The Weekly 411 (4/7/23)
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| © Melissa Mwai |
April 7, 2023 vol. 14
The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations and camaraderie. This week's illustration is by Melissa Mwai.
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| © Melissa Mwai |
About the Book: Lovingly illustrated by Minnie Phan, Hanh Bui’s debut picture book, The Yellow Áo Dài, is a warm story of family, identity, and remembering those who came before. Naliah is excited to perform a traditional Vietnamese Fan Dance at her school’s International Day. When she finds that her special áo dài no longer fits right, she goes to her mom’s closet to find another. She puts on a pretty yellow one—only to accidentally rip it while practicing her dance. She’s horrified to discover that this was a very special áo dài that her grandmother had worn to dance at the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam. But with a little help from her mom’s sewing kit and her grandmother’s loving legacy, Naliah learns not only how to mend the yellow áo dài but also how to believe in herself and make it her own.
About the Author. Inspired by her first teacher at the refugee camp, Hanh Bui pursued a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and taught second grade before becoming a full-time mother to three children. She also served as a Development Officer for Senhoa Foundation in support of women and children who survived human trafficking in Cambodia, and has served on boards supporting children and parents in building community. Hanh’s commitment to celebrating her heritage includes giving presentations in school visits about her refugee experience to children studying immigration as part of their school curriculum. She serves as co-chair of the Equity and Inclusion Team for the Mid-Atlantic region of SCBWI, and has been featured in Highlights For Children magazine and Next Avenue. She is the author of The Yellow Áo Dài and Ánh's New Word.
About the Illustrator: Minnie Phan is a queer Vietnamese American cartoonist and illustrator born in Stockton, CA, and raised across the Bay Area. Her parents were among the last wave of Vietnamese refugees to arrive in the early 90s before immigration was restricted from the region. Her father’s first job was as a migrant farmer and before finishing the 5th grade, she attended five elementary schools. When she decided to go to art school, she received her parent’s full disapproval. Luckily, with the support of her older sister, she earned a BFA in illustration and put down roots in Oakland, CA, where she's resided for 10 years. Her work ranges from editorial illustrations to comics, animation, and picture books. She values inclusive image making and diverse storytelling; she hopes for all children to see themselves as whatever they dream: artists, scientists, doctors, and more. When she's not illustrating, she teaches comics to youth in the Bay Area and advocates for safer streets for bicyclists. The Yellow Áo Dài is her debut picture book.
About the Author: Candace Spizzirri writes children’s books with humor and heart in prose and in rhyme. She holds a degree in child psychology with an emphasis on emotional development. Passionate about education, Candace co-founded an elementary school and high school in southern California. She now splits her time between SoCal and Pennsylvania. Candace loves spending time with her husband, two grown children, daughter-in-law, and five grandkids. Finley: A Moose on the Caboose is her second picture book. Her debut, Fishing with Grandpa and Skye, was released with Spork in 2022. Candace joyfully spends time most days writing and honing her craft.
About the Illustrators: Chantelle and Burgen Thorne are internationally published illustrators, specializing in children’s books. In the last three years, they’ve illustrated 10 trade books - 2 of which have won international awards (Readers Favourite Gold Medal for The Real Farmer in the Dell, Skipping Stones Honor Award for Wanda).
They have a long history in creating art for education and their work has been featured in over 1000 readers and text books worldwide. Most recently, their work in Kantiga finds the Perfect Name was selected for the IBBY 2022 honours list for Best Illustration in South Africa.
About the Book: In this humorous and endearing story, blending both Easter and Passover, a young boy wants the Easter Bunny to bring his stepsister something special in the Golden Egg. He suggests various Passover items. But even after squishing and squashing, the Easter Bunny can’t make any of them fit. In the end, the boy does more than find something special. He saves his new sister’s favorite part of Passover. They learn that celebrating together, hunting for Easter Eggs or the Afikoman, makes the holidays even better.
It’s a joyful, engaging read perfect for culturally blended families and delightful for all readers. The playful rhymes will keep kids giggling and Janie’s family matzo ball soup recipe included at the end is to die for.
About the Author: Janie Emaus is the author of the picture book Latkes for Santa Claus and the novel The Time Traveling Matchmaker. Her essays and stories have been published in numerous magazines, anthologies, and websites. She resides in Winnetka, California, where she celebrates both Passover and Easter in the spring and Hanukkah and Christmas in winter. Her blended family is the inspiration for her stories.
About the Illustrator: Bryan Langdo has illustrated more than forty books for children, including Latkes for Santa Claus and Tornado Slim and the Magic Cowboy Hat, which he also wrote. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, their two teenagers, three cats, and three dogs.
So excited to see your highlight of Hanh Bui's beautiful picture book. I can't wait to gift it to friends!
ReplyDeleteThese look so much fun to read. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteLove to see these wonderful picture books featured in this newsletter! Can't wait to read them!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading these new picture books!
ReplyDeleteAcross the board these covers are all so vibrant! I love how much voice comes through in the blurb about Moose on the Caboose.
ReplyDeleteSo many great books! I want to read them all! Congrats to everyone!
ReplyDeleteWonderful choices-lots to add to my bookshelf
ReplyDeleteI just adore Moose stories!
ReplyDeleteAll of these books look great! Love the cover art and the diverse topics featured here.
ReplyDeleteThree great new picture books. Congrats to everyone!
ReplyDeleteThanks for these wonderful giveaways and congrats to Mel and her adorable art!
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to read more about Finley and his adventure on the train.
ReplyDeleteAll of these books look wonderful! Congratulations!!
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