A young boy describes what life is like when his dad comes home — how he fries up chicken samosas for dinner, how he makes jokes and fools around, and how he carries him off to bed when he is sleepy. His dad also tells wonderful stories of his adventures in far-off lands, often inspired by his many, many exotic tattoos. His letters to his son are also full of great stories about the past — what the first date with his mother was like (it included a visit to a fortune teller and a bizarre circus) and about how the boy’s life was saved twice by this very same dad — once when he was stolen from his baby basket by a dog and once when he flew out the car window. But as his mother says, his dad has ants in his pants, which means he’s often not around.Still, life rolls along with one fantastical tale after another, in good times and bad. And this is this extraordinary father’s gift to his child — the life of the imagination — which is always with him, even when his father is not.The illustrations have a nostalgic, underground graphic-novel style feel to them that perfectly complements the very original text.
Europe
Materials from Europe
Orani: My Father’s Village
As a child, Claire Nivola loved summers in Orani, the village where her father grew up and where her many aunts, uncles, and 50 cousins still lived. She ran freely through the town’s cobbled streets with packs of cousins, who quizzed her about America while she took in all the simple joys and pleasures of daily life in a village where surprises met them at every turn.
The Demon’s Surrender
Sin’s world is turned upside down when she has to ally with a demon and his brother to save her beloved Goblin Market from the evil magicians.
This Baby
Kate Banks’s lyrical poetry pairs with Gabi Swiatkowska’s playful dreamlike images to create this must-have book for all children who are about to be new siblings. While Mama’s busy knitting a wardrobe for her unborn baby, big sister is preparing in her own way: imagining, asking, wondering what this baby will like. As the seasons pass, this baby grows, too–and soon big sister will have the answers to all of her questions.
A Daisy Is a Daisy Is a Daisy (Except When It’s a Girl’s Name)
Many girls are named after flowers (or even forms of the word “flower,” such as Flora). Girls’ names in different languages accompany her imaginative illustrations of flowers, so that the reader discovers, for example, that Gul means rose in Turkish, but that it is Rosa in Spanish and Rodanthe in Greek. Flowers named in the book include rose, heather, buttercup, sunflower, lily of the valley, daisy, bluebell, snowdrop, hyacinth, myrtle, camomile, cherry blossom, jasmine, violet, tulip, poppy. This can be used in the classroom to talk about culture, language and botany.
Benedict
Benedict, also known as Benny, is tired of living in such a hot place. And so he cleverly springs on his coiled tail from one habitat to another. He visits the North Pole, the desert, the jungle and finally the ocean in search of perfection.
Olympians Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory
The story of Hera, Queen of the Gods, and the heroes who won her favor. Volume 3 of Olympians, Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory, introduces readers to the Queen of the Gods and Goddesses in the Pantheon. This volume tells the tales of the many heroes who sought and won Hera’s patronage, most notably Hercules. In Olympians, O’Connor draws from primary documents to reconstruct and retell classic Greek myths. But these stories aren’t sedate, scholarly works. They’re action-packed, fast-paced, high-drama adventures with monsters, romance, and not a few huge explosions. O’Connor’s vibrant, kinetic art brings ancient tales to undeniable life, in a perfect fusion of super-hero aesthetics and ancient Greek mythology.
Baby Badger’s Wonderful Night
“I don’t like the night,” Baby Badger whispered. Papa Badger took him by the hand. “There’s no need to be frightened,” he said. “The night is wonderful. Let me show you.” Baby Badger is afraid of the night. It’s dark and lonely. But Papa Badger promises there is nothing to fear. Together they take a nighttime walk, and Papa shows Baby the beautiful colors and shining stars, and just how magical the world becomes when the sun goes down.
Fire World
After destroying a trace of dark fire, David, Zanna, and the Pennykettle dragons vanished. In a brand-new world, Co:per:nica, which runs parallel to that of Crescent Lane, firebirds roam the ancient librarium, a museum for books. But when 12-year-old David and Rosanna accidentally injure one of the firebirds, they are suddenly thrust into a remarkable adventure. The evil Ix have taken over one of the firebirds, turning it to the side of darkness, but the birds have a secret: They know about the existence of dragons. And from across the universe, one may come to their aid.
Frangoline and the Midnight Dream
Good Girl Gone Bad! An adorably dark picture book about the naughty midnight exploits of an impish litttle girl.During the day, Frangoline’s a perfect little angel. But in the darkest shadows of night, when all good children are sleeping tight, this little imp dons her jet-black cape and makes a break for it! Out the window, across the grass, screeching like a banshee, twirling like a dervish! The worried Moon looks down, warning, “Little ones should be in bed!” “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m Frangoline!” she says. But when Frangoline’s dancing antics wake the dead and they chase her to the tippy-top of the church steeple, how will she escape? And will she learn her lesson?