Trees change through the seasons — springing to life, bearing fruit, and losing their leaves before a period of sleep. They clean the air we breathe, provide seeds and homes for creatures, and extend their shade to everyone equally.
Trees
Spain
Materials from Spain
Lola’s Fandango
Lola is a young Spanish girl in awe of her glamorous older sister. However, she discovers her own talent and duende, or spirit, through secret fandango lessons from her father.
The Surrender Tree: Poems Of Cuba’s Struggle For Freedom
Who could have guessed that after all these years, the boy I called Lieutenant Death when we were both children would still be out here, in the forest, chasing me, now, hunting me, haunting me. It is 1896. Cuba has fought three wars for independence and still is not free. People have been rounded up in concentration camps with too little food and too much illness. Rosa is a nurse, but with a price on her head for helping the rebels, she dares not go to the camps. Instead, she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her. Black, white, Cuban, Spanish–Rosa does her best for everyone.
Read more about The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom in WOW Review.
The Last Song
Living in Toledo, Spain, and raised a devout Catholic, Isabel cannot know her privileged life is about to unravel. The tolerant society she is used to has been turned upside down by the Spanish Inquisition and the Grand Inquisitor, Torquemada. Now even the walls have ears, and no one is immune to rumor, suspicion, a resentful servant, or a neighbor bearing a grudge. Still, Isabel feels safe from the burnings and torture. After all, her father is a respected physician in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Then Isabel is betrothed to an abusive man she thoroughly dislikes, and for the first time, her doting parents are united against her. The reason becomes all too clear when they reveal to her their family’s Jewish roots. By marrying their only child into a respected old Catholic family, they hope to protect her and dispel any suspicion that they have not always been devout Christians. Despite their efforts, Isabel’s father is arrested and tortured by the Inquisition, and it’s up to Isabel to concoct a desperate plan to save his life – and her own.
Bonjour Camille
It’s Sunday morning, and Camille has so many things to do! From jumping on the bed (of course) to choosing a new favorite color, drawing faces on thousands of balloons, hiding all of the umbrellas, seeking out the unexpected on a map, and more, Camille teaches young readers the importance of being guided by a boundless imagination. Bold colors, graphic patterns, and expressive collage capture Camille’s whirlwind of a morning, not to mention her uniquely expansive perspective. Children and adults alike will embrace this celebration of childhood’s many delightful surprises.
My Grandpa
My grandpa is getting old. But that’s how he is, and I love him. This unique look at old age through the eyes of a young bear is big-hearted, poignant, and beautifully observed.
Marc Just Couldn’t Sleep
Describes the efforts a mother goes through to help her young son, Marc, when he is too afraid to go to sleep.
Jon’s Moon
Jon lived with his father close by the sea. Every night Jon’s father went out to sea to fish, and every night, Jon stayed safely at home with the moon to keep him company. All was well until one night a storm raged, and a fugue wave stuck Jon’s father such a blow that it drove the spirit out of him. the spirit sank to the bottom of the seam leaving Jon’s father colorless and cold.
El Libro De Los Cuentos Y Leyendas De América Latina Y España
The collected stories in this beautifully illustrated volume bring Latin American and Spanish folklore to children all over the world. With stories that come from cultures as vast as the Guarani and the Quechua, the Highlands of Peru, the tip of South America, and Spain, this resource will captivate readers as it familiarizes them with these moving traditions. Text copyright 2004 Lectorum Publications, Inc.
Night Sounds
When the moon comes up over the mountains, all the animals in the rain forest go to sleep. But, what’s that noise? And how can the animals make it stop? “Wuaaah, wuaaah, wuaaah.” The noise goes on and on. Cuddled up inside an abandoned box, someone is sobbing, and one by one, the animals try to comfort the little one. But with each offering — of a blanket, some fresh water, mango, and so on — the small creature settles only briefly before wailing once again. Finally, Tiger disappears and returns with the little creature’s mother. Peace is restored, until . . . ”Wuu, wuu, wuuuuuu,” cries a child in a nearby village. This time, it is the little creature who solves the problem by yelling out, “That child must have a kiss! Then we can all go back to sleep.”