Samira and the Skeletons

A humorous story, wonderfully delivered through text and images. Samira is shaken when she learns at school that everyone has a skeleton inside them. She begins to see everyone as walking bones and even asks her mom to help her escape her own skeleton.

Featured in WOW Review Volume IX, Issue 3.

The Red Apple

On a cold winter’s day, Rabbit leaves his burrow in search of food, but all he can find is a single red apple hanging far out of reach. Rabbit tries and tries to get his animal friends to help him reach it, but none of them can manage it. When they accidentally wake Bear from her hibernation, they all work together to figure out a way to get what they want.

Join the discussion of The Red Apple as well as other books centered around relocation on our My Take/Your Take page.

Red

Striking red, white, and black illustrations mirror the emotions created by an innocuous comment that escalates into bullying within a school community. The students’ choices when confronted with their behavior create a sensitive and hopeful narrative.

My Brother’s Secret

In 1941 twelve-year-old Karl is proud to be a member of the Hitler Youth, but when his father is killed on the Eastern Front everything changes–his family moves to the country to live with his grandparents, he encounters a brutal Gestapo officer, and he begins to realize that his sixteen-year-old brother has joined a youth group who opposes the Nazis.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 4

Religion

A lively, intelligent, and witty survey of the world’s major religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism). Dutch comics artist De Heer is openly curious and questioning but remains respectful in this entertaining, informative, and provocative overview.

Mr. Squirrel and the Moon

When Mr. Squirrel wakes up to discover that the moon is resting on his tree, he becomes desperate to return the moon to the sky before he is accused of stealing it.

Lost Girl Found

For Poni, life in her small village in southern Sudan is simple and complicated at the same time. But then the war comes and there is only one thing for Poni to do. Run. Run for her life. Driven by the sheer will to survive and the hope that she can somehow make it to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, Poni sets out on a long, dusty trek across the east African countryside with thousands of refugees. In Kakuma she is almost overwhelmed by the misery that surrounds her. Poni realizes that she must leave the camp at any cost. Her destination is a compound in Nairobi. There, if she is lucky, she can continue her education and even one day convince authorities that she is worthy to go to the land of opportunity called America. Even more than the dramatic events of the story, it is Poni’s frank and single-minded personality that carries this novel. In a heartbreaking final twist, she finds her mother just as she is about to leave for the U.S., and must make the hardest decision of all.

Featured in WOW Review Volume X, Issue 4.

I Remember Beirut

Zeina Abirached grew up in Beirut in the 1980s as fighting between Christians and Muslims divided the city streets. With striking black-and-white artwork, Abirached recalls the details of ordinary life inside a war zone.

Millie Waits for the Mail

Millie the cow loves to scare the mailman and chase him off the farm, until the mailman comes up with a plan that ends up pleasing everyone.

Piano Piano

Marcolino hates practicing his scales on the piano, but feels he must because he is the reason his mother never became a grand pianist–until his grandfather lets them both in on a little secret.