Children are never too young to begin exploring the many different cultures that make up our beautiful world. Whether we awaken to the wind blowing from the desert, the spray from an ocean wave, or snowflakes dusting the trees, we all share this truly magnificent planet. Through a young boy’s eyes, we visit children from far away places fly kites in Japan, swing through the jungles of Costa Rica, play the didgeridoo in Australia… Marty Husted’s watercolors flow with Jane Hoffelt’s thoughtful poem, helping us feel the depth of our global connections.
Picture Book
My Aunt Otilia’s Spirits: Los espíritus de mi tía Otilia
When tall, skinny Aunt Otilia comes to visit from Puerto Rico, her curious nephew finds out about her magical powers.
The Face at the Window
Dora learns to overcome her fears of a mentally ill woman who lives in her community in this gentle and compassionate story set in contemporary Jamaica, West Indies.
Little Red Cap
When a little girl in a red cap puts her picnic basket over her arm and sets off through the woods to grandmother’s house, one of the best-loved fairy tales of all time unfolds.
Waynetta and the Cornstalk: A Texas Fairy Tale
Times sure are tough on the ranch, and Waynetta and her ma can use all the luck they can get. But when Waynetta trades their last longhorn for a handful of so-called magic corn, Ma is none too pleased. “The only magic this corn’s got is the disappearin’ kind,” she says, and tosses it out the window. But come the next morning, there’s a giant cornstalk growing up to the sky, and Waynetta climbs it to find her own luck… Helen Ketteman’s Texas-style retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” is full of cowgirl sass. Diane Greenseid’s paintings bring rollicking new life to a familiar tale. The author lives in Florida; the illustrator lives in California.
Sally and Dave: A Slug Story
Sally is sleek, slim and simply stunning slug and she knows it. She can’t resist reminding her neighbor, Dave, that he’s just a common fat slug who spends his time sitting on his slimy slug bottom. But when Sally’s life is at stake, Dave steps in and saves the day!
Lullabies, Lyrics and Gallows Songs
Christian Morgenstern wrote this collection of lyric verses and nonsense poetry, and Lisbeth Zwerger’s work is a perfect counterpoint to Morgenstern’s unusual imagery.
Say Cheese!
Lola has promised her mother that she will stay clean and tidy for school picture day. “It will be easy peasy, lemon squeezy!” says Lola. But staying clean and tidy is not so easy, especially when there is finger painting to do and a game of puddles to play. By the time Lola poses for her picture, she is covered in paint and pink milk, and her extremely special photograph for Mom is ruined. But then Charlie has an idea that just might save the day.
Mcfig and Mcfly: A Tale of Jealousy, Revenge, and Death (with a Happy Ending)
From the unparalleled Henrik Drescher comes a wickedly funny story about the perils of runaway rivalry (with a happy ending). McFig lives with his daughter, Rosie, in a lovely little cottage far away from anywhere big and important. One day, McFly and his son, Anton, buy the land next door. At first McFig and McFly hit it off big-time and build McFly a cottage modeled exactly after McFig’s house. But then the two start to add things onto their houses — a medieval tower, a second-story playroom and soon McFig and McFly are in a lifelong competition to be bigger and better than each other.
Kami and the Yaks
A Sherpa family discovers that their yaks are missing. Young Kami, anxious to help his brother and father maintain their livelihood, sets off by himself to find the wandering herd. A deaf child who is unable to speak, Kami climbs the steep mountainside to search the yaks’ favorite grazing spots. When he encounters the rumblings of a fierce storm, Kami uses his heightened sense of observation to finally locate the yaks. Reunited with their animals, the astonished family is once again able to transport their gear and guide the mountain climbers into the majestic terrain.