In Edwidge’s story, Junior is trapped under his pancaked house for 8 whole days. After he is saved, people ask him repeatedly: “What did you do all this time? Were you scared? Did you cry?” “I played,” he answers. And so, with each page, we see how he played in his mind every day he was trapped–how he played marbles with his friends, won the best solo part in the choir, biked through St. Marc with his little sister, and ate the sweetest mango. Hope, love, and warmth dance across each page, reminding us that sometimes it is the simplest beauties that help us find our strength. Niki, the real boy whom this story is loosely based on, was pulled from the rubble after being trapped for 8 days. He was rescued by New York Task Force 1, a search-and-rescue team made up of New York City police- and firemen. They had to cut through three slabs of concrete and countless other pieces of debris before his mother could crawl in to coax Niki and his sister out. When he finally made it out of the wreckage, Niki did so with a beaming smile and wide-open arms–the image of hope.
Picture Book
Merci Mister Dash!
Mr. Dash may not have a pedigree (he can count five different breeds of dogs as family), but from his furry head to his wagging tail, he is a gentleman. His fine manners make him a perfect companion to Madame Croissant. Their life together is graceful and civilized, what with walks in the park, stamp-collecting, and a passion for flowers. But the well-ordered household is turned on its head whenever Madame Croissant’s granddaughter, Daphne, comes to visit. She’s as wild as Mr. Dash is courtly, and she makes the poor dog’s life miserable. But when she finds herself in real trouble, Mr. Dash proves that he is not only well-mannered but as brave as any knight.
Nilo Se Va A La Cama
The acclaimed creator of THE RAINBOW FISH series returns with Bertie, an irrepressible hippo who’s not quite ready for bed. Bertie might wear his daddy out before he’s actually ready for sleep.
Nilo, Como Mi Papa
Bertie, a young hippopotamus, wants to drink coffee, read the newspaper, use a credit card, and more, just like Daddy, who appeases the eager hippo with age-appropriate options such as making a newspaper hat. At story’s end, the tables turn when Daddy wants to play like Bertie.
The Last Doll/La última Muñeca
The beautiful, but old-fashioned, Sarita sadly watches as her shelf-mates are purchased by eager shoppers and taken home. She looks out through the dust-covered plastic of her box, and she worries that she will be the last one. Every day she preens and puts her best porcelain face forward, but every evening, she remains on the shelf.
Finally one day, a tall man in a black mustache decides that she is perfect, and that she absolutely must be the last doll for his godchild, Teresa, on her quinceañera. Sarita’s alarm at still being last quickly shifts to pride when she realizes that sometimes people save the best for last.
El Machinchar
The true story of a girl and her father who can’t match his clothes well. To help him, she makes him a “Matching chart” that tells him which colors go with which.
Extra! Extra!: Fairy-Tale News From Hidden Forest
Presents articles, editorials and ads from the “Hidden Forest Times” that retell many well-known stories, including Jack and the beanstalk, Pinocchio, and the Tortoise and the Hare. When the residents of Hidden Forest wake up and open their morning papers, they are in for a surprise. When the residents of Hidden Forest wake up and open their morning papers, they are in for a surprise. An enormous beanstalk has mysteriously sprouted outside of Jack Blake’s house, and Jack is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Pinocchio and Half-Chicken have set out on adventures of their own, and Tortoise and Hare are off to the races. Will they all find their happy endings? Hidden Forest News has got the scoops. Written and laid out in newspaper format, this installment in the enchanting Hidden Forest series has received a new twist from Alma Flor Ada and Leslie Tryon.
Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla
When Grandpa Luis’s grandchildren are visiting him in Chimayo, New Mexico, they see pictures of animals in one of the tortillas he has cooked for their breakfast.
Orson Blasts Off!
What’s a megabyte-loving kid to do when his computer breaks? BLAST OFF! Join Orson and his sidekick, Weasel, on a hair-raising adventure where they touch the North Pole…watch the eye of a storm wink…and fall through a black hole in outer space. Readers (but maybe not their parents!) will be amazed at what can happen when a creative kid is forced away from his computer screen. Raúl Colón’s picture book is filled with delicious word-play and all the fun of a comic book.
A Picture Book of Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to helping American farmworkers. This champion of social justice organized farmworkers into unions and argued for better pay and fwir working conditions.