Geography, Travel and Cultures

Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she's not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can't resist a nibble? This picture book tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon.

The rollicking adventures of Polo, a bright and resourceful pup, are told through lively, detailed pictures that warrant multiple examinations. Quick-paced and engaging, Polo brings all the right supplies for exploring the wider world by boat, plane and spaceship!

Everywhere people take baths, but baths and bathing traditions are different in places and countries around the world. Take a look at the Yup’ik family as they trudge across a frozen landscape to a small cabin with no windows; venture to India with a father and son who descend steps to the Ganges River. Bright illustrations and straightforward text effectively depict ways of bathing around the world.

While on a visit to her aunt and uncle in Illinois, the narrator and her family unexpectedly find a field of growing soybeans which begins a 40 year tradition. Based on the author's experiences, text and child-like illustrations reveal a caring, surprisingly modern family story from times past.

Animal sculptures on carefully composed pages with the color words provide a fine introduction to colors, color words in Spanish and English, and Mexican folk art.

A Chinese family goes out for dim sum ("little dishes"), choosing their favorites off the restaurant cart and sharing with each other. The illustrations evoke the textures and patterns in this traditional meal, and an endnote provides background on the cultural history and customs surrounding dim sum.

From the window in his favela, the narrator shares what he sees: neighbors working, playing, changing weather, and more. Based on the author’s experience growing up in Brazil, everyday experiences are illustrated in a colorful, naïve, folk style. 

Colors introduce foods and more Mexico and other Spanish-speaking counties. Naïve style illustrations accompany bouncy rhymes that incorporate Spanish words; all colors appear in both Spanish and English.

Travel through time, imagination, literature, and more for a unique look at "home" in any number of richly imagined ways. Stylized illustration and text present homes that are tall, short, messy, clean, real, or fantastic. The detailed illustrations are sure to get readers thinking about homes of all types and what they can represent.

Count along in English and Spanish with a Mexican folk artist as she sculpts her world from clay. Inspired by Josefina Aguilar, an artist who continues to create painted clay figures in the village of Ocotlán, Mexico, this colorful tale is profound in its beauty and simplicity.

Kat loves maps! She loves to make maps for everything. Her room, her block, her town, even her heart. When she gives Jack a map it leads to a surprise. After taking twists and turns through Trucktown and going over bridges and under tunnels, Jack finds out what it is — an art show of all of Kat's maps.

Spring comes to a remote Alaskan village, and the ice on the frozen river cracks and breaks and jams up at a river bend, flooding the community. Kumak and his family climb onto their roof and keep the largest chunks of ice away with long poles, their dogs tied up in a boat nearby. Bania, who taught in an Inupiaq village, works the cadences of the story like the flowing waters of the river, with repetition of key phrases building the action.

Even the strongest man of all can be outmatched, as Shadusa learns. This retelling of a Nigerian tale is told with cut paper illustrations carefully placed in comic book-like panels, which emphasize the humor and lesson of this super-sized tall tale.

While both are beautiful, only one of Mufaro's daughters can marry the prince. The impact of each girl's dispositions on their external beauty is explored in this handsomely illustrated story, which draws on the lush landscape of Zimbabwe.

On the same day that it's icy cold in the Artic, it's foggy in Louisiana, sunny in Barbados, and blowing wild winds called willy-willies in Austrailia. In this poetic exploration of longitude and weather, with bright and detailed paintings of seventeen different places, the author and illustrator show us what's happening from the poles to the equator — all on the same day in March. [Amazon review]

Nursery rhymes from around the globe are collected here with illustrations by more than 70 artists. The diversity of artistic styles, places of origin, and the combination of well and lesser known ditties (and additional verses) in a large format make this a book to share frequently.

A young boy on a crowded bus (dala dala) discovers that, after some wiggles and giggles, there’s room for everyone in this lighthearted rhyming picture book set in Zanzibar.

Down, down, down ... now off we go! begins a journey on city subways from Washington DC to Moscow and more. This short, fantastic, colorfully illustrated trip ends with a brief description of the real transit systems described.

As they did for the Lunar New Year, each family member contributes to the preparations for the mid-autumn moon festival. Their special picnic includes mooncakes and tea as well as affection. An author's note not only informs but may inspire other celebrations.

The new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she? Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her.

Dorothy may have thought there's no place like home when she clicked her ruby slippers, but the wanderlust of her native state is what starts all the trouble here. Kansas is bored and gets best friend Nebraska to help stir things up. Soon they're throwing a potluck party for all the states and everyone delights in the idea of seeing another part of the country. Readers will unwittingly learn more than they would ever have thought while poring over the witty remarks exchanged over state lines.

Lighthearted illustrations provide just the right tone for brief looks at what happens when children lose their teeth in various places around the world. The title indicates what is done in Korea while an American child awaits the tooth fairy's exchange. A map provides a quick glimpse of this intriguing, quick world tour just right for browsing.

A child is embarrassed when parents stop the car to harvest wild watercress. Illustrations in sepia, however, show why this is such an emotional moment for the Chinese American family as it recalls an earlier time. Inspired text and stunningly detailed watercolors provide insight into one family’s history and a glimpse of their life before coming to the United States.

Two people in bright, stylized garb sail to the islands known as the Galapagos. On successive days of the week, they see a variety of the animals that live there with the repeating refrain, “We’re sailing to Galapagos….I wonder who we’ll see.” End notes describe in greater detail the location and inhabitants of the Galapagos as well as a brief piece about Charles Darwin who sailed there.

Beautiful full-page photographs and spare, poetic text give global perspective to the idea that water is basic to all human life. Images depict people collecting, transporting, and drinking the liquid while the poetic text reminds readers that "Everyone/Everywhere" enjoys "A nice, cool drink of water."

Louise Bennett Coverley, better known as Miss Lou, was a Jamaican poet and entertainer who used patois (the dialect of the common people) in her music and poetry and influenced other arrtists like Harry Belafonte and Bob Marley to use patois in their music. This picture book tells the story of Miss Lou’s early years, when she was a young girl growing up in Jamaica.

Cauã and Inaê are a brother and sister who live in a small community along the Tapajós River in Brazil. Here, the homes are on stilts and everyone travels around by boat—even to school! When the rainy season comes, they must leave their village and relocate to higher ground for a while. But after moving this year, Cauã and Inaê realize they’ve left behind something important: their pet tortoise, Titi!

The true story of how a young girl from Uganda was able to attend school after receiving a goat as a gift through a special international project and then sell its milk to get the money needed to buy her books. 

Jack and Annie head to a Venice of long ago on a mission for Merlin to save the city from a devastating flood. History and time travel meld for an imaginative, informative jaunt. (Magic Tree House #33)

When Vinson's grandfather visits from China, the boy has conflicting feelings about his grandfather's old ways. A visit to Chinatown to experience the lion dancers celebrate the Chinese New Year bring Ming Da (Vinson) and his grandfather closer. Watercolor and ink illustrations add power to the warm, plausible story.

The poet remembers summers growing up in Mexico in poems presented in both English and Spanish. Readers meet his family and join them in the everyday joys of the sunny season. Illustrations are as colorful and evocative as the words.

Have you ever wondered what a badland is? What about a gulch? Do you know what an isthmus is? Or a seamount? What about the difference between a plateau and a plain, or a knob and a knoll? Well look no further. This broad introduction to the fascinating world around us explores our planet’s physical features from the highest mountain peak to the deepest ocean trench. The team behind Maps & Globes proves that geography can indeed be an adventure.

Set in Zimbabwe, Kukamba leaves the city to visit her grandmother, Gugu, in her small village. Gugu has painted her home with vivid colors and patterns, and has sculpted many animals including a larger-than-life zebra. She is an artist and she shares her secrets of mixing the colors for paint. The rains come and the village is overjoyed. Kukamba is upset because the paintings and sculptures have all washed away, but Gugu shows her that nature has emerged with her own colors after the rain.

Ho'onani feels in-between. She doesn't see herself as wahine (girl) OR kane (boy). She's happy to be in the middle. But not everyone sees it that way. When Ho'onani finds out that there will be a school performance of a traditional kane hula chant, she wants to be part of it. But can a girl really lead the all-male troupe? Ho'onani has to try. 

Three students are immigrants from Guatemala, Korea, and Somalia and have trouble speaking, writing, and sharing ideas in English in their new American elementary school. Through self-determination and with encouragement from their peers and teachers, the students learn to feel confident and comfortable in their new school without losing a sense of their home country, language, and identity.

People all around have homes in which to live, but not all of them look alike. Dwellings old and new, in the U.S. and around the world, small and large, are presented in highly detailed, colorful collages and brief but informative text. A final map places the locations on a simple world map.

Take a culinary tour around the world, with foods and activities from a variety of countries and cultures. Each recipe is ranked for difficulty, and is sometimes a familiar dish with an exotic name!

Lester shares his own story as he explores what makes each of us special. He says, "I write because our lives are stories. If enough of these stories are told, then perhaps we will begin to see that our lives are the same story. The differences are merely in the details."

When a little girl’s far-away grandmother comes to stay, love and patience transcend language. Mia’s abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can’t read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English, and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it’s still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the...

Sam the cat puts her family to bed, and then — when all is quiet — heads out to explore her neighborhood. As Sam follows her customary path, wandering farther and farther away from home, readers encounter different kinds of maps illuminating different points of view and the various spots Sam visits. An eye-catching introduction to maps, charts, and diagrams for the youngest of cartographers.

Regardless of where they are found, mazes are amazing! Visit mazes that can be found around the world in this brief, informative, and intriguing look at these mysterious labyrinths.

Stunning color photographs and poems combine to pay homage to some of the "world's enduring man-made constructions" while introducing a range of poetic forms. The result is a memorable collection of visual art, information, and literary art sure to stand up to multiple examinations.

In each spread of this bold and humorous picture book, children can examine their place in the world around them through detailed and engaging maps that are drawn from a child's perspective.

As she did in My Name Is Celia/Me llamo Celia, Monica Brown tells the story of young Gabriel García Márquez's life in this bilingual picture book. Brown also provides children with a simple introduction to magical realism by showing how young Gabriel’s surroundings and imagination merged in fantastic ways, fostering his creativity and building the foundation for the legendary characters and stories he would later create. Beautiful illustrations complement the lyrical text.

When it's 9 P.M. in Brooklyn, it's 10 P.M. in Puerto Rico, and midnight on the mid-atlantic. Far from the vroom of New York traffic, the Puerto Rican night is filled with conga music, sweet rice, and fruit ice. In India, villagers begin their morning chores as well ropes squeak, buckets splash, and bracelets jangle. Meanwhile, in Australia, a sly kookaburra is ready for a noontime feast. Young readers will travel far from home, then back again, on a glorious bedtime journey. [Amazon review]

Animals from the Ecuadorian Andes cloud forest are introduced in stunning illustrations and lyrical text. All material is presented in English and Spanish including author’s notes and background information.

This book follows the daily lives of children in Peru, Mauritania, the United States, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Tajikistan, and explores what water means to them.Where does it come from? How do they use it? Wherever we live in this world ― whether our country is rich or poor ― water is vital to our survival on this planet.

Matt and his twin sister, Bibi accompany their scientist parents to Peru where they stumble into an archaeological adventure. They ride their guanaco (a cousin to the llama), decode the patterns on the poncho, and find the mysterious lost city of Quwi! A note to adults suggests additional patterning activities.

A picture book biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature. When she came to America in 1921, Pura Belpré carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. 

Information about the symbols, emblems, and gods from Ancient Egypt is included with step-by-step instructions on how to draw them. A guide to pronunciation and where to go for more information on Egyptian antiquities is also included.

The most renowned Native American Indian potter of her time, Maria Povika Martinez learned pottery as a child under the guiding hands of her ko-ōo, her aunt. She grew up to discover a new firing technique that turned her pots black and shiny, and made them famous. This inspiring story of family and creativity illuminates how Maria's belief in sharing her love of clay brought success and joy from her New Mexico Pueblo to people all across the country.

Snails delivering letters trek across the country-through desert heat and dangerous blizzards, across mountains and plains, through cities and forests-and along the way, they find that taking time to slow down and look around makes the journey all the more beautiful.

When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba's Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone's crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library, and figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Persevering against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps, and thus became the local hero who harnessed the wind. This story will inspire many as it shows how, even in the worst of times, a great idea and a lot of hard work can still rock the world.

This rhyming read-aloud celebrates how we’re all connected under the sun. As readers are introduced to people and places all over the world and throughout history, the refrain, “The sun shines everywhere,” reminds us that the sun is something that we all need and that we all share.

In a neighborhood of flower gardens, a Chinese-American girl and her mother plant what the child considers to be ugly vegetables. The ugly vegetables, however, become attractive and help build community when made into a delicious soup! A recipe is included.

Zaha Hadid grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, and dreamed of designing her own cities. After studying architecture in London, she opened her own studio and started designing buildings. But as a Muslim woman, Hadid faced many obstacles. Determined to succeed, she worked hard for many years, and achieved her goals — and now you can see the buildings Hadid has designed all over the world.

Follow the red canoe from page to page as it journeys down river carrying the family on a camping tour. It's the next best thing to paddling it yourself. [Amazon review]

Jenny's favorite uncle, Uncle Peter, is getting married. Now Jenny won't be his only "special girl" any longer; she'll have to share him with Stella! But Peter's bride is as happy to have a new niece as she is beautiful and wins Jenny over. Child-like illustrations reflect the traditions and warmth of this Chinese American family.

Children around the world make wishes. Information about what makes a wish come true follows a short poem. Each tradition is placed on a double-page spread accompanied by jewel-toned illustrations.

Dedicated to the work of contemporary Black artists from around the world, this engaging book introduces young readers to twenty-six contemporary artists from Africa and of the African diaspora, working in everything from painting, sculpture, and drawing to ceramics, installation art, and sound art.

Delicious and very nearly foolproof recipes from Mexico, France, Italy, Africa, the Middle East, and China & Japan. Attractive photos illustrate cooking processes like shredding, mashing, trussing a chicken, and checking for doneness. Foods like carrot salad or tabbouleh add diversity — and vegetarian options — to the recipe collection. [School Library Journal]

There are many ways to say Hello! There’s more than just “hi!” People world-over say it in their own languages. Travel the world through the pages of this book to say “hello” then lift the flaps to discover more interesting facts. Small illustrations on large double-page spreads are sure to help readers become more cognizant of the similarities among the people of the world

No matter how much is known, there's always more to learn. In a fascinating re-examination of Stonehenge and recent discoveries, readers are introduced to new interpretations and thinking.

Travel the world without leaving your living room. Much more than an ordinary atlas, this book of maps is a visual feast for readers of all ages, with lavishly drawn illustrations. It features not only borders, cities, rivers, and peaks, but also places of historical and cultural interest, eminent personalities, iconic animals and plants, cultural events, and many more fascinating facts associated with every region of our planet.

A hopeful middle grade novel in free verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States. "A realistic portrait of the strength it takes to move to a new country, as well as of the complicated dynamics between first- and second-generation immigrants.” (Horn Book)

Our seas and rivers tell a compelling story about our planet. Take a journey along the most important rivers in the world takes us from the Nile to the Amazon, the Mekong Delta to the Mississippi, the Murray to the Waikato.

A roof, a door, some windows, a floor. All houses have them, but not all houses are alike. Some have wings (airplane homes), some have wheels (Romany vardoes), some float; some are made of straw, some of snow and ice. Everywhere people live, they adapt to their surroundings and create unique environments, using innovative techniques to provide that most basic of needs: shelter.

Meet the dragon slayer, a girl and a mouse, and a boy who talks to ants. Three traditional tales, each revealing a particular truth, are recast here in comic book format. An introduction and the concluding background note provides a glimpse into the cultures from which the tales come.