Picture Book

Monsoon Afternoon

It is monsoon season in India. Outside, dark clouds roll in and the rain starts to fall. As animals scatter to find cover, a young boy and his dadaji (grandfather) head out into the rainy weather. The two sail paper boats. They watch the peacocks dance in the rain, just as the colorful birds did when Dadaji was a boy. They pick mangoes and Dadaji lifts up his grandson so he can swing on the roots of the banyan tree, just as Dadaji did when he was young. Finally, when the two return home, hot tea and a loving family are waiting.

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

Chee-Lin: A Giraffe’s Journey

Eighty years before Columbus, China sent ships to explore the world. The Chinese discovered many marvelous things, but one discovery stood out above the others: the chee-lin. This chee-lin was just a giraffe, but to the Chinese it was an omen of good fortune so rare that it had appeared only once before—at the birth of Confucius. In a storybook in which each page evokes the richness of far away places and long-ago days, James Rumford traces the chee-lin’s journey from Africa to Bengal to China, weaving a tale not just of a giraffe but of the people he meets along the way.

The Littlest Dinosaur

Mother dinosaur is proud of her new baby, even though she is the littlest dinosaur anyone has ever seen. The littlest dinosaur can’t play with her older brothers and sisters for fear of getting stepped on, and she can’t venture near the mud flats for fear of falling in. The only thing she can do is sit high up on a hill—until one day, when she sees another dinosaur on another hill in the distance . . . Award-winning author/illustrator Michael Foreman presents a celebration of friendship and being yourself that will appeal to all readers, whether little or big.

Scottish Alphabet

Across the lush, emerald green mountains and through the alphabet, the ABCs of Scotland are explored in beautiful rhyme, imagery, and history. A stands for Saint Andrew’s Day, named for the brother of St. Peter and the patron saint of Scotland. I is for Iona, the ancient burial ground and abbey that holds the remains of early kings of Scotland, such as Macbeth and Donald II.

 

Millie in the Snow

Millie’s new job as a mail cow keeps her very busy. Christmastime is especially hectic, and she can barely wait for the milking to be done before she’s out delivering presents. On Christmas Eve, at the end of a long day, the mail carrier sends Millie home with all the presents she’s made for the farmer and the other animals. Only, Millie gets a bit confused by the snow-covered landscape. Suddenly everything looks the same, and the farm is nowhere in sight.

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer

In a poor village in northern China, a small boy named Li Cunxin was given the chance of a lifetime. Selected by Chairman Mao’s officials from among millions of children to become a dancer, Li’s new life began as he left his family behind.

At the Beijing Dance Academy, days were long and difficult. Li’s hard work was rewarded when he was chosen yet again, this time to travel to America.

From there his career took flight, and he danced in cities around the world—never forgetting his family, who urged him to follow his dreams.

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales

Maisy creator Lucy Cousins shifts gears to retell her favorites with vivid, rousing illustrations. Eight classic stories take on new energy as Lucy Cousins ramps up her artwork.

 

The Owl and the Pussycat

After a courtship voyage of a year and a day, the owl and the pussycat finally buy a ring from Piggy and are blissfully married, in this illustrated version of Lear’s nonsense poem.

The Contest between the Sun and the Wind: An Aesop’s Fable

The sun and the wind test their strength by seeing which of them can cause a man to remove his coat, demonstrating the value of using gentle persuasion rather than force as a means of achieving a goal. In this retelling of a classic fable from Aesop, we learn that being the most forceful does not make you the strongest. Sometimes the greatest strength comes from a place of gentleness.

On a Road in Africa

Baskets empty on the seat. Must be filled with things to eat…On a road in Africa, On a road in Africa. Where you gonna go, Mama O, Mama O? Follow real-life animal rescuer Chryssee Perry Martin (a.k.a. “Mama `O’rphanage”) as she makes her daily trek down a dusty road in Africa. Along the way she fills her sisal baskets to the brim with mangoes, bananas, peanuts, and even poop–all to feed and entertain the rescued animals staying in the Nairobi Animal Orphanage. Kim Doner’s detailed oil wash and pencil paintings transport readers to Nairobi, Kenya, where children prepare snacks for hungry baboons and buffalo feast on sugar cane.