Woodpecker Girl

Sophie Rosen , , ,

Liu, Chingyen and I-Tsun Chiang. Woodpecker Girl. New York: Reycraft Books, 2020.
How do you express yourself when you can neither speak nor write? How do you explore the world when you’re wheel-chair bound? How do you live with optimism and joy? A little girl born with cerebral palsy learns to paint using a brush attached to a headband. She learns to make friends and discovers that despite obstacles, she can bring happiness to this world. Based on the life of artist Yipei Huang and illustrated by Heidi Doll, this inspiring picture book includes eleven paintings by Huang and a note from her mother. Highly recommended for all readers 5 years old and up.

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Hope Is an Arrow

Sophie Rosen , , , ,

McCarthy, Cory. Hope Is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese American Poet Kahlil Gibran. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2022.
A poet. An artist. A storyteller. An essayist. A philosopher. Born into a Lebanese Maronite Christian family in 1883, Kahlil Gibran came to America with his mother and siblings in 1895.  Sent back to study Arabic in Beruit when he was fifteen, he moved to Paris to study painting when he was eighteen. In 1910, he returned to the US, where his literary fame grew. Attracted to Islam, Sufism, and Jungian psychology, his writing was nonetheless greatly influenced by the King James Bible. Although he died almost 100 years ago, his work continues to be published. The Prophet has not been out of print for over 100 years.
This picture book biography – vibrantly illustrated by Ekua Holmes – retells the story of Gibran’s complex life in a clear, easy-to-follow style suitable for reading aloud to listeners as young as six but informative enough – with extensive notes at the end – to provide a fascinating introduction for readers of any age. Highly recommended.

“We are the seeds of the tenacious plant, and it is in our ripeness and our fullness of heart that we are given to the wind and are scattered.”

P.S. Always watch for picture books published by Candlewick. They are invariably beautiful.

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Canada Day

Sophie Rosen

Jully 1st is Canada Day!

Lappano, Jon-Erik. Martin and the River. Toronto: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, 2022.
Lying in the tall grass, watching herons and ospreys. Building forts in the fields by the river. Country life is the only life for Martin. Until his mother gets a new job in the city. How will he survive among so many people? While there are many enjoyable activities – riding on the subway, watching street performers, visiting museums – the city doesn’t feel like home. At least, not until his parents take him to a park and show him a stream where frogs jump and dragonflies hover. Maybe, Martin’s heart will feel at home after all? A wonderful picture book – delicately illustrated by Josée Bisaillon – recommended for anyone who loves nature and longs for a rural life.

Hrab, Naseem. Otis & Peanut. Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2023.
Otis and Peanut, a guinea pig and a mole rat join the pantheon of fictional best friends in three little stories told in graphic novel format. Otis and Peanut go shopping together. They play on the swings together. They remember happy times with their friend Pearl and talk about their sadness now that she’s gone. They encourage each other and learn how to find joy in life again. A wonderful book – with a recipe for baked potatoes at the end – for readers seven to ten years old. 

Barker, Michelle. My Long List of Impossible Things. Toronto: Annick Press, 2020.
The second world war is ending in Germany, but that does not mean safety for Katja’s family. The Soviets are invading. Katja’s father has already been long gone, killed in the war, so Katya, her older sister Hilde, and their mother are on their own, travelling by foot through forests and along dangerous roads, seeking refuge farther west.
Told from the first person point of view of Katya, a teenager who tends to speak impulsively and frequently unwisely, this extraordinary story provides a glimpse of life after the war. All the complexities, all the dangers, are vividly portrayed by an award-winning Canadian writer. Due to some of the language and some of the scenes, this novel is most suitable for readers 13 years of age and older. Highly recommended for adult readers, as well as teenagers.

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Lost Words

Sophie Rosen , , ,

Boukarim, Leila. Lost Words: An Armenian Story of Survival and Hope. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2024.
A little boy walks and walks and walks, for days and weeks and months, leaving behind his parents, looking for a new life. Based on the author’s own family history and illustrated by Sona Avedikain, this quiet picture book portrays the experiences of a refugee during the early 20th century. It is appended by photographs and lengthy notes from both the author and illustrator, as well as a brief history of the Armenian Genocide. Recommended for those interested in world history and those ready to explore their own family’s history.

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Extraordinary Magic

Sophie Rosen ,

Crews, Nina. Extraordinary Magic. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2024.

What words would you choose to tell the story of your life?
How could you turn those words into poems about your life?
Nina Crews, author of over a dozen children’s books, uses poems and pictures to tell the story of Virginia Hamilton, author of over forty books and winner of multiple awards including the Newbery Medal in 1975. Most young readers today – at least in Canada – will not be familiar with Hamilton’s folktales and realistic novels about life for African Americans. This picture book is an excellent introduction to an author who excelled at writing complex stories that did not flinch from life’s ugliness while still celebrating its beauty. Recommended for readers up to 15 years of age.

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Novels for young adults

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Go Forth and Tell

Sophie Rosen

McDaniel, Breanna J. Go Forth and Tell. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2024.
This gorgeous picture book – illustrated by April Harrison – tells the story of Augusta Baker, a little girl who loved listening to her grandmother’s stories and who grew up to become a teacher who loved telling her own stories, as well as the first African American librarian to be head of children’s services in the New York Public Library system. Highly recommended for readers of any age who like telling stories and creating works of art.

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“Children of all ages want to hear stories. Select well, prepare well, and then go forth and just tell.” – Augusta Braxton Baker

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Orca Chief

Sophie Rosen , ,

Vickers, Roy Henry and Robert Budd. Orca Chief. Madeira Park, B.C.: Harbour Publishing, 2015.
What are the stories that make you feel like you’ve come home? What are the myths of other cultures that remind you of your own spiritual values? Whenever I read a picture book by Roy Henry Vickers, I feel a sense of timelessness, as if a thousand days were but one day and the people of long ago could be the people of today. As if the story I’m reading is the same as the stories I heard as a child, just with a different setting. Orca Chief, the third in a trilogy of legends set in the Pacific Northwest, tells the story of four fishermen who are too exhausted to be respectful of life beneath the waves. Patiently but firmly, the orcas teach the four how to care for the environment and safely provide for their village. The fishermen learn to seek forgiveness, change their ways, and celebrate life with thankfulness. The flow of the writing, the elegance of the illustrations, and the flawless design make this a book for everyone. Buy it. Keep it. Read it aloud and to yourself, regularly. 

More stories from indigenous people of North America

A writing lesson using Gary Paulsen’s account of his encounter with a whale

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