Bowhead whales are the longest-living mammals on the planet, living over 200 years. In this heartwarming story, a grandfather bowhead recounts to his young grandchild calf all the beautiful, amazing, and surprising things he has seen in his lifetime, all while assuring the little calf that there is nothing more wondrous than the love a grandfather has for his grandchild.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
Firekeeper’s Daughter
Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.
This book is the WOW Recommends book of the month for July 2021.
Firekeeper’s Daughter is also featured in WOW Review Volume XIV, Issue 1.
I Am Loved
Pakak is in a new foster home, with new people, new food, and new smells. Feeling alone and uncertain, Pakak finds comfort in a secret shared with him by his anaanattiaq, his grandmother, and in the knowledge that he is loved no matter how far away his family may be. Written as a gift for Inuit children in care by foster parents Kevin and Mary Qamaniq-Mason, this book is lovingly imbued with cultural familiarities that will resonate with children who, like Pakak, are navigating the unknown.
Latinitas:Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers
Discover how 40 influential Latinas became the women we celebrate today! In this collection of short biographies from all over Latin America and across the United States, Juliet Menéndez explores the first small steps that set the Latinitas off on their journeys. With gorgeous, hand-painted illustrations, Menéndez shines a spotlight on the power of childhood dreams.
Napoleon Vs. The Bunnies
The renowned Napoleon Bonaparte faces an army of a different sort in this witty, unconventional telling of a true event in his life. Everyone knows the Battle of Waterloo was Napoleon Bonaparte’s most crushing defeat, right? Well, some beg to differ. It seems there was another less famous (though perhaps more humiliating) surrender in his past. Let’s call it Bunnyloo. In 1807, Napoleon had ordered his chief of staff to round up rabbits for a celebratory hunt, only, he collected domesticated rabbits, not wild ones. So, when the rabbits were released to begin the hunt, they didn’t run away. Instead, they ran straight at Napoleon and his hunting party. Now, some might think Napoleon — king overthrower, army commander, territory conqueror — would only laugh at an advancing battalion of cute, fluffy bunnies. Think again!
Walking For Water: How One Boy Stood Up For Gender Equality
In this inspiring story of individual activism, a boy recognizes gender inequality when his sister must stop attending school — and decides to do something about it.Victor is very close to his twin sister, Linesi. But now that they have turned eight years old, she no longer goes to school with him. Instead, Linesi, like the other older girls in their community, walks to the river to get water five times a day, to give their mother more time for farming. Victor knows this is the way it has always been. But he has begun learning about equality at school, and his teacher has asked the class to consider whether boys and girls are treated equally. Though he never thought about it before, Victor realizes they’re not. And it’s not fair to his sister. So Victor comes up with a plan to help.
Spin a Scarf of Sunshine
‘On a gentle slope in rolling hills stood a little house of wood and stone. There were hens and bees and apple trees, bright flowers and soft green grass. And Nari had a little lamb of her very own.’
As the seasons change, Nari and her parents shear her sheep’s fleece, and spin and dye the wool. Nari knits the yarn into a cosy yellow scarf. But as Nari grows older, her beloved scarf becomes tattered. It’s time to recycle the wool into compost, with a little help from the worms. This charming picture book will help children understand where clothing comes from, and is a joyful celebration of traditional crafts and sustainable living. The luminous illustrations are full of character, texture and seasonal detail.
Sakamoto’s Swin Club:How a Teacher Led an Unlikely Team to Victory
The inspirational and little-known story of a dedicated teacher who coached Hawaiian swimmers all the way to the Olympics, beautifully told in simple rhyme.When the children of workers on a 1930s Maui sugar plantation were chased away from playing in the nearby irrigation ditches, local science teacher Soichi Sakamoto had an idea. He offered to take responsibility for the children — and then he began training them how to swim. Using his science background, Sakamoto devised his own innovative coaching techniques: he developed a strict practice regime for the kids, building their strength and endurance by using the ditch water’s natural current. The children worked hard under the dedicated Sakamoto’s guidance, and their skills improved. They formed a swim club and began to dominate in swimming events around the world.
City Of The Plague God
Thirteen-year-old Sik wants a simple life going to school and helping at his parents’ deli in the evenings. But all that is blown to smithereens when Nergal comes looking for him, thinking that Sik holds the secret to eternal life.Turns out Sik is immortal but doesn’t know it, and that’s about to get him and the entire city into deep, deep trouble. Sik’s not in this alone. He’s got Belet, the adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, on his side, and a former hero named Gilgamesh, who has taken up gardening in Central Park. Now all they have to do is retrieve the Flower of Immortality to save Manhattan from being wiped out by disease. To succeed, they’ll have to conquer sly demons, treacherous gods, and their own darkest nightmares.
Zonia’s Rain Forest
Zonia’s home is the Amazon rain forest, where it is always green and full of life. Every morning, the rain forest calls to Zonia, and every morning she answers. She visits the sloth family, greets the giant anteater, and runs with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the rain forest calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer? Acclaimed author-illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal explores the wonders of the rain forest with Zonia, an Ashaninka girl, in her joyful outdoor adventures. The engaging text emphasizes Zonia’s empowering bond with her home, while the illustrations-created on paper made from banana bark-burst with luxuriant greens and delicate details. Illuminating back matter includes a translation of the story in Ashaninka, information on the Ashaninka community, as well as resources on the Amazon rain forest and its wildlife.