Book picks similar to
The Story and the Song by Manasi Subramaniam


picture-books
india
diversity
fantasy-and-magic

El Chupacabras


Adam Rubin - 2018
    One night, a goat disappeared from the farm and turned up flat as a pancake. Only one creature could do that--El Chupacabras, the goatsucker! Legend has it that El Chupacabras is a fearsome beast, but you can't believe everything you hear...and sometimes the truth is even more interesting.Told in equal parts English and Spanish by bestselling author Adam Rubin, and cinematically illustrated by acclaimed Hollywood creature creator Crash McCreery, this lighthearted take on a modern legend is not told in the traditional bilingual style. Each sentence is half-Spanish/half-English followed by a repetition of the same line translated the other way around. This mirroring technique allows the languages to intermingle equally. A fun and unique way to introduce either Spanish or English to new readers. A note from author Adam Rubin:"I decided to tell this story in an unusual way to explore the beauty of harmony. It's easy to dismiss the unfamiliar, but compassion takes a little more effort. With so many people trumpeting divisiveness right now, it's more important than ever to teach kids that there is more than one way to understand the world."

The Wonkey-Donky: Hee-Haww!


M. Travisano - 2018
     Imagine, her in a library, with a bunch of toddlers, and pre-schoolers and their parents, at story time. "I was walking, down the road, and I saw . . . A donkey, Hee Haaw! And he only had three-legs! He was a wonky-donkey." Every Grandparent should have this book to read to the grandkids. It would make a fantastic Christmas gift.

Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself


Matthew Gray Gubler - 2019
    A charming and inspiring story written and narrated by Criminal Minds actor/director, Matthew Gray Gubler.Rumple Buttercup has five crooked teeth, three strands of hair, green skin, and his left foot is slightly bigger than his right.He is weird.Join him and Candy Corn Carl (his imaginary friend made of trash) as they learn the joy of individuality as well as the magic of belonging.

Twas the Night Before Christmas


Ellie O'Ryan - 2008
    To find the answer to their question, the Super Readers fly into the classic story Twas the Night Before Christmas?. While in the story, the Super Readers meet Santa and discover that he visits all the children because it makes both him and them happy.

Mary Had a Little Glam


Tammi Sauer - 2016
    From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear, too) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's school friends look fantastic in their finery. But are they now too well dressed for recess? Not to worry—Mary always shows her flair for what to wear!

A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting


Michelle Robinson - 2016
    . . But coming face-to-face with the furry creatures themselves, whether black or brown, can be dangerous, and our protagonist--accompanied by a trusty teddy bear--might need to use some unconventional means to stay out of trouble and avoid being (gulp!) eaten.This laugh-out-loud, how-to guide--brilliantly brought to life by New York Times bestselling illustrator David Roberts' expressive art--is a must-read for fans of I Want My Hat Back and Secret Pizza Party.Awards for There's a Lion in My CornflakesWinner, Best Picture Book - Sainsbury's Children's Book AwardsA Guardian Best New Children BookThe Sunday Times' Children's Book of the Week

We All Play


Julie Flett - 2021
    Readers will encounter birds who chase and chirp, bears who wiggle and wobble, whales who swim and squirt, owls who peek and peep, and a diverse group of kids who love to do the same, shouting:We play too! / kimêtawânaw mîna

Harriet Gets Carried Away


Jessie Sima - 2018
    She wears them to the dentist, to the supermarket, and most importantly, to her super-special dress-up birthday party. Her dads have decorated everything for the party and Harriet has her most favorite costume all picked out for the big day. There’s just one thing missing—party hats!But when Harriet dons her special penguin errand-running costume and sets out to find the perfect ones, she finds something else instead—real penguins! Harriet gets carried away with the flock. She may look like a penguin, but she’s not so sure she belongs in the arctic. Can Harriet manage her way back to her dad's (and the party hats!) in time for her special day?

Indra and Sachi


Lakshmi Seshadri - 2011
    Lying and killing for the sake of peace and order, Indra felt he was unworthy of being king of heaven. A new king was installed on his throne! Now it was up to Indra’s wife Shachi to ensure that his honour survived. Would the gods ever regain their respect for her beloved?

I Dream of Popo


Livia Blackburne - 2021
    She misses her popo every day, but even if their visits are fleeting, their love is ever true and strong.

Accidental Trouble Magnet


Zanib Mian - 2019
    The text has been revised, expanded and re-illustrated.*Welcome, readers, to the imaginative brain of Omar! You might not know me yet, but once you open the pages of this book you'll laugh so hard that snot will come out of your nose (plus you might meet a dragon and a zombie - what more could you want?).My parents decided it would be a good idea to move house AND move me to a new school at the same time. As if I didn't have a hard enough time staying out of trouble at home, now I've also got to try and make new friends.What's worse, the class bully seems to think I'm the perfect target and has made it his mission to send me back to Pakistan. But I've never even been to Pakistan! And my cousin told me the pizza there is YUCK.The only good thing is that Eid's just around the corner which means a feast of all my favourite food (YAY) and presents (DOUBLE YAY). I'm really hoping I can stay in Mum and Dad's good books long enough to get loads...The combination of Zanib Mian's hilarious text and Nasaya Mafaridik's fantastic cartoon-style illustrations make the PLANET OMAR series perfect for fans of Tom Gates and Wimpy Kid.

Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes


Hena Khan - 2018
    Toddler book of shapes and Islamic traditions: From a crescent moon to a square garden to an octagonal fountain, this breathtaking picture book celebrates the shapes-and traditions-of the Muslim world.Toddler book by author Hena Khan: Sure to inspire questions and observations about world religions and cultures, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets is equally at home in a classroom reading circle and on a parent's lap being read to a child.

The House with a Thousand Stories


Aruni Kashyap - 2013
    This is his second time in Mayong, in rural Assam, since 1998, when he had come for a few days to attend his father's best friend's funeral. As the wedding preparations gather pace, Pablo is amused as well as disturbed by squabbling aunts, dying grandmothers, cousins planning to elope for love and hysterical gossips. And on this heady theatre of tradition and modernity hovers the sinister shadow of insurgency and the army's brutal measures to quell militancy. In the days leading up to the wedding, which ends in an unspeakable tragedy, Pablo finds first love, discovers family intrigues and goes through an extraordinary rite of passage. Written with clinical precision, this gripping first novel announces the arrival of one of the most original voices from India's North-East.

The Crane Wife


Odds Bodkin - 1998
     This retelling of a traditional Japanese folktale teaches readers young or old a lesson about life and love.

The Straight Line Wonder


Mem Fox - 1996
    But when one of them gets tired of being straight all of the time, his friends are embarrassed and run off, leaving him alone. What happens next will enchant and delight all who read this tale about the value of being true to yourself.Working with bold exuberance, artist Marc Rosenthal captures perfectly the quirkiness of Mem Fox's joyful story.