For my course on International children’s books, I had to research best books from different years. Through looking at USBBY and the Batchelder awards, I have compiled a list of 16 children’s books that seem to have outstanding merit. These range from picture books to chapter books. In the coming days, I will be talking more about this course, specifically our trip to Bologna, Italy, for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
All the Colors of Life. Written and Illustrated by Lisa Aisato. Translated by Olivia Lasky. 2021. Arctis, $24. Norway/Norweigan.
This book features poetry and full-color two-page spreads of beautiful, illustrated images. The book shares the many stages of life and the beautiful diversity in the world.
The Bear and the Wildcat. Written by Kazumi Yumoto. Illustrated by Komako Sakai. Translated by Cathy Hirano. 2023. Gecko Press, $19.99. Japan/Japanese.
When a little bird dies, his friend the bear is filled with grief. He doesn’t leave his home until the smell of spring grass reaches his window. He always carries a small box with him. He soon meets a wildcat, who plays violin and helps bear remember the beauty he experience with his friend, the bird. Now he finally feels able to open his small box and bury his friend, keeping him alive in his memories. This book explains grief in loss with a quiet understanding.
Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras. Written by Nelson Rodríguez and Leonardo Agustín. Illustrated by Rosona Faria and Carla Tabora. Translated by Lawrence Schimel. 2023. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, $17.99. Honduras/English.
This beautiful picture book talks about the impact of literacy in underprivileged communities, and it is based on a real program in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Luis loves Mondays, the day the bookmobile visits his neighborhood. Every Monday him and his neighbors bring the joy from the stories back home. Filled with captivating colors, this book highlights the strength of disadvantaged children and how creativity can help them imagine a better future.
Hopeless in Hope. Written by Wanda John-Kehewin. 2023. Highwater Press, $16.95. Canada/English.
Eva Brown is Cree, and she feels lonely living in the middle-of-nowhere town, which is ironically named Hope. Her mother drinks and yells too much, and she doesn’t fit in at school. Her only friends are her brother, her cat, and her Nokhum, her grandmother. After Nokhum gets injured and her mother can’t take care of them, Eva and her brother are sent to live in different foster homes. Now Eva must learn to trust – in her foster family, her housemates, and her mother. This book explores Cree culture and intergenerational trauma and substance abuse, ending with Eva finding hope for a better future.
The House of the Lost on the Cape. Written by Sachiko Kashiwaba. Illustrated by Yukiko Saito. Translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa. 2023. Restless Books, $18. Japan/Japanese.
This illustrated novel follows three generations of women adapting to their new home, and its mythical inhabitants, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Yui, fleeing from her violent husband, and an orphan, Hiyori, are taken in by an old lady, Kiwa, in a small town. The newly found family finds refuge in a lost house atop a cape overlooking the see. While they adapt to their new lives and heal from their pasts, they learn about local legends such as shapeshifting fox-women and the demon Agamé. When mysterious things start happening, they wonder if the earthquake unleashed the mythical creatures from their legends.
I Have the Right. Written and Illustrated by Reza Dalvand. 2023. Scribble US, $18.95. English.
This picture book illustrates children’s rights to teach children, as well as remind adults. The poetic text introduces children to the universal rights they are entitled to under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child, which was adopted in 1989 and ratified by 140 countries. This book speaks to children whose rights are often challenged and must continuously be protected.
Jhupli’s Honey Box. Written and Translated by Achintyarup Ray. Illustrated by Shivam Choudhary. 2022. Tulika Publishers, $17.99. India/Bengali.
Jhupli gets scared every time her father, her Baba, goes into the jungle to collect honey. There are tigers in there, and sometimes people go in but don’t come out. Jhupli has the great idea of using honey boxes so her Baba won’t have to keep trekking into the jungle. This picture book features mood-filled pictures and the menacing yet beautiful life of living near the jungle.
Last Week. Written by Bill Richardson. Illustrated by Emilie Leduc. 2022. Groundwood Books, $14.99. Canada/English.
A child counts every second in the last week of their dying grandmother’s life. Along the farewell visits, the child experiences a mix of grief, anger, and nostalgia. Their time alone is precious, but there is one thing the child can’t figure out – how will they possibly say goodbye? With black and white illustrations, and one joyful splash of color, the book explores medical assistance in dying and the grief one feels with the loss of a loved one.
The Moon is a Ball: Stories of Panda & Squirrel. Written by Ed Franck. Illustrated by Thé Tjong-Khing. Translated by David Colmer. 2023. Lerner Publishing Group, $19.99. Belgium/Dutch.
This book features nine funny, wise, and thoughtful stories about Panda and Squirrel’s friendship. They do everything together, and the book tells tales of their adventures. With full-color illustrations and a heart-warming friendship, it is great for emerging readers and to be read-aloud.
The Pebble: An Allegory of the Holocaust. Written by Marius Marcinkevicius. Illustrated by Inga Dagile. Translated by Jura Avizienis. 2023. Thames & Hudson, $17.95. Lithuania/Lithuanian.
In 1943, Eitan was sitting on the roof with their best friend Rivka and enjoying his life playing violin. It seems idyllic, but the truth is horrific; If you leave the town, you never come back. This book unfolds a story about the Holocaust, highlighting stories about families taken out of the ghetto to never return. The book speaks of the people trying to hold onto hope through expressions of art. The book pays extra sensitivity to the topic.
Playing With Lanterns. Written by Wang Yage. Illustrated by Zhu Chengliang. Translated by Helen Wang. 2022. Amazon Crossing Kids, $17.99. China/Chinese.
In this colorful picture book, Zhao Di and her friends go out at night with their paper lanterns to celebrate Chinese New Year. Each with a unique lantern, with a candle inside, they admire the colors while trying to evade obstacles that would blow the candle out.
We All Play / kimêtawânaw. Written and Illustrated by Julie Flett. 2021. Greystone Books, $17.95. Canada/English and Cree.
Both animals and kids love to play, and this book shares celebrates playtime and the connection between kids and nature. Beautiful illustrations show birds chirping, bears wiggling, and children who do the same. This picture book features a Cree glossary at the end, sharing words for the animals found in the book.
Weird Rules to Follow. Written by Kim Spencer.2022.Orca Book Publishers, $12.95. Canada/English.
In a coastal fishing town in the 1980s, eleven-year-old Mia and her friend, Lara, have known each other since childhood. Now as teens, they like to talk about crushes and hopes for their futures. Though they have a lot in common, there are also differences due to Lara being non-Indigenous. The novel explores tough topics like alcoholism, social class, and prejudice.
What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking. Written by Tina Oziewicz. Illustrated by Aleksandra Zając. Translated by Jennifer Croft. 2022. Elsewhere Editions, $19.95. Poland/Polish.
Curiosity, a floppy-eared creature, looks at the world with hope and wonder. The book explores the mischievous world of feelings, meeting tufted creatures along the way. Sympathy helps snails cross the road, while our insecurities build cages. The humorous and charming details help picture a variety of feelings.
Who Will Make the Snow? Written by Taras Prokhasko and Marjana Prokhasko. Illustrated by Marjana Prokjasko. Translated by Jennifer Croft and Boris Dralyuk. 2023. Elsewhere Editions, $22.50. Ukraine/Ukranian.
Two moles, new to the forest, learn to dig out of their comfort zones. Purr and Craw are curious about everything, so they adventure around the forest to learn about the world. Though they sometimes find themselves in danger, they grow braver with each new adventure. This book filled with mischief and discovery reminds us that the world is larger than our own corner of the woods.
The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent. Written by Irene Vasco. Illustrated by Juan Palomino. Translated by Lawrence Schimel. 2023. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, $18.99. Spain/Spanish.
This illustrated fable is about cultural humility and the power of stories. A young teacher sets out for the Amazon, eager to teach in the remote community of Las Delicias. The town’s children love the books from the teacher, yet they keep repeating legends about a dangerous serpent. The teacher can’t believe her students care about those tales, until the river rises, and the stories don’t seem too strange anymore. This book talks about the importance of indigenous knowledge and lifelong learning.
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