquely intelligent; we measure our importance by the very fact that we can use tools, communicate with each other, plan for the future … Continue reading #Veganuary: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
