Tag: lanterns

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY! We Are One

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Two friends deliver a stirring message to all in this story of community and friendship, unconditional acceptance and support.

 

We Are One, by Jackie Azúa Kramer/Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa & Niña Mata,
(May 2023, Two Lions), $17.99, ISBN: 9781542016940

Ages 4-7

 

Two girls – one, living with her mom in the city; the other, living with her fathers and brother by the beach – delight in preparing for a lantern festival in a story that celebrates friendship and kindness. One girl’s dog runs away during the festival, uniting the two new friends, and they spend the remaining time together, joining their families in a new friendship. A diverse and inclusive group of individuals bring Azúa Kramer’s words to life as people play, enjoy a day at the beach, and celebrate together. Figueroa and Mata’s digital artwork create soft and colorful characters and settings; her deep purple skies provide a rich backdrop for the street lights and festival lights, and her expressive faces have fun, individual touches, like a child wearing a shark hat as they enjoy a popsicle, or a dad wearing a hot dog costume on the boardwalk. The morning fun of a day at the beach and the park build up to a celebratory atmosphere at the festival, giving readers a sense of excitement that comes with meeting a new friend at a party. Azúa Kramer’s spare, easy-to-read verse helps readers visualize community: “If you’re a seashell, / I’m a wave. / Together we play. / If you’re harmony, / I’m a chorus. / Together we sing”. Rich endpapers feature a variety of lanterns across a purple field of night. A wonderful choice for storytimes and bedtimes.

 

Jackie Azúa Kramer is the author of many books, including The Boy and the Gorilla, illustrated by Cindy Derby; I Wish You Knew, illustrated by Magdalena Mora; and The Green Umbrella, illustrated by Maral Sassouni. Her books have been named a Best of the Best Book by the Chicago Public Library and to Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year list. Jackie lives with her family in New York. Visit her at www.jackieazuakramer.com.

Niña Mata has illustrated many children’s books, including New York Times bestsellers She’s Got This by Laurie Hernandez and I Promise by LeBron James, and the Ty’s Travels series by Kelly Starling Lyons, for which she became a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award honoree. Niña lives in New Jersey with her family. Find her online at www.ninamata.com.

Raissa Figueroa is the illustrator of a number of children’s books, including We Wait for the Sun by Katie McCabe and Dovey Roundtree, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book; as well as the Oona series, written by Kelly DiPucchio; and Princess Unlimited by Jacob Sager Weinstein. She lives in California. You can visit her at www.rizzyfig.com.

One lucky winner will receive a copy of We Are One, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. and Canada). Enter the Rafflecopter contest here!

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Welcoming the New Year with a blog tour: Playing with Lanterns

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hi, all! I hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday season and are ready for a hopeful New Year. I’ve been sick (not THAT one, just an awful cold) for the last few days, so my triumphant return to blogging has been waylaid a bit, but I’m back, medicated, and rested.

My first post of the New Year is also about a New Year: Lunar New Year! Playing with Lanterns is a new book from Amazon Crossing Kids, translated from Chinese, about a group of children and their special New Year lanterns.


Playing with Lanterns, by Wang Yage/Illustrated by Zhu Chengliang,
Translated by Helen Wang, (Jan. 2022, Amazon Crossing Kids),
$17.99, ISBN: 9781542029841
Ages 4-7

Zhao Di and her friends are so excited to celebrate Lunar New Year! They run, dance, and play together, waving their colorful lanterns each night until the last night – the 15th day of the New Year – when they smash their lanterns! But Zhao Di doesn’t want to smash her lantern just yet. That would mean the New Year celebrations are over, after all; or what if it’s not the right time yet? That would bring bad luck!

Originally published in China, Playing with Lanterns is such a wonderful winter story about childhood and tradition. Back matter includes an author’s note about the tradition of smashing lanterns, and the story reads at times like verse, at times like a folk tale, creating a wonderful atmosphere for readers and making this a great readaloud choice. Colorful artwork decorates the text and sets warm atmosphere in the middle of winter, with colorful lanterns, clothing, warm fires, and cheery homes. For a colorful lantern craft that can easily transition into a grab-and-go, visit First Palette.

 

“A colorful wintry tale ushers in Chinese New Year over two weeks…A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Quiet, elegant passages stud the text…Tenderly detailed gouache paintings by Zhu render the children as small, patterned bundles frolicking against expanses of snow…A quiet celebration of a Northwestern Chinese tradition.” ―Publishers Weekly

Wang Yage was born in Shaanxi, a central and historical province of China, where the custom of playing with lanterns was once a popular Chinese New Year tradition. A doctor of classical Chinese literature, she teaches at the University of Tibet. Playing with Lanterns is her first picture book. First published in China, the book made the prestigious White Ravens international book list.

Zhu Chengliang is an award-winning Chinese illustrator. Born in Shanghai and raised in Suzhou, he studied at the Department of Fine Art, Nanjing University, and has worked as an author, illustrator, editor, and designer. He was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2016, which is the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children’s books. His books have been named one of the Ten Best Illustrated Books by the New York Times and to the IBBY Honor List.

Helen Wang is a writer and translator from the UK. In 2017 she was given a Special Contributor of the Year honor as part of the Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Awards for her work in bringing Chinese children’s literature to English-speaking audiences. Wang has translated novels, picture books, and graphic novels, including Cao Wenxuan’s Bronze and Sunflower, which won the Marsh Christian Award for Children’s Literature in Translation.

 

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Playing with Lanterns, courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids (U.S. and Canada addresses). Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

Amazon Crossing Kids aims to increase the diversity of children’s books in translation and encourage young reading from a range of cultural perspectives.