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
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
And Other Stories is a small publishing house, publishing indie books translated into English. I decided to become a subscriber in 2019 and I also ordered a women-in-translation bundle. The women-in-translation bundle consisted of three books, one of them is Now and At the Hour of Our Death. This is a wonderful, life-affirming book. In … Continue reading Day 3: 🇵🇹 Now and at the Hour of Our Death
Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World, edited by Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro translated from the Portuguese by Fábio Fernandes World Weaver Press August 7, 2018 286 pages Contents: “Soylent Green is People!” by Carlos Orsi“When Kingdoms Collide” by Telmo Marçal“Breaking News!” by Romeu Martins“Once Upon a Time in a World” by Antonio Luiz M. … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Solarpunk
In this review, I’m revisiting a family favorite. Follow the Firefly/Run Rabbit Run! is a wordless picture book aimed at readers ages 2 and up that can be read in both directions. First, the reader follows a firefly’s search for a flashing light, reading from left to right towards the back cover. Then, a rabbit runs … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Follow the Firefly/Run Rabbit Run
Sure. Walking down Presidente Vargas Avenue, the city’s main shopping street, taking a left into Ô de Almeida and then a right onto the First of May, as the author does in the first chapter of BelHell does not seem a very attractive opening, now does it? Damn, you don’t know anything about this city, … Continue reading To Be Translated: BelHell by Edyr Augusto Proença (Brazil)
How about traveling somewhere exciting and new from the comfort and safety of your home? Picture books are a wonderful way for readers of all ages to experience different places, cultures, people and stories. And Along the Tapajós certainly fits the bill. Written and illustrated by Fernando Vilela and translated from the Portuguese by Daniel … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Along the Tapajós
Do you remember not being able to read? I certainly don't... Most of us have been reading for so long that we can't remember what it felt like not to be able to understand everything we saw around us. Nor do we have any inkling of what the mysterious world of visual symbols looked like … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Lines, Squiggles, Letters, Words
The river is the place to be! It bustles with energy and life as a flotilla of brightly coloured boats travels through the seasons towards the sea. Ships, boats, canoes carrying people, animals, fruits, plants, flowers, smiles and laughter. Along the River is a book with a relaxed and positive vibe. It isn’t just the peace … Continue reading Along the River
This is a sublimely quirky picture book! Don’t Cross the Line could be mistaken for a child’s drawing book, with its bright felt-tip colours, cartoon-like drawings, and dialogue written entirely in speech bubbles. Unusually, the story starts on the title page, with a ferocious general on horseback making it clear to an unfortunate guard that he, … Continue reading Don’t Cross the Line!
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 