How to Put a Whale in a Suitcase by Raul Guridi
How to Put a Whale in a Suitcase. Um…. okay? Was my first thought when I saw this title. Then quickly forgot about it. I then saw the display for our holiday/winter newsletter and there it was. Big as life. Or as big as a 0.4″ H x 9.5″ L x 6.6″ W (0.45 lbs.) 32 pages book can be. A quick look at the thinness and the modest amount of text, and I thought, “pffft! I can do this in no time.” Yeah, do […]
I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib
I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir is a humorous look at when cultures clash and you are the result. Malaka Gharib’s coming of age story shows how life is a balancing of yourself. And, finally finding your place where you have all your pieces comfortable. And love can happen anyplace. Even to an Egyptian Muslim and a Filipino Catholic. And a year after marrying they can have their American Dream: a girl named Malaka (like Monica with an L). Yet, clashes happen. Divorces […]
Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha
Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha is a lovely memoir of becoming not just Korean or not just becoming American but becoming both at the same time and through that, finding yourself. This graphic novel reads as a fiction story, though based on Ha’s life. What was supposed to be a vacation to Alabama to visit a friend of her mothers, turns into a permanent situation. Ha’s mother has decided that marriage to this friend is the right choice for them. Even […]
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
While I immensely enjoyed Other Words for Home ’s book did not “hit me in the face, turned me around and kick me in the butt.” I think what I was looking for was more of the current events mentioned (such as which bombing Jude was mentioning) and maybe more interacting with Jude and her cousin. Since Warga mentions in the afterward she had a personality more like the cousins than Jude growing up, Warga would be the perfect vessel to show both sides of […]
What Is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel
What is a refugee? We get a simple, but informative, answer to that question in Elise Gravel’s picture book, What Is a Refugee? You find out why people leave their homes, the feelings they have and what could happen to them while trying to find a new home. While not too in-depth, there is much covered. Therefore, this might not be for the very young reader/listener. Yet, due to its format, it is aimed at younger children. Therefore, know your reader and their ability to […]
Hummingbird by Nicola Davies
Wow! This book is just that, WOW. The other day, I saw Hummingbird on one of the receiver’s desks at work. I saw this lushly colorful cover by Jane Ray. There were flashy reds, bold blues and gracious greens. I figured this was going to be either something beyond amazing or fall flat and only have its art going for it. Thankfully, it is beyond amazing. While there is nothing earth shattering about this book, Nicola Davies beautifully blends a story and hummingbird facts seamlessly. […]
