Japan
You Look Yummy!
By Tatsuya Miyanishi, Mariko Shii Garbi (Translator)
You Look Yummy! Tatsuya Miyanishi. Translated by Mariko Shii Garbi. Museyon, Inc., 2015. Originally published as おまえ うまそうだな (Omae Umasou dana) in Japanese by Poplar Publishing Co., Ltd., in 2003. ISBN 9781940842066. 40 p. (Ages 5-7). Picture book.
A tyrannosaurus accidentally finds himself the father of a newly-hatched ankylosaurus. Bold colors and stylized drawing are fun and engaging in this entry in the popular Tyrannosaurus series. Author is well-known in Japan, and has won several awards including the Kodansha Cultural Award for Picture Books and the Kenbuchi Picture Book Grand Prize. [all]
Africa South of the Sahara
Ghana
Grandma's List
By Portia Dery, Toby Newsome (Illustrator)
Grandma’s List. Portia Dery. Illustrated by Toby Newsome. Windmill Books, 2021. Originally published by African Bureau Stories,Ghana, 2017. ISBN 9781499486322. 32 p. (Ages 5-7). Picture book.
Eight-year-old Fatima wants to help her grandma complete her chore list, but while running errands, Fatima loses the list and has to recall the list by memory. Fatima believes she remembers everything correctly, but once everything is done, she and her family realize she got everything mixed up. As Fatima moves through the list of chores, the reader experiences a typical Ghanaian neighborhood and can learn about traditional West African foods like palm nut soup, groundnuts (peanuts), and Bissap drink. 2018 Children’s Africana Book Award (CABA) winner. This book would pair well with Don’t Forget the Bacon! by Pat Hutchins. Kid’s read aloud - Grandma’s List -Storytime Haven. [gd]
The Kaya Girl
By Mamle Wolo, Sasha Illingworth (Illustrator)
The Kaya Girl. Mamle Wolo. Illustrated by Sasha Illingworth. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022. Originally published by Techmate Publishers Ltd., in Ghana, in 2012 and then by Nsona Books in 2018. ISBN 9780316703932. 336 p. (Ages 9 and up). Fiction.
A rags-to-riches tale about Faiza, a Muslim migrant girl from northern Ghana, and Abena, a wealthy doctor’s daughter from the south. The two meet by chance in Accra, where Faiza works as a porter or kaya girl and develop a deep friendship that transcends social barriers. A 2022 Kirkus Best Children's Book, a 2023 Children's Africana Book Award Honor, and a Bank St. College Best Books selection. [gd]
South Africa
A Good Day for Climbing Trees
By Jaco Jacobs, Kobus Geldenhuys (Translator), Jim Tierney (Illustrator)
A Good Day for Climbing Trees. Jaco Jacobs. Translated by Kobus Geldenhuys. Illustrated by Jim Tierney. Rock the Boat, 2018. Originally published as ‘n Goeie dag vir boomklim in Afrikaans by Lapa, in South Africa, in 2015. ISBN 9781786073174. 160 p. (Ages 8-12). Fiction.
Marnus lives in the shadow of his two brothers until he meets a girl with a petition. Joining forces with Leila, the two inspire their town by fighting to save a tree. Nominated for the 2019 CILIP Carnegie Medal and selected one of the Spectator Best Books of the Year. [gd]
Here Comes Lolo
By Niki Daly
Here Comes Lolo. Niki Daly. Catalyst Press, 2020. Originally published by Otter-Barry Books, in Great Britain, in 2019. ISBN 9781946395337. 78 p. (Ages 4-9). Fiction.
Lolo is a little girl living with her mother and grandmother in South Africa. The first in a series of three books, Here Comes Lolo is composed of three stories that recount her hilarious adventures in getting a gold star at school, finding a missing ring, and rescuing a dog. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and nominated for the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award. In this video Author Niki Daly Reads a story from Here Comes Lolo. Also check out Here Comes Lolo Teaching Guides from Catalyst Press. [gd]
Small Mercies
By Bridget Krone, Karen Vermeulen (Illustrator)
Small Mercies. Bridget Krone. Illustrated by Karen Vermeulen. Catalyst Press, 2020. Subsequently published by Walker Books, London, in 2020. ISBN: 9781946395160. 162 p. (Ages 8-12). Fiction.
Mercy lives with her two elderly foster aunts in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, in a house that is falling apart at the seams and being eyed by a developer. After one of her classmates frames her for stealing the school’s raffle money, she meets Mr. Singh, who teaches her about how Gandhi stood up for what he believed in and how she needs to do the same. A 2022 Skipping Stones Honor Award recipient, a 2021 USBBY Outstanding International Books List title, and named a Best Middle-Grade Book of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews. [gd]
Nigeria
Too Small Tola
By Atinuke, Onyinye Iwu (Illustrator)
Too Small Tola. Atinuke. Illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Candlewick Press, 2021. Originally published in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries by Walker Books in 2020. ISBN 9781536211276. 96 p. (Ages 7-9). Fiction.
Three short stories about a small girl named Tola who lives with her family in Lagos, Nigeria. Written by Nigerian storyteller Atinuke, each story shows how despite Tola’s size, she is determined to help those around her. Not only does Tola help her family, but she helps her wider Lagos community. Recognition for Too Small Tola includes: the International School Libraries Network (ISLN) Red Dot Book Awards shortlist in 2023; the USBBY Outstanding International Books List; Publishers Weekly Best Books; finalist for the ALSC Notable Children’s Books in 2022; in 2021, Jhalak Prize Nominee for Children & YA; and finalist for the Cybils Awards for Easy Chapter Books. Too Small Tola is the first in a series of three books, followed by Too Small Tola Gets Tough, and Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls. Two videos from Atinuke introduce this book and the series: Atinuke reads from Too Small Tola (Walker Books). Longlist: Jhalak C&YA Prize; and Atinuke Introduction to “Too Small Tola” Series. [gd]
India
A Saree for Ammi
By Mamta Nainy, Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)
A Saree for Ammi. Mamta Nainy. Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat. Tulika Books, 2019. First published in Chennai, in 2019. A Sari for Ammi, a revised edition of this book published by Amazon Crossing Kids in 2021, is also available. ISBN 9789389203608. 28 p. (Ages 5 and up). Picture book.
Two little daughters decide to buy a saree for their mother, who only weaves sarees for other people. A sweet story accompanied with illustrations that bring Kaithoon, a village in northern India, to life. Would pair with My Mother’s Sari by Sandhya Rao. The author is based in New Delhi and is an award-winning author of over thirty books. A Tata Trust’s Parag Honour List Book (2021). Watch the video of A Saree for Ammi read aloud by versatile Indian actress Revathy. [mi]
Jamlo Walks
By Samina Mishra, Tarique Aziz (Illustrator)
Jamlo Walks. Samina Mishra. Illustrated by Tarique Aziz. Puffin Books, 2021. First published by Puffin Random House India, Haryana, India, in 2021. ISBN 9780143453178. 32 p. (Ages 7-9). Nonfiction.
A heart-wrenching story about Jamlo, a 12-year old child migrant worker, who passed away while trying to walk from Telangana to her village in Chattisgarh during COVID-19 pandemic. Accompanied with absorbing illustrations, this book exposes readers to the impact of the pandemic in India on young people, and ideas of death and struggle. Would pair with Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lai. The author is based in New Delhi and is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and teacher. This book is dedicated to honor the memory of Jamlo. Here is a video of a read-aloud of Jamlo Walks. [mi]
Korea
My GrandMom
By Gee-eun Lee, Sophie Bowman (Translator)
My GrandMom. Gee-eun Lee. Translated by Sophie Bowman. Amazon Crossing Kids, 2022. Originally published as Halmeoni eomma in Korean by Woongjin Thinkbig Co. LTD, in South Korea, in 2016. ISBN 9781662508257. 40 p. (Ages 3-7). Picture book.
Bologna Ragazzi Award-winning Gee-eun Lee bases this book on the times she spent with her own grandmother. A young girl, also named Gee-un, is left to the care of her grandmother because her parents are too busy. She cries at first, but comes to enjoy the time she spends cooking, napping and running with her grandmother, even hearing the grandmother’s stomach rumble. The story seamlessly introduces Korean words such as “Halmoni” (“grandmother”) and aspects of Korean culture such as eating on the floor and slurping noodles. [dj]
When Spring Comes to the DMZ
By Lee Uk-Bae, Chungyon Won and Aileen Won (Translators), Lee Uk-Bae (Illustrator)
When Spring Comes to the DMZ. Lee Uk-Bae. Translated by Chungyon Won and Aileen Won. lllustrated by Lee Uk-Bae. Plough Publishing House, 2019. Originally published in Korean. ISBN 978-0874869729. 40p. (Ages 5-8). Picture book.
A Batchelder honor book, When Spring Comes to the DMZ was a Korean contribution to the Peace Picture Book Project, a cross-national collaboration among picture book writers and illustrators from Japan, China and Korea. Lee’s book invites readers to view the amazing natural beauty that has developed in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the narrow strip of land between North and South Korea where people are still not allowed to go. Landscapes are punctured by rusting tanks and barbed wire, subtly reminding the reader of the war that separated and continues to separate the two Koreas. [dj]
China & Taiwan
China
Dragonfly Eyes
By Cao Wenxuan, Helen Wang (Translator)
Dragonfly Eyes. Cao Wenxuan. Translated by Helen Wang. Candlewick, 2022. Originally published in China by by Phoenix Juvenile and Children’s Publishing and then released by Candlewick sister company Walker Books in the UK in 2021. ISBN 9781536200188. 384 p. (Ages 9-12.) Fiction.
A Batchelder honor book, this is the second novel of prolific Chinese author Cao Wenxuan to be translated into English, following his receipt of the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award. A more direct encounter with the turbulence of Chinese history than that presented in Bronze and Sunflower, it is a multi-generational saga of a mixed Chinese and French family in Shanghai from the 1920s to the 1960s, as they weather the Japanese invasion, the Communist takeover and the Cultural Revolution. [dj]
The Middle East & North Africa
Syria
Wild Poppies
By Haya Saleh
Wild Poppies. Haya Saleh. Translated by M. Lynx Qualey. Levine Querido, 2023. Originally published as شقائق النعمان in Arabic by Dar al-Yasmine in Amman. ISBN 9781646142019. 178 p. (Ages 10-14). Fiction.
Oscar works to keep his family intact after their displacement during the Syrian war and the death of his father. He faces a new challenge when his younger brother becomes a child soldier. Heavy themes are delivered in a way appropriate for a mature young audience. The Arabic version was the 2020 Winner of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature in the YA category and was featured in an appeal by ArabLit Quarterly to translate the book into English. [ea]