Materials from Asia
Wind-voice the half-dove, formerly enslaved, is now free, and Maldeor, the one-winged archaeopteryx, hungers for supreme power. Can Wind-voice and his valiant companions—Ewingerale, the woodpecker scribe; Stormac, the myna warrior; and Fleydur, the musician eagle—save the future of their world?
It is a prequel to Swordbird.
When relief workers bring used clothing to the refugee camp, everyone scrambles to grab whatever they can. Ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly, until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. Soon Lina and Feroza meet, each wearing one coveted sandal. Together they solve the problem of having four feet and two sandals. As the girls go about their routines – washing clothes in the river, waiting in long lines for water, and watching for their names to appear on the list to go to America – the sandals remind them that friendship is what is most important.
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.
Featured in Volume I, Issue 2 of WOW Review.
When is a hat not a hat? A serendipitous breeze starts off this playful journey which begs the simple question, “When is a hat, not a hat?” Along the way, Rabbit manages to learn a little bit about friendship and the importance of believing in himself.
In the bustle of street and marketplace, everyone is watching, waiting for those magical clouds to bring their gift of rain to the land. A child describes waiting for the monsoon rains to arrive and the worry that they will not come.
It has been ten years since Shabanu staged her death to secure the safety of her daughter, Mumtaz, from her husband’s murderous brother. Mumtaz has been raised by her father’s family with the education and security her mother desired for her, but with little understanding and love. Only her American cousin Jameel, her closest confidant and friend, and the beloved family patriarch, Baba, understand the pain of her loneliness. When Baba unexpectedly dies, Jameel’s succession as the Amirzai tribal leader and the arrangement of his marriage to Mumtaz are revealed, causing both to question whether fulfilling their duty to the family is worth giving up their dreams for the future.
This is a sequel to the novels Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind and Haveli.
After a storm engulfs his village, a Vietnamese boy has glimmers of a new calling. Every day, Tinh heads out to sea with his father to catch fish for their family and the market. While he sometimes misses flying kites with other children on the beach, Tinh is proud to work alongside Ba. Then a fierce storm strikes, and Ba entrusts Tinh to secure the family vessel, but the boy panics and runs away. It will take courage and faith to salvage the bamboo boat, win back Ba’s confidence, and return to sea. This graceful tale narrates a young Vietnamese boy’s literal and spiritual coming-of-age.
A little girl doesn’t like her dinner and is sent to her room. She seeks comfort from her friend Bear and falls asleep. So begins a fantastic dream voyage deep into the forest, where the girl and her friend dance and play all night. And in the morning, mother and child make up. With brilliant linocut illustrations and not a single word, this picture book marks an impressive American debut for Hyewon Yum.
This illustrated book takes readers on a journey across six continents, with entertaining folktales from eighty different storytelling traditions. An excellent introduction to foreign countries, these beautifully told stories are perfect for reading aloud and encouraging children to learn about different cultures and other parts of the world.
A description of the archaeological discovery of thousands of life-sized terracotta warrior statues in northern China in 1974, and the emperor who had them created and placed near his tomb.
A rare look inside one of the wonders of the world, published in time for the 2008 Olympics in ChinaFor five hundred years, the Forbidden City was the seat of power of China’s emperors. Given rare access to this vast and beautiful complex, Trish Marx and Ellen B. Senisi explore its secrets in full-color photographs and lively, meticulously researched stories. From a grand procession of elephants to the golden nail guards that protected the emperor’s three-inch nails, details large and small bring this fortress to life for young armchair travelers. With contributions from the Palace Museum (the official museum of the Forbidden City), this is a definitive guide and the only book on the subject available for young readers.