Author: Sophie Rosen

In Every Life

Sophie Rosen

Frazee, Marla. In Every Life. New York : Beach Lane Books, 2023.
What does it mean to be blessed? Does it mean to be favoured with good fortune? To experience the wonders of nature? To be comforted by the presence of loved ones? Based on a Jewish blessing, this uplifting picture book with exquisitely gentle illustrations in pencil and gouache is highly recommended for readers who have time to feel emotions and recall experiences. A wonderful book for parents and grandparents to share with children!

A Jewish Blessing

In every birth, blessed is the wonder.

In every creation, blessed is the new beginning.

In every child, blessed is life.

In every hope, blessed is the potential.

In every transition, blessed is the beginning.

In every existence, blessed are the possibilities.

In every love, blessed are the tears.

In every life, blessed is the love….

“Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.”
― William Martin, The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents
…

Hachiko

Sophie Rosen , ,

Turner, Pamela S. Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004.
Do animals feel emotions? Anyone who has ever lived with a dog knows that they feel many emotions: fear, joy, loneliness…. And of course, loyalty. This short story, presented as a picture book illustrated by the award-winning Yan Nascimbene, describes the history behind a statue at a famous Tokyo train station. While the main character – a young boy – has been invented, the story of Hachiko – a dog who for almost ten years faithfully went to the station every day, hoping to once again meet his master who had died – is true. This touching story set in the 1920s is appended with two pages of historical information and is recommended for dog lovers of all ages.

More stories set in Japan

More dog stories

More stories set in the past

Books about animal intelligence

The Man with the Violin

Sophie Rosen ,

Stinson, Kathy. The Man with the Violin. Toronto: Annick Press, 2013.
What if you could listen to one of the best violinists in the world perform? What if you didn’t have to go anywhere to hear him play? What if he came to you and played for you for free? Would you listen? Most people wouldn’t. They’d walk right on by. This picture book – illustrated by Dušan Petričić – is based on a real event. In 2007, Joshua Bell played at a plaza in Washington, D.C. as part of an experiment to see how people would respond. He played for over forty minutes while more than 1,000 people walked by, oblivious to the amazing concert taking place in front of them. All the children tried to stop, tried to listen to the music, but were pulled away. Only seven people stopped for more than a brief minute. Kathy Stinson – author of more than 25 books – tells this story from the perspective of one of the young children who wanted to listen. Highly recommended for ages 7 to 11 years old.

More stories by Canadians 

More stories about music and musicians

Song of the River

Sophie Rosen , , ,

Cowley, Joy. Song of the River. Wellington, New Zealand: Gecko Press, 2019.
Where does the sea begin? In a trickle of water, high, high, up in the mountains. In a stream, running between snow-covered ground shaded by pine trees. Where does a stream run? Down, down, joining other streams, turning into a creek and into a river. Where does a river flow? Past farms, under bridges, through cities, joining other rivers to become a wide rushing highway to the sandy salty sea.  Illustrated by Kimberly Andrews and written by the award-winning Joy Cowley, this exhilarating picture book about a little boy who lives in the mountains is cheerfully recommended for readers five to eight years old.

More books about rivers

More stories from New Zealand

More stories by Joy Cowley…

Cowley, Joy. Snake and Lizard. La Jolla, Calif. : Kane/Miller, 2007.

This story of two friends who like helping others comes from New Zealand and will be much enjoyed by readers who are fond of Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel and George and Martha by James Marshall. 

Cowley, Joy. Friends: Snake and Lizard. Wellington, N.Z.: Gecko Press, 2011, c2009.

Chicken Feathers

Cowley, Joy. Chicken Feathers. New York: Philomel Books, 2008.

Josh spends the summer with his pet chicken Semolina while his mother is hospitalized until the birth of his sister. A touching story, comparable to Arthur, for the Very First Time by  Patricia MacLachlan. Both novels are by master storytellers, but this one is for younger readers. [Chickens; Family life; Farm life; Pets]

Cowley, Joy. Stories of the Wild West Gang. Wellington, NZ: Gecko Press, 2012.
Michael would far rather be having adventures with his cousins than staying at home with his quiet, proper mum and dad.  This lengthy collection of 10 hilarious stories, originally published separately, will appeal to readers who enjoy laughing. A great read-aloud! [New Zealand; Cousins; Humorous fiction; Adventure and adventurers; Family life]

The Carpet

Sophie Rosen , , ,

Azaad, Dezh. The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023.

A refugee child describes all the ways the family gathers around their treasured carpet. They prepare food together, share meals together, read books, play games, remember the life they had long ago, and dream of the life they will have in a new land. Written by an Afghan refugee who lives in Germany and illustrated by a New York City artist, this colourful picture book is recommended as a read-aloud for children five to nine years old. 

More stories about people from Afghanistan

More stories about refugees

When You Can Swim

Sophie Rosen , ,

Wong, Jack. When You Can Swim. New York: Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2023.
When you can swim, a whole new world opens up. Treetops drift overhead as you float on your back. Fields of reeds appear as you dive down under the water. Fish feast on insects as you tread water in the twilight. Amazing wonders, exciting adventures, all await you once you can swim. Evocative full-page illustrations help to tell this story written as poetry. Told from the second person point of view and accompanied by an afterword explaining how the author learned to overcome his fear of swimming when he came to Canada as an immigrant child, this beautiful picture book is highly recommended for readers of all ages. (P.S. Teachers will find it invaluable for showing students how to write powerfully without using the rules of punctuation.)

More stories told from the second person point of view

More stories by Canadians 

More stories in verse