Japan
Every Color of Light: A Book about the Sky
By Hiroshi Osada, David Boyd (Translator), Ryōji Arai (Illustrator)
Every Color of Light: A Book about the Sky. Hiroshi Osada. Translated by David Boyd. Illustrated by Ryōji Arai. Enchanted Lion Books, 2020. Originally published as きょうはそらにまるいつき (Kyō wa sora ni marui tsuki) in Japanese by Kodansha Ltd., in Tokyo, in 2011. ISBN 9781592702916. 38 p. (Ages 4-10). Picture book.
Lyrical text and expansive landscapes showcase the beauty of a day in nature, from light rain to storms to the clearing night sky. A 2020 Kirkus Best Book and 2021 Northern Lights Best Illustrator winner. Illustrator Ryōji Arai won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2015.[all]
The Middle East & North Africa
Israel
Just One More Thing... and Then Bedtime
By Menahem Halberstadt, Romy Ronen (Translator)
Just One More Thing…and Then Bedtime. Menahem Halberstadt. Translated by Romy Ronen. Green Bean Books, 2023. Originally published in Hebrew by M. Mizrahi Publishing House, in Israel, in 2021. ISBN 9781784389475. 32 p. (Ages 3-7). Picture book.
A tired dad tries to put his preschool daughter and baby son to bed, but his talkative daughter’s observations about all the things she is thankful for – some mundane, some absurd – slow down the process. A nice blend of messy but loving real life and flights of fancy, illustrated in a cozy, cartoon style with a warm palette. The author is a well-known Israeli illustrator; this is the first book he has both written and illustrated. See this brief Q&A for some background about the book. [ayg]
Latin America
Argentina
Sheep Count Flowers
By Micaela Chirif, Arthur A. Levine (Translator), Amanda Mijangos (Illustrator)
Sheep Count Flowers. Micaela Chirif. Translated by Arthur A. Levine. Illustrated by Amanda Mijangos. Levine Querido, 2021. Originally published as Las Ovejas by Limonero, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2020. ISBN 9781646141197. 40 p. (Ages 4-7). Picture book.
If we count sheep, what do sheep count to get to sleep? This dream-like book speculates on the answer to that question and more about sheep. Peruvian author and poet Micaela Chirif's picture books have won the “A la Orilla del Viento” picture book competition from the Spanish-language publishing house Fondo de Cultura Económica. Three of her picture books were White Ravens selections. [jm]