Little Penguin's Tale by Audrey Wood

Each picture in the book  helps the reader have a better understanding of what the books is saying. As the nanny penguin tells her story I noticed on each page whale looking from the water and I could foresee that there would be danger to the penguin at some point. I could not tell that the author will prevent each time the penguin gets into danger for it to escape. This truly is the book that used art to the fullest as it has outstanding color for each image. The story strikes me as cute example of what happens when you wander away from home alone.  I then recall the power of stories that are told from generation to generation. 
I would show the students pictures of penguins from magazines and Web sites.  We would listen to the sounds they make.  After reading the story we would come together as a group  and identify  parts of the story that are real and parts that were make-believe.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

As I read the story of the little house I become worried for it at the perils of urban sprawl.  The story makes me think of nature,  countryside, and tranquility that sometimes can be only felt out of big cities. I almost felt for the house as if it were a human growing lonely in the huge city surrounded by the strangers.  The Little House is an call for an idyllic life in the countryside far away from the concrete and noises of the city.
After listening the story students would differentiate between the natural changes and man-made changes in the environment over time.  The students would then write about the feeling of the little house.  Students will compare and contrast what the little house saw in the country and in the city.
When I lived in Bosnia my desire was all the time to live in the city. Nowadays I am happy to live in the outskirts, further away close to the city but still in the country.

The Champion of Children; The Story of Janusz Korczak by Tomek Bogacki

It was very interesting to find about Janusz Korczak, who opened orphanage of his own design for Jewish children in Warsaw. What a visionary man! In the orphanage he formed  a kind of republic for children with its own small parliament, court and newspaper. The book made me think of Warsaw ghetto. I read about it in details first time I got hold of book Mila 18 by Leon Uris. It told the story of the Warsaw ghetto and its resistance at some point. Unfortunately resistance was eventually crushed and the people in the building  were burned. At the age of 18 I had an opportunity to listen to the story of Warsaw ghetto survivor. Reading the novel I found that Germans took great care in developing propaganda aimed at Polish people to make them believe that for all of their troubles Jews were guilty.  When I look illustration on the cover page of the picture book it makes me think of this brave man, who sacrificed his life to stay and help the children even though he had an opportunity to ran away.
After reading the story students can describe ways people get along in the community. Students would also offer explanations about why they think Dr. Korzcak  chose to lead the children and staff to the train and to Treblinka, concentration camp.
We would also touch upon the ways Korzcak's view of a child influenced  the general understanding of children's rights.

Number the Stars by Loid Lowry

When I visited the Yad Vashem, holocaust museum in Jerusalem long time ago I was able to see that the number of Jewish victims in Denmark was the smallest when compared to all other European countries. Reading this book I also was able to find that Jewish people were smuggled in boats to Sweden. I did not know that.
The novel made me think of what it meant growing up in the war, how children were forced to mature sooner.  I understand that parents had to conceal the truth from the young girls at times.  Not knowing is usually equated with being a child, but  in this story not knowing means being able to face danger, which is a mature trait.  So Anna Marie has to find a balance between demanding the truth and protecting herself from it.
The novel made me think of all the young children that suffered in the war in Bosnia, young people stuck in Sarajevo during the siege. It made me remember the war days and the sanctions Serbia and Serbian part of Bosnia had.  War seemed to last forever and there was so much uncertainty at when would it end.  People became nationalities and they were all judged not by their actions but by their nationality. So if you were a Serb in Zagreb it was not safe for  you, if you were Muslim and Croat in Banja Luka you were  equally not safe, and like that all over Bosnia and Croatia.  The war forces individuals conceal their true identities and actions. Unfortunately, in the wartime some sort of worst people come to prominence that other people are ashamed of and they did things that in the peacetime they would never dare. I didn't know now that the Danish king was such a brave man, whom people really loved and were willing to protect.  Ellen Rosen character made me think of my friend Danira. She and her family had to flee, town where I was born,Visegrad just because they were Muslims. Her family was lucky to escape and eventually leave for the  the US. Nowadays she lives in New Jersey.
I would have students write a journal where they would compare and contrast different characters in the story. They would write thoughts and questions as they read each chapter. I would show the students maps of prewar and postwar Europe.  We would research how Danish Resistance managed to smuggle almost  its entire Jewish population to safety nearly seven thousand people.

Russel the Sheep by Rob Scotton

 

What happens when a sheep cannot sleep?  The sheep Russel finds that counting his feet and starts doesn't work.  I loved the humorous and playful illustrations of the sheep in the picture book. It  was especially funny to see what sheep do in at the end of a long busy day when they were getting  ready for sleep. One sheep had a dentures in the glass of water like old people and the other one was knitting before going to sleep like some granny.  Russel is a very endearing character with his long sleeping hat. The story makes fun of the words and sleep myths. The idea that counting sheep will help you fall asleep is indeed funny.
Before reading the story we would discuss the front cover illustration about the possible story plot. After reading the story we would discuss the ways  children use to help themselves to fall asleep bedtime story, warm drink etc. We would also talk about sleep routines, the origin of counting sheep to sleep and find out whether sheep really do sleep on their backs. I would have children retell the story in their own words.

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Fraiser

I was inspired and touched when I read this book. It would be excellent to use as a way to expose a class to the beauty of language and the intricate way we can describe our thoughts and feelings through writing. It also teaches children that every one  is special and valued regardless of the life they lead outside  the classroom. The simple introduction of  different aspects from migration to parts of the universe can provide a great learning device for students.  I would have students bring their baby pictures. We would have them displayed without names and the students would try to guess who is who.  We would have discussion of their experiences of being an older  or younger sibling, welcoming a new baby to the family, or the stories how they were welcomed by their brothers and sisters. We would then talk about how our lives change when someone new enters our lives, whether that person is a new brother or sister,  a new parent,  a new neighbor,  or new classmate. Each student would tell one thing that makes them special.  Students would have to think about what parts of natural world  they would like to have welcome them and tell why they chose that particular thing.

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

Mrs.Brown book visits the island in different seasons in fair weather and foul.  She describes the plants growing on the island and the animals that live or visit there which makes me feel the beauty of island and I start imaging it. It makes me feel to wish to be there, to stand on the shore, and look back across the bay at the mainland.  The book evokes the desire to be alone and apart, and yet a part of everything surrounding. I don't think I would love to live on an island which boundaries I can see, but I would like to spend some time there before returning to my family and home. The story makes me think of the series "Lost" where people were stranded on a mystical island for a long time. The island had a capacity to travel through time and space.
I would have students find some of the describing words and phrases that engage our senses sight, smell, hearing and touch.  We would get some items from the nature and the students would try to describe them with more than one of their senses.   I would also have students point out to things that mark each season on the island. We would talk about the different animals that migrate to the island and their reasons.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Mike Mulligan tries to prove to everyone that his steam shovel, Mary Anne,  can dig up a huge cellar  for the new town hall in one day. The author has done an excellent job at  both illustration and writing the story about the importance of true friendship. I loved how Mike Mulligan was close to his steam shovel. I liked that he gave it a pretty name, Mary Anne since it truly shows that he treated it like a true friend. Mike seems to me to be such a caring and confident character, even after he was put out of the job because Marry Anne was too old to compete with newer steam shovels. Marry Ann looks like an old fashioned steam shovel but yet has a human expression as we see her smiling on every page. As I went through the story I was very concerned about the fate of cute little machine.  This is a true heartwarming story about importance of true friendship that will remain in many children's hearts.
I would have the children draw a machine and name its special features. Then I would have them draw a picture of object they use everyday but to give it human features and name it. Then they would have to write about  the things they and their objects do together and how it makes them feel.  We would also look online at the pictures of old steam shovels from the 30's when the type of steam shovels were used.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

In this story young girl goes with her father deep into the forest to look for owls. Almost all children look forward to when they are old enough to do a certain activity, and that is how narrator of this story feels about it. The girl knows that she cannot talk when going owling, and she struggles to keep her thoughts inside her.  Through the descriptive language of the story I felt as though I am on the owling adventure with the girl and her father. The author has effectively detailed the young girl's experience  with exploring the forest with her father. I loved that the story was told from the young girl's perspective as she sees the winter world and the magical experience there. The book made me think of my childhood experiences with my parents, grandmother and friends when we went to explore the nature. One memory I recall was  in the 80's when we traveled from my home town  of Banja Luka to the place where mother was born. The little town of Glamoc was secluded high on the mountain plato far away from everything. On our way there we would pass through the deep and long evergreen forests. Father would stop the car in the dark if we would spot a wild animal so that I could watch. Then there were all those secrets and legends associated with small town. Apparently,  in the town where mother grew up, there was a big long stone, like a monument that stood erected in one village near by. There was a legend surrounding the stone, that when people tried to cut it, it actually bled. That type of stories initiate all sorts of curiosity. It is a nice memory I keep  whenever I think of mother's birthplace and travel to the Croatian seaside. That village  out of Glamoc is exactly on the way to the Croatian coast.
After reading the story I would divide children into groups. Their assignment would be to recall important story details that explain how to go owling.  They would have to describe how to dress, how to behave, and which sounds to make.  Then we would use the story details to compile  a list of things they know about the  great horned owl.  After they gather the facts they would share it with their classmates the following day.
I would also have children write about the special things and adventures they did with their parents, relatives or friends.

When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan

As I read the story of Marian Anderson, who was one of America's greatest singers it make me think of all the racial discrimination black people experienced and the obstacles they had to overcome. I wonder why society created prejudices and stereotyping. Have we come out of those bad habits? It makes me think what can we do make our society even more progressive and eliminate racism and discrimination of any sort. Then I think of our president and it makes me happy that we have come so far on that road. I am so glad that we have our president. Not for the sole reason of him being a president because of his race but simply because we have come to understand that the color does not really matter. All that matters is common sense, wisdom, vision and will to lead nation forward.
I would divide students into small groups and have them share what they know about biographies and to record their ideas. After they are done we would match their ideas about this genre with the actual definition of  it. Then  I would have students write down what they know about African American struggles in the past.
We would learn about Jim Craw laws. Students would find inspiring sentences in the story that tell about Marian personality and would discuss them in small groups.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead

As I read the story I felt compassion and sympathy for the lovely zookeeper who never forgets about his animal friends. Even though he works hard everyday in the zoo he finds time to spend with his friends: elephant, turtle, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl. What was very cute is that all the animals were given human like qualities. We hear of an owl that is afraid of dark and penguin who was shy.  That would certainly make children associate with the story as we all had our fears and troubles while growing up. The story has a deep and warm message of friendship, love for the others.  I loved the scene where elephant was playing chess with Amos and elephant thought before making each move in the game.  The story gives us some idea of comfort that when there are difficult times we have our friends to support and encourage us.
In the classroom we would talk about the zoo, animals we love. I would have students write about their best friends, the moments when their friends really did something special for them. We would discuss about friendship and why it is so important to us. I would have children brainstorm the words they associate  with friendship.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Until reading this picture book I have never heard of Wilson Bentley. As I went through the story I developed respect for his persistence on doing what he really liked. I was also wondering how is exploration of the snowflakes going to result. Will he become famous and will the scientist hear of him. Those were my thoughts. The side panel in the book supplements the reader with additional facts about Bentley's life.  The story illustrates for me family love and character perseverance. Bentley had the vision to see that his photographs would  be his gift to the world.  To spend one's life trying to express something so complex, so perfect, so beautiful, and yet so fleeting and to do it with such appreciation, wonder and love is inspiring to me.
I would first talk with my students about snow, how snowflakes form and we would define some unique properties of snow. I would google Snowflake Bentley's photographs and print out two copies of the same photo and I would make many like those. Then I would have students match the same ones.  I would have them write the essay about things they really love doing, their hobbies and to state the reasons the hobbies make them happy and fulfilled.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

I was immediately touched by this story as soon as I started reading it.  Everlasting pain, struggles and dilemma  that every immigrant has to go through in his/her life is my own story. You leave your country for another, and your country and the world you left behind lives in you, you cannot forget it. Sometimes memories torture me, and I miss the mountains and rivers of my homeland like the author's grandfather. I find myself thinking of my childhood a lot, happy memories, all those moments with people dear to me, that represent important figures in my life. You realize time is fleeting, if only you could go back to past to relieve some of those happy moments. Living abroad you end up being aware even more of time passage. If only I could go every six months and see my grandmother, parents and all the friends.  Good conversation, socializing is worth of gold and cannot be replaced by anything else in life.  I understand his grandfather's yearning for his old country.
 I was not surprised that he loved most California. I got to like it too. I loved the diversity of people and the landscape. Landscape reminded me of Bosnia. I miss the mountains, green rivers and streams, evergreen forests so much as Iowa is flat. I am not just used to it.   I loved the book so much that I bought it. It also made me think of the the struggles Asian people have to undergo when settling here in the US.  I have many friends that are from Asia and I try to learn a little bit from each culture. At the same time I realize I love the feeling of being able to meet  many diverse people from all over the world here in my new homeland. And those cross cultural influences change a person completely and deepen our understanding. I am sure I will be reading this book to my own children one day.
Before reading  I would ask students to describe a place they have visited on a vacation or a family visit. I would ask them to explain how it that place different than the place they live. Then after reading the story we would discuss about illustrations in the book.  I would ask them to give me their understanding of what is depicted by illustrations, who are the people they see, and  what is the time period they represent.
I would have children talk to the oldest person in their family to find out what was life like when that person was growing up. After that we would explore the medium of watercolor.  I would have students illustrate the favorite place using watercolors and then describe that place in a story.

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins

What a great way to get children interested in studying animals. It also provides children with a chance to look at the world from different perspectives.  Looking at the illustrations  made of cut-paper collage students can learn about how animals have similar parts and how the animals use them. The author definitely made me wonder and guess which part will belong to which animals on the next page, where the secret will be revealed.
I would first read the book aloud to the students. Then we would research the animals in the book.  We would discuss how people and animals use various body parts. I would have students show where each animal lives on the globe. We would try to determine which animal in the book has the most unusual part and then make the collage of the various animal parts.

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble

I don't think I have ever read an American Indian folk story so this would be my first one. The first thing that I notice is the that American Indians have very close relationship with nature.  In my perception the horses in the story symbolize family and freedom. The girl wants to run and live with  horses making her spirit wild and free. She sees them as her family. The girl's true parents let her go because she symbolizes their desire to run wild and free among their distant relatives.  The book has wonderful illustrations. I loved the way the author made this story extremely dramatic, especially during the thunderstorm, as Paul Globe made  it seriously intense.  During the thunderstorm scene, I was very worried for the girl hoping that the girl and the horses would make it to the safety. I was also thinking how will the conflict be resolved and what the explanation for it would be.
I did not know that American Indians believe that horses are their distant relatives.  One almost feels happy when girl is allowed to return to the wild and live with the horses.
After reading the story to children I would ask them how they feel about the horses. I would then divide children into small groups and have them find out about one of the Native American group: Navajo, Sioux etc.
Each group can report on one of the aspects of Native American's lives, where they lived and what their customs and traditions were and still are. This book is very good to teach students about culture and history of American Indians.

Golem by David Wisniewski

I heard about the word Golem long time ago when I was fourteen and reading Isaak Bashevis Singer's novels.
At that time I did not understand what it represented.   This was the reason book draw my attention. Piter Sis mentioned Golem as one of the old legends of Prague in his picture book "The Three Goldern Keys" Illustration in the book are very beautiful. The story is based on the old Jewish legend created by the man to help prosecuted people imprisoned in the ghetto of Prague.  Golem grew too big, too strong and misused his powers. In the end he had to be destroyed by the same man who created him. The very idea that rabbi created Golem by reciting combination of letters of Hebrew alphabet  to create life seems very interesting. But not everybody could create life, only the most pious and righteous man.  The book inspired me to look more into the legends inspired by Cabala, Jewish mysticism, what kind of things they believed  and they created in the medieval times. I am not a believer, but the idea that uttering certain combination of letters can give humans certain powers seems very creative and appealing.
In oder to introduce and teach this story to children I would have to give some explanation of the Cabala, historical background of the legend of Golem.   Then I would explain the folktale genre to the students and the purpose it served in society. We would have discussion about universal truth or moral for the story.  Then I would encourage student to research other versions of Golem and  compare and contrast one of these versions to David Wisniewski's story.  I would ask students to describe the magical elements in the story and to determine how  they contribute to the story's resolution.

Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye

Mona's grandmother lives on the other side of the world and there are many things dividing them- physical things like oceans and land and fish and cities and clotheslines. She visits her grandmother and even though they do not speak the same language they develop the bond. Mona's grandmother probably lives in the West Bank in the Middle East. This is a great book for children who have extended family abroad. The story touches me immediately as it makes me recall my childhood, my grandmother who plays a big part in my life.
 My grandmother did not live abroad, but now that I immigrated to the US she does and I often wish I could visit her more often. To all my relative I say I wish there was a magic door, that I could open and just go visit them, stay for a coffee, dinner, and socializing and then come back to US through that same door. If only distance was not so huge between America and Europe.
My understanding is that author recalls her childhood as her father is Palestinian and she must have visited her extended family  back in the Middle East. I understand why she would wish to write a letter to the president as a child. Unfortunately, conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is still ongoing one.  I wish peace would come to that part of world.
After reading this book I would have children write a journal about one relative that they really love and that affects their life, be it a grandmother or someone else.

Luba; The Angel of Bergen- Belzen

Who is Luba Tryszynska? Just an immigrant from Poland to America? Why did they give her the nickname the angel of Bergen- Belsen? From what I read in this picture book about her just made even more clear to me that in times of war, difficult times there are some people who stand out, and show unbelievable courage and humanity. Judging from our safe life and homes it is not easy to fully grasp what it meant to risk your own life to save and hide some children in the concentration camp under Germans. For the guards and soldiers in the camp life of the prisoners did not have much value. People were shot for simple trifle things like asking for a piece of bread.
Children that Luba saved stayed in contact with her and it was very interesting to me that they met for many reunions after the war ended. I even came across blogs of the people that knew her and wrote about her recent death in 2009. What was exceptionally touching was what the youngest child she saved said about her:
" My mother always told me that she gave birth to me but Luba gave me life." I coud not help but feel great respect for such a woman.
After reading this picture book I would have children write what were some moments in their life where they had to show some courage and persistence.

For Good Measure; The Ways we Say How Much, How Far, How Heavy, How Big, How Old

 In this wonderful non-fiction picture book author teaches the children metric and imperial measuring system through examples of human body, nature, architecture and various objects people use. Everything is represented through photographs that in my opinion gives the reader clear idea and understanding of measuring units. What a wonderful way to teach measuring systems in the classroom. How would I use this book in the classroom?
I would first read it aloud and show all the photographs on the pages to the children.
Then I would have children draw different objects that come to their mind in order to represent different units of measurement and ways of measuring objects, distances and time. After reading the book children will definitely learn better concepts of dimensions. 

The Anne Frank Case by Susan Goldman Rubin

In this non fiction picture book we are told a story of Simon Wiesenthal, holocaust survivor from Galicia, nowadays part of Ukraine. He survived several concentration camps and in 1947 he co-founded the Jewish Historical Documentation Center in Linz, Austria. Later he opened one in Vienna and then he dedicated most of his life tracking and hunting down  Nazi war criminals.  Part of his quest was to find the Gestapo officer who arrested Anne Frank. It was very interesting to find all the details of Wiesenthal's life, his search for the Nazis. I read the Diary of Anne Frank, but I did not know that it was Wiesenthal that was searching for the officer who captured her. I have heard of Wiesenthal but I never realized that his documentation center was actually in Vienna. I thought it was in America. This book gives a lot of historical information and it would be  useful tool in teaching history of the  WWII. It further inspired me to look up Wiesenthal's biography and  everything he has done during his life.

Island; Shipwreck by Gordon Korman

In Gordon Korman's Island we follow six teenagers that are placed on boat for the purposes of  character building experience. They face the shipwreck and fortunately manage to get to an unknown island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.  The writing in the novel is very suspenseful and it quickly drew me in.
The novel seems to be teaching the reader about sailing and the author does it at the same time as the couple of the characters are learning.  The whole story represents sailing-learning experience for the children and it includes some good life lessons. The characters are developed to truly represent their age.  The joke they make at the First Mate's expense is typical of children of their age.  The overall story line is very interesting and the ending made me interested in other novels of the same series. This novel would be good for teenagers who love adventure, excitement, exotic places.
The very idea of teenagers being in secluded island far in the sea would probably seem appealing to children.
The novel can also serve the purpose of teaching responsibility.
In order to teach this novel I would first explore some facts about sailing and present it to the classroom. Then I would have all the classroom discuss several topics in the novel, maturation of the characters, sailing, possible predictions of the events, survival.
On the wall I would have posters of boats. We would also learn about its important parts.

Misfits by James Howe

I enjoyed  this book and the message it portrayed . I would however prefer it there was less slang. I understand that slang is necessary to represent the realistic conversation of teenagers and high school setting.
I have to admit that bullying in high school is a phenomenon that I did not see in my high school or growing up. If there was a person that somebody did not like in the classroom it never went to the extent that was harmful and destructive for the individual. I have heard about bullying only through the movies and documentaries.  This novel can serve a good lesson to young adolescents to teach them about complexity  of human character and the psychological damage bullying can cause.  The author portrays realistically difficulties of school social life through the characters of four teenagers: Addie, Bobby, Joe  and Skeezy. They form a group Gang of Five and  they meet every week to discuss important issues.  Name calling is an issue that many teenagers experience in their lives.  This novel made me think about the misfits in general, people who do not conform, who think out of the box, independently. The authors shows that there are people and friends in this world for everyone.  It is important to be who you are, rather then give in to the majority opinion, and do things just because it is popular or expected of you.

In that sense this novel can serve as a way to teach teenagers to believe in themselves. It should also show to them that people are complex personalities and that names they get called in school do not fully represent who they are. There is much more to a person than outer appearance.

I would have the classroom share their experiences of the novel, discuss important issues they feel are being part of their every day life in school.

The Napping House by Andrew and Don Wood

It is a raining day and in the big house everybody is sleeping. Granny is sleeping in her cozy bed. A sleepy boy pops on top of granny, then a dog crawls up on the boy. Then there comes a  cat and a mouse and they all sleep on top of each other.  In the end the wakeful fee by biting the mouse sets off the chain of events which results in a broken pile and even a broken bed.
This picture book is excellent for beginning readers and for ESL because of  repetition of phrases at each page.
One way of using the book in the classroom would be to have children find all the synonyms related to sleeping.
The perspective in the book changes as we go through the pages.
Children could discuss what is going on in the house.
We could also discuss which are day and which are night animals.
This story is also good for practicing preposition "on" with students.

Babushka's Doll by Patricia Polacco

 

In this fine story we meet the little girl Natasha with her granny. Natasha is little bit spoiled and impatient with her grandmother demanding everything at once. That is why grandmother leaves the girl with special doll that comes to life. The doll teaches Natasha a lesson how to be patient and polite. Excellent way for children to see through the behavior of the doll how some of their own behavior can affect our relatives and friends.
I would have children discuss the character traits of Natasha and doll after reading the story to them.
We would also point out to what doll made Natasha do for her and how Natasha changed as a character in the end. I loved the illustrations in the book.  This story  can serve as a moral lesson for any child that is selfish and self -centered.

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

What an interesting fable to introduce children to the seven days of the week,  ordinal and cardinal numbers and ranges of color.  I loved the illustrations emphasizing the colors of the creatures that appear in the book.  I firmly believe it would catch the attention of the young reader or listener.  Each day one mice goes to investigate the unusual Something by their pond. They are all blind so they rely on their other senses. But each of them makes their estimation based on partial observation. Only the last mouse on Sunday takes all the features of Something into account is able to give insight and explanation to other mice of what the Something is.
What a wonderful way to explain to children that when trying to understand something in life they need to take many things into consideration.  Children would surely enjoy and laugh at the mistakes mice make in their descriptions of an Elephant they cannot see.
I would have each child read the words of one mice. We would have discussion of what the mice are missing to mention in their report on the big creature by their pond. The children could choose the mice they like and draw and color it. We could have a jar with strips of paper on which adjectives that represent the Elephant would be written. Children could assign adjectives to the mice which used them in his description.
I would ask children to explain how they understand  the mouse moral in the end with a little bit of my clarification. 

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry made such a strong impression on me that I can say it is the best novel I have read in long time. It reminded me of  Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.  In both novels, "Brave New World"  and " The Giver" most of the population  lives according to community's dystopian rules foregoing individual pursuits for the community's gain, submitting to government surveillance, and substituting  group mentality for intellectual inquiry.  The novel surely makes one think about the rules our societies are governed, the unwritten rules we all abide by and hardly question them.  The speaker in the novel that gives announcements I would compare with public media in our world. A lot of our opinion on certain events is formed by public media. And even in best democracies media can be governed in certain direction to suit the interests of the corporations. One just wonders how it would be to live in such  society. It was certainly intriguing to discover as I moved forward trough the pages all sorts of unusual rules. Some of the most striking were that  people were not allowed to read books. Society favors sameness and sitting and reading books encourages people to draw too deeply into themselves rather than participate in activities that help the community or strengthen social bonds between members of community.

Giver's society is deprived of pain, passion and true love.  For elite classes of society it is allowed to ignore the rules, preferring the artifacts of culture they left behind to the amusement of society they govern and maintain.  Great works of art, often inspired by passion, pain, suffering, and other  disorderly influences are always powerful and relevant even in societies that claim to have gotten rid of passion and pain.
The end of the novel is ambiguous. We are not certain what happened to the main character.  There could be two possibilities. Either he found the happy Elsewhere with people who are free to make choices and living as in his memories or he and Gabriel froze to death.  I would definitely love to see some sort of sequence to this story.
I believe this story develops imagination and creativity of thinking of children. It may be little bit difficult to grasp for Elementary school children.  The classroom would definitely need some sort of my introduction to this story, explanation of basic terminology author uses. We would definitely reflect on rules and functioning of our own society and compare to the one in " The Giver"
After reading this novel I am very eager to read all of Lois Lowry novels. The whole world of beloved science fiction awakens in me.

Alphabet Mystery by Audrey and Bruce Wood

In this picture book letters of the alphabet are represented as little children with human personalities. They reside on Charlie's bookshelf. They have their own beds and go to sleep every night. They work together with Charlie and help him in many ways.  This picture book would be a very effective and humorous way of introducing children to the alphabet. I believe it would  surely keep their attention as the letters would be seen in completely different light. They would become all of sudden little helpers that every child could rely on to help them with many tasks that they weren't even aware of yet.  The author also gives emphasis to X, letter with which few words begin.
How to use this book in the classroom? The idea that comes to my mind is perhaps to have collection of cut -out letters in different colors both small and capital. As I would read the book to children I would point out to each letter the books discusses. I would also have several sets of alphabet for children to play with and organize them in several ways. We would together reconstruct with out set of letters pictures in the book.
 Children could look at the pages and for each page find out the letters in their own set that appears on the page. I think this book is excellent way to introduce alphabet, to affirm the knowledge of it with the kindergarten and first grade children.

Molly's Family by Nency Garden

 In Molly's Family by Nancy Garden we see kindergarten children getting ready for Open School Night. Every child's family is invited to visit. Children start drawing their families and then putting their drawings on the wall.  Little boy Tommy looks at the picture Molly has drawn and he comments that her family is not a real family because she has two mothers.  After talking to her family, Molly realizes that even if her family is different from others, it is still happy, loving and real family. In the class teacher encouraged Molly that should should bring the drawings she felts uncomfortable to leave on the wall of school classroom. Teacher encouraged everybody to bring their families and she pointed out that families can be all kinds and that they can all come to the Open School Night.
 I understand that representing homosexuality in children's books can be controversial in the school.
Coming from the culture where homosexuality is not explicitly shown or as accepted I find this children'book completely new and mind opening to all my understanding of homosexuality. Would I be able to use it in the classroom?  That is very relative. It would depend on the type of community where I would teach, how liberal people are, to which extent they accept idea of homosexuality being explained to children.
If the community, principal and the school board would not have anything against me teaching this book I would then do it.
I personally  am still adjusting to this aspect of my new country. However, I do think it would be good  to teach children that  differently organized families do exist and I believe children should be aware of that even if it may be against their parents' religious belief.

Everything for a Dog by Ann M. Martin

"Everything for a Dog" is novel about love that develops between a child and a dog. The story is told in three alternating points of view. The first story is of Bone, stray dog, who after living briefly with three different families, wonders the countryside season after season, picking food from garbage and searching for permanent home. The second story is of Henry,young boy who desperately wants a dog. His parents do not share his idea. The third story is of Charlie, whose brother dies by accident at a young age. Charlie's dog helps him go through that difficult period of his life.   As a reader I felt very touched by the difficulties the stray dog Bone goes through until he finally get the committed and loving owner little boy Henry.  The story makes you think about all those stray dogs on the street or animal shelters that await somebody to adopt them.  For some reason I feel more for suffering of animals then humans as animals have less choices and power to change things in their lives. Our pets are especially dependent on us.  I bought my dog in Israel and my parents were not too eager to bring it back to Bosnia with us once the time to move back came. I managed to convince my mother to bring the dog with us. The only reason mother was concerned was that back in Bosnia we live in apartment and that is not big enough space to a dog of German Shepard size.  When I was about to immigrate to the US I took serious care to bring my dog with me.  I could never imagine leaving her behind. After certain time you feel that shepard dogs  are so intelligent. They are like humans in dog's fur.The books shows us how dogs can enrich our life and help us heal in times when we experience serious losses and problems in life.
I would have a discussion  in the classroom about Henry, Bone and Charlie.  They have different stories but they share something in common.  We would determine in which way they are similar when it comes to their dreams and hopes and in which ways they are different.

What about Me? by Ed Young

"What about Me?" originates from the Middle East and has its roots in the Sufi tradition. The Sufi, were Middle Eastern master of the fable and their tales, much like that of Aesop, were meant to entertain but also to teach. 
This is a great story about a boy who seeks knowledge from a wise Grandmaster. Before the Grandmaster grants him knowledge the boy will have to give him a small carpet.  As the boy tries to acquire the small carpet, he crosses path with many people: carpet maker, sppiner woman, goat keeper,  goat seller, carpenter, matchmaker, merchant. All these people are willing to help him, but they want something in return. Each person the boy encounters says: "I have needs. What about me?" Boy manages to find and bring wife to a carpenter and then he gets all the things necessary from all the people he came across to get a carpet for the Grandmaster. Finally, when he carries the small carpet back to the Grand Master, he is told that is already has all the knowledge he needs. Grand Master leaves the boy with his two morals. The first moral that the Grand Master  h shares is: "Some of the most precious gifts that  we receive are those we receive  when we are giving." The second moral he shares is :  " Often knowledge comes to us, when we least expect it." The boy learns a valuable lesson that it is better to give than to expect.
I was really drawn into the intricate tale wondering what the boy will do to acquire the knowledge and at the same time helps everybody whose help he needed. Very imaginative and wise story for children. Folk tales from all over the world have some sort of moral that is applicable in our days too.  I believe it will draw older children quite curious and interested.  I love old legends and folk tales so this story inspired me to read other great books by Ed Young.
In the classroom we will discuss about the ways we can gain knowledge. We will also explain the difference between the wisdom and knowledge.  We would discuss the ending quote/moral. 

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Parvana is 11 year old girl that lives with her family in Afghanistan. She has older sister Nooria, five year old sister Maryam and baby brother Ali. They live in war-torn Kabul that has come under the rule of Taliban. Talibans have strict religious rules of life that they impose on all of the population of Afghanistan. They have closed school for girls and have banned them from attending. Other prohibitions that relate to women are even worse. Women are not allowed to walk by themselves or the be seen alone in the streets. Each time they go out of their homes they have to be chaperoned by a man even if that means a small boy. Women's rights are to great extent abolished and threatened. Women are not allowed to be seen in public without burqas.
Parvana's parents are educated people who completed their studies in England. Father limps on one lag as he suffered an injury to his leg after his school was bombed. Parvana goes with him to the market to sell the old valuable stuff they still possess. A lot of people in Afghanistan are poor and pretty much everybody comes to the market to sell and buy old goods.  Great percentage of Afghanistan population is illiterate and Parvana's parents are among the raree ones that can read and write. Her father keeps his foreign history books deeply hidden in special compartment in his closet.

One day Talibans storm into their apartment and take away father to prison. The reason? He is educated in the West and Western ideas they don't like and perceive as threat to their way of life.
 Even though Parvana;s mother tries to get him out of jail, she is beaten along with Parvana in front of the jail by the soldiers. In that scene we get to feel how cruel their society is governed by Taliban militia. Human life hardly has any value. People are easily killed in their homes, on the street or taken to prison for ridiculous reasons. As father is not coming back from prison, family has to find ways to support itself financially so they decide to mask Parvana as little boy. They cut of her hair and she goes everyday to market to earn money like her father by reading and writing letters to people.  Dressed as a boy, she has no trouble being recognized as a girl and she can manage to feed her family. In the market she accidentally bumps into a tea boy, who turns out to be her school friend,Shauzia in the days when they attended school. Shauzia is also dressed as boy and sent to the market to earn for her family. The two of them develop friendship. Parvana's mother is very depressed and Mrs Weera, family friend moves in. Mrs. Weera with her strength of a character helps to organize Parvana's family now that father is away and tends for Parvana's ailing mother.  With every day that goes by on the market Parvana, becomes more self -confident and reliant in supporting her family and making the decisions for herself. Her older sister Nooria goes with their mother and siblings to Mazar-e-Sharif in the northern part of Afghanistan where there is no Taliban rule.  Parvana stays with Mrs Weera alone in their apartment. After certain time father is released from prison and they take care of him.  One working day Parvana comes across another girl hiding in the old bombed out building. She takes this girl home where they hear her sad story. This girl escaped  from Mazar -e -Sharif just after the Taliban captured the city. They killed a lot of people among them girl's parents. The girl managed to get to Kabul in a truck and was hiding where Parvana found her. At that point Parvana was very scared for her mother and siblings and got very depressed.  Her friend Shauzia manages to get Parvana back to work at the market.  By the end of the novel Parvana and her father decide to go to refugee camp near Mazar-e -Sharif where they will look for Parvana's mother and siblings. When saying goodbye to her friend Shauzia, Parvana and her agree to see each other in twenty years in Paris, on the top of the Eiffel tower.
I was deeply moved by the life and destiny of the main characters in this story. I felt so much for them and followed their every move in their survival and pursuit of happiness. The novel made me explore documentaries on Afghanistan, its people, history and current situation. By watching some of the PBS documentaries, I was able to get more insight into the lives of these people that have suffered so much. It also made me wonder what kinds of conditions are necessary to cause one country to fall under religious fundamentalism. I would have students write paper where they compare and contrast the main character's life to their own. I would have to explain the students some of the rules Taliban introduced when they came to power in Afghanistan. We would write down all the unfamiliar words and find explanations for them, specifically the ones that relate to the Afghan culture.  We would research about different types of veiling that exist and the possible reasons it is used in the Arab world.

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Williams

Knuffle Bunny is a cautionary tale that tells the story of what happens when a father and his daughter go to the laundromat together.  Little girl, Trixie, who is not yet able to speak forgets her bunny in the laundromat and it mistakenly gets into a washing machine.  Trixie tries tries to explain to her father in all possible ways that she can that they have to go back to get the bunny. Father of course does not understand as the little girl is jabbering. However mother understand immediately what the problem is.   Author's, Mo Williams, black and white photography provides nostalgic backdrop for the adventure that ultimately reunites baby and bunny. Beside  recapturing  his beloved neighborhood Brooklyn, Williams memorializes the story of his daughter's first words: "Knuffle Bunny"
I would discuss with the students before reading the story what they think the story will be about, and what they think will happen.  We would talk about the possibility of  story being true and why the author wrote it.
I would have students write their own story and dedicate it to somebody they like.

The Wall by Peter Sis

Through the wonderful and insightful illustrations of Peter Sis, we learn about growing up in Czechoslovakia, author's homeland under Soviet Union dominance during the Cold War. Life in the country was dictated by the rules imposed by the communist Soviet Union. Whole generations of children were raised to be pioneers, members of the communist youth movement. Society as a whole had to compulsorily  follow certain sets of beliefs that were imposed and were never supposed to be questioned.  The world outside the Iron Curtain was represented as evil. without really giving people a realistic picture of what is going on outside. People were not free to leave the country and did not have freedom of speech in any sphere of life. I myself grew in communist country that luckily did not belong to the Eastern block and was not under the  strong and the dominating influence of Russia. That is one of the reasons I can emphasize with the author. My society also was happily living in one sort of propaganda emanated by the communist government but we were free to leave the country and travel.
However, we never knew to which extent life in the Eastern block was controlled and dominated by communist party and its demagogy.  This book definitely makes me curious to find out about the life in Czech republic in the Cold war period.
I would initiate discussion in the classroom on the  activities that were compulsory in the Czechoslovakia during the  Soviet leadership.  We would talk about activities that are compulsory for students at home and in the school.  Certain books, and music was prohibited too during that period.  I would have student talk about possible reasons that they think this happen.  We would talk about events that happened in the world that students think have had impact on them.  I would have students express their understanding of Peter's life in communist Czechoslovakia the way they feel it in their drawings.

The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sis

In "The Three Golden Keys" Peter takes us with him on a journey to the old city of Prague where he grew up. His hot-air balloon is blown of the course and he lands in Prague. He finds the way to his old home where he sees the old family cat which he follows around the city. The old family home has three rusty padlocks on the door for which he must finds the keys. He follows the family cat through the empty streets to the library, Emperor's garden,  and the famous town-square clock. In each of these old places figures from the past emerge from the wall and unroll a scroll that holds the key and relate to traditional Czech legends of Prince Bruncvik and his magic sword, the Golem and Hanus, the clockmaker.  The three golden keys will unlock the door of his past and secrets of his soul.  Peter Sis is celebrating the cultural heritage of Prague that was reborn after  forty-five years of communist rule.  This picture book created an interest for for  the Eastern block in the  post World War II period of Eastern Europe and their experience with Soviet dominance. It also triggered my interest and desire to explore Prague. I had felt all of sudden desire to follow in the footsteps of author through the pathways of this lovely European city. It made me wonder how the author must have felt for all those years he was not able to visit Prague as he got political asylant. What was his feeling when he visited Prague after so many years when Czech republic was not communist country and under Soviet domination.  I have heard all the best thing of Prague. They call it golden Prague. 
After reading the story I would show children pictures of Prague that I would find online, I would show them atlas of Europe, the way it looks like now and during the Cold war. I would show them some photos that represent Czech republic in general so we can learn about the country.  I would also have students write about the places they  have visited, about countries they would like to visit and  to explain why those in particular.

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

"The Grouchy Ladybug" follows a ladybug through her day providing some humor along with little bit of learning. Ladybug has very negative attitude and is self centered.   She challenges every creature she sees to a fight. When her challenge is accepted she spits : " Oh you are not big enough!" and flies away. As she keeps flying, ladybug encounters bigger animals on her way, until she finally meets a whale who dramatically puts her in her place.  Ladybug asks him if wants to fight but the whale doesn't even notice her and as he slaps his fin he throws the ladybug to her starting point from which she left in the morning.  Grouchy ladybug learns her lesson in life and as she lands on the plant with the ladybug that was polite to her she shows some politeness and appreciation to the other ladybug.
Each page of the picture book shows the trajectory of the son,  as the day goes on, and the small clock with two hands is drawn in the corner of each page to  show the hour that has elapsed.  This story is most likely to appeal to preschooler and early elementary students.  They can benefit from the story  from using it as an exercise in telling time.  The ladybug absurd and arrogant behavior provides humorously dramatic example of how pride can deceive people into acting in self-destructive ways. Young children will enjoy the silliness even if they don't manage to understand the moral message of the story.
The grouchy ladybug made me think of all the selfish people and realize how unhappy they are.
I would have students demonstrate understanding of clocks and tell time to the minute.  We would have a class discussion about  importance of time.  Students would give examples of when it is important to know the time.

All Kinds of Families by Mary Ann Hoberman

In "All Kinds of Families" Mary Ann Hoberman introduces children to the notion of family and tries to show us in her poetry that all the things around us can belong to some sort of family. All sorts of objects from celery stalks to bottle caps, silverware, animals when grouped together in specific relations can form groups of families. It teaches children to see various relationships between objects and animals, its size, color and shape. Children get insight and understanding of their own family and the relationships withing it. As we grow our families grow too.

I would like to use this picture book to introduce children to poetry, different ways of associating things in this world, and to teach them about relationships within the family. I loved the illustrations and the rhyme.  It makes me think about all possible combinations we can make by grouping objects with various criteria in mind.  I would have students ask questions about the family groups Marry Ann Hobberman mentions.  We would discuss characteristic of a family  throughout the reading of the book.  We would then find some things in our classroom  that we could group together to form a family.  I would also have students draw and write about their own families.

Intend to Read List

The following are the children's novels and pictures books that I intend to read:

• Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis

• Mud City by Deborah Ellis  

After reading " The Breadwinner " by Deborah Ellis I got very much interested into destiny and life of the main character, Parvana, her family and friends. I was completely immersed in Afghan society under Taliban rule that I wanted to know much more about the changes that have occurred  in Afghanistan and the changes that are still under way. I wanted to know more about that type of patriarchal society and what were the forces that made such strict rules for women.Not only that. I became curious to learn what happens in one society so that fundamentalism gains control over it.

• "Tales of Wisdom and Wonder" by Hugh Lupton ( author) and Niamh Sharkey ( illustrator)

Last year while I was trying to find various children's books for my daycare children I came across Barefoot  Books publisher. It was a whole new discovery of wonderful selected books with outstanding illustrations that kept attention of my children. I used their sing along books  and after seeing how children loved them I decided to explore other titles from the same publisher. I was always drown by the Old Celtic tales and legends and I thought explorations of old legends and stories from other cultures might bring special charm to the teaching children literature and at the same time expanding their knowledge about far away countries and cultures.

• "The Giving Tree " by Shel Silverstein ( author and illustrator)

 Once I came across the online version of this book and it was very interesting. It told the story of relationship between the child and the tree. I actually never read it fully but I remembered the title of if as something very special for children.

• "The Gigantic Turnip" by Aleksei Tolstoy, Niamh Sharkey ( illustrator). As child, mother read to me short stories by Chekov and I saw a lot of Russian cartoons that were very creative and imaginative, so while I was exploring Barefoot books I came across this Russian children story that I thought would be worth getting to know.

• "Communication" by Aliki ( author and the illustrator)
• "Feelings" by Aliki
• "Manners" by Aliki

When I was listening to the presentation of one group of students on the author study Aliki came to my attention and since then I wanted to explore the works of this children's author. I am curious how did the the authos presented the ideas of communication, nice manners and feeling to children.

• " The Color of My  Words"by  Lynn Joseph

One of the students had to present this children's novel in our class and I am now interested to find out more about it.

• "A Dog's Life" by Ann M. Martin;

After reading "Everything for a Dog"by the same author and getting introduced into the life of its main character stray dog Bony and its sister Squirrel I got interested into reading a book that is dedicated to his sister Squirrel.

• "Gossamer" by Lois Lowry; After reading " The Giver" by the same author I got really interested into Lowry's portrayal of the future societies.  Thrilled by the idea of Giver, special individual who keeps the whole collective memory of the community I wondered about the purpose and character of the Little One from the "Gossamer". I see from the review that the Little One that passes dreams. I wonder in what kind of futuristic society she lives and what are the rules there.
• "Babushka Baba Yaga" by  Patricia Polacco;  I can recall Baba Yaga as some character from the folk and fairy tales I read as a child.  They all have moral lesson. After reading "Babuska's Doll" I got interested into Russian folk tales for children from which Patricia  Polacco gets her inspiration.

• "Tomorrow's Children" by Isaak Asimov; I always loved science fiction as a child. My father was reading short stories by Isaak Asimov, but I was too young to understand them. I did read one short story by Asimov but I cannot remember which one was it. While watching Cosmos documentary series by Carl Sagan, I read his autobiography and found out that it was Isaak Asimov who described  Sagan as one of only two people he ever met whose intellect surpassed his own. If I was to explore science fiction for children then I definitely wanted to read novel by such celebrated author and genius. 

• Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder;  I heard about this novel from a friend. Read the reviews and saw that it is a story of little girl on the quest to get to know history of philosophy. Exploration of philosophy from  the child's perspective immediately caught my attention.
• Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic; I knew that Sarajevo was under siege during the civil war in Bosnia. I knew of suffering people underwent during that siege. I wanted to learn about war that took the best years of young generations that were growing up in the 80s. Three years of war seem short but in real life it feels like eternity. I was lucky not be in Sarajevo during the civil war but would love to read about experiences of its citizens during devastating war in Bosnia.
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. It only seems natural that I was always interested in the history and suffering of  Jewish people in the WWII. My grandmother's family was lucky to survive Bergen Belzen concentration camp in Germany.  A lot of my grandfather's family was killed by the Croatian Ustashas that collaborated with the Nazis in the WWII.
• Built to Last by David Macaulay; One group of students had author representation on this author. Some of the books that they showed in the classroom drew my attention. This book is also recommended on the web site Reading Rockets for parents and teachers in the reading lists under topic Science.
• The Tree is Older Than You Are; Poems and Stories from Mexico by Naomi Shihab Nye
• Is This Forever, or What Poems and Painting from Texas by Naomi Shihab Nye - I went to some of the web site that were dedicated to this author and I listen to few of her poems. It got me very interested in further exploring her work.

• "Actual Size" by Steve Jenkins
• "Never Smile at a Monkey" by Steve Jenkins
• Biggest, Strongest, Fastest" by Steve Jenkins
• "Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution" by Steven Jekins

During one of the presentations in the class I had an opportunity to hear about his book "Actual Size". Then I went and explored his web site and the books he has written.  I like the unusual perspective of his books, the way things are presented and illustrations. I am very eager to read all of his books.

• "The Three Pigs" by David Wiesner

• "Art & Max" by David Wiesner

While I was searching the picture books in Barnes and Noble David Wiesner books cought my attention and I also remember one of the students talking about his works  and lovely illustrations.

• "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. I saw this book at the lectures and saw some students carrying it. I got interested at it also when I saw it on the shelves of Barnes and Noble book store.

 

 

 

The Wall by Peter Sis

The Wall by Peter Sis
interview with Peter Sis about his book Wall, about growing up in communist Czechoslovakia.

http://www.bookexpocast.com/authors-studio/wp-podcasts/SisPodcast.mp3

About Peter Sis

Peter Sis grew up in communist Czechoslovakia in a loving, happy family that encouraged him to draw.  He was formally trained at the Academy of Arts in Prague and Royal College of Art in London. He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a filmmaker. At the age of 30 Sis was sent to the US by his government to produce a film on the 1984 summer Olympics. This trip turned out to be the turning point of his life.  Czechoslovakia along with rest of Eastern bloc decided to boycott the Olympics ending the film project.  Ordered to return home, Sis refused and got a political asylum in the US.

He first worked as a teacher at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.   An art museum director he had met on his film project set up a meeting with Maurice Sendak, the famous author of the “Where the Wild Things Are” Sendak assumed Sis wanted to illustrate for children and he set up and arranged introductions to New York publishers.  In the beginning Sis struggled financially illustrating book covers. His obvious talent landed him jobs with Newsweek and Times magazines. Like many artists, illustrating other authors’ work gave Sis confidence to try writing.  Early books “Fire truck” and “Madlenka” reflect his fascination with his own children and their development.

In an exclusive interview with Reading Rockets (national multimedia project by US Department of Education) Peter Sis talks about his winding path that led him to New York City, his children and his father’s Tibetan journey that all have influenced his work.

When his children were born he thought he needs to leave some legacy or some message to them. So he did book about Prague for his daughter Madeleine called “The Three Golden Keys” so that she knows what her father was alike.   He wrote a book about Galileo “The Starry Messenger”.  He thought he needed to write a book about somebody special to show his son that sometimes life can get very difficult when he has to answer all the questions like Galileo had to answer to cardinals.

When his children grew up a little bit he realized they were not interested in that all. He was trying to observe them and see what they like.  So that is how he wrote little older books for his son, which were about fire trucks that he loved, and bulldozers, ships and dinosaurs. Books like "Ballerina" and the whole series of Madlenka were for little girls, for his daughter.  

Madlenka is a little girl who lives on the bloc in the big city. She meets people in her bloc that are from different countries and cultures. She wants to let them know that he tooth is wiggling.   When the author was growing up, people in Prague did not like to speak to each other because they were afraid to. The political regime and climate was very terrible.

What is unique or captivating about this person’s body of work?

Peter Sis is also the illustrator of his own books.

Peter Sis was  influenced by his father trip to Tibet.  His father was sent to China to make a film about the construction of the road to Tibet.  Father was supposed to come back by the next Christmas but he stayed 19 months.  For Peter it just looked like his father was gone forever.  When he came back he could not really talk about what he really saw in Tibet, about Tibetan Buddhism and Dalai Lama. He was supposed to talk only about working class in China. The only person he could talk with about his adventures was Peter. Inspired by his father trip he wrote  "Tibet trough the Red Box"

In one of his latest books is "The Wall" Peter describes growing up in communist Czechoslovakia, during the cold war.