A five-year-old describes the way her mother is working and coping with problems while her father is in prison.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Lupe Vargas And Her Super Best Friend / Lupe Vargas Y Su Super Mejor Amiga
Lupe and Maritza are super best friends. When they’re together, they can be anything they want—pirates, scientists, or heroes. When they’re apart, well, life just isn’t as fun. This is the story of two girls who make each day a new adventure. And when they get into a spat—which is inevitable even among the most super, best of friends—they have to find a way to make it right. And luckily, with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, they do.
Three Little Tamales
While three little tamales cool off on a windowsill, a tortilla rolls by. “You’ll be eaten. You’d better run,” he tells them. And so the tamales jump out the window. The first runs to the prairie and builds a house of sagebrush. The second runs to a cornfield and builds a house of cornstalks. The third runs to the desert and builds a house of cactus. Then who should come along but Senior Lobo, the Big Bad Wolf, with plans to blow their houses down. Valeria Docampo’s oil-and-pencil illustrations add zest and humor to this rollicking southwestern version of a popular tale.
Quinito, Day and Night/Quinito, Día y Noche
From dawn till dusk, Quinito’s life is full of opposites. In the morning, he’s up and running – fast or slowly, depending on the day. If it’s sunny, he’s off to the park to swing high and low. If it’s a rainy, stay-at-home day, Quinito’s quiet at naptime and noisy at playtime. So much to do before the sun sets! This playful story builds awareness in young readers that everywhere they look, opposites abound. Told in both English and Spanish, Quinito, Day and Night is a delight for readers young or old, tall or short, messy or neat.
My Name Is Sangoel
As a refugee from Sudan to the United States, Sangoel is frustrated that no one can pronounce his name correctly until he finds a clever way to solve the problem.
Read more about My Name Is Sangoel in WOW Review.
This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
Manfish: A Story Of Jacques Cousteau
Before Jacques Cousteau became an internationally known oceanographer and champion of the seas, he was a curious little boy. In this lovely biography, poetic text and gorgeous paintings combine to create a portrait of Jacques Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.
Mama Miti
One woman. One seed. One hope for the future. Wangari grew up in the shadow of Mount Kenya listening to the stories about the people and land around her. Though the trees towered over her, she had loved them for as long as she could remember. So strong, so beautiful, how the trees made her smile. Wangari planted trees one by one to refresh her spirit. When the women came to her for help with their families, she told them to do the same. Soon the countryside was filled with trees. Kenya was strong once more. Wangari had changed her country, tree by tree. Donna Jo Napoli tells a story inspired by the life of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai that will touch the hearts and spirits of all who read it. Kadir Nelson’s stunning collage illustrations honor the spirit of a land and of the woman who saved it.
The Imaginary Garden
Theodora loved her grandfather’s old garden. His new apartment’s balcony is too windy and small for a garden. But what appears to be a drawback soon leads to a shared burst of creativity as Theo and her Poppa decide to paint a new garden. As they work side by side — sowing seeds with brushes and paint — a masterpiece begins to take shape that transforms the balcony into an abundant garden. When Poppa goes away on holiday, Theo helps nurture the garden and it begins to take on a life of its own. This garden grows not from soil but from love, imagination and creativity. Readers will marvel at each stage of this fertile garden as it grows from seed to full flower, revealing the power of art to enrich our lives.
Alego
It’s almost time for supper, and Alego goes with her grandmother to the shore to collect clams. Along the way, the girl discovers tide pools brimming with life — a bright orange starfish, a creepy crawly ugjurnaq, sea snails, and a sculpin. A rising star of the famed Cape Breton Inuit art scene, author and illustrator Ningeokuluk Teevee draws on her own childhood experiences in the Arctic for this enchanting introduction to the life of an Inuit girl and her world. Printed in both Inuktitut and English, the book includes an illustrated glossary of the sea creatures in the story as well as a map of Baffin Island.
My Little Round House
In this delightful picture book, baby Jilu recounts his first year of life in a nomadic Mongolian community. He remembers being cradled by his singing mother, the delicious smells from the cooking pot, his first meeting with his grandparents, and the family’s wandering life with a camel caravan. They celebrate Tsagaan Sar, the new year, and later revel in the warmth and freedom of summer. Richly illustrated by a young Mongolian author/illustrator, this book reveals a world very different, and yet surprisingly similar, to that of young readers and their parents.