Afiya is a young girl with "fine black skin" and "big brown eyes." Every day the world she sees and experiences leaves a beautiful imprint on her white summer dress: bunches of red roses one day, and butterflies, stalks and petals the next. The images remain—even after washing—until morning when, magically, the dress is again … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Story About Afiya
This book was an impulse buy at my local bookshop in December last year. I was stocking up on Christmas presents and the beautiful cover by Thomas Campi caught my eye. When I noticed that the book was written by award-winning French author Timothée de Fombelle, I didn’t hesitate. A Swallow in Winter is a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Swallow in Winter
“What was that box doing there in the middle of the forest? It was a mystery.” It’s not every day that a strange box, large enough for someone to hide in, arrives in the woods. And it has the local animals wondering from the moment they wake. They are full of questions, and then anticipation, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Box
Kamusari Tales Told at Night is the second book in Shion Miura’s young adult Forest Series. Narrator Yuki Hirano picks up the story around six months after The Easy Life in Kamusari ended. If you haven’t read the first book, not to worry. A sizable chunk of the opening chapter is a recap of the … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Kamusari Tales Told at Night
Elephants are not generally considered to be seafaring animals although they do come with built-in snorkels. When Arnold the elephant’s boat sinks, his snorkel proves very useful. He ends up on a tiny island, which, hilariously, is no larger than one of his legs. Some might despair at this situation; not so Arnold! His snorkel … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Elephant Island
Office work can be dull, monotonous and thankless, especially for a cicada. In Cicada, a picture book aimed at high school readers, author/illustrator Shaun Tan reinvents the eponymous insect of the title as a data entry clerk. For seventeen years, Cicada has worked late, never taken a sick day, and received very little in return. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Cicada
War is stealthy and secretive, slithering snake-like through the countryside. War is monstrous: an army of giant insects marching towards their target. This picture book, aimed at readers ages 9-12, packs a powerful punch from the opening pages. Striking illustrations in somber tones and sparse text help guide the reader’s exploration of this complex subject. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: War
Imagine leaving high school in a bustling metropolis and being sent deep into the mountains as a trainee forester. And—horror of horrors—having your mobile phone disabled on the day you arrive. This is what happens to Yuki Hirano, an eighteen-year-old Japanese boy, who freely admits that study is not his thing. Well, life in the … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Easy Life in Kamusari
In today’s #WorldKidLit Wednesday review, let's travel to the Caribbean island of Trinidad, where Wygenia uses bush medicine to help heal her Grannie. The Wonder of the World Leaf is aimed at readers ages 6-8, who are reading confidently and fluently most of the time. My edition is a slim 32-page paperback with short paragraphs … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Wonder of the World Leaf
A shiny button, a soft cloud, a bush full of blueberries. Why, they’re treasures of course! At least they are to Little Bear; not so to the other animals he meets, who dismiss his finds as “junk.” Until Little Bear meets Little Bird. “‘Ooo, a magic stick!’ said Little Bird.” Aha! Finally, a creature after … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Little Bear’s Treasures
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 