Picture Book

Lion’s Lunch?

Sarah is strolling through the jungle, singing a happy song, when Lion pounces. How dare she trespass on his turf? He is King of the Jungle–where nobody strolls and sings: They lumber and grunt, sprint and squeak, slither and harrumph! Lion makes an executive decision to eat the little girl for lunch. But Sarah thinks fast: True, she can’t wallow like the hippo or wriggle like the snake, but she can draw. She paints a portrait of Lion. “I don’t look that grumpy!” he protests. “Yes, you do!” all the animals chorus. Soon Sarah is the jungle’s artist-in-residence! In the tradition of Aesop’s classic fable about the lion and the mouse, LION’S LUNCH? is the tale of a little girl who thinks fast on her feet to get herself off the menu! With a gentle message about the difference between being a good boss–and just being bossy. Plus fabulous depictions of an entire menagerie–parrots, crocodiles, porcupines, antelopes, zebras, monkeys, leopards, frogs–by Margaret Chamberlain, illustrator of PINK!

Hooray for Summer!

It is a hot summer afternoon. A frog is hiding tiredly in the shade. Nothing is stirring. Even the grass and flowers are still.

Suddenly the birds are flocking overhead. The small animals are racing for shelter. Then the rain starts pouring down. The sky is as dark as night. Thunder booms. Lightning cracks and flashes.

Mick, Mack, and Molly are caught in the midst of one of the most mysterious and magical moments of summer: a sudden summer thunderstorm. It can be scary; but for the three squirrel children, safe and dry in a cave, it brings new friends.

Buddha

Many centuries ago, in a kingdom in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, a miraculous child was born to the king and queen. The young prince, Siddhartha, was raised in the greatest luxury, sheltered from all pain and ugliness. But one day Siddhartha left the palace and saw, for the first time, human suffering and death. He knew then that he must relinquish everything– his family, his wealth, his position– to discover the Truth of life and death. With only a few humble possessions, he began a remarkable spiritual journey that ended many years later under a bodhi tree. There he finally discovered the Truth and became an Enlightened One, a Buddha. The Buddha taught the Truth and the path to inner peace for forty-five years, attracting thousands of disciples. Today millions of people around the world live by his teachings.Demi’s exquisite illustrations, inspired by the paintings and sculptures of several Asian cultures, are layered with meaning; each brush stroke has a special significance. Demi, herself a Buddhist, brings her devotion to the teachings of the Buddha and her vast knowledge of his life to this comprehensive picture-book biography of an extraordinary spiritual leader.

Liu and the Bird: A Journey in Chinese Calligraphy

This innovative book combines the story of Liu, who goes off to visit her grandfather, with a rebus-style look at the evolution of the Chinese written language from pictures to modern calligraphy characters.

Tiger Of The Snows: Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest

Describes the first successful climb to the top of Mount Everest by the Sherpa Tenzing Norkey and Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953.

Fly Free!

When Mai feeds the caged birds at a Buddhist temple in Vietnam, her simple act of kindness starts a chain of thoughtful acts that ultimately comes back to her. Includes author’s note explaining the Buddhist concepts of karma and samsara, or the wheel of life.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 1

This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.

Outfoxing the Fox

Once there was a little fox who thought he was too smart for school. After all, he thought, foxes are clever already. A fox like himself could certainly outwit a chicken.