Mo Shen Ma lives in a big city in China. Modern Chinese cities are very much like ours, so his life is not so different from your own: he goes to school, watches television, and gets into mischief, just like all over the world! Each story depicts Mo’s problem, and his creative solution.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
The Perfect Bear
There once was a bear who was very fine. He was so polished and clean and proud. And that made him the Do Not Touch bear. As time passed, he become worn and gray and much less fine. But he was also loved by a little girl. And that made him the Perfect Bear.
The Fabulous Song
Young Frederic Pipkin tries very hard to follow in his musical family’s footsteps, but every new instrument he plays sounds worse than the one before. Includes songs.
Come Along, Daisy!
This award-winning, beautifully made picture book by Jane Simmons is the story of a duckling who is too busy chasing dragonflies and bouncing on lily pads to stay caught up with Mama Duck. It perfectly captures a little one’s thrill of exploration in this gentle cautionary tale.
Cherry Time
A young boy hides under the table when his parents’ friends come over, and at school he’s too timid to make friends. But when he sees a mysterious girl who hides in the cherry tree every day after school, he wants to be brave enough not to be afraid of her. He gets himself a dog—the bravest dog he can find. And when his new pal takes a liking to the girl, the two become fast friends. She too is very bashful, but now they hang out together in the cherry tree and play every day after school. Though her family will be moving away at the end of the year, they promise to keep meeting at the tree whenever it’s cherry time.
Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Big Red Hen
While caring for their aunt’s chickens, three little Swedish sisters are upset when the big red hen disappears.
Grandma Calls Me Beautiful
This beautiful book captures the unique bond that exists between grandmother and grandchild. A Hawaiian grandmother tells her granddaughter a favorite story about how much she loves her.
Jumpy Jack & Googily
Meet Jumpy Jack, a very nervous snail who’s afraid of monsters, and Googily, who is a—well, who is a very good friend, indeed. Wherever they go, Googily kindly checks high and low just to make sure there are no scary monsters about. But as every child knows, monsters come in many shapes and sizes. Some are even blue with hairy eyebrows and pointy teeth.
Timothy and the Strong Pajamas
Every night, Timothy tries to make himself stronger. He drinks milk. He exercises. He thinks STRONG thoughts all with the help of his faithful stuffed monkey. Then his mother fixes up his holey, missing-button favorite pajamas, and suddenly Timothy has super strength! He catches an elephant falling off a cliff! He rescues a princess in a tipping tower! He drags an alligator back to the zoo! But when Monkey gets trapped and the pajamas rip! Timothy finds his real power in his friends.
The Kite Festival
One Sunday morning, Fernando Flórez, his parents, grandparents, and sister head to a random destination for an outing — San Vicente. When they arrive in the center of town, they see many people preparing for a kite festival. The Flórez family waste no time joining in the fun. Unfortunately, all the stores are closed, so buying a kite’s out. But by using their ingenuity — along with found objects — they successfully put one together. Although they encounter some challenges along the way, they can always find a solution with a little thinking. A surprise comes at the end of the day, with the mayor of San Vicente on hand to deliver it.A warm family story set at a festival much like one Leyla Torres attended as a child in her native country of Colombia.