It’s not easy moving to a new place away from family and friends and trying to settle into a new home and school. The middle grade graphic novel Ellie in First Position tackles all this, and more. The story opens with 10-year-old Electra, or Ellie for short, relocating to a new city with her mother … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ellie in First Position
Illustrated in a thoughtful, textured mix of crayons and watercolour, this book—Cristina Sitja Rubio’s English-language debut—narrates the story of Badger, who makes plans to spend time with his friends in the forest during Winter. However, he finds that most of them—Mr Bear, Marmot, nighthawk, are all fast asleep for the season. He goes back home, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Most Beautiful Winter
In our big, bustling hometown in southwest China,On the top floor of an apartment tower, lives an old grandma.A weather-worn apron covers her cornflower blue blouse,And she putters about town, lugging her little cart around. In Grandma’s Roof Garden, a delightful, heartwarming picture book for ages 4-8, we meet an eccentric, energetic grandmother. With enviable … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Grandma’s Roof Garden
Up, down, over, under, open, close: learning opposites is an important piece of early childhood development. Learning opposites helps children learn not only vocabulary, but also develop observational skills, critical thinking, and a more concrete understanding of the world around them. Forthcoming this September from Eerdman's Books for Young Readers, Fast Cheetah, Slow Tortoise: Poems … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Fast, Cheetah, Slow Tortoise: Poems of Animal Opposites
If your daily walks are becoming a bit same-ish, then perhaps you ought to consider doing things the cat way. The Cat Way is a 66-page picture book neatly divided into two parts. It opens with a child of about 9 years of age taking their unnamed pet cat for a walk. Unfortunately, things don’t … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Cat Way
This book seeks to create a sense of connection between readers and the world we exist in, helping us see afresh that we are all connected. Instead of viewing our relationship with the natural world as a circle, Loop de Loop states: Modern humans have created a different kind of system. It’s less like a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Loop de Loop – Circular Solutions for a Waste-Free World
"Up for smashing the patriarchy?" "Yes!""Yeah!""But... What is the patriarchy, exactly?" So goes the opening dialogue in Smash the Patriarchy, a fabulous graphic novel for upper YA readers. The much-deserving winner of this year’s GLLI Translated YA Book Prize, it describes and defines terms such as “the male gaze,” “slut-shaming,” and, yes, “the patriarchy” with … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Smash the Patriarchy
Set against the backdrop of the ongoing Syrian civil war and the resulting refugee crisis, Wild Poppies is the story of two brothers, Omar and Sufyan. As the novel opens, they, along with their mother and younger sister, have been displaced to their aunt's home in a village named Al-Nuaman, or "the poppy flower." Their … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Wild Poppies
Review by Opshori Nondona Unleash Your Inner Supergirl: Her Stories Reimagines Girl Power with Real-Life Heroes! Forget the yawn-inducing capes and predictable plots! Her Stories: Adventures of Supergirls blasts off like a rocket, ditching the tired superhero script and introducing a squad of real-life Bangladeshi girls who are about to rock your world. These Supergirls … Continue reading #BangladeshiLitMonth: HerStories: Adventures of Supergirls, Vol 1
Class and communal differences fade into the background as a shared passion for sport steps into the spotlight in this picture book. Girls on Wheels, in author Srividhya Venkat’s words, is “a work of fiction inspired by the skateboarding revolution in India.” The story is centered around 3 girls—Damini, Sana, and Anila—who are all headed … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Girls on Wheels
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 