The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.
Learn about family, happiness, and friendship in this hope-filled children’s book. Our story starts with a boy named Paul, who lives in a cozy treehouse in a big city with his family. And then something unexpected happens―Paul befriends a wise, friendly fox on a walk home from the bakery. The fox gives Paul a space to think about what makes him happy and what friendship means―all in the pages of a bright and quirky storybook. Join Paul and the fox while helping young readers decide what makes them happy. Illustrated in color throughout.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XI, Issue 3.
It’s been five years since the Sweep disappeared. Orphaned and alone, Nan Sparrow had no other choice but to work for a ruthless chimney sweep named Wilkie Crudd. She spends her days sweeping out chimneys. The job is dangerous and thankless, but with her wits and will, Nan has managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. When Nan gets stuck in a chimney fire, she fears the end has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself unharmed in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature—a golem—made from soot and ash. Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a new life—saving each other in the process. Lyrically told by one of today’s most powerful storytellers, Sweep is a heartrending adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and wonder.
An illustrated picturebook autobiography in which award-winning author Yuyi Morales tells her own immigration story.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XI, Issue 4.
This book is part of the November 2018 My Take/Your Take‘s theme of Global Perspectives on the Refugee and Immigrant Experience.
This book is part of the May 2019 My Take/Your Take‘s theme of 2019 Pura Belpré award winners and honor books.
Dreamers is on WOW’s Refugee’s Experience in Literature Booklist under “Home as Two Places in the Heart.”
Learn how Dreamers was used as part of a Mobility in Journey text set in WOW Stories, Volume VIII, Issue 2.
Dreams was featured in WOW Currents Rompiendo nuestra burbuja: An International Perspective on Culturally Specific Literature from the United States.
While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XII, Issue 2.
Julián is a Mermaid is featured in A Dozen Books Celebrating Children’s Voices and Their Impact.
Tells the life story of rock musician Carlos Santana.
Farmer Falgu is off to the market to sell his produce, but has some unexpected bumps along the way. But then, Farmer Falgu can usually find his way out of any mess!
Celebrating the stories of Indigenous people throughout time, Wab Kinew has created a powerful rap song, the lyrics of which are the basis for the text in this beautiful picture book, illustrated by the acclaimed Joe Morse. Including figures such as Crazy Horse, Net-no-kwa, former NASA astronaut John Herrington and Canadian NHL goalie Carey Price, Go Show the World showcases a diverse group of Indigenous people in the US and Canada, both the more well known and the not- so-widely recognized. Individually, their stories, though briefly touched on, are inspiring; collectively, they empower the reader with this message: “We are people who matter, yes, it’s true; now let’s show the world what people who matter can do.
Mrs. Badger, an avid collector and naturalist, takes a weekly journey up to Sugarloaf Peak, greeting her friends on the way and sharing her discoveries with them. One day she meets Lulu, a very small cat, who wants to go with her to the top of the mountain. On the way, Lulu learns to take care of the natural world, help those in need, and listen to her intuition.
Niles lives all alone in a big dirty house filled with memories of the people who used to live there. Then one day, a little boy appears on his doorstep and asks Niles to take care of his plant. Astonished, Niles takes the pot of dirt, and wonders what to do with it. As a seedling appears, Niles realizes how empty and lonely his house is and begins to care for the plant, his house and himself. By the time the little boy returns his flower has bloomed into a beautiful poppy and Niles, and his house, are filled with hope again.