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]
India
Ammachi's Glasses
By Priya Kurian
Ammachi’s Glasses. Priya Kurian. Tulika Books, 2017. ISBN 9789350469088. 28 p. (Ages 0 and up). Picture book.
A fun and humorous story set in Kerala, about Ammachi, a grandmother who searches for her lost glasses, is told through colorful and captivating illustrations. Would pair with Vacation by Blexbolex and Ammama’s Sari by Niveditha Subramaniam. The author is based in Bengaluru, India, and is a comic book writer, illustrator, and animation filmmaker. Shortlisted for the 2017 Publishing Next Award, Children’s Book of the Year. Ammachi’s Glasses is inspired by the author’s childhood memories with her grandmother in Kerala. Watch a reading interpretation of Ammachi's Glasses. [mi]
Dadaji's Paintbrush
By Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Ruchi Mhasane (Illustrator)
Dadaji’s Paintbrush. Rashmi Sirdeshpande. Illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane. Levine Querido, 2022. Originally published in the UK by Andersen Press. ISBN 9781646141722. 32 p. (Ages 4-8). Picture book.
A heartwarming story about a grandfather and grandson and their love for painting accompanied with illustrations created using colored pencils and pastels, that capture the beauty of Konkan coast of India. Would pair well with Cry, Heart, But Never Break by Glenn Ringtved. The author is based in London and is a lawyer turned children’s author. A Jhalak Prize Nominee for Children’s & YA (2023) and The Diverse Book Award for Best Picture Book (2023) Winner. Watch a read-aloud of Dadaji’s Paintbrush by the author, Rashmi Sirdeshpande. [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]
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]
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder
By Nie Jun, Edward Gauvin (Translator)
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder. Nie Jun. Translated from French and Chinese by Edward Gauvin. Graphic Universe, 2018. First published as Les contes de la ruelle in French, in 2016. ISBN 9781541526426., 128 p. (Ages 7-11). Fiction.
A delightful set of four linked stories, told as a graphic novel, of a child and her grandfather living in a Beijing hutong—a neighborhood of narrow alleys and communal dwellings. It showcases the creativity and resilience of the residents, who though they may lack space and material goods, abound in humor and imagination. A 2019 Batchelder honor book, it was translated by Edward Gauvin from the French translation while consulting the Chinese original. [dj]
The Middle East & North Africa
Qatar
Mah and Me
By Ibtihaj Al-Harthi
Mah and Me. Ibtihaj Al-Harthi. Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press, 2019. Originally published as أنا وماه in Arabic by Bloomsbury, in 2015, in Qatar. ISBN 9789927119675. 32 p. (Ages 4 and up). Picture book.
A young boy is devastated by the news of his grandmother’s death. Reminiscing about their time together on her date farm, his mother helps him to understand they will never truly be separated. This book is perfect for talking to children about grief and loss. 2015 Etisalat Award Winner for Best Text. [ea]