#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?

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The 2023 Eisner Nominees

Looking to dip your toe into the ocean of new graphic novels (in translation) for children and young adults? Reading the Eisners is the perfect approach. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are the comic kingdom’s equivalent of the Oscars, with the winners announced annually at San Diego Comic Con. Children’s graphic novels in translation appear in the obvious … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The 2023 Eisner Nominees

Holland 🇳🇱: The Tree and The Vine by Dola de Jong, tr. by Kristen Gehrman

In a Nutshell: First published in Dutch in 1954, The Tree and The Vine was regarded as groundbreaking and controversial. I read about this book, along with Nine Moons thanks to the wonderful online magazine, Words without Borders. Set in Amsterdam in 1938, the novel explores the tumultuous relationship between two very different women. In the shadow of the Nazi … Continue reading Holland 🇳🇱: The Tree and The Vine by Dola de Jong, tr. by Kristen Gehrman

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Blue Wings by Jef Aerts

Shortlisted for the 2021 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated YA Book Prize "You're Jadran's guardian angel," Mom had told me when I was only eight..."If your brother's having problems, you have to help him.""Jadran is a giant," I said. "How am I supposed to help him?""You're a giant too," Mom said. "A little giant … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Blue Wings by Jef Aerts