Book picks similar to
The Day Ocean Came to Visit by Diane Wolkstein


picture-books
folklore
picture-folktales
folklore-fairy-tales

Chicken in the Kitchen


Nnedi Okorafor - 2015
    Is the nature spirit that lives in the wooden walls of her house a help or a hindrance? Is the mischievous giant chicken a friend or a foe? Most importantly, will Anyaugo be able to save the food her aunties have cooked for the New Yam Festival the next day? A hugely entertaining look at the fascinating masquerade culture of West Africa, from the perspective of a plucky young Nigerian girl who finds the courage to protect the traditions she loves.

Hansel and Gretel


Neil Gaiman - 2014
    Mattotti's sweeping ink illustrations capture the terror and longing found in the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Gaiman crafts an original text filled with his signature wit and pathos that is sure to become a favorite of readers everywhere, young and old.

Something from Nothing


Phoebe Gilman - 1989
    Gilman's modern adaptation and lively illustrations turn this favorite Jewish tale into a contemporary classic.

Deep In The Woods


Christopher Corr - 2015
    

Yummy Yummy! Food for My Tummy!


Sam Lloyd - 2003
    But they have a problem--hungry sharks are swimming between the islands! No matter what they try, George and Jess keep hearing the chant of the hungry sharks: Yummy, yummy! Food for my tummy! Finally, Jess and George realize that all they need to do is sit down and think about the problem, and it solves itself!

Sing with Me!: Action Songs Every Child Should Know


Naoko Stoop - 2016
    Naoko Stoop's paintings are irresistible. This is sure to be the new classic baby book for new parents!

Chicken Little


Rebecca Emberley - 2009
    A brilliant collaboration brings us a bold and colorful retelling of the classic tale, as crazy-eyed Chicken and all his panicked friends run away from the sky and right into an eye-catching gatefold surprise.

Spare Dog Parts


Alison Hughes - 2016
    In a celebration of what makes a pet unique, a little girl imagines how an odd assortment of parts combined to make the perfect dog. With spare, inviting text from Alison Hughes and charmingly offbeat illustrations by award-winning illustrator Ashley Spires, this gorgeous picture book is sure to be an instant classic.

The Magic Bojabi Tree


Dianne Hofmeyr - 2013
    Elephant, Monkey and Zebra each in turn visit Lion, who alone knows the name of the tree. But every time, the animals forget the name on the journey back to the tree. Then Tortoise, the slowest, smallest animal goes to Lion - and sings a special song to remind him of the name. It is the Bojabi Tree! Python unwraps himself from the trunk, and all the animals share a feast.

One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab: A Counting by Feet Book


April Pulley Sayre - 2003
    we must be counting by feet! Children will love this hilariously illustrated introduction to simple counting and multiplication with big feet and small - on people and spiders, dogs and insects, snails and crabs - from one to one hundred!

Sukey and the Mermaid


Robert D. San Souci - 1992
    Every day Sukey wakes at dawn to work in the garden. All her step-pa ever does is watch her and yell if she so much as stops to fan herself. Sukey's ma calls him Mister Jones. Sukey prefers the name Mister Hard-Times. One day, Sukey runs away to her secret place by the ocean. There, she calls up Mama Jo, a beautiful black mermaid. Mama Jo's got a surprise for Sukey; a magical kingdom beneath the sea without time or pain. But it's also without people. Is it really better than the world above?

Dream Big


Kat Kronenberg - 2017
    Baboon insists these dreams could never come true. But when he sees Caterpillar turn into a winged butterfly, Tadpole into a dancing frog, and Flamingo into a beautiful pink bird, Baboon realizes that a transformative power exists between the stars and the animals once they truly believe in themselves and their dreams. When Baboon tries out this secret, CATCH-M, his marvelous, miraculous, wished-upon Star, whooshes down from the heavens to wham! ignite the courage in his chest. Read on to see if his dream comes true too . . . Dream Big's inspirational message makes it a perfect gift for dreamers of all ages, from children to young adults about to enter a new chapter in their lives. Together we can all be inspired to identify and pursue our dreams, no matter how big or impossible they may seem.

Abiyoyo


Pete Seeger - 1963
    The tale of how a father with his magic wand and a boy with his music triumph over the giant Abiyoyo is based on a South African lullaby and folk story.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale


Verna Aardema - 1981
    A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.”

Shadow


Marcia Brown - 1982
    It goes forth at nightto prowl around the fires.It even likes to minglewith the dancers...Shadow...It waves with the grasses,curls up at the foot of trees...But in the African experience Shadow is much more. The village storytellers and shamans of an Africa that is passing into memory called forth for the poet Blaise Cendrars an eerie image, shifting between the beliefs of the present and the spirits of the past.Shadow...It does not cry out,it has no voice...It can cast a spell over you...It follows man everywhere,even to war...Marcia Brown's stunning illustrations in collage, inspired by her travels in Africa, evoke the atmosphere and drama of a life now haunted, now enchanted by Shadow.