Material appropriate for primary age groups
Shima the Origami Master lives on a mountain in Japan. He isn’t lonely, for his beautiful origami animals keep him company.One morning Shima finds a marvelous new paper elephant on his desk. Where could it have come from? The next morning, a splendid dragon is in its place. It looks real enough to fly away.That night, Shima stays awake to find out who could make such wonderful creatures. But when he discovers who the mysterious artist is, he learns a surprising lesson about friendship.
When two young Kenyan boys, one Maasai and one Kikuyu, first meet, they are hostile toward each other based on traditional rivalries, but after they suddenly have to work together to save a baby in danger, the boys begin to discover what they have in common.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 4
This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
In the lush rainforest of the Iguazú National Park, toucans and butterflies flit through the trees while sleek jaguars prowl the jungle floor. Dazzling waterfalls provide a thunderous backdrop while great dusky swifts keep watch overhead. In this magical journey through one of the wonders of the natural world, renowned poet Francisco X. Alarcón follows the Amerindian oral tradition, allowing the animals to speak for themselves in their own roaring, soaring, fluttering voices. Maya Christina Gonzalez’s glorious mixed media illustrations bring the vibrant colors and textures of the rainforest to life.
Ethiopian Voices: Tsion’s Life Meet Tsion, an eleven year old Ethiopian girl as she talks about her life and her country. Stunning photographs bring the reader to Tsion s house, school, church, dinner table and more. Informative cultural facts are included. Advance Praise: The striking photographs and carefully selected domestic scenes in Tsion s Life beautifully capture the day-to-day of one Addis Ababa family. This charming book is perfect for parents and educators seeking to give children an engaging and accurate glimpse into life in Ethiopia. Rebecca Haile, Held At a Distance: My Rediscovery of Ethiopia
Bluebonnets and lady’s slippers, larkspurs and blazing stars, black-eyed Susans and Granny’s nightcaps. From a lonely childhood in the Piney Woods of East Texas to an exciting life in the White House, Lady Bird Johnson loved these wildflowers with all her heart. They were her companions in her youth, greeting her everywhere as she explored wild forests, bayous, and hills. Later, as First Lady, she sought to bring the beauty of wildflowers to America’s cities and highways. She wanted to make sure every child could enjoy the splendor of wildflowers. In this warm, engaging look at the life of a great First Lady, Kathi Appelt tells the story behind Lady Bird Johnson’s environmental vision. Joy Fisher Hein’s colorful wildflowers burst from every page, inviting us to share in Lady Bird’s love for natural beauty.
Could an animal really hold an important office? It’s happened: Incitatus the horse was made a consul in the Roman Empire. He had a marble stable, eighteen servants, and ate oats mixed with flakes of gold. Then there was Saur, a dog declared king during the days of the Vikings, who signed decrees with his paw. And one can’t forget Pigasus, nominated as presidential candidate by a group of Vietnam War protestors, or Clay Henry the goat and his descendants, who became mayors of a small Texas town. The government truly has gone to the dogs–and to the cats, mules, and elephants too–as shown in this fascinating and engaging history.
A biography of the early years of biracial sculptor/designer/landscape architect Isamu Noguchi, focusing on his childhood in Japan and the building of an east-west house that fostered his artistic inclinations and later gave shape to his lifelong creative approach.
When was the Earth created and how? And the most pressing question of all — how did humans come to be? What Came First? is a funny but scientifically sound introduction to evolution. Learn about the Big Bang, where it all started, and read vivid descriptions of a melting pot full of microscopic organisms — the very beginnings of life — to the first oceanic life forms and, with the formation of the continents, the first land mammals, all the way through to the evolution of the plant, animal, and human life that surrounds us today.
Much has been written about war and remembrance, but very little of it has been for young children. As questions come from a young grandchild, his grandpa talks about how, as a very young man, he was as proud as a peacock in uniform, busy as a beaver on his Atlantic crossing, and brave as a lion charging into battle. Soon, the old man’s room is filled with an imaginary menagerie as the child thinks about different aspects of wartime. But as he pins medals on his grandpa’s blazer and receives his own red poppy in return, the mood becomes more somber.
Outside, the crowd gathered for the veterans’ parade grows as quiet as a mouse, while men and women — old and young — march past in the rain. A trumpet plays and Grandpa lays a wreath in memory of his lost friend. Just then, the child imagines an elephant in the mist. “Elephants never forget,” he whispers to his grandpa. “Then let’s be elephants,” says the old man, as he wipes water from his eyes and takes his grandson’s hand.
Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion has relevance to a growing number of families, as new waves of soldiers leave home.
Though War is Old
It has not
Become wise.
Poet and activist Alice Walker personifies the power and wanton devastation of war in this evocative poem.
Stefano Vitale’s compelling paintings illustrate this unflinching look at war’s destructive nature and unforeseen consequences.