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The runaway wok

Compestine, Ying Chang

Ming lives in a poor family. He goes to the market to trade and receive food so he and his neighbors can share a Chinese new year feast. Instead of buying food, Ming chooses a magical wok. The wok rounds up the food and prized possessions of the rich to bring food to Ming's family and poor neighbors. Ming celebrates a wonderful new year, and he sells more woks to help other poor families.

Tags

author's note, birds, celebration, chinese, community, conflict resolution, dragon, folktale, food, giving, helping, instruments, kite, magic, market, money, multicultural, neighbors, new year, poverty, problem solving, recipe, rhyme, seagull, song, stress management, trading, village

The story of paper

Compenstine, Ying Chang

Paper is invented by three boys who had the need to write something down. The boys use bugs to make symbols in the dirt. Combining different home techniques such as making rice cakes and scrapping clothes, paper was invented. The three boys are successful and praised.

Tags

ant, author's note, body parts, chinese, counting, fable, fabric, fruit, game, grasshopper, insects, inventions, language, math, multicultural, numbers, recipe, siblings, symbols, teaching, toys, trees, village, water, work, worm, writing

Papa's pastries

Toscano, Charles

Miguel and his father set out to sell their homemade pastries in the near by villages. Since money was scarce, Miguel's father decided that kindness was more important than money and was later repaid.

Tags

baby, body parts, careers, clothing, dancing, encouragement, faith, family, feelings, food, god, kindness, language, money, multicultural, parents, poverty, prayer, rest, sharing, singing, spanish, trust, village, worry

Beatrice's goat

McBrier, Page

Beatrice lives in Uganda and helps her mother care for her younger siblings. Money is scarce until Mugisa, a goat arrives. Mugisa provides milk, and the family is nourished by it. Mugisa's milk and babies provide enough money so Beatrice and her family can live a better life. Beatrice can afford her dream of attending school. This story has an afterwords by Hillary Rodhman Clinton.

Tags

africa, animals, birds, chicken, conflict resolution, dug, family, food, future, garden, goal setting, goat, hard work, helping, hope, hunger, language, leadership, learning, market, maturity, money, multicultural, poverty, presents, respect, school, siblings, uganda, village

Tashi and the Tibetan flower cure

Rose, Naomi C.

Tashi's Papola becomes ill and is bedridden. Tashi remembers a cure from her family's homeland in Tibet. Tashi works hard to resemble the Tibetan flower cure and surround her Papola with many flowers and caring people. Although Papola argues that the cure wont work in America, neighbors work together to bring flowers to Papola and make him better.

Tags

author's note, body parts, caring, cure, emotions, family, feelings, five senses, flowers, grandparents, health, illness, immigrants, language, love, medicine, multicultural, music, neighbors, plants, sadness, tibet, village

My librarian is a camel: How books are brought to children around the world

Ruurs, Margriet

Examine many different kinds of libraries from all around the world. Unlike the typical library room or building, many libraries are a bus, boat, train, or camel. Each type is different, but they all serve the same important purpose of delivering books to people, no matter where they live.

Sense pass king: A story from cameroon

Tchana, Katrin

Ma'antah is an exceptional girl who has many abilities, such as cooking and talking to animals. The villagers call her Sense Pass King because she has more sense than the king. The king is frustrated by her and tries to kill her but she outsmarts him. Later, she works in the palace and is able to make the country better.

Tags

african, anger, assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, feelings, helping, jealousy, monsters, multicultural, mythical, royalty, ship, stress management, transportation, verbal communication, village

Kumak's fish: A tall tale from the far north

Bania, Michael

One morning, Kumak and his family pack their fishing gear for an antarctic ice fishing adventure. With patience, the family fishes until Kumak finally catches a strong fish. The whole Alaskan community comes running to help Kumak and his family pull the fish out of the water. The community celebrates their new food supply when they see each fish holding on to the fist infront of it.

Tags

author's note, bodies of water, community, dancing, eskimo, excitement, exercise, family, feelings, fish, fishing, grandparents, happiness, ice, lake, multicultural, parents, patience, running, seasons, siblings, sledding, snow, sports, spring, teamwork, transportation, verbal communication, village, weather, winter

My name was hussein

Kyuchukov, Hristo

Hussein is a young boy who lives in Bulgaria. He and his family are Muslim and are forced to give up their identities when soldiers come. Hussein is renamed Harry but he holds onto his real name and faith traditions. A pictorial view of this is depicted throughout the story as Hussein tries to understand what is happening around him.

Talking

Xaba-Mashiri, Zadwa

A man digs out a talking yam from his garden. The man is confused and asks his dog if he is talking, but the dog says it is the yam talking. The man runs to the village to tell people about the talking yam and dog. People do not believe the man until things starts talking to them.

Ella takes the cake

D'Amico, Carmela & D'Amico, Steven

There's nothing more that Ella wants than to be a good helper. Ella can't help but feel inadequate when her mother won't let her help with a lot of the bakery chores because they're dangerous. When Mr. Banjo forgets an important delivery ,though, Ella proves herself by saving the day...and the cake.

Tags

animals, bicycle, birthday, books, business, celebration, escape, family, flood, helping, library, luck, maps, persistence, responsibilities, safety, vacation, village

The village in the valley of darkness

Mashiri, Pascal

I want to see my people in the village. It is no fun to search alone. At last, I can see the light.ﾔ During my travel, a dog at my side with brother and I. People in the village are thankful and at peace!

A country far away

Gray, Nigel

This is a story comparing two young boys who live in Africa and the United States. Their lives are identical even though they live in different countries.

Tags

african, america, bicycle, birth, celebration, comparisons, critical thinking, differences, friendship, geography, goal setting, growing up, maps, multicultural, school, soccer, sports, swimming, village

In the small, small night

Kurtz, Jane

A young boy moves to America from Ghana. He is worried about forgetting his past. Thanks to his mother, he is able to go back to the world he once knew.

Off to the sweet shores of Africa: And other talking drum rhymes

Unobagha, Uzo

African-inspired nursery rhymes.

Tags

africa, animals, beach, birds, bodies of water, camel, cattle, celebration, chicken, community, cooking, desert, dog, donkey, eagle, elephant, fable, fish, fruit, giraffe, goat, grasshopper, instruments, lion, mice, monkey, multicultural, music, ocean, parade, play, rainbow, rhyme, rhythm, river, sand, song, tree, village, zebra

My great-grandmother's gourd

Kessler, Cristina

Residents of a Sudanese village rejoice when a traditional water storage method is replaced by modern technology, but Fatima's grandmother knows there is no substitute for the reliability of the baobab tree.

Tags

africa, african, celebration, community, dancing, family, feelings, grandparents, hard work, helping, language, progress, rain, sadness, teamwork, technology, traditions, tree, village, water, wisdom

The first bear in africa

Ichikawa, Satomi

The animals of the African savanna help Meto as he tries to return the toy bear left behind by a young tourist.

Tags

africa, african, animals, bear, discovery, elephant, exploration, family, giraffe, goat, helping, hippopotamus, language, lion, love, multicultural, parents, photography, thanksgiving, travel, verbal communication, village

The best beekeeper of lalibela: A tale from africa

Kessler, Cristina

In the Ethiopian mountain village of Lalibela, famous for its churches and honey, a young girl determines to find a way to be a beekeeper despite being told that is somethign only men can do.

Tags

africa, animals, bee, business, careers, critical thinking, determination, discrimination, dreams, family, feelings, forest, insects, inventions, language, market, mountains, multicultural, sadness, siblings, tree, village, work

Lake of the big snake

Olaleye, Isaac

Two boys outwit a hungry snake in an African rain forest village.

Tags

africa, animals, argument, bodies of water, chores, conflict resolution, disobedience, family, fear, feelings, forest, friendship, lake, multicultural, nigerian, parents, play, reptiles, responsibilities, snake, stress management, teamwork, village

The heart of the lion

Watson, Pete

An American boy comes to understand and admire the rich culture and traditions of West Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, baboon, butterfly, chicken, cooking, courage, culture, customs, dog, elephant, family, food, friendship, hunting, lion, magic, multicultural, parade, parents, scorpion, sharing, teasing, traditions, tree, uniqueness, verbal communication, village

Drumbeat in our feet

Keeler, Patricia//Leitao, Julio T.

Informative passages and lyrical verse explore the history and rhythmic qualities of traditional African dance as performed long ago and today.

Tags

africa, african, african american, america, animals, celebration, ceremony, colors, congo, dancing, elephant, ethnic, exercise, generations, geography, history, instruments, learning, maps, monkey, multicultural, music, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, performance, rhythm, storytelling, traditions, village

Afro-bets: First book about africa

Ellis, Veronica

Mr. Amegashie explores the cultural diversity, rich history, and the beautiful and exciting land of Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bodies of water, business, camel, celebration, ceremony, culture, customs, dancing, desert, discrimination, diversity, egypt, family, forest, geography, ghana, history, horse, hyena, independence, instruments, islam, learning, leopard, library, maps, mountains, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, photograph, religion, river, school, ship, slavery, storytelling, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, water, zimbabwe

Bintou's braids

Diouf, Sylviane

When Bintou, a little girl living in West Africa, finally gets her wish for braids, she discovers that what she dreamed for has been hers all along.

Tags

africa, african, america, animals, beach, birds, bodies of water, celebration, chicken, clothing, critical thinking, dreams, envy, family, feelings, fish, food, fruit, grandparents, moon, multicultural, parents, prayer, pride, sadness, sea, selfishness, siblings, sleep, sounds, stars, storytelling, stress management, sun, traditions, tree, village

Ogbo: Sharing life in an african village

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Ogbo are a special part of village life in Nigeria, uniting children of the same age in a lifelong fellowship - a group with whom they celebrate festivals, share day-to-day chores, and face the challenges of growing up. A young girl named Obioma helps us understand what belonging to an ogbo means. Growing, working, and relaxing together, the ogbo weave the fabric of village life.

Tags

africa, african, celebration, chores, cleanliness, community, customs, death, family, friendship, grandparents, instruments, language, multicultural, music, nigerian, parents, photograph, respect, responsibilities, singing, song, storytelling, traditions, village, work

The blind hunter

Rodanas, Kristina

A blind African hunter teaches a young man how to see by using his other senses.

Tags

africa, african, animals, birds, blindness, bodies of water, feelings, five senses, flowers, forgiveness, friendship, garden, happiness, humor, hunting, leopard, multicultural, nonverbal communication, pond, pride, respect, rhinoceros, song, storytelling, teaching, tree, village, wart hog

A triangle for Adaora: An African book of shapes

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

When Adaora's cousin promises to find a triangle for her, he does'nt realize just how difficult the task might be. As they search through their village, the cousins encounter a variety of other shapes - heart-shaped leaves, circular elephant drums, crescent-shaped plantains - everything but the shape they seek. Just when the children are too tired to look anymore, they find a perfect triangle...and a great surprise to go along with it!

Tags

africa, african, community, family, food, fruit, jewelry, multicultural, music, plants, problem solving, shapes, siblings, traditions, verbal communication, village

Vacation in the village: A story from west africa

Njeng, Pierre Yves

A boy discovers and takes pride in the customs of his people when he visits his family's village in West Africa.

Tags

affection, africa, books, boredom, buildings, construction, customs, discovery, dreams, family, fear, feelings, fish, fishing, forest, friendship, games, grandparents, happiness, history, hunting, multicultural, parents, reptiles, school, siblings, storytelling, traditions, train, transportation, travel, turtle, vacation, village, work, worry

Africa brothers and sisters

Kroll, Virginia

At lunchtime Daddy and Jesse play their favorite game: a question and answer game about people who live in Africa and the ways in which they are connected to Jesse.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, clothing, community, critical thinking, dancing, family, farm, fishing, games, geography, giraffe, jewelry, maps, multicultural, parents, recreation, siblings, storytelling, traditions, verbal communication, village

Jamari's drum

Bynum, Eboni//Jackson, Roland

Jamari grows up drawn to the beating of the djembe, the keeper of the peace, the great drum of his Mali village. Jamari grows older and becomes the drummer of the djembe. He eventually gets caught up in other aspects of village life. When the village is once again threatened by the nearby angry mountain, Jamari returns to his post as drummer for village peace.

Tags

africa, african, clothing, community, dedication, fable, family, five senses, harmony, instruments, language, marriage, mountains, multicultural, music, peace, rhythm, storytelling, traditions, village

African beginnings

Haskins, James//Benson, Kathleen

Come explore and celebrate the powerful impact people of African descent have made on world history and on the American experience.

Tags

africa, african, animals, architecture, art, bodies of water, business, clothing, culture, dancing, death, desert, discrimination, donkey, egypt, europe, flood, food, geography, ghana, hard work, history, instruments, islam, leadership, lizard, maps, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, ocean, religion, river, ship, slavery, time, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, work, zimbabwe

Can you hear the sea?

Cumberbatch, Judy

Sarah's grandpa gives her a special shell and says if she listens carefully she can hear the sea, but all she hears are every day village noises.

Tags

africa, african, animals, beliefs, bodies of water, cooking, family, food, fruit, grandparents, instruments, listening, monkey, multicultural, music, nonverbal communication, persistence, river, sea, shells, sounds, trust, village

The hunter

Geraghty, Paul

Jamina goes looking for honey in the bush with her grandfather. She hopes to see an elephant, but her grandfather tells her that it is not likely since the hunters have come. Jamina tells her grandfather that she wants to be a hunter. When she helps a little elephant whose mother was shot by hunters, she realizes she never wants to be a hunter.

Tags

african, animals, community, elephant, family, grandparents, helping, hunting, lion, lost, multicultural, nature, recreation, rescue, rhinoceros, village, violence

I lost my tooth in africa

Diakite, Penda

Amina and her parents take a trip to Mali to visit family. On the way, Amina realizes that her tooth is loose! While visiting her father's family, Amina loses the tooth and places it under a calabash tree. She receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

Tags

africa, african, airplane, animals, birds, body parts, cattle, change, chicken, community, cooking, cow, culture, differences, donkey, family, food, games, garden, goat, grandparents, language, loss, maps, morning, multicultural, music, night, parents, pattern, pheasant, play, prayer, recipe, singing, sleep, song, storytelling, teeth, traditions, travel, tree, vacation, village, wish

The most important gift of all

Conway, David

Ama wants to honor her newborn baby brother with a special gift, as is the custom of the people in her village. When Grandma Sisi suggests the gift of love Ama sets off in search of this important present, but how will she know when she has found it? This story celebrates a young girl's discovery of the most important gift of all.

Tags

africa, african, animals, baby, birds, birth, celebration, clouds, community, critical thinking, discovery, dreams, family, giraffe, grandparents, lion, love, multicultural, parents, rain, siblings, stars, tree, village

My painted house, my friendly chicken, and me

Angelou, Maya

Thandi, an eight-year-old Ndebele girl who lives in a village in South Africa with her mother, aunts, sisters, and mischievous younger brother, shares her secrets with her best friend, a chicken.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bicycle, chicken, colors, customs, dragonfly, family, friendship, jewelry, language, mischief, multicultural, nonverbal communication, parents, pattern, photograph, play, siblings, storytelling, village

How sitali learned a lesson

Mashiri, Pascal

As the oldest in his family Sitali is supposed to hunt and provide for his younger sisters. He learns a lesson about self-control and hard work after being made chief and then losing it all.

Tags

african, african american, apathy, conflict resolution, critical thinking, family, folktale, laziness, multicultural, obedience, parents, peer resistance, refusal skills, responsibilities, river, siblings, storytelling, village

The yellow balloon

Dematons, Charlotte

A balloon travels through the air and around the world. While sailing through the air, the balloon fly's over many different people and places (a wordless book).

Tags

art, balloon, bodies of water, buildings, culture, desert, discovery, farm, geography, lake, mountains, nonverbal communication, ocean, river, sea, ship, skiing, sky, travel, village, witches

Dona flor

Mora, Pat

A vicious animal is causing panic among the villagers. Done Flor, a giant woman with a heart of gold, helps find the reason behind the mysterious beast.

Tags

bravery, conflict resolution, courage, critical thinking, friendship, giants, giving, magic, mythical, neighbors, problem solving, relationship, verbal communication, village

Magic beach

Johnson, Crockett

Two children draw different words in the sand. As the tide washes over the word, the object written in the sand appears. They explore the land they created by writing in the sand.

Tags

adventures, alphabet, animals, beach, beverage, bodies of water, books, cabin, cow, critical thinking, decision making, fantasy, farm, fish, fishing, food, horse, hunger, magic, nutrition, peer resistance, picnic, royalty, sand, sea, shells, storytelling, tree, verbal communication, village, writing

The rabbi and the twenty-nine witches

Hirsh, Marilyn

Once a month, when the moon is full, twenty-nine of the meanest, scariest, ugliest, wickedest witches that ever lived came out of the cave to terrify the villagers...until one day the wise rabbi invents a plan to rid his village of those wicked witches forever. The rabbi's clever plan works with hilarious results!

Tags

animals, cat, cave, community, dancing, evil, fear, inventions, Jewish, magic, moon, numbers, problem solving, rain, religion, village, vulture, witches

Pemba Sherpa

Cossi, Olga

Perma, a nyuny pa,or old man, tells a story from when he had to gather firewood for school as young boy. One morning his sister Yang Ki says she wants to go with him. Yang Ki wants to be a Sherpa but girls aren't allowed. That morning she disobeys her brother and follows him, but when Pemba falls in a landslide, Yang Ki becomes the heroine and proves that girls can be brave and strong.

Tags

assertiveness, climbing, courage, critical thinking, family, gender, goal setting, helping, heroism, injury, mountains, multicultural, obedience, problem solving, safety, siblings, village, walking

Safari journal

Talbot, Hudson

Carey is a young boy who goes on vacation to Kenya with his aunt. While there he learns about the culture and all of the animals.

Tags

african, airplane, animals, birds, buffalo, car, cattle, critical thinking, crocodile, culture, decision making, desert, egret, elephant, giraffe, goat, habitat, hunting, hyena, kenyan, leopard, lion, multicultural, observation, rhinoceros, safari, stress management, transportation, vacation, verbal communication, village, wilderness, wildlife

Welcome dede!: An African naming ceremony

Onyefulu, Ifeoma

Amarlai has a new baby cousin and he can't wait for her to be given a name. A tradtional African name will tell people where she comes from and which child she is in the family.

Tags

africa, african, baby, birth, celebration, ceremony, clothing, community, cooking, family, feelings, food, geography, giving, grandparents, happiness, hard work, language, maps, market, multicultural, parents, photograph, prayer, presents, traditions, village

For you are a Kenyan child

Cunnane, Kelly

Follow a little Kenyan boy through his village on a typical but eventful day in Kenya. He learns an important lesson about listening to his elders as he visits with the neighbors in his village.

Tags

africa, african, animals, beetle, butterfly, chicken, cow, dog, dove, family, forgetful, forgiveness, friendship, games, goat, grandparents, hunting, insects, kenyan, lion, lizard, monkey, moth, multicultural, parents, pride, respect, siblings, sleep, traditions, tree, village

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