This picture book

Although the situation is sad, the book still manages to strike a positive note. The story opens with Jose excited about driving with his father from San Diego to visit his mother in Tijuana, where she is staying at El Centro Madre Assunta, a shelter for recently deported women. Jose and his father bring clothes, photographs, and drawings for his mother. Jose helps his mother in the garden, and promises to take care of the garden at home until she is able to return.

In addition to teaching kids about immigration issues, this gentle story depicts the love of a son and mother under trying circumstances. The text is in English and Spanish. I have included this book on my boys’ list.

Wisdom and compassion win over cheating and violence in this hilarious book. Rabbi Harvey of Elk Spring, Colorado is challenged by the new (and, as it turns out, evil) Rabbi Ruben (also known as “the wisdom kid.”) Rabbi Ruben and his accomplices (including his mother, “Bad Bubbe”) attempt to imprison Rabbi Harvey, all the while filching money from innocent townspeople in exchange for shoddy advice.

With the help of his own learning and some quick action on the part of his friend Abigail (former gold miner and current schoolteacher), Rabbi Harvey foils the plans, shows up Rabbi Ruben for the cheater he is, and runs him out of town.

Each episode features authentic Jewish folktales, including silliness from the people of “Helms Falls” (the Wild West counterpart to the traditional “Chelm,” the Polish town of fools in Jewish folklore).

The drawings in this book at first appear crude. In fact, the art is dubbed “strange” in one of the blurbs on the back cover! However, as I read the book, the art came to seem perfect for this funny book that brings traditional wisdom to life in unexpected ways.

Other books in this series include: The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, and Rabbi Harvey Rides Again.

I’ve included these books on my Boys list. Highly recommended!

Christopher’s Harvest Time, by Elsa Beskow
Fiction, ages 4 and up. A charming book about a boy who sees the flowers and plants come alive in his garden. We’ve had this book on our shelf for years, and my boys really enjoyed it when they were younger. A few days ago the younger boy (almost 8 years old) asked me to read it to him again, and imagine my surprise when the older one (12 years old) perched on the arm of the chair and eagerly looked at all the pictures! This book is truly special. It depicts boys who are gentle and in tune with nature, and the pictures are beautiful.

Sandy’s Incredible Shrinking Footprint, by Femida Handy and Carole Carpenter
Fiction, ages 5-8.  On a trip to the beach, Sandy is horrified at a pile of trash she encouters. As she cleans up the mess, she meets the “Garbage Lady,” an eccentric woman who cleans up the beach. The Garbage Lady teaches Sandy about her environmental “footprint” and how to reduce it. The illustrations were created using recycled and natural material.

The Princess Who Danced with Cranes, by Annette LeBox
Picture book, ages 4-7. Princess Vivian loves to play in the marsh near her castle, and especially to see the cranes. But when everyone in the kingdom goes bonkers over a new game called Gullywhupper, they fill in the marsh for more lawn to play on. Eventually, Vivian remembers the marsh and the cranes, and convinces her father and others to restore the marsh. Lovely illustrations.

Noah’s Wife: The Story of Naamah, by Sandy Sasso
Fiction, ages 4 to 8. Noah saved all the animals on earth from destruction by the flood. But what about the plants? In this book we find out that Noah’s wife, Naamah, gathers seeds to save all the plants on earth. Beautiful color illustrations.

The Story of the Root Children, by Sibylle von Olfers
Fiction, ages 4 and up. The root children are boys and girls who bring
the seasons. Beautiful illustrations.

Save My Rainforest, by Monica Zak
Nonfiction, ages 5 and up. The true story of Omar Castillo, who at the age of 8 walked 870 miles with his father in an attempt to save the Lacandon Rainforest in Mexico. An inspiring story!

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun, by Zubizaretta, Rohmer, and Schecter
Folktale, ages 5 and up. Lucia Zenteno arrives in a village and the animals and plants immediately love her. But the people are suspicious and drive her away. When she leaves, the village’s river goes with her. Humbled, the people ask her forgiveness. She returns the river and reminds the villagers to treat even strangers with kindness. This story is part of the oral tradition of the Zapotec Indians of Mexico. Color pictures, English and Spanish text.

First, Marshall must counter racism: a white girl tells him that only whites are eligible to win. Instead of believing her, Marshall asks the storekeeper, who tells Marshall that anyone can win.

Marshall’s mother shows him  how to figure out the number of pints in a quart. Marshall remembers what his teacher taught about estimation. With these tips, Marshall and his family come up with an estimate of the number of beans in the jar, and the family ends up winning the sewing machine. There is only one problem: they win the jar of beans too!

This book depicts a boy who learns from the women in his life. The story is based on truth: the author’s grandmother really did win a sewing machine by guessing the number of beans in a jar. Kids will enjoy learning about history and math from this gentle, funny book.

I have included this book on my boys list.

The next day, Luke suggests playing war again, and wishes he could be in a real war. Sameer reveals that, in his home country, he lived in the middle of a war, during which a bomb destroyed his house and killed his parents and brother. The friends are shocked at Sameer’s story of the tragedy of war. Luke decides that they ought to play basketball instead.

This picture book reveals the horrors of war in a gentle, sympathetic way. It would be a good book to get elementary-school kids talking about issues of war and peace.

You can buy this book from my boys list.

One day, Jonathan helps his mother make beeswax candles by decorating them with tiny beeswax sculptures. His father is impressed, and starts to appreciate Jonathan’s artistic skill. The decorated candles sell out at the farmer’s market, and Jonathan collects many more orders.  That night, Jonathan and his father enjoy some quiet time on the porch as the rain finally comes down.

This unusual picture book contains bee facts on each page. My sons were interested to learn, for example, that bees’ wings beat 180 times per second.

Another thing I liked about this book is that the parents are a mixed-race couple. This is never mentioned in the story, but the watercolor pictures by Joline McFadden show a fair blond father and a brown-skinned, black-haired mother. It is rare to see a mixed-race couple presented in a picture book in a matter-of-fact way, without a lot of commentary.

You can buy this book from my boys list.

To make matters worse, Adrian decides that the boys should have a peeing contest to decide who will be Anais’s boyfriend. Despite hours of practice, Martin loses the contest, Adrian wins, and Adrian declares himself the boyfriend of Anais.

But Anais has other plans. She rejects Adrian and writes a love note to Martin. The book ends with a reassurance: “love isn’t a question of a zizi — large or small.”

This book was originally written in French and published in Canada. The author says he wrote the book because he believes that “much of the world’s misfortune comes from men thinking they have to assert their manliness,” according to the jacket copy.

My two boys found this book a bit shocking, but fascinating. The illustrations are very tasteful (the story takes place in an old-fashioned city), and the book makes its point without preaching.

You can buy this book from my Boys list.

This beautiful picture book

Throughout the next year, Gray Wolf asks various animals if they know of this important person. Sister Bear, Brother Whale, and Sister Eagle claim never to have seen such a person. To them, all humans look and act alike. 

Gray Wolf meets with Raven’s Head again, but sadly tells him that he has not found the very important person. Raven’s Head advises him to “look within.”

As I was reading this book, at this point I assumed that the “very important person” would turn out to be Gray Wolf himself. But my 7-year-old son guessed that the important person would turn out to be everyone. And, in fact, my son was correct. Gray Wolf comes to realize that his family and friends are all equally important, and he brings this message back to his clan.

This book provides an interesting message of community to balance the message of individuality that we often get from mainstream culture. We are all important.

I also like the fact that both female and male animals are included. So often, animals in pictures books are almost exclusively male. The paintings in this book are absolutely gorgeous.

I highly recommend this story for ages 5 and up. You can buy this book from my Boys list.

Although this is about a spiritual figure, the book is suitable for children of any religion, because it is told as the mythical story of an ancient wise man. Buddha can be a wonderful role model of peace and gentleness for boys as well as for girls.

Shortly after Prince Siddhartha’s birth, a holy man prophesied that Siddhartha would either become the greatest king in history, or a great teacher of the path of peace and love.

Prince Siddhartha’s father wanted his son to become a king, and so he did everything in his power to prevent Siddhartha from ever coming into contact with suffering. After his marriage, Siddhartha was provided with three pleasure palaces, and the best food, music, and gardens.

Yet the prince yearned to know about life outside the palace grounds. He took three trips outside and encountered an ill man, an old man, and a dead man. These sights caused him to leave the palace permanently in a quest to find a way to end all suffering.

Siddhartha experimented with depriving his body of food and sleep, and sitting very still for hours on end. After some years, however, he decided that this kind of harsh treatment was no better than the constant pleasure he experienced in his palaces. He began to search for a middle path, between pleasure and deprivation.

Sitting under a tree, he awakened to the realization that suffering is caused by running after pleasure and away from pain. He realized that suffering could be ended by overcoming selfishness and hatred. Siddhartha had become a “buddha” — a fully awakened being.

After Buddha’s awakening, the book continues with the story of his teachings, including several parables told by Buddha that will be appealing to children.

I am not a Buddhist (although I am Hindu, a religion which has been influenced by Buddhism), and I have sometimes found other Buddhist writings to be difficult to understand. This book brings the story of Buddha to life in a way that is easy for children and adults to grasp. Both of my sons have thoroughly enjoyed this story. You can buy this book from my Boys list.

I read this to my seven-year-old son, who is also mixed-race, and he seemed very absorbed by the story. I like the fact that Benjamin’s father is empathetic and nurturing, and I like the fact that the incident is resolved without a lot of drama. The issue of name-calling is handled in a realistic way in this book.

The text is printed in English and Spanish. This book is published by Arte Publico Press, which specializes in books by U.S. Hispanic authors. You can buy this from my Boys book list.