The Smart One: A Grandfather’s Tale

The future is often foretold in stories of the past. As families flee the Debaltseve in Eastern Ukraine in 2015, Ken Goodman’s The Smart One: A Grandfather’s Tale takes us back to families fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe at the turn of the Twentieth Century. It is a compelling story of Jewish migration to America, which begins in Smorgon, now in Belarus, a former Soviet Republic, but at the time Smorgon was in Vilnius, a district of Lithuania, and a part of the Russian Empire.

Mummy Cat

Mummy Cat prowls his pyramid home, longing for his beloved owner. As he roams the tomb, lavish murals above his head display scenes of the cat with his young Egyptian queen. Hidden hieroglyphs deepen the tale and are explained in an informative author’s note.

The Bear’s Surprise

Waking up from his long winter’s nap, Little Bear searches for his father along a forest path that leads him to a mysterious cave, an exciting circus, and a family surprise.

Some Things I’ve Lost

An introduction describing the frustration we feel when we lose something is followed by a catalogue of misplaced objects. Each item is shown first in its original form and then, through a series of gatefold spreads, is shown in the process of transforming into a marvelous and mysterious sea creature. At the very end of the book, we see these transformed objects in their new, watery habitat, a conclusion which will leave readers astonished by the distance they — like the lost objects themselves — have travelled.

You And Me, Little Bear

Little Bear wants to play, but Big Bear has things to do. So they decide to do them together. They fetch wood and water and tidy the cave, but Big Bear still has things to do, so Little Bear has to go off and play on his own. Finally Little Bear’s wish comes true and the day has an idyllic ending.