Material appropriate for primary age groups
It’s a special day in Macy’s classroom as all the children come in dressed up in their most stylish African clothing! Zahra’s Ethiopian dress is covered in beads, while Malika’s Namibian outfit is bursting with colours. And who is hiding behind that elephant mask from Cameroon? No two outfits are the same, in this beautiful and varied parade of clothing from across Africa!
Cuando Fortuna, la tía de Estrella, tiene que despedirse de su antiguo edificio de apartamentos en Miami, The Seaway, para mudarse a una comunidad de vida asistida, Estrella pasa todo el día con ella. Su tía le explica el significado de sus posesiones más importantes, tanto de su cultura cubana como judía, mientras ambas se despiden y exploran un nuevo comienzo para la tía
Packed with information, hilariously but accurately (well…except for the chickens) illustrated, Hannah Holt and Korwin Briggs’ A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken is sure to wedge its way into the annals of history-based picture books. From Paleolithic loincloths to Henry VIII’s wives wearing underwear on their heads to Mary Walker, a civil war surgeon who was arrested for wearing men’s underwear and clothing to better work on patients, this book surveys the vast and fascinating history of our most private clothing. Modeled by chickens, we trace the history of underwear from the very first discovery- a paleolithic nomad whose body was found completely preserved in ice. From there, we look across time and culture in this completely accessible, new take on boring old nonfiction picture books.
For centuries, blue powders and dyes were some of the most sought-after materials in the world. Ancient Afghan painters ground mass quantities of sapphire rocks to use for their paints, while snails were harvested in Eurasia for the tiny amounts of blue that their bodies would release. And then there was indigo, which was so valuable that American plantations grew it as a cash crop on the backs of African slaves. It wasn’t until 1905, when Adolf von Baeyer created a chemical blue dye, that blue could be used for anything and everything–most notably that uniform of workers everywhere, blue jeans. With stunning illustrations by Caldecott Honor Artist Daniel Minter, this vibrant and fascinating picturebook follows one color’s journey through time and across the world, as it becomes the blue we know today.
This book is the WOW Recommends: Book of the Month for November 2022.
When Marley and her family move from Jamaica to Delaware, she knows life is about to change in big ways. And she’s got the perfect plan to help her and her siblings make friends: an outdoor concert for the whole neighborhood But when weather ruins their plans, she discovers help in the most unlikely places as her new neighbors quickly become the kindest of friends.
Jake’s mom is not like most moms. Say there’s a dumpster in the street, most moms will pass right by without a second glance. Not Jake’s mom. “Look at this, Jake!” she’ll shout. “We must have this! We must have this, too! And we simply must have this!” That’s Jake’s mom for you. She’s a must-have mom.
The bathhouse is always busy the day before Nowruz. Everyone wants to be clean for the new year! As three boys enjoy their day at the bathhouse with their fathers, they hear a strange sound and decide to investigate. There’s a big mess, and they hear the sound of someone—or something—large splashing in the baths. What could it be? An unruly guest? A four-legged intruder? Or perhaps…a monster?
Young Kalia has never known life beyond the fences of the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. The Thai camp holds many thousands of Hmong families who fled in the aftermath of the little-known Secret War in Laos that was waged during America’s Vietnam War. For Kalia and her cousins, life isn’t always easy, but they still find ways to play, racing with chickens and riding a beloved pet dog.
My name is Wind / but everyone knows me / as Little Wind.” In this beautiful, poetic ode to the refreshing but sometimes dangerous force of wind, award-winning children’s book author Jorge Argueta describes–in English, Spanish and Nahuat–the power of air from the perspective of a mischievous youngster.
After something bad happens, a boy feels sad and gray. Mom and Aunt Cheryl try to talk about it, but he feels like running away. So he picks up a shovel and starts digging a tunnel from his room, deep down and into the backyard. Out there, far from the lights of the house, it’s dark enough that he could disappear. But the quiet distance also gives him the space he needs to see his family’s love and start returning home. As he heads back, the journey upward is different. He notices familiar details and tunes into his senses. The tunnel isn’t so scary this time. The boy emerges into his room just as Mom peeks in. When she notices a twig in his hair, he is ready to talk about the tunnel and finds warmth in her gentle acknowledgment: “You came back.” Love, connection, and slow healing, and are full of details that offer a glimpse into the lives of substantial and relatable characters.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XIV, Issue 4.