International

Stories at the Door

Cleverly threaded together by verses describing the arrival of stories that enter boldly through the door and stay just long enough to have their say, these tales have been rendered anew by a master storyteller. In “Jesper and the Jackrabbits,” simple wits add up to wonderful wisdom — and rich reward. “Jacinth Wins Words” will spark hilarity, as two sisters compete with surprising and malodorous weapons. The cumulative “Cat and Mouse Tale” is nonsensical fun while “Jacinth Finds Fear” points up what is really important and worth dwelling on. “Jane Saves the Day” is one-upmanship at its best and demonstrates just how powerful underdogs can be. The stories point out our human faults and remind us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Everywhere the Cow Says “Moo!”

In English, the duck says, Quack, quack! But in French, the duck says, Kwang, kwang! This book introduces the sounds of a dog, a frog, a duck, and a rooster as pronounced in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese.

One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship

Illustrated with black-and-white and  full-color photographs. “Today, most religious people in the world practice one of these seven religions [Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism].All have had a deep effect on the laws and customs of every country. They have shaped art, literature, music, and education. They have given the world magnificent stories, songs, buildings, holy objects, ceremonies, and festivals.” From the Introduction to Many Religions, One World. Best-selling children’s author Mary Pope Osborne presents an accessible and elegantly crafted volume that introduces young readers to the world’s seven major religions. Six short readable chapters–perfectly targeted to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders–detail the history, beliefs, and practices of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Handsomely designed and featuring fifty oversized color photographs and a full complement of reference materials, including a map, time line, and bibliography, this book provides a thorough and thoughtful presentation of the diverse ways people worship around the world.  

SOS: Stories of Survival

The tales of the youngest survivors of disasters–teenage coal miners trapped deep below the surface of the earth in Springhill, Nova Scotia; children who ran to escape the poisonous exploding gases spewing from Mont Pelee on the island of Martinique; youngsters who rode the roofs of their homes in Pennsylvania’s roaring Johnstown flood and other survival stories.