Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Poemas A La Luna

This collection includes works by world-renowned poets, among them Lorca, Goethe, Whitman, and Shelley. Each poem appears first in Spanish, and then in its original language, if the poem was translated. For instance, Emily Dickinson’s selection appears in Spanish and English, while Wang Wei’s appears in Spanish and Chinese. The book opens with an excerpt from Christina Rossetti’s Is the Moon Tired? in which the orb is personified as a tired, hardworking woman. Its Spanish translation actually sounds more musical than the original English. The hauntingly beautiful full-page digital paintings have an ethereal quality that transports readers into the lyrical poetry. The Moon appears in each illustration, sometimes as a crescent, sometimes full, and sometimes as a woman’s face. This oversize treasury will be perfect for a world-poetry unit, a lesson on the art of translation, or special poetry programs at schools and libraries.–Rebecca Hickman, Sherman Library at NSU, Fort Lauderdale, FL

I Am Thomas

The author of “Mahtab’s Story” and the author of “The Island “team up to bring young readers another powerful social justice-related work–an inspiring, thought-provoking picture book about finding one’s way in the world “”You must do as you’re told.”””” “”Let the army make you a man.”””” “”Your country needs your vote.”” As the voices in his life crowd in on him, Thomas looks for another way, refusing to conform to the expectations and demands of family and community. A loner, Thomas refuses to feel lonely, an inspiring choice in this masterful tale of questioning authority and resisting oppression. Powerful illustrations and a spare text make a parable of Thomas’s journey, which reflects the courage we all need to find our passion and be ourselves.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2

Talking Eagle And The Lady Of Roses

This is the traditional story, told simply and elegantly, of how Juan Diego meets the beautiful Lady on a windswept hilltop in December and carries her message to the disbelieving bishop. The Lady fills Juanz’s cloak with full-blooming roses and impresses her image on its fibers as a sign for the bishop to fulfill her request of building a house of prayers. The story tells of how, over many years, countless hands built the great church dedicated to the Lady of Roses, Nuestra Senora Guadalupe on the hill of Tepeyac. Everyone will enjoy the story of Talking Eagle and the Lady of Roses and the wild and glorious illustrations of award-winning, Taos, New Mexico, artist Amy Cordova. Also included is an informative afterword by Gene Gollogly.

The Food of Mexico

Explore the flavor and culture of this colorful country in The Food of Mexico.  What better way to study a country than through its geography, history, regions, customs, and celebrations as they relate to food.  Dig right in by trying out one of the delicious recipes inside.  Studying world cultures has never been so tasty!

Roses For Isabella

Roses for Isabella invites us to experience life in Ecuador through the eyes of a young girl who keeps a journal and loves to write.  We learn about Isabella’s parents who work on one of the hundreds of farms growing beautiful roses that are sold all over the world.  But not all of these farms are fair to worker and kind to the earth.  Through Isabella, we learn how her family’s life changes for the better when her parents find work at a Fair Trade farm.

Crouching Tiger

A Chinese-American boy gains a new understanding of his Chinese grandfather in this celebratory story of family, martial arts, and the Chinese New Year. Vinson is very excited when his grandfather comes from China for a visit. When Grandpa practices tai chi in the garden, Vinson asks to learn, hoping it will be like kung fu, full of kicks and punches. But tai chi’s meditative postures are slow and still, and Vinson quickly gets bored. He can’t understand why Grandpa insists on calling him by his Chinese name, Ming Da, or why he has to wear a traditional Chinese jacket to the Chinese New Year parade. As the parade assembles, however, he notices the great respect given to his grandfather and the lion dancers under his training. And when Vinson is offered a role in the parade, he realizes that being part Chinese can be pretty cool—and is ready to start learning from his grandpa’s martial-arts mastery in earnest.

Little Mist

Little Mist is a sweet-faced snow leopard cub who is wide-eyed with wonder at the world before him. Guided and protected by his mother, Little Mist discovers the glistening snow, the mountain streams, and the cloud forests. The world may look big to a little cub, but one day, his mother tells him, he will be the king of the mountains. Safely curled up in his mother’s paws, Little Mist can’t wait for his journey to begin. A heartwarming portrayal of the unique bond between parent and child, set against the breathtaking backdrop of snow-covered mountains. This is the perfect picture book to read curled up with your own little cub.