Salam Alaikum by Harris J and Ward Jenkins (2017)

Image Source: Amazon.com

Salam Alaikum by Harris J and Ward Jenkins (2017) #ownvoices

by AHK

A young boy spreads his message of peace, hope, and optimism, changing the world around him from drab and gray to full of life and color as small acts of kindness pass from person to person. Turning a song into a book is often tricky, as the lines scan differently when read than sung, but the pros outweigh the cons for this title, particularly with so few books representing any aspect of Muslim culture. The greeting, "Assalamu Alaikum" appears throughout the book as different people interact. It's a perfect fit for a "Hello/Goodbye" storytime or any other theme celebrating greetings.

Themes/Topics: peace, hope, kindness, greetings, hello, goodbye

Sample text from the first three spreads: 

"You can try to turn off the sun,

I'm still going to shine away

and tell everyone we're having some fun today."


 

The Fox Wish by Kimiko Aman illustrated by Komako Sakai

Image source: Amazon.com

The Fox Wish by Kimiko Aman illustrated by Komako Sakai #ownvoices (2017 US)

by AHK
Sweet and atmospheric, I love this intimate little story about sharing, kindness, and looking out for others. Roxie has forgotten her jump rope, so she and her brother Lukie head back out to find it. They discover a group of foxes playing with the jump rope and join in, playing together until dusk. As Roxie is about to grab her jump rope and head home, a little fox also named Roxie says that the jump rope belongs to her--she found it because of a wish. Instead of reclaiming her property, human Roxie lets the little fox keep the rope and her belief in her wish, simply saying that they should play together again soon. This title doesn't scream "storytime" but it has a straightforward first-person narration that older readers can follow without a lot guidance, and would be great for discussion with smaller PreK groups and classes. Definitely worth adding to your collection.

Themes/topics: foxes, sharing, giving, selflessness, toys, friendship, kindness

Sample text from two spreads: 

The foxes were not very good at jump rope. They were good jumpers, but their tails kept getting caught in the rope. It didn't seem polite to laugh at them, even though they looked so funny. But Lukie couldn't help it. 

At that, the foxes dropped the rope. "What was that?" asked the smallest one. It didn't seem polite to spy on them either, so we tiptoed out from the tree's shadow. "Hi," I said. "Oh, thank heavens!" said a fox. "by any chance might you be able to teach us how to jump rope without tripping?"

Mina’s White Canvas

Mina’s White Canvas by Heyeon-Ju Lee (2015) #ownvoices  

Mina feels gray and gloomy—just like the weather. Like her many literary predecessors, she begins to draw snowflakes, which quickly transform her world into a vast landscape to explore. She meets various animals, and solves their problems with her magic crayon, adding more and more color to her world. Mina sits comfortably next to Harold and his purple crayon, with a shorter story more suited to storytime that also has a focus on helping others.

Themes/topics: Helping, kindness, drawing, crayons, imagination, adventure

Sample text from two spreads:

The new friends walked through the forest. “Look!” Said Mina. “I see someone in that cave!”

It was Mr. Bear. He had grown so fat during the long winter that he was stuck in the cave opening. Mina and Grandfather Woodpecker pulled and tugged, but they could not get him out.

Mina took her crayon and drew a big blue door on the side of the cave. Hooray! It was just the right size for Mr. Bear!

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman by Michelle Edwards and G. Brian Karas (2016)

Sophia’s neighbor, Mrs. Goldman, knits hats for everyone in her life, and Sophia makes pom poms to adorn them. One winter, Sophia notices that Mrs. Goldman’s generosity has left her with no hat of her own, so Sophia decides to make one for her. Unfortunately, Sophia’s skill doesn’t quite match up with her intention, and she’s frustrated by her lumpy hat. It is, of course, perfect in Mrs. Goldman’s eyes. This book made me teary in the same way as Sophie’s Squash—perfectly sweet and funny without being saccharine. Mrs. Goldman is Jewish, and Sophia references grandparents in Argentina—refreshingly reflective of the many ways that lives and people intersect. A bit longer than most storytime books, this is one I’d make an effort to include. Heart—and head—warming.

Themes/topics: kindness, neighbors, creativity, crafts, knitting, good deeds

Sample text from first two spreads:

When Sophia was a tiny baby, Mrs. Goldman next door knit her a tiny baby hat to keep her warm.

Now Sophia is big, and she makes the pom-poms for Mrs. Goldman’s hats. Hats for the tiniest babies. Hats for small, medium, and large friends and neighbors. Mrs. Goldman taught her how. “Keeping keppies warm is our mitzvah,” says Mrs. Goldman, kissing the top of Sophia’s head. “This is your keppie, and a mitzvah is a good deed.”