by Wendell Ricketts In 2009, the mononymous Italian singer-songwriter known as Povia came within a hair’s breadth of winning that year’s Sanremo contest, the annual “festival of Italian song,” a much-celebrated competition named for the coastal town in Liguria where it takes place. Sanremo is sort of a cross between The Lawrence Welk Show and … Continue reading #ItalianLitMonth n.25: The Two Lucas
by Lori Hetherington The old woman finished peeling a chestnut and, after handing it to the youngest of her grandchildren, began to speak with her sweet voice and the pure accent of Tuscany’s mountain people… Stories told by an old grandmother exist in virtually every culture. Some are part of the oral tradition, some are … Continue reading #ItalianLitMonth n. 16: Translating Tuscan Tales
The month of December is often a month of gift-giving, what with the various holidays that take place during that time. Later this month I will be giving my nieces and nephews books for Christmas, as is my custom. I have been considering prospective books all year long and recently made my purchases from a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Lizard
What if you could stop time? Would it work? Would it even be a good idea? That is the core dilemma in The Casket of Time, an intricately plotted, carefully wrought, and beautifully translated book for YA readers by Icelandic author, poet and former presidential candidate Andri Snær Magnason. Made up of two interwoven stories … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: The Casket of Time
“High above the forest lives the wolf. An icy cry. Crazy eyes. We know to move our butts when the wolf comes down to eat.” What a start for a children’s book! And this one is excellent, a sly, societal commentary cleverly disguised as a book for children. In this hybrid picture book/graphic novel for … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: The Wolf in Underpants
Make way for a wonderful fairy tale for readers ages 6-10! Written by beloved Hungarian children’s author Ervin Lázár, Arnica, the Duck Princess features sumptuously colored, folk art illustrations by Jacqueline Molnár that make it both a satisfying read-aloud and read-alone book, bridging the gap between picture book and middle grade chapter book. Anna Bentley’s … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Arnica, the Duck Princess
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 