As someone who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I have several memories of the earlier years of the AIDS epidemic. I still remember the news reports of gay men dying in large numbers, and learning about how HIV is spread—and how it is not. I also remember the death of Freddie Mercury (right … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Where We Go From Here
Catch That Chicken! is author Atinuke and illustrator Angela Brooksbank's latest collaboration since the adorable B is for Baby for beginner readers. Using a similarly vibrant illustrative style, the picturebook for ages 2-5 follows a little girl named Lami. She lives in a compound with a big baobab tree, a cattle pen, multiple houses and … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Catch That Chicken!
Books for young readers help shape children’s minds, attitudes, and viewpoints. Hence it’s crucial for young readers to have the opportunity to hear diverse voices from around the world. Today’s impressionable, thoughtful young minds need to be aware of important issues and acts of historical or social justice. Graphic Novels Maus: A Survivor’s Tale From … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Fighting the Good Fight: Social Justice in Children’s (Translated) Books and Graphic Novels
How do you feel about the presence of pigeons at your local park? Do you like how they fearlessly bob around your legs in search of food? Do you enjoy seeing them flock to a single spot to eat their crumbs? Or do you just try to stay out of their way like I do? … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Hugo
Long ago, animals and people from different clans lived together in the Kalahari. One of the clans was the San. The San men hunted with bows and arrows, while the women cooked food in clay pots that they made themselves. One day, a huge sandstorm came from the sky, and when it was over everything … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: !Qhoi n|a Tjhoi. Skilpad en Volstruis. Tortoise and Ostrich
“While countless women throughout history have made enormous contributions to the fields of science and technology, many of them, unfortunately, are not synonymous with the words “discovery” and “invention” in the minds of the general public.”Marie-Sophie Pawlak (President of "Elles bougent," the French society for the promotion of women in science) So reads the foreword … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Women Discoverers: Top Women in Science
Many of us are familiar with the tropes of Western fairy tales; somewhere in a far off place, there is a damsel in distress, a brave hero, and maybe a fantastical creature to boot. Something untoward then occurs, necessitating a rescue of some sort. There is maybe even some magic, or at least a supernatural … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Stone Giant
In two days, South Africa will observe Heritage Day, an annual reminder of the diversity of our people beyond our 11 official languages and ethnic groups. On this public holiday, people are encouraged to take pride in their roots and celebrate their ethnocultural heritage. In Wanda, a picture book for ages 4-8 by Sihle Nontshokweni … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Wanda
If only I were a bee, thinks the firefly.If only I were a spider, thinks the bee.Everybody wishes to be like somebody else sometimes --but we should never forget what makes us special.- If Only... Oh, to have wings like a butterfly, a joyful child with black braids and brown skin wishes, "Then I could … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – If Only… by Mies van Hout
Last night I provided shelter to a purring lady who entered my apartment through the attic window and, on being asked, informed me that she had once been a cat...- The Cat Who Came in Off the Roof No list of #DutchKidLit would be complete without Minoes or The Cat Who Came in Off the … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – The Cat who Came in off the Roof by Annie M.G. Schmidt
