#WorldKidLit Weekend: Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon

Zadie Ma wants a dog more than anything in the world, but her mama seems set against it. Will she achieve her heart’s desire? The overarching theme of Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon is simple, yet readers will soon discover that there is so much more to this middle grade novel. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Weekend: Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Lost Inside My Head

Since its first articulation by scholar Rudine Sims Bishop, much has been written about the need for children's books that are both windows and mirrors: books that allow children to see not only children different from them, but also to see themselves reflected in the text. Often used as an analogy to discuss the importance … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Lost Inside My Head

#ZimbabweLitMonth: Tai the Rhino: A Bee in the Nose (2022)

I grew up reading the "Dick and Jane" series. For most children of my generation, we did not have access to reading material that represented us or our own environment. So I was delighted to come across "Tai the Rhino: A Bee in the Nose" which is a children's book that not only serves to … Continue reading #ZimbabweLitMonth: Tai the Rhino: A Bee in the Nose (2022)

#Yiddishlitmonth: Honey on the Page

by Miriam Udel Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s LiteratureEditor and translator, Miriam Udel. Foreword by Jack Zipes. With illustrations by Paula Cohen and original artists. NYU Press, 2020.ISBN-10 ‏: ‎ 1479874132ISBN-13 : ‎ 978-1479874132 Imagine a rabbi who spends a sublime Sabbath in the desert hanging out with a friendly lion; a farm’s … Continue reading #Yiddishlitmonth: Honey on the Page

#Yiddishlitmonth: The Clever Little Tailor

by Jordan Kutzik The Clever Little Tailor by Solomon SimonTranslator: David FormanIllustrator: Yehuda BlumPublisher: Kinder-Loshn PublicationsBilingual English/Yiddish editionISBN: 1949217019Publication year: 2021Purchase: From the publisher, here, or from Amazon.com, here. Jordan Kutzik, publisher – Kinder-Loshn Publications In a small Jewish town in Poland, at a time when giants still roam the earth, yet people are just the … Continue reading #Yiddishlitmonth: The Clever Little Tailor

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Brothers Zzli

This month it is my privilege to once again review a forthcoming translated title from Eerdman's Books for Young Readers. Originally published in France, The Brothers Zzli is at first glance a story about a small girl and three bears—a sort of riff on the classic English fairy tale. But it's actually an allegory about … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Brothers Zzli

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: When Dad’s Hair Took Off

Absurd hilarity can be a wonderful change of pace from the humdrum of everyday life. Featuring comic-style illustrations and buckets of hair flying left, right and sideways, When Dad’s Hair Took Off fits that bill—and then some, The premise? One day, Dad’s hair decides to take a hike with nary a “Hairsta la vista, baby!” … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: When Dad’s Hair Took Off

WorldKidLit Wednesday: Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras

Forthcoming later this month from Eerdman's Books for Young Readers, Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras is a vibrant and uplifting picture book based on the real-life work of Asociación Compartir, a nonprofit dedicated to education and community development. Supported by JustWorld International, Asociación Compartir in particular provides bookmobile service (hence the book's … Continue reading WorldKidLit Wednesday: Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Wounded Falcons

The person we present to the world and who we truly are can often be very different from one another. Sometimes, it takes a special catalyst for one’s authentic nature to be revealed. Wounded Falcons, by renowned picture book creators Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng, explores this idea through the character of Adrián. A young … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Wounded Falcons

#WorldKidLitWednesday: Amma’s Sari

With its pages encased in generous swirls of gentle blue and pink, this is a book that tells Shreya—a second-generation migrant's story. At home, she delights in her mother's touch, and sees her sari fan out like a "magic carpet" around her mother. Shreya comes across as confident, safe, and snug in contentment, within the … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Amma’s Sari