Kindness in the Mountains: Cloud Tea Monkeys

Cloud Tea Monkeys 

by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham

illustrated by Juan Wijngaard

This book is based on a Himalayan tale. Tashi is a young girl who tags along when her mother is working on a tea plantation has befriended a troop of monkeys. Each day she shares a bit of her meager lunch with them and laughs at their antics. When her mother falls ill, Tashi tries to work as her mother did, but is cruelly taunted by the Overseer. In her despair, she is comforted by the monkeys. To her surprise, they fill her basket with unusual tea leaves. Their kingly gift changes her life, and that of her mother, forever.

This would make a wonderful addition to Reading Around the World in Picture Books for the Himalayas. It's a little text-heavy for the youngest kids, but you could always spread the reading over a few days if the kids got tired of listening.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. I checked this book out from our library.

A Chinese Folk Tale: The Dinner that Cooked Itself

The Dinner that Cooked Itself

by J.C. Hsyu and Kenard Pak

Tuan is an orphan, raised by his kind neighbors. He has grown into a diligent, honest, and respectful young man, struggling to earn enough to marry a young woman deemed perfect for him, according to the characters of their names and the years of their births. One day, he finds his dinner has cooked itself. He eventually discovers it has been prepared by a fairy, sent to reward him and care for him until he can marry.

This is a beautiful book, and not just the illustrations. Even the cover and pages are high quality. They feel lovely in the hands. The illustrations are richly colored. The fairy, for example, sent to bless Tuan with a filling and delicious dinner every night, is wispy and elegant.

Chinese characters appear in the illustrations and are explained on a page at the end of the book.

This is an excellent book to read for China when Reading Around the World in Picture Books.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. I read a library copy of this book.

Reading Around the World in Picture Books

It's been many years now since I had a kindergartener, but our Reading Around the World in picture books brought us great joy then and later, as we re-read the books. I wanted to share those lists all in one place for those who are just starting out.

The picture book world goes in and out of print so quickly, it might be hard to find these particular books, but they might give you some ideas for searching your local library catalog. The library is your best friend for these studies because many of the books you'll read once and then return. Every so often, you'll find one that speaks to the heart of your family; then you know you've found one worth owning. If you are willing to wait, I found PaperBackSwap.com to be invaluable in building our picture book library. 

Some years, I scheduled these books once, twice, or three times a week and we always read them. Other years, I had lots of picture book lists going for the year and would put a week's selection in a picture book basket from which we'd pull books when it was time to read the picture book for the day.

As the years go by, younger children with older siblings will naturally be exposed to more literature and other subjects than an oldest child is. So the family plans will adapt and change. In our case, the picture book focus for our Around the World readings would often reflect what an older brother or sister was reading. We would also read fewer picture books as a family; instead, an older brother or sister would read to a younger one. Seeing all these lists in one place, you might be able to get a feeling for how the same kind of study can be adapted to fit a family where they are in age and where they are in family life. 

2011-2012 School Year

second grade / Level 1A Year 1, preschool / Prep

This year I focused on a different continent each term using lots of library books. The goal was not to learn any specific geography, but just to introduce my young ones to people from all over the world.

Africa

Asia

Central and South America

2012-2013 School Year

third grade / Level 1A Year 2, kindergarten / Prep

My goal this year was to coordinate with First Son's Extreme Environments reading, though we swapped Europe for Africa since we read books set in Africa the year before. My third grader sometimes read these books aloud to the girls.

Europe

Australia, New Zealand, and Hawai'i

Canada, Alaska, the Arctic, and the Antarctic

2013-2014 School Year

fourth grade / Level 2 Year 1, first grade / Level 1B, preschool / Prep

We focused the entire year on Central and South America to coordinate with the Level 2 Year 1 Americas focus in People and Places. My fourth grader generally didn't read these aloud to the girls nor did he really listen while I read them, but they were strewed in case he was interested.

Central and South America

2014-2015 School Year

fifth grade / Level 2 Year 2, second grade / Level 1A Year 1, kindergarten / Prep

We focused the entire year on Africa to coordinate with the Level 2 Year 2 Africa focus in People and Places. Again, my fifth grader didn't generally read them aloud or listen in, but they were floating around the house during his study.

Africa

2015-2016 School Year

sixth grade / Level 3 Year 1, third grade / Level 1A Year 2, first grade / Level 1B, preschool / Prep

Asia

2016-2017 School Year

seventh grade / Level 3 Year 2, fourth grade / Level 2 Year 1, third grade / Level 1A Year 1, kindergarten / Prep

Our last year of Reading Around the World in Picture Books...

Europe

Books I Found Later

These are books I discovered as we continued to read widely at our library, but too late to include in an "official" reading around the work study.

China

The Dinner that Cooked Itself

Himalayas

Cloud Tea Monkeys

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop, Amazon, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Reading Around the World in 2016-2017: Europe

I recently realized I never posted the books we read when Second Son, my youngest, was in kindergarten for our Reading Around the World in Picture Books. In the previous three years we read books from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, so in 2016-2017, we focused on books set in Europe.

We had read books set in Europe when First Daughter was in kindergarten, but that was four years earlier and only for one term. So this list is quite a bit longer, though some books are on both lists.

We were still using the picture book basket method that year, so we didn't read every single one of these books. If books were similar or by the same author, I would put them in the basket on the same week, so there are more than 36 books in the list. The books were available in the basket for a week and then floated around the house for another three weeks before they had to go back to the library. Some of these we owned, so those went back on our shelves, but most were library books.

I'll put asterisks by the ones we have loved and revisited in the years since we did this study.

I'm going to link to Bookshop if they have the book and Amazon otherwise. These are all affiliate links.

** The Remarkable Christmas of the Cobbler's Sons by Ruth Sawyer - Austria; I'm not sure why I felt the need to schedule this in August rather than around Christmas time, but regardless, I had to include it because it's illustrated by Barbara Cooney, my absolute favorite children's book illustrator.

A Gift for Mama by Linda Ravin Lodding - Austria; a sweet book

A Tale of Two Brothers by Eveline Hasler - Switzerland; a folktale 

Chasing Degas by Eva Montanari - Paris, France; This one does double-duty with artist study!

** Adele and Simon by Barbara McClintock - Paris, France; I love Adele and Simon so much! They have a book set in America, too.

Anatole by Eve Titus - France; I feel like this book is a classic. If not, it should be. 

** The Iridescence of Birds: A Book about Henri Matisse by Patricia MacLachlan - France; This is another book that doubles as artist study, but with more actual information. It's quite lovely!

Madame Martine by Sarah S. Brannen - Paris, France; a sweet story about trying new things

The Cat Who Walked Across France by Kate Banks - France; I feel like I liked this book more than my kids did, but it's a great one for showing more of France than just Paris.

A Giraffe Goes to Paris by Mary Tavener Holmes and John Harris - Paris, but also Egypt; I find books about animals traveling from one continent to another fascinating.

** Hana in the Time of Tulips by Deborah Noyes - Holland; A beautiful book and one of my favorites.

Hans Brinker retold by Bruce Coville - Holland; I actually like this picture book better than the original story.

Katje the Windmill Cat by Gretchen Woelfle - Holland; you have to have cat stories, too.

** The Boy who Held Back the Sea by Thomas Locker - Holland; This is another of my favorites.

Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming - Holland; an uplifting story that just touches on the horror of World War II

The Golem's Latkes by Eric A. Kimmel - Czech / Slovakia; a fun book based on a Jewish tale

** Little Rooster's Diamond Button retold by Margaret Read MacDonald - Hungary; one of our favorite books. Second Daughter still loves to read this and she's almost 12.

The Race of the Birkebeiners by Lunge-Larson - Norway; I love how this book combines a bit of history, virtue, and beautiful artwork.

D'Aulaires' Book of Trolls and Children of the Northlights - Scandinavia; because everything by the D'Aulaires is magical.

Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka and their New Skates by Maj Lindman - Sweden; there are a number of books in this series, but this was our favorite.

Master Maid: Tale of Norway by Aaron Shepard - Norway

Seven Fathers by Ashley Ramsden - Norwegian folktale; another tale I think I liked more than the kids, but one worth sharing

Boots and His Brothers by Eric A. Kimmel - Norway; a folktale

Sister Bear: A Norse Tale by Jane Yolen - Norway; beautiful illustrations

The Day Hans Got His Way by David Lewis Atwell - Norway; I don't remember this book at all! Perhaps the kids didn't choose it.

How the Ladies Stopped the Wind and The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan - Iceland; these are kind of odd books, but my children enjoyed them.

The Mouse Bride by Linda Allen - Finland; nicely done illustrations.

** Summer Birds by Margarita Engle - Germany; a lovely picture book about Maria Sibylla Merian

The Famous Nini: A Mostly True Story of How a Plain White Cat Became a Star by Mary Nethery - Italy; a fun story

Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra by Stephen Costanza - Venice; I don't suppose this book is that realistic, but it's always nice to combine composer study with Reading Around the World. And it was a good excuse to listen to some of The Four Seasons.

** Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido d'Arezzo by Susan L. Roth - Italy; I liked this book much better than the Vivaldi one, especially the illustrations. (I marked it as a favorite, because it was a favorite of mine, but I'm not sure the kids would agree.)

Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi by Rachel Victoria Rodriguez - Spain; architecture and Reading Around the World

The Hedgehog Boy: A Latvian Folktale by Jane Langton - Latvia; this one was a bit odd, but I was a little surprised to find anything from Latvia at our library at all.

Elinda who Danced in the Sky: An Estonian Folktale by Lynn Moroney - Estonia; this tale was quite nice.

** How Mama Brought the Spring by Fran Manushkin - Belarus; bright, colorful, and enticing! I always feel like I can smell delicious treats when we read this book.

The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth (wonderfully illustrated by Barbara McClintock and The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt (with a completely different illustrative style) - Ukraine; The Mitten is one of my favorite folktales so of course we had two versions of it.

The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece by Anthony L. Manna and Soula Mitakidou - Greece; I liked this story, but the illustrations weren't my favorite.

The Black Bull of Norroway by Charlotte Huck - Scotland; a Scottish tale that's sort of about Norway. 

** The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane by C. M. Millen - Ireland; one of my favorite picture books.

The Leprechaun's Gold by Edwards by Pamela Duncan Edwards - Ireland; I don't remember this one.

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant -  England; I have always enjoyed this book, but I think it appeals more to older children.

And that's it. At the end of the year, we set aside official Reading Around the World plans forever as my youngest, Second Son, "graduated" to first grade and Level 1B. I think he might have appreciated more reading around the world, but without younger ones around, I didn't have the impetus to keep it up.

As usual, I have received nothing in exchange for this post, but links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

Reading Around the World with Picture Books 2015-2016: Asia

As you can see, I'm still finishing up drafts from years ago. These are the books we read when focusing for a year on the countries, culture, and geography of Asia back in 2015-2016. That year, I had a sixth grader, a third grader, a first grader, and a preschooler. These books were mainly for the younger two, but the third grader often listened in as well or read them on her own.

** I've used two asterisks to mark the ones we enjoyed the most.

Unless I state otherwise, these books were all checked out from the library.

The Littlest Matryoshka (Russia) by Corinne Demas Bliss, illustrated by Kathryn Brown begins with a woodcarver in Russia who sends a beautiful set of nesting dolls to an American toy store. The littlest one is bumped off the shelf and goes through a few adventures before being reunited with the set. There's a note in the back about nesting dolls in general and the ones lovingly and carefully crafted in Russia beginning in the 1890s.

** The Gigantic Turnip (Russia) by Aleksei Tolstoy and Niamh Sharkey, with illustrations by Niamh Sharkey, is a hilarious retelling of Tolstoy's short story. The old man and old woman eventually call on all the creatures on their farm to pull the gigantic turnip. Second Daughter and Second Son adored this book. They anticipated what would happen but were still delighted to see each page turn and the expected events depicted.

** The Blessing Cup (Russia) by Patricia Polacco is the story of a young family of Russian Jews trying to escape persecution is aided immeasurably by a kind doctor and a real cup that embodies hope and love for the author's family.

The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (Russia) retold by Arthur Ransome, pictures by Uri Shulevitz, is a fun standard fairy tale in which the third son wins all in the end. Uri Shulevitz is not my favorite illustrator, but the pictures are bright and colorful.

** Magic Maestro Peter and the Wolf (Russia) is an audio CD of the Prokofiev symphony complete with narration and demonstration of the traditional Russian instruments. It also includes a brief biography of Prokofiev. The very best tracks are not available as MP3s so be sure to find a copy of the CD. Our library has one and we've checked it out many times over the years. Along with the CD, there are many versions of the story available in picture books. My favorite is Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, translated by Maria Carlson and illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art (Russia) by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary Grandpre is a little biography of a fascinating artist who probably had synesthesia which allowed him to "see" sounds.

The Sea King's Daughter (Russia) retold by Aaron Shepherd, illustrated by Gennady Spirin, is simply magnificent. The illustrations by Spirin are magical though the text is a little dense for very young listeners. There is a pronunciation guide for a few of the names.

** The Chiru of High Tibet by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Linda Wingerter is the true story of one man's quest to protect the chiru, an animal unique to Tibet. It's a beautifully illustrated tale of perseverance and hardship on a scientific expedition. There are a few photographs at the end.

Cherry Tree (Himalayas) by Ruskin Bond, illustrated by Allan Eitzen tells of a young girl who learns about growth from her grandfather as they watch and care for a growing tree. Apparently there is another book by Bond with the same title written about a boy rather than a girl. I haven't read that one, but just from the cover I'd guess the illustrations aren't as inviting as the Eitzen ones.

** Kami and the Yaks (Nepal) by Andrea Stenn Stryer, illustrated by Bert Dodson is one of my favorite picture books full of beauty and bravery.

All the Way to Lhasa: A Tale from Tibet retelling and art by Barbara Helen Berger is a parable showing a humble young boy and his yak struggling but persevering in a journey to Lhasa, a holy city. This book has small amounts of text and vivid pictures making it a good choice for young listeners.

** King for a Day (Pakistan) by Rukhsana Khan, illustrations by Christiane Kromer is exactly the kind of book for Reading Around the World. A young Pakistani boy, confined to a wheelchair, dominates the skies with his sleek homemade kite during the festival of Basant. He conquers the bully next door and soothes his victims.

The Lotus Seed (Vietnam and the United States) by Sherry Garland, illustrated by Tatsuro Kiurchi, tells of a lotus seed treasured by a grandmother who collected it the day she saw the emperor cry in Vietnam then carried it to America when she fled her war-ravaged Vietnam.

The Story about Ping (China) by Marjorie Flack, illustrated by Kurt Wiese is a familiar story to most of us. (own copy, probably received as a gift many years ago)

** Ruby's Wish (China) by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is one of my favorite picture books. (copy from PaperBackSwap.com)

The Leaky Umbrella (Japan) by Demi is no longer available at our library and I'm afraid I don't remember it well enough to say anything other than that we read it.

** On My Way to Buy Eggs (Taiwan) by Chih Y. Chen is one of my favorite picture books. It's sweet and simple and conveys some of Taiwanese life through the joyful experience of a young girl on a short errand.

The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale (China) by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Sebastia Serra, is one of the silly stories I always try to include for the little ones.

** Brush of the Gods (China) by Lenore Look, illustrations by Meilo So, is an "imagined version" of Wu Daozi, one of China's greatest painters at the height of classical Chinese civilization. I love the beautiful and vibrant illustrations.

Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie, illustrated by Ed Young, is the story of a young girl in southern China mistreated by her stepmother.

** Mulan (China) by Li Jian, translated by Yijin Wert with the Chinese characters remaining on the page, is an excellent Chinese story to share because it is not an Americanized version of the legend of Mulan, but one written and illustrated originally for a Chinese audience.

** One Grain of Rice (India) by Demi is one of those picture books you can read over and over again, focusing on the mathematical concepts, the gorgeous illustrations, or the Indian parable. (own)

Dim Sum for Everyone! (China) by Grace Lin is a brightly colored book celebrating a happy family dinner at a restaurant, enjoying the different little dim sum dishes. It's limited text is perfect for little listeners and there's more information on the dim sum tradition at the back for grown-ups and older readers.

** Rabbit's Gift (China) told by George Shannon, illustrated by Laura Dronzek, is based on a folktale from China in which a gift is passed from friend to friend until it is shared by all. It's sweet and welcomes the anticipation of little ones as they guess who will receive the gift next and what will happen to it.

Daisy Comes Home (China) by Jan Brett is a sweet story of a little girl with a flock of happy hens, all except one who is the outcast. One night, she floats away on the adventure of a chicken's lifetime and learns how to establish her place on the roost. It's not exactly a true depiction of chicken behavior, but it's close enough to be fun. The illustrations are classic Jan Brett with hidden pictures in the background.

The Bee Tree (Malaysia) by Stephen Buchmann and Diana Cohn, illustrated by Paul Mirocha, is a story of respect, family, tradition, and accomplishment. I absolutely love one stunning illustration in particular, showing a rain of sparks from the upper branches of the bee tree. The text is a little heavy for very little ones, but my five year old and seven year old were entranced for the whole book.

The Boy Who Drew Cats (Japan) retold by Anushka Ravishankar, illustrated by Christine Kastl, and The Boy who Drew Cats adapted by Margaret Hodges, with illustrations by Aki Sogabe. I wrote about these two picture books here.

** Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers (Japan) by Gloria Whelan, illustrated by Yan Nascimbene, tells of a young girl traveling on more than 300 miles for her father's new position. It's beautifully illustrated with many examples of haiku. (library) - library no longer has

Grass Sandals : The Travels of Basho (Japan) by Dawnine Spivak, illustrated by Demi, is an interesting book on the famous Japanese poet, Basho. Each page contains a haiku, a Japanese character and its meaning, and text describing some of the few facts we know about Basho. It's beautifully illustrated and nicely incorporates history and poetry.

Issun Boshi: The One-Inch Boy (Japan) by Ichinori is a retelling of a Japanese folktale in which a tiny boy overcomes an ogre to save a beautiful girl. The illustrations are overlays of yellow, orange, and blue, very different from most other books we have read.

The Boy from the Dragon Palace (Japan) by Margaret Read MacDonald, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa, is a Japanese folk tale about a flower seller who receives the blessing of a young boy after giving flowers to the Dragon King by sprinkling them on the sea. He's annoyed, feeding the boy shrimp, but the snotty boy sneezes out money and other treasures. My kids loved this book; they laughed hilariously at the snotty boy. The message of thankfulness and contentment is welcome, but it was a little too gross for my own taste.

Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan retold by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Mordecai Gerstein (Japan), is a folktale that delighted all of the children. As I was reading it, the twelve-year-old and the nine-year-old crowded around along with the two younger ones. A big ugly rat has taken over a palace. Three samurai cats come, one by one, to battle him. The oldest and seemingly weakest is the last to come, and conquers in a surprising way. The illustrations are entertaining. The rat is despicable. There was much cheering at the end.

Yumi and Kimonos (Japan) by Annelore Parot were great fun. Both the younger children enjoyed them. I wrote about them earlier on the blog here.

Hopefully this post gives some good ideas for Reading Around the World with Picture Books in Asia, but the best strategy is to search your own library's catalog for appropriate books. I've had excellent results by searching for individual country names.

I have received nothing for writing this post. Most of these books were ones we checked out of our local library. Links above are Amazon affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you follow a link and make a purchase.

Reading Around the World in Picture Books 2014-2015: Africa

These are the picture books we read when Reading Around the World with a focus on the continent of Africa. Oh so long ago, my children were in fifth grade, second grade, kindergarten, and diapers. My fifth grader usually did not sit with us while we read these books, but he was around and they hung out with our library books for the full month we had them.

** I've used these two asterisks to mark the books we enjoyed most of all.

The Storytellers by Ted Lewin (Morocco) tells of Abdul and his grandfather in the market in Fez, Morocco, lavishly illustrated by Lewin. (His illustrations always make me want to travel.) (library copy)

The Butter Man by Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou, illustrated by Julie Klear Essakalli (Morocco), is a story of hunger told within a loving family. It's authentic and touching. Though young children may be distressed to hear of a hungry child, it's good to introduce these themes to children over time so they understand our obligations to care for all people. (library copy)

** Mirror by Jeannie Baker (Australia and Morocco) - Baker shows a family in Australia on the left and, turning pages the other way, a family in Morocco on the right. The illustrations are beautiful and I love how she attempts to show the similarities and differences between the families in an understanding way. (library copy)

Ali, Child of the Desert by Jonathan London, illustrated by Ted Lewin (Morocco), is the story of a young boy who is separated from this father in a sandstorm while traveling in a caravan. He is offered hospitality and invaluable aid by a Berber and his grandson. (library copy)

Bintou's Braids by Sylviane A. Diouf, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (West Africa), is told in the voice of young Bintou who desperately wants braids for her short fuzzy hair. At the baptism of her baby brother, she sees all the other women and their beautiful braids, and wanders off sadly only to discover boys in need of help. Her quick thinking earns her some beautifully decorated hair of her own. This is a sweet book for young girls with all kinds of hair. (library copy)

** Tug of War by John Burningham (Nigeria) is a retelling of a Nigerian folktale of wisdom and strength, and inspiring lots of laughter. (library copy)

** The Hatseller and the Monkeys retold and illustrated by Baba Wague Diakite (West Africa) - Many may be more familiar with this tale as it is shown in Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business, but I love this West African version. The illustrations are delightful. (library copy)

** I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Pende Diakite, illustrated by Baba Wague Diakite (Mali) is a book written by the illustrator's daughter, hoping desperately to lose her tooth while she's visiting extended family in Africa so the African tooth fairy will bring her a chicken. It's a nearly perfect book for showing children in America what family life and love looks like in Mali. (library copy)

My Baby by Jeanette Winter (Mali) tells of a woman making a bogolan, a cloth painted with mud, for her baby, depicting the natural world in the painting. (library copy)

** Rain School by James Rumford (Chad), written by a man who taught school in Chad when a member of the Peace Corps, tells of a school built by the community at the beginning of the year that is broken down by the seasonal rains after nine months. It's a celebration of education, beautifully illustrated. (library copy)

** My Name Is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock (Sudan and the United States), is the story of a young boy who immigrates to the United States to escape the war in Sudan that killed his father. Bewildered by his new surroundings, he finds it impossible to explain to his new classmates how to properly pronounce his name...until he discovers a creative solution. Catherine Stock's illustrations are wonderful, as always. The themes of the book are a big deeper and harsher than most picture books, but I think the value is worth the risk. Read ahead and decide for your own family. (library copy)

** The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale from Africa by Christina Kessler, illustrated by Leonard Jenkins (Ethiopia), is the story of Almaz, a girl who wants to keep bees and collect the best honey. Turned away by the male beekeepers of her village, she is encouraged by the young Orthodox priest. It's a brilliant book of problem-solving and perseverance. (library copy)

The Perfect Orange: A Tale from Ethiopia by Frank P. Araujo, illustrations by Xiao Jun Li (Ethiopia), is a tale of a young girl who travels to her ruler to share with him a perfect orange. Her generosity is rewarded while the greed of another is thwarted. (library copy)

Muktar and the Camels by Janet Graber, illustrated by Scott Mack (Kenya and Somalia), is the story of an orphan who shows himself to be adept at caring for camels and in so doing finds a place for himself in the world. (library copy)

** Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Liberia), is a fun tale describing how arms, legs, a head, and a boy joined together. (library copy)

** Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Liberia), is the hilarious story of a chicken who outwits a crocodile. (library copy)

** Koi and the Kola Nuts: A Tale from Liberia by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Liberia), is a tale of wisdom and goodness, wonderfully illustrated. (library copy)

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes (West Africa), is based on a true story of a young boy who takes out a loan to buy a hen, the beginning of a flourishing egg business. It's text-heavy for younger children, but a fascinating introduction to micro-loans for older elementary students. I also ask my children to read this book in third grade when they do a little financial literacy study. (library copy)

The Spider Weaver: A Legend of Kente Cloth by Margaret Musgrove, illustrated by Julia Cairns (Ghana), is a brilliantly illustrated origin tale of kente cloth, common in many African nations. (library copy)

** The Village that Vanished by Ann Grifalconi, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (unspecified country or area), features a young girl who courageously leads all the people of her village across a hidden bridge to escape marauders searching for people to sell as slaves. The text is a bit long but it's worthwhile for those ready for it as it portrays some of the fear and tragedy of slavery in a successful escape from it altogether. Nelson's realistic illustrations are presented uninterrupted by the text, which appears on white space next to them. (library copy)

** Once Upon a Time written and illustrated by Niki Daly (South Africa), is the sweet story of a young girl who struggles to read but flourishes in the imaginary escapades with her Auntie Anna. With perseverance and practice under the supporting gaze of her Auntie, she succeeds in achieving fluency. The setting of this book gives glimpses into life in Africa while connecting us with the familiar school setting. (Even though we homeschool!) (library copy)

Mama Wangari (Kenya) is an inspiring woman who deserves a place in any picture book study of Africa. She attended college in Kansas which gives us an even more personal connection here on the Range. There are quite a few books featuring her life and work. In addition to reading a few picture books, we watched this video (more than once).

** Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World by Jen Cullerton Johnson, illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, is probably my favorite, if you can only read one, though young children may tire of the amount of text. The colorful illustrations will delight children of all ages. Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, is a more lyrical book with less details. The illustrations fill the pages with vibrant color. Even I enjoy looking through this book again and again. Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter, is less detailed story with more gaps. The illustrations are not as lavish as those of Nelson, simpler but suited to the setting. (all library copies)

** The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore with collages by Susan L. Roth (Eritrea), tells the true story of a scientist who guided the people of a village to improve their lives by planting mangrove trees. Ecology, botany, creativity, generosity, and perseverance...all presented in poetic repetitive text for younger listeners and more detailed text for older readers. The collages contrast the bright clothes of the villagers against the browns of the land before it's transformation. (library copy)

** The Most Important Gift of All by David Conway, illustrated by Karin Littlewood (unspecified, but I think Kenya),  is a beautifully illustrated book about a little girl who goes in search of love to give to her new baby brother. It's African, but her family is as lovely a family as you'd want to meet anywhere. (library copy)

** My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tolowa M. Mollel, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Tanzania), is one of my favorite picture books and also appears in our third grade literacy study. It's about family and perseverance, prudence and joy. Read it! (library copy)

First Come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch (Kenya) is an encounter between a Maasai boy and a Kikyua boy, from two cultures who employ land differently and yet find common ground. It is an decent story for the presentation of overcoming differences, but the illustrations are merely adequate. (library copy)

** Ah, then we read the Elizabeti books, just wonderful books! Elizabeti's Doll, Mama Elizabeti, and Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illustrated by Christy Hale (Tanzania), all feature Elizabeti and are definitely among our favorite pictures books! (We own Elizabeti's Doll and checked the other two out from the library)

** The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, pictures by Elizabeth Zunon (Malawi), is based on the true inspiring story of a young boy in Africa who builds a windmill from scraps to power a light bulb using only his ingenuity and a book from the library after he's been forced to leave school. I love the illustrations for this book, a combination of collage and paintings. For those who want to learn more, the middle grade book of the same name is also excellent. (library copy)

** How the Guinea Foul Got Her Spots retold and illustrated by Barbara Knutson (a Swahili tale) - another favorite picture book. (library copy)

Jamela's Dress, Happy Birthday, Jamela, and Where's Jamela?, all by Niki Daly (South Africa) share the life of Jamela in a sweet fun way, especially for little girls. She gets into exactly the kind of trouble an American girl might find, but always manages to come out on top. There are other Jamela books as well, but these are the ones our library had. (library copies)


** Where Are You Going, Manyomi? by Catherine Stock (Zimbabwe) is one of my absolute favorite books! You can find the book online here. (owned, from a member at PaperBackSwap.com)

** Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe (Zimbabwe, mostly) is like a fairy tale in which the more generous daughter receives her just reward. My daughter loved this book so much, she insisted we buy our copy, albeit a much loved and repaired one from a library book sale. (owned)

Gugu's House by Catherine Stock (Zimbabwe) is another Catherine Stock book, this one sharing the beautiful painting and sculpture of Gugu, Kukamba's grandmother, as well as a story of recovery. It's based on an inspiring woman in Zimbabwe. (library copy)

The Herd Boy by Niki Daly (South Africa) tells the story of a day in the life of a young goat herder. We see his world and his bravery, and his dream of being president. (library copy)

Under the Baobab Tree by Julie Stiegemeyer, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (unspecified, but maybe southern Africa) is mostly the musings of a brother and sister as they walk through the African countryside for a gathering "under the baobab tree." We see a bit of what sometimes happens under the tree and therefore glimpses into the lives of the Africans who live near-by. In the end, they are gathering to worship God. (library copy)

We also read a book of poetry called Off to the Sweet Shores of Africa and Other Talking Drum Rhymes by Uzo Unobagha, illustrated by Julia Cairns. The poet was born and raised in Africa and the illustrator lived in Botswana for nine years. It's a lovely book we've enjoyed many times.

I'm sure there are many new picture books set in African countries. When I was first putting this list together, I copied a list of all the countries in Africa and then searched our library catalog for each country's name. That's how I found most of these books. Do that yourself and you'll find not only potentially lovely new picture books, but a wealth of picture books set in Africa you can check out of your library for only the cost of your taxes, which you've already paid!

The links above are all affiliate links to Amazon, which means if you click on one, put something in your cart, and order it within a specified length of time (whatever Amazon decides), I receive a small commission. You can also find these books by searching by title on Amazon or at your library.

Homeschool Record: Our 2015-2016 Poetry

We read from a book of poetry about once a week just for beauty and enjoyment as part of our cultural studies loop.

Just for the blog record, here are the books of poetry we read during the 2015-2016 school year (6th grade, 3rd grade, 1st grade, pre-kindergarten).

The Dragons are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky, pictures by Peter Sis - This is a whole book of poems in the voice of different dragons. Some are silly or clever. The children enjoyed them all. The illustrations were adequate for the poems, though I prefer other illustrators to Sis. (library copy)

The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems edited by Donald Hall - This is a wonderful anthology covering nearly all of America's historical periods. The illustrations vary, matched with contemporary poems. (library copy)

Is It Far to Zanzibar? Poems about Tanzania  by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Betsy Lewin - A delightful collection of poetry sharing life in the African country of Tanzania with wonderful illustrations.  This is a great book to include if you're Reading Around the World and want to cover Africa. (library copy)

Carnival of the Animals with new verses by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Mary GrandPre - We were revisiting poetry by Jack Prelutsky because my children enjoy his poems tremendously. This particular book is fun because it celebrates the Carnival of the Animals with new lyrics. It includes a CD of the music by Camille Saint-Saens. (library copy)

Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up by Lisa Westberg Peters, pictures by Cathie Felstead - I loved this quirky book of geology poems, illustrated with bold colors and swirls. (library copy)

Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown is a book of twelve quiet poems illustrated by twelve different respected children's book illustrators like Jonathan Bean and Melissa Sweet. Tom Proutt and Emily Gary set each of the poems to music, available on the included CD. My children listened to the poems when I read them, enjoying the illustrations, but the younger ones loved the CD. They even asked me to add a couple of the songs to their playlist on Spotify. (library copy)

The Children's Own Longfellow, poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which I wrote about here. (library copy, but now we have our own copy from  PaperBackSwap.com)

America the Beautiful in the Words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - an older book with photographs of different American scenes to illustrated some of Longfellow's poetry. The kids were not as interested in this book. (library copy, one which they no longer have)


The Cuckoo's Haiku: and Other Birding Poems by Micheal J. Rosen, illustrated by Stan Fellows, provides about seven poems about different birds for each of the seasons. I am not a good judge of haiku, but the illustrations are lovely examples of nature study journals. I loved this book of poems. (library copy)

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins - We finished the year with this book as a complement to First Daughter's third grade state study. We didn't quite finish it and picked it back up in the fall. I like this collection of poems that highlights a few characteristics of the areas of the United States. We've checked it out from the library numerous times, but now we have our own copy thanks to PaperBackSwap.com.

Patterns and Japanese Dolls

As part of our Reading Around the World in Asia picture book study this year, we read both Yumi and Kimonos by Aneelore Parot. When I selected these books, I had my seven-year-old daughter in mind, but my five-year-old son was just as interested (as well as the nine-year-old daughter). Neither of these stories has what I'd call a plot. Instead, each spread has a little activity for children to do with the little dolls. The second book, Kimonos, was especially interactive. Second Son loved searching for the ladybugs, choosing the correctly patterned kimono, and opening all the flaps.

There are Japanese words (including the calligraphy) but no pronunciation guide. I knew a few words and guessed at the others if the children asked. (Most of them are probably easy to find online, if you happen to have an easy way to search quickly for them.) I'm not sure how much they added to our knowledge of Japan, but they were a lot of fun.

It occurred to me as we were reading these books together, that searching for the matching patterns and thinking about what the dolls look like from the back (to choose the right one on the page) engage mathematical skills for pattern recognition and spatial manipulation. These books are a delightful way to introduce these skills, especially if you have a little girl who loves tiny dolls.

Favorite Picture Books: Stuve-Bodeen's Elizabeti books

Elizabeti's Doll, Mama Elizabeti, and Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, and all illustrated by Christy Hale

We've been reading these books for years. We even own the first book, Elizabeti's Doll, thanks to a kind fellow member at PaperBackSwap.com. Elizabeti is a sweet girl in Tanzania who is first introduced when she selects a beautiful perfect rock to be her baby. She rocks her baby, feeds her, and comforts her. In the course of the day, she's misplaced, but discovered by an understanding sister and restored to her little mama.

Later, Elizabeti has a new baby sister and now must help care for her brother Obedi. It would be surprising to find such a young girl caring for her brother in America and she nearly loses him, but it all works out in the end. Life in Elizabeti's Tanzania is hard, but depicted beautifully.

In the third book, Elizabeti's School, Elizabeti goes to school for the first time. In all the important ways, it's just like a first day of school anywhere in the world, but set in Elizabeti's loving African family.

We love Elizabeti! I wish we could visit her, and so do my girls!

Favorite Picture Books: How the Guinea Fowl Got Her Spots

How the Guinea Fowl Got Her Spots 

retold and illustrated by Barbara Knutson

In this book, a Swahili story explains why a guinea fowl has spots. In the beginning, she's a beautiful black without a single spot. She and Cow are great friends, spending time together each day but always watching out for Lion. One day, spotting Lion stalking Cow, the guinea rushes in to save her friend without a thought for her own safety. The next day, she attacks Lion a second time, again saving her friend. In thanksgiving, Cow sprinkles milk over her feathers, giving them lovely spots and allowing her to hide perfectly in shadows and grass.

A small note on the copyright page shows how to pronounce the guinea's name. The illustrations leap off the page and include scratch marks that evoke African art.

We have guinea fowl because they eat ticks and grasshoppers, so we were destined to love this book. Even better, it exemplifies friendship and courage.

Highly recommended.

Picture Book Comparisons: Bloody Cats and Goblin Rats

This year our focus while Reading Around the World in Picture Books is Asia. We've recently started exploring Japan. We read The Boy Who Drew Cats retold by Anushka Ravishankar, illustrated by Christine Kastl (Japan), the tale of a young boy who only draws cats, the most remarkable cats. One night, his drawings come to life and rid a temple of a horrible goblin. I love the look of the ink on rice paper in the illustrations, though the huge rat goblin is a bit disturbing (for me, not the kids). I also loved how the priest sends the boy away from the first temple. Exasperated by the boy's incessant drawing, not least on beautiful screens, he remains calm and kind. The boy asks for any final advice.

The priest did not know what to say. Suddenly the words came out of his mouth, straight from his heart, without passing through his mind: 'Stay away from large places. Sleep only in small spaces.'

Akiro was puzzled. It was strange sort of advice for a priest to give his student when he was sending him away into the world. But a teacher's advice has to be taken with gratitude, even when it sounds odd and meaningless. So Akiro bowed low and left.

What a good attitude Akiro has!

Our library has a few different versions of this folktale so I also checked out The Boy who Drew Cats adapted by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Aki Sogabe. These illustrations are also well-done, though I prefer those in the first. I hesitate to write anything against Margaret Hodges's story-telling skills, but the priest's advice in this tale is "Avoid large places at night; keep to small," which seems less lyrical to me though it obviously means the same thing.

Very young children might be a little disturbed by the drawings of cats spotted with red (blood from the goblin).  The illustration of the goblin rat in the second book includes only the tail, but the text was a little more frightening than the book above. Not that Second Daughter or Second Son (ages seven and five) found either bothersome. Dead goblin rats and bloody cat drawings are apparently run-of-the-mill around here.

Reading Around the World in Picture Books 2013-2014: Central and South America

I'm behind on posting our selections for Reading Around the World in Picture Books. These are the books we read in 2013-2014 (two years ago!), when First Daughter was in first grade, Second Daughter was a five-year-old preschooler, and Second Son was three. First Son was in fourth grade, studying Central and South American in his People and Places studies. I selected picture books to coordinate with his studies. Even if he didn't snuggle up with us to hear the story (and sometimes he did), the books were floating around the house, perhaps offering additional inspiration for him.

** I've marked our favorites with two asterisks.

Unless otherwise noted, all of these books were library books.

** Erandi's Braids by Antonia Hernandez-Madrigal, illustrated by Tomie dePaola (Mexico), is the story of a young girl who sacrifices her beautiful hair so her mother can buy a new fishing net.

** Blue Frog: The Legend of Chocolate by Dianne De Las Casas, illustrated by Holly Stone-Barker (Mexico, Aztec), is a retelling of the myth of the blue frog that stole the secret of chocolate from the Sun God to impart it to the people on earth.

Abuela's Weave by Omar S. Castaneda, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez (Guatemala), shows a young girl who weaves beautiful fabrics with her grandmother then travels to the city to sell them for the benefit of the family.

Borreguita and the Coyote retold by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Petra Mathers (Mexico), tells of a lamb that escapes coyote's hunger through trickery and, in the end, surprising strength.

** Musicians of the Sun by Gerald McDermott (Aztec) is the tale of a gray world transformed by the release of the musicians of the sun. It's brilliant and stunning. A group of elementary students performed a version of the book using shadow puppets you can watch on YouTube.

The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story by Rudolfo Anaya, illustrated by Amy Cordova (Mexico), relates the legend of a great famine. A young girl struggles on a quest to take a gift to the Mountain Spirit so it will send rain. This bilingual story has more text than some of the others. It also requires a bit of explanation about myths and gods of the people before they learned of Christianity, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

** Sopa de frijoles/Bean Soup and Arroz con leche/Rice Pudding: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta, pictures by Rafael Yockteng (Bean Soup) and Fernando Vilela (Rice Pudding) (El Salvador), were wonderful additions to our study. I was excited to find anything from El Salvador because my sister-in-law was born and lived there until she was seven. These books are poems, written in English and Spanish, celebrating the food of El Salvador. Intermingled with the recipes are the kinds of comments and conversations that go on in homes where families cook together, talking of history and mythology and the world. There are a whole series of books by Jorge Argueta, Biligual Cooking Poems, all with different illustrators, presumably chosen to best reflect the style of the home country of the food.



Juan Bobo Goes to Work: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale retold by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Puerto Rico), is one of many silly stories you can find of Juan Bobo whose foolishness benefits his family in the end.
 
** Tap-Tap by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Catherine Stock
(Haiti), is a delightful tale of a young girl in Haiti who wants to ride the bus home. I always love the illustrations of Catherine Stock. Our library no longer has a copy of this book and I desperately want to buy one for our home library.

Josias, Hold the Book by Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell (Haiti) - When a teacher has a book that can solve his agricultural problem, Josias convinces his father to let him attend school and "hold the book." The bean field resolution, while probably correct, is not convincingly told in the story, but it's interesting for American children to read about children in other countries who must struggle for the ability to go to school.

** A Gift of Gracias by Julia Alvarez, illustrated by Beatrix Vidal (Dominican Republic), is the Dominican legend of Our Lady of Altagracia. It's lovely and my girls always enjoy it. (owned)

** Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Creole / Martinique), is a Cinderella tale illustrated by the fantastic Pinkney. I love it, and so did my girls.

** Martina the Beautiful Cockroach retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin (Cuba), is the story of a beautiful cockroach awaiting her suitors who receives unexpected advice from her abuela: to spill coffee on each one. Hilarity and wisdom!

Red Knot: A Shorebird's Incredible Journey by Nancy Carol Willis (spans North and South America), follows a single red knot on her round-trip journey from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of North America and back again. (owned)

Miro in the Kingdom of the Sun by Jane Kurtz, woodcuts by David Frampton, (Inca) is the story of a young girl who saves her brother and the prince with courage and help from the birds, her friends. 

Chaska and the Golden Doll by Ellen Alexander (Peru) is based on the true story of Chaska, a young girl who longs to go to school but whose village school is too small to hold all of the children. When she finds an old Incan idol, she is allowed to decide what to do with it.

** My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra (Chile), is a story of Gabriela Mistral written in both English and Spanish. It is one of my favorite picture books.

Mia's Story, a sketchbook of hopes and dreams by Micheal Foreman (Chile, Andes Mountains) - Mia, a young girl whose village is essentially in a garbage dump, befriends a dog who runs away. While searching for him, she discovers a beautiful place high in the mountains and gathers armfuls of flowers to remind herself of it. She and her father then sell the flowers in the marketplace. The illustrations are wonderful though I imagine her home is less idyllic than the book shows. I like how the people are just people and the story isn't about poverty; it's exactly what it says: a story about Mia. I wonder, though, if the publisher and author/illustrator shared any of the proceeds with Mia's family.

 
** Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from the Andes Mountains by Barbara Knutson (Andes Mountains) is a delightfully hilarious book in the trickster tradition. Cuy the Guinea Pig tricks the Fox. To escape his wrath, he ingratiates himself with the farmer but ends up in trouble again when he is caught by the farmer's trick. Will he escape a second time? The illustrations are rich and colorful, just as enjoyable as the story.

Mariana and the Merchild: A Folk Tale from Chile by Caroline Pitcher, illustrated by Jackie Morris (Chile), is a tale of a lonely woman who cares for a merchild. The merchild becomes a bond between her and the children of her people that comforts her when the merchild must return to the sea.

** Peter Claver, Patron Saint of Slaves/Pedro Claver, Santo Patrono de los Esclavos by Julia Durango, illustrations by Rebecca Garcia-Franco (Colombia), one of my favorite picture books, is about St. Peter Claver, a courageous example of dedicating your life to the poor and weak. (owned)

** The Pied Piper of Peru by Ann Tompert, illustrated by Kestutis Kasparavicius (Peru), tells the legend of how St. Martin de Porres led all the mice from his monastery without hurting any of them but to the satisfaction of the monks who were disinclined to live with mice. St. Martin de Porres is one of my absolute favorite saints and any Catholic family traveling around South America should read about him. Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by David Diaz is another delightful book about the saint, one I learned of after our study (and which we now own). He's also one of the two saints on my favorite Glory Story audio CD. (I purchased this CD; this is not an affiliate link.) It's funny, even for parents, and neither of the saints featured is martyred for the faith. (Those stories are good, too, but they always make me cry.)

My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas by Maria Cristina Brusca tells of a young girl's experiences on the small ranch her mother buys and runs in Argentina. It's a companion to On the Pampas by the same author. Both of these books give a wonderful light-hearted look at the hard work on a Pampas ranch. We read My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas together and they read On the Pampas on their own.

Animal Poems of the Iguazú: Animalario del Iguazú poems by Francisco X. Alarcon, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Argentina), is a wonderful book of bilingual poems written by the poet (mostly) while visiting the Iguazu Waterfalls. It was a fantastic addition to our study.

The Farmyard Jamboree by Margaret Read MacDonald, illustrated by Sophie Fatus (Chile), is the simple tale of animals. It was fun for the little ones to hear the different animal sounds. It's definitely better for younger children.


** Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, illustrations by John Parra (Colombia), is another of my favorite picture books. We've read this book many times together. When First Son (now 12) saw it over my shoulder while I was writing this post, he asked me to request it from the library again.

So Say the Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan, pictures by Yumi Heo (Brazil), is an origin tale of tiny monkeys who live along the Amazon but never make a permanent home. Second Daughter loved this book. The rhyming text is full of noises and silly sounds, perfect for young listeners.

Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme
 by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon (rainforest) - It's Over in the Meadow, but in a rainforest, and not so beautifully illustrated (though I'm partial to Keats in general). This was nice for the little ones.

The Umbrella by Jan Brett (rainforest setting) is just as you'd expect from Jan Brett. The children enjoyed it.

Looking for Jaguar: And Other Rain Forest Poems by Susan Katz, pictures by Lee Christiansen (rainforest), is a book of poetry on animals of the rain forest. I enjoyed the illustrations in this book; they reminded me of paintings. A few pages at the end give more information on the animals.

Dancing Turtle: A Folktale from Brazil by Pleasant DeSpain, illustrated by David Boston (Brazil), is the tale of a turtle destined for soup who tricks a boy and his sister into helping her escape.

Mira and the Stone Tortoise: A Kulina Tale retold by Melinda Lilly, illustrated by Charles Reasoner (Brazil), is also a tale of a dancing turtle. I like both the text and the illustrations better in this version than in Dancing Turtle (above), but it's a lot of text for little ones.

We're Roaming in the Rainforest by Laurie Krebs and Anne Wilson (Amazon rainforest) shows a group of three differently-shaded children observing wildlife in the Amazonian rainforest. The brightly colored illustrations and rhyming text are well-suited to young listeners.

The Pot That Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Ceobel, pictures by David Diaz (Mexico), is written in the same style as "The House that Jack Built." Longer text (in a smaller font) on each page gives a more developed biography of Juan Quezada, a potter who revived an ancient process and style. An afterward includes more details on the process and photographs of a beautiful completed pot.

A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told Through Proverbs by Antonio Sacre, illustrated by Sabastia Serra (unspecified country but Spanish-speaking), tells the story of Francisco and his quest to procure mangoes for his name-day feast. Proverbs (like "Better one mango in the hand than a hundred in the tree") appear throughout the story.

First Daughter will be in fourth grade next year, so we'll read many of these books again with the younger two. It will be fun to revisit them!

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