“Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads” – Bob Shea, Illustrated by Lane Smith
Bob Shea brings a fun and spunky twist to the Wild West in his children’s book “Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads”. When a band of outlaws are causing trouble in Drywater Gulch, 7 year old Sheriff Ryan rides into town on a tortes to save the day by using his knowledge of paleontology. Lane Smith brings the Wild West to life by using a wide range of brown hues and gives little Sheriff Ryan a pop by dressing him in white with a large hat and dinosaur belt buckle. Full of humor and fun illustrations, this book is sure to bring out the Wild West in all of us, while showing that you can apply things you learn and know to any situation.
“Haiti My Country” – Poems by Haitian Schoolchildren, Illustrated by Rogé
After Quebec illustrator Rogé spent several months preparing a series of portraits of Haitian children, Students of Camp Perrin wrote accompanying poems, which created the award winning work “Haiti My Country”. Beautiful descriptions of the Haitian landscape frame the various poems. Reminders of the hardships brought on by nature’s destruction in the form of earthquakes or floods are woven through the works. However, these young poets see their surrounding nature as assurance for a happy and confident future.
“Loula is leaving for Africa” – Anne Villeneuve
When her triplet brothers bring her to the brink, Loula decides she wants to run away to the furthest place she can think of- to Africa. After packing her essentials, her toy cat, her tea set and her drawings, Loula sets off with her mother’s driver Gilbert on an adventure. With the help of her imagination, she is able to cross deserts and piranha-filled waters in order to reach her destination. Filled with colorful and vibrant illustrations, this story shows the power of imagination and takes the reader on a journey with Loula.
“Catch that Goat! A Market Day in Nigeria”—Polly Alakija
Follow Ayoka on her trip through the Nigerian marketplace in search of her mischievous goat, while learning counting and exploring new cultures. At the end of the story, Polly Alakija provides an introduction into the Yoruba people, culture and language. She provides a description of Yoruba dress, and explains the importance of proper greeting processes in the Yoruba culture. This book is a bright and exciting resource to teach global cultures in a fun way.
“The Patchwork Torah” – Allison Ofanan
sky, Illustrated by Elsa Oriol
Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, David becomes sofer, a scribe who writes the Torah. His grandfather teaches him at a young age that the Torah is something special and not something that can be throw away, so he begins to develop a collection of damaged Torah’s, with the hope of restoring them to their former conditions. Each Torah added to David’s collection comes with a story and a piece of history. Ofanansky created a story that shows the importance of sacred objects and introduces some aspects of Judaism and various historical events.