This blog was developed as a resource for teachers and educators looking for multi-cultural books to share with children. I have compiled and cited various reviews of the books listed in this blog, and have added web resources and other tools that will help teachers use the books for instructional purposes. These are all books I have read personally or have previewed a hands on copy of.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Namaste!
Namaste!
Written by: Diana Cohn
Illustrated by: Amy Cordova
Elementary Grades
"Nima Sherpa lives in Nepal at the top of the world, where the tallest mountain on earth, Chomolongma--the mountain we call Everest--towers above the clouds. Nima has promised her father, a mountain guide, that she will find a way to help make the world a better place. Every day, on the long walk to the market village where she goes to school, Nima meets porters and caravans carrying their goods to market, travelers trekking to their next lodge, and monks on their way to their monastery. After school, she meets her friend Tenzing, an old Tibetan trader, who shares some honey with her at the market place.
Whenever Nima sees someone, she brings her hands together with her fingers almost touching her chin, bows her head slightly, and says "Namaste"--the light in me meets the light in you. Her mother tells her, "When you say `Namaste,' try to see the special spark of light that shines within every person's heart."
In Namaste! Nima learns that she brightens the day for friends and strangers alike when she shares her sweetness and light, every time she says "Namaste." Woven into this simple, gentle story about recognizing and honoring the sacred in one another are delightful details of daily life in Nepal."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://www.dreamcarver.org/namaste.php
Labels:
elementary,
middle east,
nepal,
tibet
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Rubia and the Three Osos
Rubia and the Three Osos
Written by: Susan Middleton Elya
Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet
Elementary Grades
"A marvelous retelling of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” with a lively bilingual twist. Rubia makes herself at home while the three osos go out for a stroll. Where the original story concludes with confrontation and flight, Elya's surprise ending offers conflict resolution and friendship. The narrative includes bouncy rhythms and smoothly intersperses Spanish words into the English. This technique helps children use context to determine their meaning. The book will also help preschoolers grasp the concept of opposites while expanding their vocabularies in both languages. Spanish is printed in a purple font, and a glossary is provided in the back."
School Library Journal Review
Online Resources:
http://www.susanelya.com/files/home.htm
Labels:
elementary,
latino,
spanish bilingual
No More, Por Favor
No More, Por Favor
Written by: Susan Middleton Elya
Illustrated by: David Walker
Elementary Grades
"The rain forest is lush with delicious things to eat, but it’s also full of terribly picky eaters! Mangoes are too sweet for the baby iguana, bananas are just too yellow for monito (little monkey), and little quetzal can’t take even one more squishy avocado. Then fed-up Mamá Macaw has an idea that brings all the kids together to share a meal, and everyone finds exciting new foods to try. And what could be more fun than sharing a feast with friends?"
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://www.susanelya.com/files/home.htm
Labels:
elementary,
latino,
spanish bilingual
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Dream Carver
Dream Carver
Written by: Diana Cohn
Illustrated by: Amy Cordova
Elementary Grades
"Inspired by the life of renowned Oaxacan woodcarver Manuel Jimenez, newcomer Cohn and Cordova (My Land Sings) tell of Mateo, a young woodcarver who bravely breaks with a generations-old artistic tradition. The subsistence farmers of the boy's village are known for their juguetes, tiny carvings of wooden animals so small they could fit in the palm of a hand, carved by men and boys, and painted in fiesta-bright colors by women and girls. But Mateo dreams of carving life-size animals, with surfaces that tingle with vibrant, improbable colors and surreal patterns. I see animals so big and bright that I will need to carve them with a machete! he tells his disapproving father. When Mateo ultimately produces a glorious wooden menagerie including a quetzal with majestic feathers he wins over not only Papa, but the entire village, and a new way of carving is born."
Publishers Weekly Review
Online Resources:
http://www.dreamcarver.org/dreamcarver.php
Love To Mama: A Tribute To Mothers
Love To Mama: A Tribute To Mothers
Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Paula Barragan
Elementary Grades
"In this beautifully illustrated book, 13 Latino poets write with joy, humor, and love about the powerful and undeniable bond between mothers, grandmothers, and children. These talented poets write passionately and vividly about the tremendous influence their mothers and grandmothers had on them."
Publishers Synopsis
Online Resources:
http://www.leeandlow.com/p/mama_tg.mhtml
Poems to Dream Together/poemas Para Sonar Juntos: Poemas Para Sonar Juntos
Poems to Dream Together/poemas Para Sonar Juntos: Poemas Para Sonar Juntos
Written by: Francisco X. Alacorn
Illustrated by: Paula Barragan
Elementary Grades
"A young boy dreams that "all humans / and all living / beings / come together / as one big family / of the Earth." So begins this delightful bilingual collection of poems by Francisco X. Alarcón. As we travel through the boy's colorful universe, we learn about his family and community working together and caring for each other and the world in which they live. Neighbors help repair adobe homes. The boy and his family share old photographs, tend their garden, and pamper Mamá who "works day and night." Tribute is paid to those who toil in the fields, and to César Chávez. Most of all, we see how dreams can take many forms, from the fantastic imaginary ones that occur while we sleep to the realistic ones that guide our lives and give us inspiration for the endless possibilities of the future."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://www.leeandlow.com/p/alarcon_interview.mhtml
Labels:
elementary,
latino,
poetry,
spanish bilingual
Animal Poems of the Iguazu/Animalario del Iguazu
Animal Poems of the Iguazu/Animalario del Iguazu
Written by: Francisco X. Alacorn
Illustrated by: Maya Christina Gonzalez
Elementary Grades
"In the lush rainforest of the Iguazú National Park, toucans and butterflies flit through the trees while sleek jaguars prowl the jungle floor. Dazzling waterfalls provide a thunderous backdrop while great dusky swifts keep watch overhead. In this magical journey through one of the wonders of the natural world, renowned poet Francisco X. Alarcón follows the Amerindian oral tradition, allowing the animals to speak for themselves in their own roaring, soaring, fluttering voices. Maya Christina Gonzalez’s glorious mixed media illustrations bring the vibrant colors and textures of the rainforest to life."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://www.iguazuargentina.com/espanol/
Labels:
argentina,
poetry,
spanish bilingual
Abuelita Full of Life/Abuelita Llena de Vida
Abuelita Full of Life/Abuelita Llena de Vida
Written by: Amy Costales
Illustrated by: Martha Aviles
Elementary Grades
"José's grandmother is coming to live in his house and he does not know what to expect. First he has to move some of his belongings to make room for his abuelita, since she will be sharing his room. Then he has to give up some of the backyard where he plays ball so abuelita can grow a vegetable garden. He does not mind in the end since he gets to savor the sweet corn, pumpkin, and other produce. Abuelita changes his life in other ways, all for the better."
Children's Literature Review
Online Resources:
http://www.amycostales.com/connect.htm
http://labloga.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-author-amy-costales.html
Labels:
elementary,
latino,
spanish bilingual
Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites in English and Spanish
Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites in English and Spanish
Written by: Cynthia Weill
Illustrated by: Martín Santiago, and Quirino Santiago
Elementary Grades
"Oaxacan folk art in the form of hand-carved wood sculptures abounds in this bilingual concept book about opposites. Contrasting concepts include inside and outside, high and low, and left and right, to name a few. At the turn of each page, readers see brightly painted wood characters set against equally vibrantly colored background pages that effortlessly convey the concept the author sets out to teach. On each spread, the English and Spanish words for a single concept face the opposing concept. This attractive volume conveys the concept in a unique and inviting fashion and provides youngsters with an introduction to some Mexican art in the process."
School Library Journal Review
Online Resources:
http://www.cincopuntos.com/teacher_resources.sstg
http://maisonceleste.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/932/
Labels:
elementary,
latino,
mexico,
spanish bilingual
ABeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish
ABeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish
Written by: Cynthia Weill
Illustrated by: Moisés Jiménez, Armando Jiménez, K.B. Basseches (Photographer)
Elementary Grades
"Every ABC book worth its cover price is bound to have bright colors and big letters. But not every ABC book has magical hand-carved animals to illustrate every letter. And very few alphabet books present those letters in more varieties than English! Very few alphabet books except the ABeCedarios, that is! In this brightly colored book, the alphabet is presented in both Spanish and English, and includes the four additional letters—and whimsical animals—that make the Spanish alphabet so much fun.
The famous folk artists, brothers Moisés and Armando Jiménez, carved the wonderful animal figures that illustrate each letter in ABeCedarios. Working with their wives and children in the beautiful village of Arrazola in Oaxaca, Mexico, they carved and painted each enchanting animal by hand. For many centuries, people in Oaxaca have carved wood to make toys and household objects. However, it was Moisés and Armando’s grandfather Manuel who started making animal figures. Now more than sixty families in Arrazola make their living from wood carving."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://www.cincopuntos.com/teacher_resources.sstg
http://maisonceleste.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/932/
Labels:
elementary,
latino,
mexico,
spanish alphabet book,
spanish bilingual
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Voices: Poetry and Art From Around the World
Voices: Poetry and Art From Around the World
Written by: Barbara Brenner
Junior High and High School Grades
"Voices: Poetry and Art From Around the World juxtaposes poetry and visual art from around the world. The poems and artworks vary from ancient to modern, urban to folk, with different styles displayed on the same pages. Whether they’re environmental, political, historical or simply loving, the messages of the words and images are generally uplifting, lending them to multiple applications in many classroom settings."
National Geographic Society
Online Resources:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4545
Labels:
high school,
junior high,
poetry,
various cultures
The Story of Religion
The Story of Religion
Written by: Betsy Maestro
Illustrated by: Erika Weihs
Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades
"This informational book provides a brief introduction to various religious such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The art in the book is related to the cultures of each of the religious groups. This book can introduce a study in which students research one of the religions discussed."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://www.uri.org/kids/world.htm
Labels:
elementary,
junior high,
various cultures
The Best Beekeeper in Lalibela: A Tale from Africa
The Best Beekeeper in Lalibela: A Tale from Africa
Written by: Cristina Kessler
Illustrated by: Leonard Jenkins
Elementary Grades
"A traditional Ethiopian tale describing one girl’s attempt to challenge society’s
views of women and their roles, and her quest to be the best beekeeper in her village."
Online Resources:
http://www.cristinakessler.com/Books_8.htm
Labels:
-africa,
elementary,
ethiopia,
folktale
Geronimo
Geronimo
Written by: Joseph Bruchac
Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades
"Thoroughly researched “memories” of Geronimo and the captivity of the Chiracahua
Apaches are narrated by Geronimo’s fictional adopted grandson. Geronimo is portrayed as
a dignified, caring, resourceful, and humorous leader of his people."
Notable Trade Books for Social Studies
Online Resources:
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/B/geronimo/geronixx.htm
http://www.biography.com/articles/Geronimo-192835
Labels:
elementary,
junior high,
native american
The Road From Home: The Story of an Armenian Girl
The Road From Home: The Story of an Armenian Girl
Written by: David Kherdian
Junior High and High School Grades
"David Kherdian re-creates his mother's voice in telling the true story of a childhood interrupted by one of the most devastating holocausts of our century. Vernon Dumehjian Kherdian was born into a loving and prosperous family. Then, in the year 1915, the Turkish government began the systematic destruction of its Armenian population."
Online Resources:
http://www.cobblestonepub.com/resources/cob0005t.html
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