Translator Tara Chace discusses Angryman, her work as a translator, and the “Nordic” sensibility in children’s books. NorthSouth Books: What languages do you translate, and how did you become a book translator? Do you work on adult as well as children’s literature? TC: I translate Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish. I suppose I took a unique … Continue reading In Translation: A Powerful Norwegian Picture Book Comes to America
How sweet is a picture book where the villain gets foiled *and* gets mooncakes? Happy Mid-Autumn Festival is that book. Ssshhh, don’t spoil the ending like I just did. To savor thoroughly, read aloud with a toddler-through-early elementary student who, at first glance, sees nothing more than a book about a holiday. Ho-hum. Your young … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival
Siba and Saba lose things every day – sweaters, slippers, sandals, a sash, a shawl; lots of things that start with ‘s’, in fact. Thankfully, they don’t lose each other! The sisters find the things they have lost in their dreams. As the story progresses, however, so do their dreams. Siba and Saba no longer … Continue reading Sleep Well, Siba and Saba
Beatrice Alemagna has written so many brilliant picture books! My personal favourites include The Marvellous Fluffy Squishy Itty Bitty and A Lion in Paris, and this one: On a Magical Do-Nothing Day. The theme of technology vs. nature, in particular, really strikes a chord with me. The storyline is simple: It’s a rainy day and a young boy and his mother … Continue reading On a Magical Do-Nothing Day
In many parts of the world, the summer holidays are over. September marks the beginning of a new term and the first day of primary school for a whole intake of young children. It can be a daunting and exciting time for new pupils. And for their parents and caregivers too! Books can be a … Continue reading World Back-to-School Books
As I mentioned in my introductory post, I am currently researching, reading and reviewing picture books from every country in the world. When I am looking for titles from a new destination, I often find a wealth of interesting material about the children’s publishing scene in that country. Most of this information is online and … Continue reading Slovenian Picture Books
Valdemar is a young wolf who absolutely hates peas. The problem is his papa won’t give him an ice cream until he’s eaten them. What will he do? Yuck! Peas ‘taste so green and round and pointless’. Valdemar may hate peas with a passion, but he loves fish fingers; he wolfs them down – whole … Continue reading Valdemar’s Peas
The Dot by Gulnar Hajo was originally published in Arabic by Bright Fingers Publishing House in Syria. The English translation by literary translator Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp is available through Darf Children’s Books, an independent children’s publisher based in the UK. The Dot opens, appropriately enough, with a dot, a mere speck in the big broad universe. This … Continue reading The Dot
A young girl asks a lion to accompany her on the long walk home from school. On the way, we learn about the hardships facing her and her family and her unique way of dealing with them. This is one of those wonderful picture books where words and illustrations combine to create a story of … Continue reading Walk with Me
September is #WorldKidLit month, a celebration of children’s literature from around the world, with a focus on diverse books and books in translation. I am excited to have been asked to contribute to the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative site this month and look forward to sharing my passion for global children’s literature with you. … Continue reading A Celebration of World Kid Lit!
