I
have – without exception – enjoyed every title I have read on this journey, but
here are ten that really wowed me.
1.
ARGENTINA
Petit, the Monster by Isol,
translated from the Spanish by Elisa Amado (Groundwood Books, 2010)
Petit
is bad when he tells a lie, but good at telling stories. Simple on the surface,
this story explores a topic that is difficult to grasp for us all: What is good
and what is bad and how do we learn to distinguish the two when there is so
much complexity? The quirky illustrations by Isol, 2013 recipient of the Astrid
Lindgren Memorial Award, carry an impressive range of emotion.
2.
BELGIUM
Maia and What Matters by Tine
Mortier, illustrated by Kaatje Vermeire, translated from the Flemish by David
Colmer (Book Island, 2013)
Maia
and her Grandma are kindred spirits. They love to run, tell each other stories,
and eat biscuits, sweets and cake. Then Grandma suffers a stroke. Despite its
dark theme, this is a beautiful story about a young girl adapting to changing
circumstances and finding a new way to show her love for her grandmother. Kaatje
Vermeire’s detailed illustrations, in soft shades with pops of cherry red, are
exquisite.
3.
NIGERIA
Chicken in the Kitchen, by Nnedi
Okorafor, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini (Lantana Publishing, 2015)
Anyaugo
discovers a huge chicken in the kitchen about to spoil the food for the New Yam
festival. And, to make matters worse, there’s a mischievous Wood Wit intent on
manipulating the action! Chicken in the
Kitchen brims with energy and humour, and the illustrations by
Iranian-British illustrator Mehrdokht Amini are both stunning and unusual. A
brilliant cross-cultural collaboration.
4.
SOUTH KOREA
Pool by JiHyeon Lee (Chronicle
Books, 2015)
A
young boy stands on a poolside, then dives in, plunging below the boisterous
crowd on the surface. There, he meets a young girl and together they explore an
underwater kingdom. JiHyeon Lee plays with contrasts and a muted palette to
create a wordless picture book of great depth. A beautiful tribute to
friendship and the power of the imagination.
5.
HAITI
Eight
Days: A Story of Haiti by
Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Alix Delinois (Scholastic/Orchard Books, 2010)
This
fictional account is set in the aftermath of the giant earthquake that
devastated Haiti in 2010. Junior is pulled from the rubble and tells the
waiting press how he resorted to his imagination to survive his ordeal. The
pages are alive with colour and energy as Junior flies kites, plays marbles and
sings a solo in the choir. Sadness creeps in, but the overarching message is
one of positivity and hope for the future.
Puteri
Tioman: The Green Turtle
by Rossiti Aishah Rashidi, illustrated by Farrah Ashiela Samsuri (Oyez!Books,
2011)
Puteri
Tioman is a green turtle returning to Tioman Island off the coast of Malaysia
to lay her eggs. A beautifully illustrated non-fiction title about the
lifecycle of a green turtle and the dangers she faces at every stage of her
journey. Rossiti Aishah Rashidi
weaves a wealth of factual information into the story and urges readers to act
now to save the turtle’s habitat.
7.
IRAN
When I Coloured in the World by
Ahmadreza Ahmadi, illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi, translated from the Persian by
Azita Rassi (Tiny Owl Publishing, 2015)
A
child sets about transforming the world with a simple box of crayons, an eraser
. . . and a healthy dose of imagination and creativity. In a story that
combines vibrant illustrations and simple poetic text, boredom becomes children playing
under a blue sky; drought becomes big
silver drops of rain and beautiful
umbrellas; hunger is transformed into
a lush green field of wheat. This is
an uplifting book, full of hope, joy, beauty and peace.
8.
LATVIA
The Noisy Classroom by Ieva Flamingo, illustrated by Vivianna
Maria Staņislavska, translated from the Latvian by Žanete Vēvere Pasqualini,
Sara Smith and Richard O’Brien (The Emma Press, 2017)
Modern
technology, loneliness, the demands of school life – these are just some of the
themes explored in this thought-provoking collection of 40 short, illustrated
poems. Stunning illustrations in just three colours reflect the chaos, noise
and movement of the school environment, as well as the more introspective
themes. The perfect poetry companion!
9.
PORTUGAL
Don’t Cross the Line by Isabel
Minhós Martins, illustrated by Bernardo P. Carvalho, translated from the
Portuguese by Daniel Hahn (Gecko Press, 2016)
A
colourful crowd of people build up on the left-hand page of this picture book
as a guard under orders forbids them to cross the line (the gutter of the
book). Then, a red ball bounces over into the right-hand page and soon everyone
follows . . . but the General is not happy on his return. A unique design and insightful
portrayal of people’s responses to authority.
10. ---
I
know I promised ten – I haven’t run out of steam! Number 10 is for you. Which
world picture book would be on your list? Maybe you happened on a picture book
in translation in your local bookstore or library, or brought one home from
your travels. Perhaps a review caught your eye and tempted you to buy a recent international
release. Do share your pick in the comments. How fabulous would it be to
compile another list of titles on Kids’ Book Review?
