A boy makes one hundred chapatis with his grandfather while they wait for news of his new baby sibling’s arrival.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
The Words We Share
A young girl helps her dad navigate life in a new country where she understands the language more than he does, in an unforgettable story about communication and community. Angie is used to helping her dad. Ever since they moved to Canada, he relies on her to translate for him from English to Chinese. Angie is happy to help: when they go to restaurants, at the grocery store, and, one day, when her dad needs help writing some signs for his work. Building off her success with her dad’s signs, Angie offers her translation skills to others in their community. She’s thrilled when her new business takes off, until one of her clients says he’s unhappy with her work. When her dad offers to help, she can’t imagine how he could. Working together, they find a surprising solution, fixing the problem in a way Angie never would have predicted. A gorgeously illustrated picture book from up-and-coming author-illustrator Jack Wong (When You Can Swim, Scholastic) that is at once a much-needed exploration of the unique pressures children of immigrants often face, a meditation on the dignity of all people regardless of their differences, and a reminder of the power of empathy
Banana Dream
Eleven-year-old Iraqi, Mooz, yearns to taste the bananas that have been made unavailable by warfare.
Benjamin’s Thunderstorm
Benjamin loves the rain. He loves splashing through puddles in his bright yellow rain boots and watching the colors of a rainbow in the water as they ripple around his feet. But most of all, Benjamin loves thunder. To him, thunder, piyêsiwak and sounds like his grandfather’s drum. It calls to him, like the songs his grandfather plays while his father and other powwow dancers spin and step in time to the drumbeat. As Benjamin hears the thunder rumble overhead, he imagines himself as a powwow dancer. He spins, he taps his feet and he lifts his knees. Faster and faster he twirls, delighted by and filled with the rhythm of piyêsiwak.
Julie And The Mango Tree
Julie loves all kinds of fruit, but mangoes are her absolute favorite. One sticky summer afternoon, Julie goes to the big mango tree in her yard to ask for a snack. But no matter how nicely she asks or how patient she tries to be, the tree just won’t drop a single sweet, juicy mango! Will Julie ever be able to convince the tree to let her have just a taste of her favorite treat?
A Letter For Bob
Katie writes a goodbye letter to her family’s car that she named Bob, thanking him for the memories from powwows to vacations to time spent with extended family and more.
It Wasn’t Me!
Mouse learns about the dangers of jumping to conclusions when he and Ferret prematurely accuse Raven of stealing Ferret’s raspberries.
Border Crossings
As two ocelots attempt to cross the United States-Mexico border, they face obstacles that drive home the catastrophic effects of a wall on the plants and animals of the border–and the many benefits of keeping the border barrier-free.
Zero Waste: How One Community Is Leading A World Recycling Revolution (Green Power)
In this fifth installment in Allan Drummond’s picture book series about green living, a town in Japan takes a stand against its throwaway past and shows that it really does take a village.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XVI, Issue 4.
The Little Black Fish
The Little Black Fish may be small, but he has big questions about the world and is determined to find the answers to them. Whilst all the other fish in the pond just follow each other around, too scared to do anything different, Little Black Fish swims over the edge of the pool, into the stream towards the river and on to the sea. On his adventure Little Black Fish sees many wondrous and beautiful things, encounters danger lurking around every corner and is finally faced with his ultimate challenge.