Kali’s Song of Peace
15 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Peace stories, Picture Books Tags: Jeanette Winter
Ferdinand the bull has found a worthy companion . . . not beneath the cork trees of Spain, but in the egalitarian spirit of pacifism. Jeanette Winter, the author/illustrator of numerous thought-provoking children’s books, has crafted a gentle picture book that celebrates a cave boy who would rather make music than hunt animals.
Readers enter Kali’s world by gazing at the walls of his family’s cave, where Mother paints frolicking, earth-toned horses. Even though both of Kali’s parents expect him to grow up to pursue and kill such creatures, we have reason to suspect it will turn out otherwise.
As Kali practices shooting arrows, the sensitive boy appears more concerned about the various animals nearby than about his accuracy. His course of action becomes clearer as he discovers he can create enchanting notes with his bow: “Kali forgot about shooting arrows/ and plucked his bowstring into the night. / The stars came close to listen.”
Ms. Winter’s appealing soft-colored collages showcase textured handmade paper that evokes the boy’s sense of harmony with the world. The mottled grays in the rocks, the ragged light from the family’s fire, and the fields’ multiple hues of green all bring the reader closer to Kali’s long-ago life. Using the paper’s rough edges to provide frames for her simple images, Ms. Winter seemingly invites readers to touch the pages, thus demonstrating a meaningful sensory experience that paper can offer that ebooks do not. A particularly pleasing double-page illustration features the peaceful profile of Kali plucking his bow, while birds and brown mammals “listened and were still.”
The youth’s moment of reckoning comes the day of the big hunt, when he encounters “mammoths that were bigger and more beautiful than any Kali had ever seen.” Suddenly, he forgets about shooting arrows and instead begins playing his bow. The musician’s spell embraces not only the magnificent herd but also the hunters who lay down their arrows and listen.
From that point, Kali continues to heed his own heart and eventually becomes known for his wisdom and his power to heal. How reassuring to see the community embracing the talents of its members and in the process, becoming stronger and healthier. That’s a heady message for people of all ages and eras.
Bravo to Jeanette Winter for this magical little book humming with hope.
Reprinted with permission from New York Journal of Books.
And see …
Like this:
Working for a Kinder World
28 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in After 9/11, Peace stories, Picture Books Tags: Ann Dunham, Maya Soetoro-Ng
Soetoro-Ng, Maya. Ladder to the Moon. Illus.by Yuyi Morales. Candlewick, 2011. 
Don’t let appearances deceive you; Ladder to the Moon, the debut picture book by Maya Soetoro-Ng, is not some simple book to lull a little one to sleep. This author sets out to weave a hopeful and fantastical story that embraces the whole world’s humanity.
Inspired by memories of her mother, Ann Dunham — also President Barack Obama’s mom — telling her stories at night, Ms. Soetoro-Ng takes us on a journey from here to the moon and back.
We meet Suhaila, a small, curious girl who asks her mama, “What was Grandma Annie like?” Her mom replies, “Your grandma would wrap her arms around the whole world if she could.” Later that night, as the child lies in bed pondering her mother’s words, a golden ladder appears outside her window. At the bottom stands her grandmother, “her silver-bangled arms outstretched and tinkling. ‘Do you want an adventure, my dimpled child?’ ” she asks.
Together, Suhaila and her grandmother climb the ladder to the moon, where they can gaze down and observe the full range of wonder and woe taking place across the universe. Grandma Annie shares her wisdom with the girl, and urges her to listen to the moon’s songs, to observe how people need help, to join others in the work that needs to be done. She does not shield Suhaila from the world’s troubles, whether they be tsunamis, earthquakes, or “two tall towers that trembled and swayed on quaking soil.” Annie goes on to encourage her little one to see how people around the world survive tragedy by relying on faith, love, hope, community.
This imaginative plot soars off with the swirly, radiant acrylic paintings by Yuyi Morales, three-time winner of the Pura Belpré prize. With her bold, thick brush strokes; energetic curves; and gorgeous azure and golden hues, she infuses the story with much mystery and movement.
Younger children will not understand all the implications of Ladder to the Moon, but older ones and caring adults might be inspired by Annie’s goal: “We’ll throw in our hearts and minds, and work with our hands to make the land a little more kind.” As we approach the new year, that seems like a wonderful goal, doesn’t it?
You can hear more about Soetoro-Ng’s childhood and her inspiration for this picture book in this interview.
For two simpler books that celebrate our global community, see these nonfiction books:
One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley
A Quiet, Lustrous Gift
06 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in Historical fiction, Holidays, Peace stories, Picture Books, Winter stories Tags: Bagram Ibatoulline, Christmas, Linda Sue Park
Park, Linda Sue. The Third Gift. Illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline. Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 
Quiet and lustrous, this spare story by the Newbery Award-winning author Linda Sue Park distinguishes itself from the jingly, jangly stuff that crowds most bookstores this time of year. Taking us back more than 2,000 years ago to a desert in the Arabian Peninsula, the author focuses on a son who accompanies his father as they go about their work, which will ultimately play a surprising role in a particular Biblical story.
Throughout The Third Gift, Mr. Ibatoulline (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane) provides finely detailed acrylic-gouache paintings that focus on the white-robed pair. He first shows them resting beside a tough, gnarled tree with spiky-looking tufts of dull green sprouting here and there. The backdrop of bright desert light reflects motley shades of tan, gray, bisque, and alabaster. This harsh region is where the two go about collecting “tears” of myrrh.
We follow the boy and father as they trudge through the heat and dust, looking for the right trees to cut for the precious sap that provides their livelihood. Touchingly, the father saves the best for his son. “Look,” he says, putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder and pointing to the biggest tear. The double spread shows how the boy carefully twists off the sap, just as he has watched his father do. Then he holds it in his palm and sniffs “its sharp, bitter sweetness.”
In time, the two walk to the market, where the father knows the spice merchant will pay him good money for his harvest of tears. The myrrh will be used for medicine, flavoring, or, in the case of superior ones, as incense at funerals. On this day, three men in splendid robes are eager to buy one more gift to add to their already-purchased gold and frankincense. The strangers select the very best tear, the one the boy collected. Strangely enough, it turns out the men are intent upon presenting such gifts to a baby.
We last see the boy in a state of silent wonder, as the three men ride on their camels through the desert toward Bethlehem.
The Third Gift is an unusually thoughtful and bittersweet story that shines a light on ordinary people in a historic place and time. The author’s note provides details on myrrh, on her inspiration for this work, and on the Nativity story.
Reprinted with permission from the New York Journal of Books.
For other sensitive holiday picture books, see my post “A Time for Peace” and these fine new ones:
For laughs, try …
Books in the Key of Community
09 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in After 9/11, Peace stories, Picture Books Tags: DyAnne DiSalvo, Jude Daly, Kelly Cunnane, Maya Soetoro-Ng, Mem Fox, Peter Sis
I expected to encounter a heavy dose of post- 9/11 stories in the media this week, but such horrifying images are simply not appropriate for small children. Instead, it seems to me they need to hear about the importance of community. Across the world, communities, happily, come in all colors. Here are a few you might enjoy sharing with young ones:
Cunnane, Kelly. Chirchir Is Singing. illus. by Jude Daly. Schwartz & Wade, 2011. Ages 4-8.
Even a small child needs to find her place in her community. Chirchir, which means “born quickly,” lives in a village in western Kenya. This girl loves loves loves to make up songs. One bright day she wakes up determined to help the elders as they go about their work.
She sees Mama drawing water from the well and feels up to that task. Soon, though, she loses hold of the rope and falls. “Little one, this work is not for you,” says Mama. Each time Chirchir approaches a relative — to start a fire, spread mud on the floor, or to hoe potatoes — she hears that message.
Just when she’s feeling disheartened, she hears a cry and follows it to the hut where her infant brother has awakened. Her older brother, who had been responsible for tending him, lies fast asleep. How fortunate that Chirchir is ready and able to handle the job, for what better way to soothe a baby than to sing?
Chirchir’s small journey of self-discovery is pleasingly rendered by the South African artist Jude Daly, with folk-art paintings employing flat perspectives and a generous helping of leafy greens for the rural landscape. Echoing the hills’ curves are lively images of swirling flocks of swallows, a golden yolk of a sun, and an elongated swirl containing notes and images of her family at work that emerges from Chirchir’s mouth when she realizes she, too, has an important job to do.
Cunnane, author of For You Are a Kenyan Child (2006), has created another gentle, likable story that celebrates family life in Kenya. Her rhythmic, poetic language sparkles with specific images, such as the “winking silver circle of the well,” and with Chirchir’s lilting songs: “Jambo! Hello! Day is growing tall./ Wake up to green sunlight and rooster’s call!”
Educators will find this lyrical little story tailor-made for read-alouds and for incorporating simple instrumentation. Others will simply enjoy a fresh, sweet story that ends on a high note.
The author includes information about the setting and a glossary of the Kalenjin and Swahili words lightly sprinkled throughout the story.
For other great read-aloud titles see my post on 14 Cows for America and these hopeful ones:
An Earful of Wisdom
02 Sep 2011 3 Comments
in Folk and Fairy Tales, Hero stories, middle grade, Peace stories Tags: Adventures of Odysseus, Audiobooks, Barefoot Books, Hugh Lupton, read-alouds, Storytelling, Tales of Mystery and Magic, Tales of Wisdom and Wonder, The Story Tree, Wisdom tales
Photo from Story Museum
Storytellers have always enriched our world by firing the imagination, by sharing wisdom, by building a sense of community, and by opening our hearts so we can empathize with others and see their perspective. The British storyteller Hugh Lupton has devoted his life to this powerful but often-neglected teaching tool. I’ve used many of Lupton’s stories over the years, especially with upper-elementary students. His recommended audience, however, actually ranges from ages 5 to adult. Thanks to Barefoot Books, you can hear his supple, expressive voice on CDs. Of course, you might prefer to read aloud his wonderful stories yourself. Here’s a sampling of Hugh Lupton’s enchanting work.
Tales of Wisdom & Wonder. Illus. by Niamh Sharkey. Ba
refoot. Ages 8-12. In what ways might a blind man possess uncommon wisdom? Why is it wise to listen to your dreams? Such intriguing themes run through this collection of folktales from many cultures, accompanied by a CD with Lupton’s impeccable recordings. Included: “Monkey and Papa God,” from Haiti; “The Curing Fox,” from the Cree Nation; “The Peddler of Swaffham,” from England; “The White Rat” from France, “The Blind Man and the Hunter” from West Africa, “Fish in the Forest” from Russia, and “The Shepherd’s Dream” from Ireland.
The Story Tree: Tales to Read Aloud. Ages 4 to 8. Another great paperback/CD combo, these seven tales from seven cultures should be part of every child’s literary heritage. Lupton includes his versions of “The Magic Porridge Pot” from Germany, “Monkey-See, Monkey-Do” from India, “The Sweetest Song,” African-American, “Little Lord Feather-Frock” from Russia, “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” from Norway, “The Little Red Hen” from England, and “The Blue Coat,” a Jewish tale. You can hear his version of “The Magic Porridge Pot,” one of my favorites when I was quite young, at the Barefoot Books podcast page.
The Adventures of Odysseus. For upper-elementary and middle-school listeners, this crackling version of Homer’s travails is unsurpassed. Boys especially love the perilous adventures filled with bizarre and frightening challenges and with wild creatures that haunt the imagination. You can hear Lupton on the CD or DVD — or gather the family (or class) for an unforgettable read-aloud adventure.
Tales of Mystery and Magic. Illustrated by Agnese Baruzz. Barefoot Books. Ages 8-12. 
Strange elves and living bones inhabit this fascinating collection of folktales from Chilean, Scottish, South Asian, Inuit, Russian, Seneca, and West African sources. Their power is enhanced by Baruzzi’s gorgeous artwork, which evokes the culture from which each story springs.
An aside: Hugh Lupton’s great-uncle was Arthur Ransome, renowned illustrator and author of such classics as Swallows and Amazons. The first in a series, his beloved novel follows the adventures of four children who are allowed to sail in their boat, Swallow, to a deserted island to camp out for the summer.
Related Links
Hugh Lupton, Storyteller.
Story Museum.
Brother, Can you Share the Truth?
13 Apr 2011 2 Comments
in After 9/11, middle grade, Nonfiction, Peace stories, Poetry Tags: American Civil War, Hugh Lupton, Iliad, J. Patrick Lewis, Ken Burns, Rosemary Sutcliff, Theory of Communicative Action
The German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, author of The Theory of Communicative Action, saw a clear link between violence and distorted communication. Upon recently revisiting Ken Burns’ Civil War series, 150 years after those first shots fired at Fort Sumter, I found the stench of distortions everywhere, then and now. They will never leave us. How, after all this time, can anyone deny that the defense of slavery is what ripped this country apart? When I saw those images of wild, headstrong boys so eager to support the Confederate cause, I thought of the deception they’d been fed as a kind of maggot souffle. Pierce the puffed-up top, and out come the worms. 
Hell is what Goethe called the relentless war depicted in the Iliad. I recall once reading excerpts from Rosemary Sutcliff’s stunning version of this epic poem to fifth graders. Why, a child asked me, are we hearing about all this war, in a Quaker school? I replied, you folks have already answered that question, as, over and over, you comment on the futility of it all. At last, the tragic war reached its bleak denouement — as do all wars. In our land, the Civil War ended, the dumb teeth of tombstones protruding in the fields of slaughter. We live in the aftermath of that carnage. Can we count the ways distorted communication has led us to subsequent wars? How often do we miss opportunities to nourish relationships that strengthen our culture and our own spirits?
We do not serve our older children well by shielding them from the bloody results of war, or by glorifying it. Like us, they will witness and experience a multitude of conflicts fed by communication gone astray. Why not use literature to engage them in discussions that will motivate them to think critically, to share their views in constructive ways, and to inspire them to work for a more just and peaceful world?
Recommended Read-alouds for Middle School
Lewis, J. Patrick. The Brothers’ War: Civil War Voices in Verse. Featuring the Work of Civil War Photographers. National Geographic, 2007. Acclaimed children’s poet Lewis has written 11 poems exposing the horrors of war, from myriad perspectives. Each remarkable poem is accompanied by a full-page archival photograph of the time. Readers will find much to ponder in both the well-chosen images and the words. Fittingly, Lewis opens the book with the sharp, lingering image of slaves picking cotton near Savannah, GA: “I stooped to stoop/ And stooped to chop,/ Then clipped to scoop/ The cotton crop.” Other poems imagine accounts by John Brown and Frederick Douglass, letters from soldiers to their families, and a narrative by a runaway slave. One of the most haunting poems is “Boys in a Brothers’ War,” in which a wounded young soldier from Virginia falls on a vole’s home. “Ignorant of war, the vole had his pea-sized heart/ set on the bark of a chinaberry tree, but there/ was Private Flowers’ boot…” Detailed captions explain elements of the war that relate to the poems. Also included: a selected-event timeline, map of states, a note on the photography, and author’s notes on the poems.
Lupton, Hugh. Adventures of Odysseus. Barefoot, 2010. Hear master storyteller Lupton read his wondrous version of Homer’s Odyssey on the accompanying CD.
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad. Frances Lincoln, 2000. This fluid, supremely readable version offers young people an accessible version of the Iliad.
Related Articles
- A Conflict’s Acoustic Shadows (opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Old times not forgotten: Civil War at 150 (msnbc.msn.com)
Freedom on the Menu
07 Feb 2011 2 Comments
in Civil Rights, Historical fiction, Peace stories, Picture Books Tags: African-American history, Black History Month, Carole Boston Weatherford, Greensboro sit-ins, Jim Crow, Kadir Nelson, respect
Carole Boston Weatherford is the vibrant author of some of the best children’s books exploring African-American history. I met Carole a year ago after she flew up from North Carolina to come visit our school library. As a snowstorm barreled in that day, we felt forced to change our schedule. Carole mastered the situation with grace and verve, adjusting each of her three sessions to relate perfectly to the age group. She recited poems to the youngest; she had children participating by chanting, jingling bells and tapping a triangle. They left the library joyous and inspired!
Image via Wikipedia
With the fourth and fifth-graders, she discussed Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins and presented a sensitive and nuanced look at Jim Crow as it still existed when she was a child in Baltimore. She showed a photograph of the park where she and her family were not allowed to go. The students were solemn and spellbound. Carole Boston Weatherford knows how to make history real to children.
Freedom on the Menu (Dial, 2004), is one my favorite read-alouds for Black History Month. Told from the point of view of eight-year-old Connie, the story takes readers to the Woolsworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. Connie and her mother often stop there for a soda after shopping downtown. Connie would like to sit down and have a banana split instead, but can’t; only whites may sit at the counter. “All over town signs told Mama and me where we could and couldn’t go,” Connie lamented. Lagarrigue’s somber, impressionistic paintings show the hateful Jim Crow signs that warp the community. Changes are in the air, though, as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. comes to town. Connie sees her older siblings become politically involved and join in the lunch counter sit-ins. As the protests spread through the South, laws change. Six months later, Connie gets to savor her banana split at the counter, and it tastes like so sweet — like freedom. The author’s note about the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins provides additional information that will help young people understand the Civil Rights movement. See Weatherford’s web site for lesson plans inspired by this exemplary picture book, which works well with ages 6-10.
And don’t miss these treasures …
For older children:
The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights. illus. by Tim Ladwig. Eerdmans, 2009. Ages 7-12. Anyone looking for a picture book to illustrate the role of religion in helping people survive and eventually overcome tragedy should take a look at this beautiful book. Weatherford illuminates the path from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to African-Americans’ long struggle for freedom and equality. From the dark Middle Passage in the bowels of slave ships to the inauguration of Pres. Barack Obama, people have found hope, strength, and inspiration in their religious faith. Concise biographical profiles of famous African-Americans are included.
Birmingham, 1963. Wordsong, 2007. Ages 10+ 
This stunning little masterpiece pairs actual black-and-white photographs with Weatherford’s poems to describe the ruthless bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that killed four girls, an event that became a turning point in the struggle for equality. Told from the perspective on an unnamed fictional girl, we hear how
The day I turned ten
Our church was quiet. No meetings, no marches.
Mama left me in Sunday school
With a soft kiss and coins for the offering plate.
In addition to her moving poems, Weatherford provides a section that profiles the four young girls who died in the bombing. Additional historical background and photo citations are included, as well.
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. illus. by Kadir Nelson. Jump at the Sun, 2006. Ages 7-12. This fictionalized story of Harriet Tubman focuses on the spiritual journey of the woman who risked her life time after time to help others escape from slavery, as she had done. In spare, poetic text, we hear how she flees Maryland, in hopes of reaching Pennsylvania. “A boatman rows her upriver. Back on shore, hounds snarl, sniff for Harriet’s trail. She races as fast as she can. Lord, I can’t outrun them. God speaks through a babbling brook: SHED YOUR SHOES, WADE IN THE WATER TO TRICK THE DOGS.” As Tubman encounters a series of dangers along the way, she calls upon God for help each time. When she reaches the free state of Pennsylvania, she finds her journey has just begun. Now it is time to help others. Nelson’s grand, atmospheric oil and watercolor paintings won a Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award. Weatherford provides an accessible foreword on the institution of slavery, as well as an author’s note with a brief biography.
For younger children …
Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane. 
illus. by Sean Qualls. Holt, 2008. Ages 5-7. Read it and then put on some Coltrane and dance!
First Pooch: Malia and Sasha Pick a Pet. illus. by Amy Bates. Marshall Cavendish, 2009. Ages 5-8. Light-hearted story of the First Family choosing their first dog.
Jazz Baby. illus. by Laura Freeman. Lee & Low, 2002. Ages 4-7. Rollicking, rhyming fun for little ones
One Snowy Day a Groundhog Met a Fox
23 Jan 2011 4 Comments
in Folk and Fairy Tales, Holidays, Peace stories, Picture Books, Poetry, Winter stories Tags: Barbara McClintock, Carmen Segovia, Christian Birmingham, Cornelius Van Wright, Deborah da Costa, Douglas Florian, Francisco Alarcon, Groundhog Day, Hans Christian Andersen, Jacqueline Martin, Jim Aylesworth, Jon Nelson, Mark Cassino, Maya Christina Gonzalez, Melissa Stewart, multicultural literature, Naomi Lewis, Snow, Susan Blackaby, Wilson Bentley, Ying-Hwa Hu
Blackaby, Susan. Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox. Illus. by Carmen Segovia. Sterling, 2011.
Ages 4-7.
If you’re seeking a whimsical read-aloud for Groundhog’s Day, you’ve found it. Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox sparkles with wit and sly charm. Brownie is a clever groundhog that meets a hungry would-be predator on a cloudy February 2nd. The fox tells her, “Hold still…. I’m trying to eat you for breakfast.” Brownie’s flip response is that it’ s simply too late for breakfast. The two find they both hate to wait. Brownie suggests the fox work up an appetite by clearing the snow off the pond. Segovia’s humorous image shows the fox putting his fluffy tail to good use. Alas, after all that effort, it’s too late for lunch, says Brownie. Then the tricky groundhog leads the fox to a tree and winds her scarf around and around the fox, binding him to the trunk.
Brownie’s little heart is touched, though, as she hears the fox’s plaintive cries. She decides it’s time to share what’s in her basket: cocoa and cinnamon toast. The crumbs attract a robin — the first sign of spring! The two new friends leave for home, pondering their next adventure. The illustrator’s note describes how Segovia first conceived of this engaging character one winter as she sketched a groundhog. Her wintry palette, splashed with the fox’s red, is as refreshing as that impromptu picnic.
Enhance a snowy story with the cold facts, perfectly described and displayed in 
Cassino, Mark and Jon Nelson. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder. Chronicle, 2009. Ages 4-9. You’ll be singing songs of snow, glorious snow after reading this snappy little informative book. Cassino and Nelson reveal the scientific nature of snow by using an accessible format featuring a brief fact in a large type size, then giving details in smaller text. Readers will learn of the three major types of crystals (star-shaped, plate and columnar), as well as other interesting facts. (It’s the molecular structure of water that creates the six-sided crystals, for instance.) The superb illustrations include both spectacular photographs that beg to be shared and Aoyagi’s ink and watercolor diagrams that show how a crystal develops from a speck of soil, pollen, or other substance, and then develops into an intricate six-sided beauty. Also noteworthy are the clear instructions on catching and examining snow crystals — just the trick for getting readers to venture outside to explore wintry wonders.
More and More Snow …
Alarcon, Francisco X. Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems. illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Children’s Book Press, 2001. Ages 7+ Fresh poems, often written from an unusual perspective, grace bright and beautiful pages showcasing poems in both Spanish and in English.
Andersen, Hans Christian. The Snow Queen. Trans. and retold by Naomi Lewis. Illus. by Christian Birmingham. Candlewick, 2008. Ages 8-10. Don’t miss Andersen’s most beautiful fairy tale, a source of inspiration for C.S. Lewis and other fantasy writers. Of the many versions available, Lewis’s is the one you want. This memorable wintry tale begs to be read aloud: “The cloak and cap were made of snow, and the driver ah, she was a lady, tall and slender and dazzlingly white!” Gerda’s dear friend Kay is kidnapped by the Snow Queen and held in her palace, where “the walls were of driven snow, and the doors and windows of cutting wind.” Gerda sets out on a treacherous quest to save Kay. Barrett’s watercolor-and-pencil illustrations capture the dreamy, sometimes frightening aspects of Andersen’s brilliant story.
Aylesworth, Jim. The Mitten. illus. by Barbara McClintock. Scholastic, 2009. Ages 3-6. This dynamic duo has produced a lively version of the beloved Ukrainian folktale, in which more and more animals cram into an almost ever-stretching mitten. McClintock’s energetic illustrations created with ink, gouache, and watercolor provide the perfect wintry touch.
da Costa, Deborah. Snow in Jerusalem. illus. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. Albert Whitman, 2001. Ages 6-8. 
Two boys live in Jerusalem, but they have never met. Avi lives in the Jewish Quarter, while Hamudi lives in the Muslim Quarter. To their surprise, they discover they have both been caring for the same stray white cat. The cat knows no boundaries, and leads the boys to friendship — as unexpected as snow in Jerusalem. If you don’t have this book, get it! Children love the story, which provides wonderful opportunities to discuss conflict in the Middle East and the nature of friendship and trust.
Florian, Douglas. Winter Eyes: Poems and Paintings. Greenwillow, 1999. Fun for all in these brief, whimsical poems, enlivened with Florian’s witty paintings.
Photo of a snow crystal by Wilson Bentley
Martin, Jacqueline. Snowflake Bentley. Houghton, 1998. Wilson Bentley of Vermont first discovered how to photograph snow crystals, as described in this modern classic picture-book biography. Also explore the Snowflake Bentley web site to see his astounding photographs such as the one at left.
Stewart, Melissa. Under the Snow. illus. by Constance Rummel Bergum. Peachtree, 2009. Where do the ladybugs go when it’s cold? What about the bees and the centipedes? Stewart explores winter aspects of such habitats as a field, a forest, a pond, and a wetland. Bergum’s watercolor paintings reveal the animals’ world beneath the snow and the world above, where people skate on frozen ponds and deer forage for food. Use this simple informational book to amaze and to enhance winter story times. Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12, 2010
Whipple, Laura, ed. A Snowflake Fell: Poems About Winter. illus. by Hatsuki Hori. Barefoot Books, 2003. All ages. This lovely collection of wintry poems by such poets as Nikki Giovanni, Jane Yolen, David McCord, Barbara Juster Esbensen, and Ted Hughes, explores the season in all its dazzling glory. Hori’s evocative pastel and watercolor paintings add to the frosty fun.
Catch This Bus
13 Jan 2011 5 Comments
in Civil Rights, MLK day stories, Peace stories, Picture Books Tags: Andrew Young, Bryan Collier, Civil Rights Movement, Jim Crow laws, Jo S. Kittinger, Martin Luther King Jr, Paula Young Shelton, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Raul Colon, Richard Michelson, Rosa Parks, Selma to Montgomery marches, Steven Walker
Kittinger, Jo. S. Rosa’s Bus: The Ride to Civil Rights. Illus. by Steven Walker. Calkins Creek, 2010. Ages 6-9.
Many children’s books relate the story of Rosa Parks and her refusal to vacate her seat for a white man. This picture book, however, zooms in on the actual bus — #2867, which began its journey in 1948 on the assembly line in Michigan and ended up getting restored and displayed in the Henry Ford Museum in 2003. Kittinger keeps the story rolling along, undeterred by superfluous details. Walker’s colorful oil paintings, especially those of the bus, add to the kid appeal. After Rosa’s arrest, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the bus boycott, which “went on and on. No dimes jingle-jangled in the coin box. Day after day, week after week, month after month, Bus #2357 rode down the street with plenty of empty seats.” After 382 days, the boycott ended with the Supreme Court ruling that outlawed race-based discrimination. Use this book and the author’s suggested activities to enhance children’s understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and their appreciation of the perseverance of those who participated. The bibliography provides noteworthy sources for those who want more details.
Shelton, Paula Young. Child of the Civil Rights Movement. Illus. by Raul Colon. Schwartz & Wade, 2009. Ages 5-9. 
This first-time author is a daughter of Civil Rights leader Andrew Young and a first-grade teacher, experiences that enrich her engaging, child-friendly true story. Using simple, rhythmic language, she describes how her family moves from New York to Atlanta to work for the end of “Jim Crow, / where whites could / but blacks could not”). Famous leaders in the movement, including Martin Luther King, Jr., are not cast as distant gods but as folks who ate and laughed and prayed together. Colón’s soft-colored pencil-and-wash illustrations evoke the affection shared among the activists. Children will laugh upon learning of Shelton’s first protest: She sat on the floor and wailed when a Holiday Inn restaurant in Atlanta refused to serve her family. One aspect that particularly recommends this book to children is its hopeful, positive tone, with its emphasis on community and respect. The story’s triumphant end shows Paula and her family joining the world-changing march from Selma to Montgomery. A brief bibliography and biographical notes provide additional information.
Other Recommended Titles for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Leave a comment to share your favorite children’s book related to MLK!
Michelson, Richard. As Good as Anybody:Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom. Illus. by Raul Colón. Knopf, 2008. Ages 6-10. Michelson provides an interesting perspective in this 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award winner. He focuses on two peaceful heroes: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and an ally, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Michelson invites readers to consider the parallels between the two leaders and their experiences. Both experienced hostility and prejudice in their homeland. Both overcame it with love, faith, and wisdom. Colón’s illustrations illuminate both the individual experiences (King’s story features an earthy palette, Heschel’s a blue one) and the similarities, as when he depicts the hateful signs that say “Whites Only” and then the ones proclaiming “No Jews Allowed.” In the final pages, the colors blend together, showcasing the diverse people who joined the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Rappaport, Doreen. Martin’s Big Words. Jump at the Sun, 2001. Illus. by Bryan Collier. Ages 5-10. 
Rappaport weaves her own well-chosen words with those of King’s, resulting in a concise, poetic, and respectful picture-book biography of King. Teaming up with Collier was an inspired touch, as his amazing painted collages lend this book so much power and beauty. Martin’s Big Words won both the Coretta Scott King Honor and the Caldecott Honor for its stellar illustrations.
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Educated by Kindness
27 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Peace stories, Picture Books Tags: animals, Emily Arnold McCully, folktales, kindness, picture books
McCully, Emily Arnold. 
Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World’s Smartest Horse. Holt, 2010.
A horse is a horse, but sometimes it takes a special person to recognize its real worth. Bill “Doc” Key was born a slave, but became a veterinarian and a successful entrepreneur in post-Civil War Tennessee. Doc decided to see how much he could teach Jim, his seemingly bright little foal. With kindness and patience, he taught the horse to count, to distinguish colors and letters of the alphabet, and to add and subtract.
Doc took his prodigy on the road, and for a while, the two met with applause and amazement at fairs, theaters, and arenas. Then a newspaper reporter asked, “How could a little old black man with no education teach a dumb animal to do those things?” Doc didn’t give up, though; he invited some professors at Harvard to examine Jim Key to determine if the horse was, in fact, educated. After they confirmed it, the newspapers set the record straight: “JIM KEY EDUCATED BY KINDNESS.”
McCully, whose sprightly watercolors add charm to this fact-based story, continues to live up to the high standard she has set in her career of writing and illustrating beloved picture books. Those yearning for more details on this amazing man and his horse can find them in the author’s note and bibliography.
Recommended Read-alouds That Call for Kindness to Animals
Note: Please leave a comment with your favorites!
Elliot, David. In the Wild. Illus. by Holly Meade. Candlewick, 2010. Fresh language and stunning woodblock and watercolor illustrations distinguish this engaging collection of poems about wild animals, ranging from the lion to the polar bear.
Image via Wikipedia
Kimmel, Eric. Brother Wolf Sister Sparrow: Stories About Saints and Animals. Holiday House, 2003. See the masterfully retold Italian legend “St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio,” in which St. Francis approaches a wolf that’s been terrorizing the town.
Levitin, Sonia. All the Cats in the World. Harcourt, 1984. Powerful story of friendship and kindness. No one can care for all the cats in the world, but everyone can perform acts of kindness, as an elderly woman shows a lonely, bitter old lighthouse keeper.
Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Walks the Dog. Houghton, 1998. Clever Martha uses praise to tame a hostile dog.
Pericoli, Matteo. The True Story of Stellina. Knopf, 2006. Pericoli and his wife, Holly, rescued and raised a finch, Stellina, that had fallen from her nest onto a busy street in New York City. They nurtured the bird in their Manhattan apartment, where she leaned to eat, fly, and sing.
Spencer, Ann. And Round Me Rings: Bell Tales and Folklore. Tundra, 2003. See “Bell of Justice Rings,” a retelling of an Italian folktale, in which a horse calls attention to its mistreatment.
