For children who love to search and find and adore that cute Japanese kawaii style here comes another pair of fun activity books about Moshi Town. Strawberry Mermaid Moshi has been invited to a magical wedding under the sea. Children are invited to join her on an underwater adventure with her friends, but are their eyes sharp enough to help her find her friends first?
Asia
Materials from Asia
The Kampung Boy
Lat recounts the life of Mat, a Muslim boy growing up in rural Malaysia in the 1950s: his adventures and mischief-making, fishing trips, religious study, and work on his family’s rubber plantation. Meanwhile, the traditional way of life in his village (or kampung>) is steadily disappearing, with tin mines and factory jobs gradually replacing family farms and rubber small-holders. When Mat leaves for boarding school, he can only hope that his familiar kampung will still be there when he returns.
The Stone: A Persian Legend of the Magi
A retelling of the story told to Marco Polo about the Magi of Saveh, three wise men from a town in Persia, who followed a strange star and find a special child.
Goha: The Wise Fool
A collection of fourteen tales about the folk hero Nasreddin Hoca, also known as Goha, a man with a reputation for being able to answer difficult questions in a clever way.
Heart of a Samurai
In 1841, rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four companions castaways on a remote island, fourteen-year-old Manjiro, who dreams of becoming a samurai, learns new laws and customs as he becomes the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States.
This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
Perfect Crane
A lonely Japanese magician gains friends through the paper crane that he brings to life but then must set free.
Umbrella
Momo eagerly waits for a rainy day so she can use the red boots and umbrella she received on her third birthday.
Kojuro and the Bears
A bear hunter finds his destiny in the hills of Mt. Nametoko.
Vasco da Gama: Quest for the Spice Trade
Each colorful book in this series describes what an explorer’s life was really like on an expedition, from what they wore to what they ate, and includes colorful maps and images showing the areas explored; a look at the political climates of various countries that made explorers venture out into the unknown; and an examination of how explorers lived while on the high seas, on the trail, or in the encampment.
Next Year In Jerusalem
Jewish stories set in Jerusalem, adapted from the Talmud and Midrash, Hasidic sources, and oral tradition, with origins in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Spain, Italy, and Greece.