This is the third in a series of four posts with which we ask you to join us in celebrating World Kid Lit Month (#WorldKidLit on social media).
As we continue our month-long celebration of international kids’ publishers and some of their newest books, we find the Northern Hemisphere overflowing with delights to discover. We’ve already noted quite a few in our tours of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Ready for more?
Scotland’s Floris Books offers a bounty that includes board books, picture books, middle grade series and stand-alones, and some young adult titles, too. In addition to publishing Scottish authors and British illustrators, they also bring English language readers Swedish children’s book great Elsa Beskow, and the Netherlands’ Gerda Muller. Among the newest of their Scottish novels for kids is Victoria Williamson’s The Boy with the Butterfly Mind. The Book Trust, dedicated to “Getting children reading,” praises this one as a “compelling and affecting book about acceptance, openness, mental health and the intricacy of family dynamics.”
Another much praised British publisher is Child’s Play Books. Among their board books, picture books, and sing-along titles, inclusiveness rules! You’ve probably met Clive and Rosa, a pair of toddlers each with their own series in which they pursue both gender-neutral and gender-nonconforming activities. New in the picture book category this fall is Where Did You Go Today?, written and illustrated by Jenny Duke. No matter your family’s construction, you and your young reader will find plenty to share with the child’s eye view of a day spent outdoors. Note, too, that Child’s Play makes some of its titles available in American Sign Language.
What On Earth Books increases its reputation both in Britain and North America with its nonfiction explorations of the natural and historical worlds. Whether you have space for a Wallbook with its giant timeline, or want to discover a corner of the natural world in the depth and breadth their Explorers series offers, you’ll want to save time and attention for the new picture books, too, like this one about how different animals’ optical worlds vary:
Kube Publishing provides us with English language children’s books reflecting Islamic and Muslim experiences. You can find books for babies, for picture book readers, and older fiction and nonfiction here. Instead of reflecting the point of view of an outsider in the West, Kube’s books place Islamic culture and faith at the center while also making the stories carried in the books accessible to other readers. The I Say series, for ages infant to 4, provides opportunities imagined by storyteller Noor H. Dee, with colorful and cartoony illustrations by Iput to learn “words that are loved by Allah and give your good manners a boost.”
Moving west across the Northern Hemisphere, Tiger Tales Books provides picture books aplenty for the young and a nonfiction imprint, 360 Degrees, for somewhat older children. Board books provide ways to share concepts, traditional rhymes, and seasonal moments. A brand new picture book, Bedtime for Baby Sloth, by Danielle McLean and illustrated lovingly by Sarah Ward, offers a story both adult caregivers and little ones can appreciate while also providing lots to seek and find on every page.
Also published in the United States, by Tilbury House, Miss Pinkeltink’s Purse by Patty Brozo and with engaging and brightly colored illustrations by Ana Ochoa, offers picture book readers the opportunity to discover how a community works together to support a member who needs extra help. Respectful, insightful, and inspiring, this one earned commendation from the National Council for the Social Studies on their 2019 list of best trade books for young people.
So many books arriving from the Northern Hemisphere! Fortunately, there are lots of worldwide readers to enjoy finding them.