The Arrival by Shaun Tan [in Bloomsbury Review]
A spectacular book-without-words that traces one family’s immigration story with brilliant imagination. In an unnamed troubled land, a man leaves his wife and young daughter behind in search of freedom in a new country. His adjustments...
A lovingly illustrated poem, which was originally submitted anonymously by an adoptive mother to the
Get ready to weep: Dog’s many lives are beautifully recounted in this gorgeous title about life cycles and reincarnation, based on the Buddhist belief of samsara (also found in Hinduism, Sikhism, and other religions).
Born again and...
Mrs. Ruler finds fun and inventive ways to encourage her kindergarten students to eventually perform 100 random acts of kindness. Is there a better lesson?
Review:
The perfect companion piece to Fast Food Nation, with even gorier details of death and destruction, as well as the most enlightening look at where, when, and how our food gets processed in our overindustrialized food...

"Yes. That is exactly what it is. A book is a device to ignite the imagination,'" says the fictional Queen Elizabeth II when her footman informs her that her reading choice might have been an explosive...
Ruffling Feathers: An Interview with Novelist Sabina Murray
Sabina Murray’s published output over the past five years has been substantial by anyone’s standards: three books, five screenplays, umpteen short stories, and winning the prestigious 2003 PEN/Faulkner Award....
Ideally composed short poems in homage to various yoga poses for the youngest practitioner to recite, enjoy, and practice. Grand fun for yoginis of all ages!
Review: "In Celebration of Asian Pacific American Month: New & Notable...
A delightful double tale about a little girl’s adventures at the zoo, so very cleverly told through black-and-white pages that show one alarming story about the fearful parents searching for their child, and an imaginative parallel...
To cure his grandmother’s “bad case of sadness” one year after his grandfather’s death, young Daysha collects special treasures that bring back the loving experiences and memories of his much-missed grandfather. When he shares the treasures...
Written for an older audience of grade-school children, the recent sequel to Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (February 2006) continues the inspiring story through fabulous photographs that follow the remarkable relationship...
This welcome companion title to Chin-Lee’s
A beautifully illustrated, lullaby-like retelling of baby hippo Owen, who lost his entire family pod in the great tsunami of December 2004, and chose a 130-year-old giant tortoise named Mzee, meaning “old man” in Swahili, to...
The final installment of a highly entertaining trilogy set in the same town, over the same three months, about the same three characters – each with three different perspectives about ‘how I spent my summer vacation.’...
American teenager Sarah would much rather be hanging out with her friends back home in an air-conditioned mall than being stuck with her family vacationing in faraway Indonesia. When the massive tsunami of 2004 hits the...

The multi-millennia-old South Asian discipline gets a hip new twist for a teenage audience, complete with inviting step-by-step drawings of how-tos and must-dos. Makes the perfect no-occasion gift, too.
Review: "In Celebration of Asian Pacific American...
Seattle lifestyle guru Deirdre McIntosh’s life turns upside down when her Live Simple television show is suddenly cancelled, her live-in best friend decides to move in with his new soulmate and her bank account is about...
Even with a protagonist who shares the author's name, as well as various biographical similarities, Mischa Berlinski's first book is indeed a work of fiction: "None of this stuff happened to anyone," he insists in the...