Veera and her family live in Russia on what feels like the edge of the world on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Veera spends her time devouring fantasy books, playing fetch with her dog, and longing for a friend she can share her treasures with that she keeps hidden underneath the alder bush. Lucas and his family live on the coast of Chile, which also feels like the edge of the world. Lucas spends his days looking for fossils, playing solo games of soccer, and wishing for a friend to read with him on his favorite tree branch. Written and illustrated by acclaimed author-illustrator Anna Desnitskaya, On the Edge of the World is a playful and perceptive book that illuminates the mirroring lives of two separate children in two separate places, yet share strikingly similar settings and interests.
Loneliness
Corner
A crow finds itself alone in an empty corner in this (almost wordless) picture book. With only thoughts for company, the crow begins to pass the time by filling the empty space with furnishings and hobbies. But even after all the decorating, which includes a growing plant and wall-to-ceiling art, there is still something missing. Finally, the crow adds a window and discovers the need to connect with the world outside. The need for friendship.
The Thing At 52
There’s a Thing on my street. He lives at number 52. I see him sitting in his front yard when I walk to school. He was big and lumbering and a wore a tiny top hat perched on top of his rather large head. She didn’t think he had any friends, so she brought him a flower. It wasn’t long before their friendship bloomed. The Thing was gentle and kind and the adventures they went on were the best she could ever imagine. The girl soon discovered that there were many Things, living all over the place, which gave her an idea. She invited them all to a party, and the Things danced till midnight. Thing had never felt so happy. But one day the Thing had to go and their adventures came to an end. All Things have to go sometime.
Finding François: A Story About The Healing Power Of Friendship
Alice sends a message in a bottle that travels the River Seine and lands with Francois, who helps her heal from the loss of her beloved grandmother.
Martina Has Too Many Tías
A retelling of the Caribbean folktale La cucaracha Martina where Martina, in an effort to escape her noisy tías, slips away to a warm familiar island where she can play in peace and quiet–but is she home at last?
Pie In The Sky
Knowing very little English, eleven-year-old Jingwen feels like an alien when his family immigrates to Australia, but copes with loneliness and the loss of his father by baking elaborate cakes.
King Of The Sky
In this tale of a young boy, an old man, and a dauntless pigeon, a lyrical text and extraordinary illustrations offer a gorgeous meditation on loneliness, belonging, and home.
Night Guard
This wondrous and beautiful volume pairs expressionistic poems with surreal illustrations to create a series of meditations on family relationships that explore isolation, fear, uncertainty and friendship.
Lotus And Feather
A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter’s bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows.
The Only Child
In this wordless graphic novel, a young girl traveling from her city apartment to her grandmother’s country home becomes lost and enters a fantastical world in the clouds.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 3