Posts Tagged with Lantana publishing

Escape: One day we had to run – Spotlight blog tour

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Mini-book Review: Escape: One Day we had to run by Ming and Wah, and illustrated by Carmen Vela

I was delighted to invited by Lantana publishing to take part in the Escape: One day we had to run blog tour.  This picture book explores why people around the world are forced to flee their homes. It takes a unique angle on the topic. Choosing 12 words and a personal story to go with each word. Each is presented on a double page spread with bright and bold illustrations, which combine with powerful effect.

I love the range of stories included. There are examples from different time periods and places in the world. It includes: Syria, Climate Refugees fleeing Pacific Islands, a long-distance runner escaping Eritrea, Bonnie Prince Charlie in Scotland and someone escaping the Cultural Revolution in China.

This book will help broaden the readers understanding of why people have to flee their homes, and help them to see the individual stories behind the headlines. It provides plenty to discuss, and is likely to prompt further research. Highly recommend for 9 to 80 years.

 

Spotlight: Blog Tour

The publisher asked us to choose a person to spotlight for the Blog Tour. I ended up choosing two people. Read on to find out why.

 

Flee 2007 Ioane Teitota left the Pacific Islands for New Zealand

I wanted to feature Ioane’s story for several reasons. Firstly, it’s the first time I have come across environmental and climate reasons for a person fleeing their country in a children’s book.  In Ioane’s case rising sea levels were destroying the Pacific Island he lived on.

Secondly, when I looked into his story, I realised it had taken him a 13-year struggle to get official Refugee status. Because until recently environmental and climate reasons were not recognised as qualifying criteria which forced people to leave their homes.

In January 2020 Ioane Teitota and his family took their case to the United Nations Human Refugee Committee. It became a landmark case in the rights of people fleeing their homes for environmental or climate change reasons. Shortly, afterwards Jacinda Arden established a special status for a small number of ‘Climate Refugees’ from the Pacific Islands and Ioane and his family were granted the right to stay in New Zealand. This is another example of the forward thinking and compassionate leadership of New Zealand’s president Jacinda Arden.

 

Fly – Ivo Zdarsky Czechoslovakia to Austria 1984

 

I chose Ivo’s story because it has always interested me the extra-ordinary lengths a few individuals went to escape Soviet Russia and/or the Eastern bloc during the Cold War. Ivo Zdarsky in 1984 did something very brave he built his own light aircraft and flew it across the border to Austria.

Another reason for choosing this example was to highlight the economic benefits refugees can bring to the new county they settle in. Ivo was helped by a refugee group to emigrate to the Unite States. Where he eventually built a successful aircraft propeller business called Ivoprop. I decided to do a bit more research about Ivo and was fascinated to find out more about what he went on to do next. A story which will interest many young people.

I also hope that by spotlighting this story readers will be encouraged to look up some of the different ways people escaped the Soviet Bloc or from East to West Germany (which is also featured in the book).

To watch a video about Ivo Zdarsky’s life click here (scroll to bottom of article)

 

Escape: Once Day we had to Run is available to purchase in all good bookshops from 6th May in UK and from 4th May in USA and Canada.

purchase from me at Readers that Care for £11.49, free postage to Mainland UK. Click here. 
You at also purchase direct from Lantana publishing, click here. 

 

 

Great picture books exploring: friendship, sharing and worries.

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Fair shares  by Pippa Goodhart and Anna Doherty

A heartwarming, fun and colourful picture book, with an important message about sharing. A bear and a hare both want a pear, but neither can reach them. In their attempt to do so they learn that ‘being fair’ doesn’t always mean ‘getting the same’.  I can see this being really popular with children aged 2 to 6 years and their parents/carers. The later whom will really appreciated the way it gives the reader more than one way to look at sharing. Great rhyming language, told in a way that young children will really be able to relate too, and an great twist at the end.

  The pictures are vibrant and colourful, making great use of orange, green and yellow. Ann Doherty the illustrator explains at the back page that that the art work was produced digitally, but she scanned textures she had made in pen and ink for the animals fur. The contrast between the two works brilliantly. There are also the most delightful end-pages.

You can find out more about publisher Tiny Owl the publisher and buy the book here. 

Thank you to Tiny Owl for a free copy of this book to review.

Oscar Seeks a Friend by Pawel Pawlak

Translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

A truly wonderful story about a friendship between a little girl and a Skeleton. The story has a delightful opening where a Skeleton has lost a tooth and is worried how he looks, then he finds a girl burying  a tooth.  It gently introduces the characters concerns and worries. As the story progresses they share experiences and show each other their worlds. The story is brought to life and transformed into a unique book by the colourful collage like pictures on every page. There are plenty of possibilities for children to be inspired to do their own art from these pictures. This book will help to open up conversations about friendship and encourage children to have the courage to reach out and  ask someone for something or to do something.  I am so glad that Lantana Publishing chose to translate this book from Polish so that English children can enjoy it too.

The book is published on 10th October. You can find out more about Lantana Publishing and buy the book here.

Also check out: Library Girl and Book Boys podcast interview with translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones.  In which Antonia tells us  that author and graphic artist Pawel Pawlak starts his ideas with the character and then the scene and the pictures usually come first  before the words. And Antonia talks about some of the challenges she faced translating the puns and hidden assumptions about Skeletons from Polish, and coming up with a new name for the character that would work in English.

Thank you to Lantana Publishing for a free copy this book to review, 

 

Thank Goodness for Bob by Mathew Morgan and Gabriel Aborozo

A story about a boy called Max, who has lot’s of worries and his dog Bob. In a way  children will really relate to the story explores some of the things kids worry about. It makes imaginative use of bubbles to put worries in. One day Max discovered Bob the dog is great at listening. And that by talking about his worries to someone that listens they do not feel as big anymore.  My favourites pages of the story is where the boy and the dog pop the worry bubbles together.  A great book to open up conversations about feelings and worries, but also great for a child to read alone, helping them to realise they are not the only one with worries and that sharing them with someone can help.

 

All the books are available from me at Readers that Care. And Oscar Seeks a friend is one of the hardback books available to my £40 a term members in my 2 for £10 termly offer.

 

Sing to the Moon – Nanubuga Nagadya Isdahl and Sandra van Doorn

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This story opens with a boy imagining (or dreaming) of all the adventures he could have.  Then he wakes up and discovers it is raining and that he is stuck inside.  But then his Jjajja (grandfather) takes him on an adventure doing ordinary Ugandan things around the house, such as packing away the peas, gardening and cooking a fish stew for supper. The detail in the pictures and warmth of the soft pastel colours bring domestic Ugandan life alive for the reader and they also radiate with the warmth of the relationship between the boy and his grandfather.

As night begins the story takes on a magical dimension:

“With daylight now done and the dark settled in, Jjajja says our night adventures begin.”

They share African stories together

“tales of lost cities and great heaps of gold..African kingdoms a sight to behold.”

I can think of a number of bedtime stories where a child shares a story with a parent or grandparent. But, this is different in the stories the characters are sharing are African. The text and pictures work brilliantly together to communicate excitement about these stories. There could be some great follow up to this part of the story in looking for stories from different African countries.

As the night ends the boy and his grandfather share a magical moment outdoors and the reader is introduced to the noises of the Ugandan night.

I love the strength of the relationship between the boy and his grandfather. At night time this also includes Jjajja telling the boy that a star will always be watching over him. For anyone with a strong relationship with a grandparent or older person this story is sure to resonate whatever their ethnic background.

At the end of the book there is a lovely letter from the author Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl. Inviting you to look and listen to the wildlife around you (where every you live) and think about

  •  “What sounds do you hear in nature”
  • “ What stories do they tell?”

This is a lovely story which introduces you to Uganda, whilst also encouraging you to look a bit closer at where you live and who you share special times with, and encouraging each of us to celebrate the ‘every day’. It would make a great addition to home and school libraries.

Thank you to the publishers Lantana Publishing for a free copy of this book to review.

Nimesh Adventures – Ranjit Singh and Mehrdokht Amini

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I was delighted to receive a review of copy of Nimesh the Adventurer from Lantana Publishing. The illustrations in this book are gorgeous and really bring the story to life. Nimesh goes on many imaginative adventures on his journey home from school. The chatty conversation style keeps you engaged and wanting to find out where he goes next. Many of the pictures give insights into East Indian culture and it is great to see an Indian family being the focus of such an imaginative story.

The journey narrative was really effective. It reminds me of Emily Brown, by Cresida Cowell and Neal Layton. Nimesh Adventures will appeal to older children and adults too. It begins at the end of the school with Nimesh and his friends excitedly looking at a book about Dragons. This draws the readers in and is sure to capture the attention of even the most reluctant of readers. Nimesh then goes on a number of other imaginative journeys, including: swimming with sharks, the North Pole, meeting a guardsman for the Indian Maharaja’s, and a princess in the garden. I love how something ordinary is the inspiration for imaginative ideas. The picture on the wall of a shark, turns into a corridor full of sharks. And the dogs walking down the street turn into a dog sleigh at the North Pole.

The author Ranjit Singh is a British children’s author of East Indian heritage . The illustrations are drawn by Mehrdokht Amini an Iranian born illustrator.  They vividly capture the Indian culture whilst at the same time depicting many ordinary things that all children will identify with. There is lots of detail and clues for the reader to look for to help them to guess what will happen next.

This would be a great book to share with children of all ages. One to one this book could be shared with children as young as 4 years old. But, as a whole class read I think it has most potential from year2/year 3 upwards as there is so much to explore and possibilities for discussion. It could be used across the whole of KS2 and I think it even has potential as an inspiration for story writing in KS3.

You can buy copies from me at Readers that Care

Or direct from Lantana publishing’s website.

Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadan

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Already a fan of the illustrator and author Nadine Kaadan I was delighted to receive a copy of her new book Tomorrow to review from Lantana Publishing. I have a particular interest in picture books that help children understand others experience of war and about refugees. This story is unique in a number of ways. Instead of focusing on people fleeing their country it focuses on the experience of a boy in his home as it is besieged by war.

Tomorrow tells the story of a small boy called Yazan who lives in war torn Syria. It is told from a unique perspective as you don’t actually see the war. Instead you get to feel what the immediate effects are for Yazan, as everything changes around him. Changes include no more trips to the park, not being able to see his friends, no school (which he actually begins to miss) and his mother becomes withdrawn. The boys experience is sensitively portrayed and great attention is given to gradually building up all the small things Yazan is not able to do because of the war.

The message of the story is beautifully supported by the authors own drawings, which help to convey powerful emotions and to reflect the boys feelings and experiences in a way that is meaningful to children. A simple colour palette of black, yellow and read is very effective. Black for sadness, fear and anxiety, red for happy memories and red and yellow for hope.

There are some lovely messages in this story. It is a powerful story of a family supporting each other in the most difficult of circumstances and in the power of imagination and art to bring hope to the darkest of moments. Towards the end of the story Yazan’s mother draws a picture of the park he can not play in and says:

“But let’s paint a park in your bedroom – an amazing park with everything you’ve ever dreamed of. And soon you’ll be able to go outside and play again.”

In some ways the messages in this story are very simple, helping readers of all ages to build empathy with the young boys experience of living through war. Yet the pictures convey some powerful emotions that some children may find upsetting and need help to understand. When using with a group of children I would be tempted to start with the last picture first and ask, what they liked about their local park and how would they feel if they could not go to it.  My 7 year old son initially found some of the pages ‘quite dark’. But when we explored the use of red and yellow colours in the story he could also see there was hope in the story too.

Whilst not shying away from powerful emotions it protects the reader from the worst of the war in several ways. For example: Whilst, his mum does become sad and withdrawn at the beginning, Yazan doesn’t loose either of his parents in the story, they are still together at the end. Another example is you learn about the war outside from a little distance, through a TV Screen, which I thought was really clever.

I would highly recommend this for children aged 6+ and young people and adults. It is a great story which encourages empathy and offers multiple opportunities as springboard for discussion.

Another of Nadine Kaadan’s wonderful picture books Jasmine Sneeze, would make a great contrast to this story as it is set in a peaceful Syria.  You can read my review here.

The book can be published direct from the Lantana publishers here.

It is also available from me through Readers that Care 

Kaya’s Heart Song Blog Tour: Interview with author Diwa Tharan Sanders

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I am delighted to welcome author Diwa Tharan Sanders as a guest on my blog Reading Pebbles today. Here are her responses to my interview questions. It was a pleasure to chat to her.

What inspired you to write a story about mindfulness?
And why is it set in the Jungles of Malaysia?

To be honest, the mindfulness theme happened ‘by accident’. What sparked my imagination for this book and inspired me was I wanted to write a story about “a girl who wanted to be happy”. And as I started dissecting what being happy meant to me, the idea of music and a heart song came up as a way of expressing true, authentic happiness, which to me comes from being in tune (no pun intended!) with your heart. Listening to the heart and coming out of the mind, is one way I would describe mindfulness.

I chose the jungle of Malaysia as a setting for the story not only because I’m Malaysian, but I also wanted to reflect where I was from a personal and creative perspective. When I wrote Kaya’s Heart Song, I was living on a beautiful tropical island with a 120-year old rainforest around us. I love being in nature and connecting to its beautiful energy, which I find inspiring, grounding and even mysterious sometimes. These elements really excited me to set a story in the jungle and I felt like there was no other setting more appropriate to do so.

Below are some pictures Diwa took in the rainforest in Malaysia, and I can see why she finds it a magical place.

      

Why is special about a ‘heart song’?

A heart song is special because if you consider how it’s described in the story, it creates magic! Everyone has a heart song, we just have to remember to listen to it. I imagine that a heart song is something that is unique to each person, but it also changes and can reflect what is happening in our daily life at that specific moment and the emotions one is feeling. That’s what being mindful means – being able to be in the moment and to tune in to what is going on.

I am interested in how authors and illustrators work together to co-create a picture book.  When you were writing the story what sort of pictures did you imagine?

This is my first picture book and I have to say that I am incredibly lucky to have been able to work with Nerina Canzi. I had an idea of what Kaya could look like and I described that to Nerina, along with some pictures. I also shared some pictures of Malaysian rainforests with her. And to be honest, that was the extent of my creative input! I was and still are completely moved and blown away at how she captured the essence of Kaya and the story through her stunning and beautiful illustrations. They are pure magic and have brought so much inspiration and light to the story. Working with her has been an absolute blessing and joy.

You can read my review of Kaya’s Heart Song here.

Find out more about the author and illustrator and buy the book from Lantana Publishing website.

You can also order copies of the books from me at Readers that Care, and earn free books for you school at the same time.

 

 

 

Ammuchi Puchi by Shranaya Manivannan and illustrated by Nerina Canzi

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The subject of grief in a picture book can be a tricky one, as there is an assumption amongst some parents that a picture book should have a ‘happy story’. However, a children’s story about grief and loss told well is a valuable resource for all. In this story told by Sharanya Manivannan you get both an insight into Indian culture and beliefs and a well balanced story about two children coming to terms with the loss of their grandmother. The stunning illustrations by Nerina Canzi are vibrant and detailed and bring to life the richness of India as well as helping to effectively convey feeling and emotions, such as sadness, loss and hope which are universal to people of many culture and backgrounds.

I love that the story begins with the children playing with their grandmother, and then it talks about how this changes as they grow up. For some when dealing with grief it can be important to remember the good times with a loved one, but adults are sometimes afraid to talk about them for the fear of upsetting someone. The feelings and emotions of playing with Ammuchi are beautifully captured in the illustrations. The page pictured below left is my 6 year old son’s favourite page in the story, he especially likes the Mangos (he loves fruit).

   

The day that their grandma dies, is the only grey picture in the book, and contrasts with the vibrant colours of the other pages. This is really effective in conveying feeling. I really like how, as the story unfolds, it acknowledges that both parents and children can be sad, and it is possible to be both happy and sad at the same time.

After their grandmother died the children find a butterfly. It is like the one on a brooch that Anjali was given for her seventh birthday. Her older broth Aditya explains to his class:

“Ammuchi is our grandmother, puchi is an insect. Ammuchi Puchi is an insect who is our grandmother.”

This butterfly then follows them around wherever they go. There are several ways that this can be interpreted and children will understand it in different ways. This is one of the clever things about the story, there are many levels to it, so children (and adults) will take different things from it.

As the children get used to life without Ammuchi the story sensitively portrays their feelings of sadness and loss. Whilst also offering hope through it’s belief that if given space and support children can find their own way through. It also ends with hope, when one rainy day the children are stuck in doors, the butterfly leads them to what was once their grandmother’s room, which is now full of her possessions. Then they find a very special object which helps the children and adults share their grief and offers hope for the future.

One note of caution; there is a lot going on in this book in both the writing and pictures. In some ways the grief and loss of the two children is the easiest part to grasp. But, for the observant child there is a lot more to get their head’s around. This may lead to mixed emotions for some children. I see this as a good thing as in life it’s not always easy to separate one emotion from the other. The many cultural layers of the book give the opportunity to be culturally specific if you choose. Some children may need further explanation of parts of the story, this will depend on the age of the child, their experiences and cultural background. For example both my children were uncomfortable about the picture of the grandmother in the garden on the second page, where she has her lips stained with betelnut juice. I feel this story would be best read one to one or in a small group. I would recommend it for children aged 6/7+. Although it may be more suited to slightly older children.

This book was kindly donated by the Lantana Publishing, a company committed to producing diverse and multicultural picture books. The pictures in the story give a very strong sense of India. The story sensitively portrays the children’s journey of sadness and loss and effectively conveys the idea of a person (or their spirit) coming back as another living thing, which many may find useful

You can find some fabulous teacher resources by Lantana Publishing on their website

The book is available to buy from me at Readers that Care for £7.99 including postage  ( mainland United Kingdom only)