Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

It’s Time For Holi!

Holi is a popular Indian festival that takes place at the end of the winter season. The celebration of Holi brings people closer together. During Holi, people welcome spring by throwing colored water or powder on one another. This story begins during the winter season, with a boy who is anxiously waiting for spring and the celebration of Holi to begin. When Holi day finally arrives, he can’t wait to celebrate. He decides to use his colored powders– before his family and friends arrive! As he explores the different colored powders, he starts to relate the colors to what he sees happening in nature during springtime. Through his own exploration, he learns more about the significance of this colorful festival.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 3

Trombone Shorty

Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six.

The House That Sonabai Built

As a young woman, Sonabai Rajawar finds herself alone, day after day for almost fifteen year. No family, no friends… And then one day she ‘makes’ her way out of oppressive loneliness into a world of creativity, beauty and joy. This sensitive telling of Sonabai’s story follows her transformative artistic journey from the tactile experience of her first creations in clay, innovative experiments with colours and light, and unfettered play with pattern and design to being embraced by the art world.

The First Drawing

Thirty thousand years ago, an imaginative child sees the shapes of animals in clouds and on the walls of the cave he shares with his family, but no one else can see them until he makes the world’s first drawing. Includes author’s note on cave drawings.

Join the discussion of The First Drawing as well as other books centered around relocation on our My Take/Your Take page.

Creaturepedia

Welcome to this collection of best-loved animals from all over the world, chosen for their special talents and characteristics, with fun illustrations by Adrienne Barman. Meet ‘the architects’, the ‘noisy neighbors’, the ‘homebodies’, the ‘forever faithfuls’, the ‘champions of forgetfulness’ and more in this alphabetically ordered encyclopedia.

Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village

Xiao Le’s grandmother lives in a faraway village. A visit with Grandma is always a special event, but this time she is frail. With encouragement from his mom, Xiao Le plays with and helps Grandma. When Grandma dies shortly thereafter, Xiao Le comforts his mom―reminding her that when it rains, Grandma is washing her clothes in the sky . . . and that although the Perfume Village in heaven cannot be reached by train, it can be accessed by the heart.

Gon, The Little Fox

In this retelling of Nankichi Niimi’s masterpiece, delicate watercolors bring to life the mischievous yet kind-hearted spirit of Gon, the Little Fox. Readers should proceed with caution as they begin this tale, however, especially as Gon is sure to win over their hearts. Like many Japanese folktales, Gon, The Little Fox does not exactly end happily; a circumstance which will inspire lively and provocative conversation among young readers. When readers first meet Gon, he is relishing his life as a rascally fox. Each day brings a new opportunity for him to stir up trouble in Nakayama. One day, however, he feels remorse for having killed an eel that was meant for the poor villager Hyoju’s dying mother. Ironically, it is this rare moment of conscience that leads Gon down a path that leads to his fate. As with all great folktales, the world of Gon, The Little Fox is both extremely familiar and extremely mysterious. This quality, as evident in both the text and illustrations, will greatly appeal to readers, both young and old.

My Name is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok

Featuring nearly 100 full-color reproductions of Germaine Arnaktauyok’s most important works from throughout her career, this book provides an in-depth look at one of the Canadian North’s most prolific and recognizable artists.

Red

Striking red, white, and black illustrations mirror the emotions created by an innocuous comment that escalates into bullying within a school community. The students’ choices when confronted with their behavior create a sensitive and hopeful narrative.