Bhattu and Kittu completely forgot that they had homework to do, faced with the task of researching a big mammal, they decide to take a shortcut and pester their studious sister for information. In this uproariously funny story by Ashwin Guha, accompanied by Vaibhav Kumaresh’s cheeky art, you soon learn that when you mix distracted tutoring with an overactive imagination, the result is a homework assignment that is very hard to grade.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
My Must-Have Mom
Jake’s mom is not like most moms. Say there’s a dumpster in the street, most moms will pass right by without a second glance. Not Jake’s mom. “Look at this, Jake!” she’ll shout. “We must have this! We must have this, too! And we simply must have this!” That’s Jake’s mom for you. She’s a must-have mom.
The Monster In The Bathhouse
The bathhouse is always busy the day before Nowruz. Everyone wants to be clean for the new year! As three boys enjoy their day at the bathhouse with their fathers, they hear a strange sound and decide to investigate. There’s a big mess, and they hear the sound of someone—or something—large splashing in the baths. What could it be? An unruly guest? A four-legged intruder? Or perhaps…a monster?
Nobody Owns The Moon
Clive Prendergast is a fox who lives successfully in the city, in a one-room apartment in a busy part of town. Humphrey is a donkey who works odd jobs and doesn’t always have a fixed address. Nobody Owns the Moon is the story of their friendship. This modern classic picture book is a perfect marriage of text and image and timeless in its message of belonging and community.
The Tale Of The Tiny Man
There was once a tiny man. One day, at the first sign of Spring, he decided to pin a note to a tree that said FRIEND WANTED. Then he sat down on the step to wait. After ten days, he woke to find a cold nose in his hand. Beside him was a big dog with a beautiful curve in its tail. The tiny man had made a friend at last. They play and walk and laugh every day. But then the girl in the polka dot dress comes to the step. The little man watches as the dog put his soft muzzle into the girl’s hand and worries that he has lost his only friend.
Nour’s Secret Library
Forced to take shelter when their Syrian city is plagued with bombings, young Nour and her cousin begin to bravely build a secret underground library. Based on the author’s own life experience and inspired by a true story, Nour’s Secret Library is about the power of books to heal, transport and create safe spaces during difficult times. Illustrations by Romanian artist Vali Mintzi superimpose the colorful world the children construct over black-and-white charcoal depictions of the battered city.
There’s A Lion In The Forest!
With a rhythmic text that begs to be read aloud, Mônica Carnesi’s clever tale illustrates the importance of not rushing to conclusions. Young readers will get a kick out of sleuthing along with the forest animals as they try to get to the bottom of this sweetly suspenseful mystery.
A History Of Underwear With Professor Chicken
Packed with information, hilariously but accurately (well…except for the chickens) illustrated, Hannah Holt and Korwin Briggs’ A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken is sure to wedge its way into the annals of history-based picture books. From Paleolithic loincloths to Henry VIII’s wives wearing underwear on their heads to Mary Walker, a civil war surgeon who was arrested for wearing men’s underwear and clothing to better work on patients, this book surveys the vast and fascinating history of our most private clothing. Modeled by chickens, we trace the history of underwear from the very first discovery- a paleolithic nomad whose body was found completely preserved in ice. From there, we look across time and culture in this completely accessible, new take on boring old nonfiction picture books.
Viento, Vientito/ Wind, Little Wind
My name is Wind / but everyone knows me / as Little Wind.” In this beautiful, poetic ode to the refreshing but sometimes dangerous force of wind, award-winning children’s book author Jorge Argueta describes–in English, Spanish and Nahuat–the power of air from the perspective of a mischievous youngster.
The Tunnel
After something bad happens, a boy feels sad and gray. Mom and Aunt Cheryl try to talk about it, but he feels like running away. So he picks up a shovel and starts digging a tunnel from his room, deep down and into the backyard. Out there, far from the lights of the house, it’s dark enough that he could disappear. But the quiet distance also gives him the space he needs to see his family’s love and start returning home. As he heads back, the journey upward is different. He notices familiar details and tunes into his senses. The tunnel isn’t so scary this time. The boy emerges into his room just as Mom peeks in. When she notices a twig in his hair, he is ready to talk about the tunnel and finds warmth in her gentle acknowledgment: “You came back.” Love, connection, and slow healing, and are full of details that offer a glimpse into the lives of substantial and relatable characters.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XIV, Issue 4.