Lost Girl Found

For Poni, life in her small village in southern Sudan is simple and complicated at the same time. But then the war comes and there is only one thing for Poni to do. Run. Run for her life. Driven by the sheer will to survive and the hope that she can somehow make it to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, Poni sets out on a long, dusty trek across the east African countryside with thousands of refugees. In Kakuma she is almost overwhelmed by the misery that surrounds her. Poni realizes that she must leave the camp at any cost. Her destination is a compound in Nairobi. There, if she is lucky, she can continue her education and even one day convince authorities that she is worthy to go to the land of opportunity called America. Even more than the dramatic events of the story, it is Poni’s frank and single-minded personality that carries this novel. In a heartbreaking final twist, she finds her mother just as she is about to leave for the U.S., and must make the hardest decision of all.

Featured in WOW Review Volume X, Issue 4.

The London Jungle Book

The book is a visual travelogue that both mimics and subverts the typical colonial encounter. With radical innocence and great sophistication, Bhajju brings the signs of the Gond forest to bear on the city, turning London into an exotic jungle, a clever beastiary. The London Underground becomes a sinuous snake, Big Ben transforms into a rooster crowing the time, and an airplane — the first Bhajju ever encountered — is compared to an elephant miraculously flying through the air. It is rare to encounter a truly original vision that is capable of startling us into reexamining familiar sights. By breathing the ancient spirit of wonder back into the act of travel, The London Jungle Book does just that.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VII, Issue 4

Mr. Frank

On his last day before retirement, Mr. Frank is sewing the most wonderful outfit of his long career. In all his years working as a tailor, Mr. Frank has made all kinds of clothes. From the practical uniforms of the 1940s to the wild and weird designs of the 1960s and 1970s, he has seen (and sewn) just about everything. But today’s project is especially close to Mr. Frank’s heart.

God Loves Hair

Vivek Shraya’s first book is a collection of twenty-one short stories following a tender, intellectual, and curious child as he navigates the complex realms of sexuality, gender, racial politics, religion, and belonging.

Before After

“Everyone knows that a tiny acorn grows into a mighty oak and a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. But in this clever, visually enchanting volume, it’s also true that a cow can result in both a bottle of milk and a painting of a cow, and an ape in a jungle may become an urban King Kong. Just as day turns into night and back again, a many-tiered cake is both created and eaten down to a single piece. With simple, graphic illustrations sure to appeal to even the youngest of children, this beautiful rumination on the passage of time will please the most discerning adult readers, too.”

In Search Of The Little Prince

For the last seventy years, The Little Prince has captured the imaginations of readers around the world. This lyrical picture book biography tells the story of its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

The Big Bad Wolf and Me

When the Big Bad Wolf is mistaken for a dog, he comes to live in a boy’s closet and eat chocolate chip cookies.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VII, Issue 2

The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma

Cat tries to read the story of Little Red Riding Hood aloud, but Dog keeps interrupting with silly questions.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VII, Issue 2

The Story Starts Here!

Little Wolf has decided that today, things are going to be done differently. It will be a contrarian day. Why? Because he said so! He will stand, not sit, for dinner – and he’ll start with dessert. He’s going to play the piano with his toes and wear his pants on his head. And when he says “The Story Starts Here,” he means it – this book starts at the back and ends at the front.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VII, Issue 2