Sona, a Malech, belongs to the ruling class that has oppressed the native Devans for centuries. Despite the Malechs’ ban on music to prevent the Devans from accessing their magical abilities, Sona hears melodies everywhere, hiding her own musical talents to avoid endangering herself. But When Sona discovers an orphaned wolf pup with golden ears, she suspects a connection to the sacred beasts of Devia and vows to protect it at all costs. As she embarks on a perilous quest with a Devan boy to obtain the nectar of life for a gravely ill loved one, Sona uncovers secrets about the Malechian empire and her own identity.
Music
Game Of Freedom: Mestre Bimba And The Art Of Capoeira
An illuminating biography of Mestre Bimba, a capoeira player who used art in resistance to racial oppression, transforming a marginalized practice into a global sensation. Part art form, part martial arts, dance, music, acrobatics and spirituality, capoeira is difficult to not only to define, but declare where it originated from. It can be said, with certainty, that Brazil was the only country in the world where it was being played in the early 20th century, mainly by people of African decent. The game was outlawed in 1890, just two years after Brazil abolished slavery, but by the early 1920s Mestre Bimba advocated for capoeira and the people who played it.
This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.
The Pebble: An Allegory Of The Holocaust
Two best friends, Eitan and Rivka, live in a gated Jewish ghetto, where they have been imprisoned by the Nazis since last Spring. But here they can still experience children laughing, dogs barking and women chatting, all as Eitan plays his violin. Yet no one can leave, and if anyone goes through the gates, they never come back. Light hearted in appearance only, this picture book presents one of the darkest moments in human history, the Holocaust, by showcasing the complexities of the human condition and how hope can endure, be it the music of a violin, or the sound of laughter and chatting. They may be trapped within walls of a ghetto, but they can still climb to the rooftop.
Adam And His Tuba
Wherever Adam Von Trapeze’s family circus performs they inspire audiences with their breathtaking feats. Grandma Antonia breathes fire, Uncle Artem builds dizzying human pyramids, and Papa Alexei and Mama Anastasia dance blindfolded on the tightrope. Only Adam, the youngest of the family, doesn’t show an interest in circus tricks and loud applause. The family is concerned. Where did they go wrong? But one day they are enchanted by the sound of a tuba. And from that day forward, the famous Von Trapeze family circus features a new performer—the one they never expected to be part of the family tradition. And he was a star.
The Happiest Lion Cub
In the savanna lands of Africa, there lives a lion cub who dreams of being a musician. But his father is against this because he expects the lion cub to become the king of the animals. And in order to become the king, he must learn how to growl menacingly, not how to play instruments and sing. Will the lion cub really have to abandon his dream?
The Musician
In ancient China, a young musician named Yu Boya gained fame for his talents. On the night of the Moon Festival, he encounters a mysterious woodcutter who is also a musician and admires Boya’s most famous song: Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water. Their friendship deepens and Boya vows to play the song for his new friend every year on the festival night. But the next year, upon hearing of his friend’s death, Boya smashes his instrument and never plays again. To this day, the word for “close friendship” means “understanding the music.”
Holding On
A young girl spends song-filled summers with her music-loving grandmother in the Philippines, but when her beloved Lola starts slipping into silence and stillness, the girl helps her grandmother hold on with music and the joyful memories the songs bring.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XV, Issue 2.
Forever Truffle
In Truffle the Rockstar, Truffle wants to form a band with his best friends Flo and Riad. They can already picture themselves on stage, wowing the crowd with epic songs. They still have to learn how to play instrument but that’s just a minor detail! Ever since Truffle asked Nina to be his girlfriend, they have been shy around each other. In Truffle Loves Nina, Truffle asks his parents, his friend Riad, his big brother, Louis, and the man who works at the library, for advice on how to let his heart do the talking. In truffle Tackles Existence, Truffle attends his great-grandmother’s funeral, which gets him thinking about the world around him. Are grandparents young once, too? Does Rocket, the dog that his family had to give up, still think about him sometimes? Do people stop loving each other if they don’t see each other anymore?
She Sang For India: How M.S. Subbulakshmi Used Her Voice For Change
A picture book biography about M.S. Subbulakshmi, a powerful Indian singer who advocated for justice and peace through song.
Imagine!
“From the unique voice of Bruno Tognolini, the most beloved children’s poet in Italy today, come these 24 “rhymes of hope to shout together”: a musical rhythmic chant that gives voice to the wishes and hopes of all children. From the biggest dreams of peace, solidarity between people, the protection of nature, to the smallest and most intimate dreams, which are no less heartfelt”–