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Desert Girl, Monsoon boy

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Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy by Tara Dairman, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

At first glance their lives couldn’t be more different. The nomad girl in the blistering dry desert fetches water and tends the camels, taking shelter from the howling sandstorms in her tent. The village boy in the green fields goes to school and tends the goats. He runs home as the monsoon rains begin, helping his family to seal the door and lift their belongings out of rising floodwaters. But as severe weather takes hold, as one family and their animals need water and the other needs dry safe ground, both families journey to the mountains, where they meet and celebrate their safety.
An eye-opening story of two branches of the Rabari people in India; the traditional nomadic herders of the desert and those settled in permanent villages who raise goats. Both groups struggle with weather extremes and climate change which threaten their livelihoods and lives . Author Archana Sreenivasan took special care to accurately portray the cultural distinctions between these two clans and her renderings are just beautiful. I love the illustrations in this story, especially the faces!

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Pup and Bear

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Submitted by Ms. Sue!

Pup and Bear by Kate Banks, illustrated by Naoko Stoop. The Arctic is a big place. The Arctic wolves know that the Big Freeze is on its way. They shelter in a snowdrift. When the bitter-cold turns warm and the Big Melt begins, one lone little wolf pup finds himself afloat on a sheet of ice. He slides into the water and swims and swims until he finally reaches land. He pulls himself onto a snowbank and falls asleep. When he wakes he is face to face with Polar bear. “Will you eat me?” he asks. “Not this bear.” She takes him to her den where she licks him, cleans him, feeds, and keeps him warm. “I am not your mother but I can keep you safe.” Another Big Freeze comes and goes. The bear nudges the wolf who is not a pup anymore. The wolf nuzzles back. Then the wolf sets out into the big wide world. The wolf finds other wolves. Soon he is leading his own pack when he comes across a polar bear cub huddled in a snowdrift. “Where is your mother?” But the cub didn’t know. The wolf sniffs the cub and rubs its fur with a wet nose. “I am not your mother,” said the wolf, “but I can cuddle you and keep you warm.” See this book listed in our catalog

Before Morning

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Submitted by Ms. Josie!

Who doesn’t love a good snow day? For some, a snow day means not having to go to school, sipping hot chocolate, or building snowmen. For others, a snow day is a chance to stay home and snuggle close to loved ones. In Before Morning by Joyce Sidman the young daughter of a pilot wishes for a snowfall that will shut down the airport just for one day. Wishing “just this once–change the world before morning,” the young girl gets her wish as her mother returns home from the airport. Together, the young girl and her parents enjoy a family snow day full of sledding, cuddling by the fire, and eating warm desserts. Written in the form of an invocation, a poem that invites something to happen, this heartwarming tale reminds us of the power of words. This book is a quick read in terms of the amount of text, and the muted tones of the illustrations mimic the dreamy and slow pace of falling snow. See this book listed in our catalog

Monster Needs a Christmas Tree

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Submitted by Ms. Brenda!

In Monster Needs a Christmas Tree by Paul Czajak, Monster sets out to get a Christmas tree. On the way to the tree lot, so many joyful things keep Monster from his mission. Sitting on Santa’s lap, sled riding, snowman building, with the inevitable snowball fight, and general snow merriment are hard to resist! Monster was having so much fun that when he finally got to the tree lot the last tree was being carried off by someone else. OH, NO! It was a long and sad walk home, but once he got inside, Monster had a brilliant idea! He gathered every houseplant he could find and he “built” a one-of-a-kind Christmas tree. Now, I wonder if Santa will leave Monster a present under his homemade tree. Take a fun-filled, rhyming romp with this book and find out! See this book listed in our catalog

Waiting

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Submitted by Ms. Sue!

Waiting by Keven Henkes is a story about a pig, a bear, a puppy, an owl, and a bunny all waiting for something marvelous to happen. There are five of them, each one waiting for something different. Owl is waiting for the moon, the pig with an umbrella is waiting for rain, and so on. Sometimes they sleep. Sometimes things disappear, and then other times things appear. They see so many wonderful things. Rainbows, lightning, fireworks, and all kinds of weather happen while they are waiting and sitting on a windowsill, looking out, happy to see what can happen next. See this book listed in our catalog

Where Does Kitty Go in the Rain?

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Submitted by Ms. Carol!

Where Does Kitty Go in the Rain by Harriet Ziefert is a book all about rain. It’s a story about a little girl whose kitty has gone missing outside in the rain. As the little girl goes out in the rain to look for her kitty she learns all about rain. What is rain? Do cats like rain? Do ducks like rain? Do butterflies like rain? Read this book to find out! As the rain clears, and the sun returns, she finds her kitty. The book also has questions you can ask your child at the end of the book, and activities to do with your child. This book is fun and informative for young readers. See this book listed in our catalog