In China in the 1940s, ten-year-old Ying sells her handmade bamboo chicken fences to make money to attend a school camping trip, but no one understands why she instead uses her earnings to buy a dead hen from the grandmother of a drowned classmate.
traditions
Egypt
Festivals of the World offers a colorful introduction to the festivals and cultures of countries around the world.
China
This series introduces young readers to the diverse cultures and peoples of different countries around the world.
China
Festivals of the World offers a colorful introduction to the festivals and cultures of countries around the world.
Mary Engelbreit’s Fairy Tales
With twelve beloved stories meant for reading aloud and more than one hundred glorious illustrations, Mary Engelbreit’s Fairy Tales is destined to become a family favorite! Every turn of the page brings fresh delight as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, the Little Mermaid, and others come to life as only Mary Engelbreit could have imagined them. Images of Rapunzel alone in her tower, Cinderella’s pumpkin becoming a golden carriage, and Thumbelina’s search for a home are unforgettable.
I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat
It wasn’t too long ago that people tried all sorts of things to help sick people feel better. They tried wild things like drinking a glass full of millipedes or putting some mustard on one’s head. Some of the cures worked, and some of them…well, let’s just say that millipedes, living or dead, are not meant to be ingested. Carlyn Beccia takes readers on a colorful and funny medical mystery tour to discover that while times may have changed, many of today’s most reliable cure-alls have their roots in some very peculiar practices, and so relevant connections can be drawn from what they did then to what we do now.
Chavela and the Magic Bubble
Chavela loves chomping chicle—chewing gum. And she loves blowing bubbles even more. One day, while out with her abuelita, she finds a mysterious kind of gum she’s never seen before. She pops it in her mouth and blows a giant bubble that lifts her up into the air! It carries her on a journey more magical than any she could ever imagine. Luscious, candy-colored paintings illustrate this fantastical story with an ecological twist. An afterword provides information on natural chewing gum, the rainforest, and sustainable farming, as well as music to a traditional Latin American folksong.
The Day of the Dead, El día de los Muertos
Follow two children as they celebrate their ancestors on this vibrant holiday. They offer marigolds, sugar skulls, and special bread, and make delicious foods. By spreading marigold petals, they guide the dead home to join the festivities. Finally, after singing and dancing, it’s time for bed. Bob Barner’s luscious collages incorporate the traditional symbols of Day of the Dead. His poetic text is both English and Spanish. An author’s note provides additional information on the holiday.
Welcome To My Neighborhood!
A young girl takes a walk through her urban neighborhood, observing items representing every letter of the alphabet, from her abuela to loud, zooming cars.
Grandma’s Chocolate / El chocolate de abuelita
Abuela’s visits from Mexico are always full of excitement for young Sabrina. She can’t wait to see what’s in her grandmother’s yellow suitcase covered in stickers from all the places she has visited. Opening it is like opening a treasure chest, and this year is no different. With her grandmother’s help, Sabrina learns all about the cacao tree, which was first cultivated by Mexico’s Indigenous tribes. Today, seeds from the cacao tree give us chocolate, but years ago the seeds were so valuable they were used as money. This charming bilingual picture book that depicts a loving relationship between grandmother and granddaughter and shares the history and customs of the native peoples, Mayan and Aztec, of Mexico.