7 Inspiring Picture Books

True life stories can be quite inspiring for the young. And stories set in parts of the world where life is so very different from theirs can be both educational and moving.

While many of these books are a few years old, the message remains relevant and meaningful for kids growing up in today's increasingly global world.


Four Feet, Two Sandals
by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
illustrated by Doug Chayka

Relief workers bring in used clothing and shoes to a refugee camp. Everyone scrambles to get what they need. Ten-year-old Lina is thrilled to find a perfect sandal. However, she is a bit upset when she finds another girl holding the other matching sandal.

Soon Lina befriends the other girl, Feroza, and they decide to take turns to use the pair of sandals.

Warm colors and double page spreads bring the terrain closer to the readers, while the words portray the hope and courage and strength of the refugees around the world who live in constant uncertainty and fear.

Teacher's Guide

[image source: Author Karen Lynn Williams website]



Razia's Ray of Hope
One Gir's Dream of an Education
by Elizabeth Suneby
illustrated by Suana Verelst

Razia Jan, born in Afghanistan, moved to the US when she was a young woman. She worked as a tailor and raised her kid in a small town in MA. When Razia felt the need to connect people from her new home in America with people in Afghanistan, especially after Sept 11, 2001, she looked for ways to make a difference.

She finally left US and went back to Afghanistan where she felt she can make a difference by educating the girls there who are usually sidelined and subjugated. She started the Zabuli Center for Girls in the middle of seven villages that never had a girls' school before.

Gorgeous illustrations transport the reader to the culture and country, while the carefully chosen words explain the complicated nature of relationships and priorities for families in that part of the world. Glossary introduces us to Dari words.

[image source: Author Elizabeth Suneby website]


Malala Yousafzai
Warrior with Words
by Karen Leggett Abouraya
illustrated by L.C.Wheatley

Winner of Nobel Peace prize 2014, Malala is not an unknown figure today. Her belief that every child has a right to education has inspired many children and adults around the world including governments and policy-makers.

To think that a simple act of going to school can be dangerous in some parts of the world was rather unbelievable for my kids when we read this story. And that she would be shot in the head while riding a bus with other kids was even scarier.

The book is a kid-friendly story of her life so far and how she started the Malala Fund to give girls hope for a better life through education. Malala's courage and determination shines through the story.

[image source: amazon.com]



Emmanuel's Dream
The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
by Laurie Ann Thompson
illustrated by Sean Qualls


In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born:
Two bright eyes blinked in the light,
two tiny fists opened and closed,
but only one strong leg kicked.

Born with only one strong leg, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah did not let his disability define him. He cycled an incredible 400 miles across Ghana to spread his message: disability does not mean inability.

After his mom died, Emmanuel came up with a plan. He wrote to the Challenged Athletes Foundation in San Diego, CA, who sent him bike, plus helmet, shorts, socks, and gloves! He went door to door for further support and hired a taxi to follow him with water; he got a camera and had his friends make the video.

Through bustling Accra, over rolling hills, through rain forests and across wide muddy rivers he pedaled on for 10 days, wearing the colors of his country and a shirt printed with the words "The Pozo" or "the disabled person."

He didn't stop there, though. His continued efforts and activism inspired the Ghanian Parliament to pass the Persons with Disability Act which ensures equal rights for all the citizens, disabled or not.

[image source: Author Laurie Thompson website]



One Plastic Bag
Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia
by Miranda Paul
illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

In Njau, Gambia, people simply started trashing the plastic bags, dropping them where they please and going about their way, not paying any heed to the environmental impact of their action. Bags accumulated in ugly heaps, catching water and breeding mosquitoes, strangling gardens and suffocating livestock.

Isatou Cessay could not sit by and watch this. She decided to do something about it. She collected these discarded plastic bags, recycled them into beautiful utilitarian purses. Soon other women joined in and she showed them how to make purses, which they then sold for a fair dalasi. Soon, she had made enough money to buy a goat for their family.

One day the rubbish will be gone and my home will be beautiful, thinks Isatou...

[image source: Author Miranda Paul website]



One Hen
How One Small Loan made a Big Difference
by Katie Smith Milway
illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

When kids ask how can one little thing make any difference, this is the story that can inspire them about how a small help can make a huge difference in someone's life.

Set in Ghana, the story is about how Kojo, a microentrepreneur, takes the small loan of one hen and ends up building a poultry farm. Based on a real person, Kwabena Darko, who changed his community and is helping others do the same, this is a story as much about perseverance and determination as it is about generosity and resourcefulness.

Beatrice's Goat by Page McBrier and Lori Lohstoeter is a similar story where Beatrice receives a goat, Mugisa, as a present, much like Heifer  Project International has been doing. Milk from the goat helps the poor family of six hope for a better life. And eventually, it even allows Beatrice to go to school as she dreamed.

OneHen.org, a non-profit empowers children to become social entrepreneurs to make a difference in the world.

[image source: One Hen Inc.,]



The Red Bicycle
The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle
by Jude Isabella
illustrated by Simone Shin

Bicycle can be the best mode of transportation in many parts of the world where unpaved roads and rough terrain discourage motorized transportation between remote villages. Bringing crops and goods to market is made easier with just pedal power.

When Leo in North America outgrows his bike, he wants it to be something more than just a pile of metal tossed in a junkyard. When he talks to his bike shop owner, he learns of an organization that collects used but good bicycles, fixes them up and sends them across the world to those who cannot afford one or have access to one but certainly need one for local transportation.

Thus begins the journey of "Big Red", Leo's bicylce, which ends up with Alisetta in Burkina Faso where she puts it to good use hauling goods to the market and watching over her family's sorghum field. When Big Red's spokes break and Alisetta knows not what to do with it, along comes Boukary who can fix anything. Can he squeeze yet another use out of Big Red? Of course!

Boukary attaches a trailer to the bicycle and it becomes a makeshift ambulance with a stretcher and belt for keeping patients safe when transporting them to the nearest clinic. Haridata loads the medical bags, water, blanket on La Grand Rouge as she calls the bike, and rides ready in case she runs into someone needing medical aid.

Back of the book has information section titled, What You Can Do To Help.

[image source: Author Jude Isabella website]

Kids Craft: Recycled Hand-made Paper

Junk mail, envelopes, ripped wrapping paper & tissue paper, paper bits from complex-cutting exercises in school, copy paper/print-outs, art work papers that are gladly recycled as it was just exploration and the end-product doesn't make it to the memory box... all are fair game to be reused/recycled to make hand-made paper in our house.

A quick search on the web would provide the details and variations for making handmade paper at home. But, the basic idea, as explained to her dad by my five-year-old, is:

• First we rip old paper into tiny bits so we can make new pretty paper
• Then, we put the bits and water into the noisy mixie that Amma uses for making my smoothies
• Then, we pour the oatmeal from the mixie into this round or square thing
• It sits on top of the water in the tray, and Amma shakes it for a bit
• Then she takes it out and presses it to squeeze out water
• Then, she puts it on top of a pile of towels and felt and rolls the rolling pin
• Now we have the new paper, which is still wet; so, we leave it out for drying

The not-so-easy part about this process, for me at least, was to get the molds ready as suggested on the web. Size of the hand-made paper and its shape depends on the mold, naturally. And typically, a 5x7 or 8x10 old photo frame fitted with tulle or window screen seems like the standard approach.

I was looking for ways to use things I already have at home. Rather than stapling/gluing a piece of window screen to de-glassed old photo frame, a simple kitchen sieve along with gripper sheets cut to required size seemed to be a great alternative, for me at least, so far. And, a roasting pan becomes the water-tray for pouring and agitating the pulp to form the handmade paper.



When Ana got her own paper-making kit from Santa last Christmas, we had a nice little wooden frame and tray that works well for small hands. Of course, the quality of the kit was rather inferior, as after the first few batches, the wooden frame started falling apart and the screen started fraying leading to agonies when we had to peel the wet paper off the screen to roll out for drying.



Things I found useful:

• Roughly measure the packed bits of paper, by volume, and add about 3 to 4 times the amount of water to make the pulp; too thick or too watery pulp naturally affects the finished paper
• Allow the bits of paper to soak in the water before whipping to pulp
• Sort papers by color for ripping and mushing them to pulp to create finished papers with distinct colors; else, it seems too muddled and "dirty", as Ana puts it
• Place the frame in the water-tray preferably close to the top so the pulp floats; gently agitate to spread the pulp evenly - more pulp within the same mold results in thicker paper, naturally, but, too little pulp results in ripped 'hole-y' paper that is hard to take out and dry; I played with it a bit till I can just eyeball and adjust the amount of pulp needed
• If using only white papers, can add a bit of food color or paint to tint the handmade paper
• Can work in some glitter or pressed flowers or fresh herbs. I like to use rosemary, fennel, oregano and especially lavender leaves from our home-garden
• Can stir in some hardy flower seeds to make it into a handmade seed-paper and send it to friends with planting instructions
• Place the freshly squeezed hand-made paper from the mold between sheets of felt fabric placed on top of folded towels and roll with rolling pin to press out as much water as possible; this worked well as the wet hand-made paper peels off felt fabric very easily
• If we can get it dry enough, can pick up the wet paper by the corners and hang them up for drying on a clothesline, securing the corners with clothespin
• Add in small amounts of lint from the dryer, pieces of string, bits of colored paper etc. for an interesting finish
• Sift through the web for other ideas; and keep experimenting with tools and technique for various textures and smoother finish

It is a labor of love. Each sheet of hand-made paper is processed one at a time, so, assembly-line precision is hard to achieve. Which is what adds to the beauty of each sheet, I think :) On a good day, without Ana's "help", I can make about 6 sheets of paper within half-an-hour to 45 minutes and let them dry overnight by the heating vent.

When D came back from Bhutan with pictures of handmade paper-making process there at the Institute of Zorig Chusum, as well as a small gift package of handmade paper for me, I was smitten.

I know this is more of an indulgence... in today's busy life, it is just as easy to send our papers to the Recycling Center and go out and get hand-made paper from the store to satisfy our art/craft purposes... and we still do that, and don't think there is anything wrong with that.

But, the satisfaction of making a few, and sending it to friends with whom I share similar fondness for paper products and crafts, and showing my daughter hands-on how the slogan Reduce-Reuse-Recycle can be adopted in our daily lives, seems to make it worthwhile.

Of course, Ana is not quite at the stage where she can complete the whole process of paper-making independently, but, I like that she likes to help: rip paper to bits, pour the pulp onto the frame, roll the rolling pin briefly... she seems to get the general picture of the process.

And, this lead to discussions about other ways of making paper - especially the papers we use in the first place to make these hand-made ones :)

Now, we have a dedicated little carton into which she stows away paper she wants to recycle and remake into handmade paper. And, she thinks twice about doodling in her art notebook or easel paper - choosing to use the whiteboard rather than "wasting" paper. So, between this and the compost habit, she seems to be on the right path to taking care of Mother Earth.



Some uses we've put these papers to:

• Send seed-paper cards as Spring greetings to friends and family
• Embellish with buttons, raffia, even simple embroidery and turn them into unique greeting cards or works of art
• Use some for interesting cut-paper and torn-paper collage, painting/coloring them as needed for the project.

The Great Kapok Tree

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
by Lynne Cherry

I picked up this book from the library recently, not knowing much about it. Reading it has turned out to be quite a beautiful experience for me and Ana.

The story opens with the lively sounds of howler monkeys and macaws in the Amazon Rain Forest suddenly hushed by the appearance of two men. One of them points to a tree and walks away, leaving the other man striding purposefully, axe in hand, towards the indicated tree. A Kapok Tree. An ancient, enormous Kapok Tree.

Feeling a little tired after the first few whacks with his axe, the man lays down to rest under this very same Kapok tree, and is lulled into sleep by the heat and hum of the rain forest.

One by one, the amazing animals of the rain forest pay him a visit and whisper their plea in his ear, becoming a spokesperson for the tree, and in turn their forest.

A boa slithers down and hisses in his ear: Senhor*... this is my home... generations of my ancestors have lived here... do not chop it down.

Similarly a bee, a toucan, a macaw, a cock-of-the-rock, a green tree frog, a troupe of monkeys, tree porcupines, anteaters, three-toed sloth, even a jaguar, all take their turn to urge the man to look at the kapok tree with a fresh perspective.

The unstriped anteater asks: Senhor... surely you know that what you do today changes what happens tomorrow... children of tomorrow would have to live in a world without trees.

Tree porcupines reminds him: Senhor, what do we all need in order to live? Oxygen. And, Senhor, what do trees produce? Oxygen! Would you chop down and destroy that which gives us all life.

The three-toed sloth asks: Senhor, what is life without beauty? If the beauty of the rain forest is gone, what would you feast your eyes on?

Finally, a Yanomamo child of the rain forest pleads: When you wake up, please look upon us with new eyes.

The man wakes up with a start to see these marvelous animals staring at him. Animals that depend on this Kapok tree, an integral part of the rain forest. And what wondrous and rare animals they were!

Needless to say, he drops his axe and walks away, leaving the animals safe in their habitat.

The illustrations by Lynne Cherry are superbly lush, colorful and magical. They capture the verdant beauty of the rain forest - dense and luxurious, teeming with wildlife big and small. Each page shows an array of indigenous animals in their habitat - being where they need to be, doing what they are designed to do.

For the last one week, Ana has requested this book once every night. She listens to the plea/warning from each animal, telling me in her own way, why it would be sad if the man cut the tree down. She excitedly identifies the rain forest animals in each page, from the gorgeous and elusive blue Morpho butterflies she encountered in Over In The Jungle to the slow-and-sluggish sloths. I didn't know a toucan from macaw from cock-of-the-rock at her age, but, am glad she does. Best part of the book according to this soon-to-be-five-year-old? When the man throws his axe down and walks away without cutting the tree!

The text is very direct yet simple. And, thanks to The Magic Tree House #6 Afternoon At The Amazon that we read a while back, we learnt about the layers of the rain forest - forest floor, understory, canopy and the emergent layer. And, it was interesting to note the order in which the animals stopped by to talk to the slumbering man, starting from the bottom-most layer to the top.

There are many things to talk about in this book, and as the kids grow, I hope to revisit this book periodically and see what we can add to our experience. There are always two sides to every issue and it would be interesting to see if they can understand why trees get cut and what we do with them... non-replenishable resources vs. renewable and alternative solutions... Lots to talk about. In good time.

The map at the front and back shows the rain forest regions of the world, indicating original extent and the depletion when this book was published in 1990. This gave a great perspective for Ana. She wondered how long it took for the rain forest to become smaller as shown, and how did they know how big it was in the first place, and did the rain forest shrink only because the trees were cut down? Also, she was able to see rain forests lined up along the Equator (middle, as she put it) and that led to a whole different set of topics to introduce and discuss. Plus, on the border of these maps are pictures of the rain forest animals with their names that makes it interesting to look back and spot them in the other pages.

As a fledgling parent, I try to temper my passion to create awareness about issues with age-appropriateness. I want to take my kids to exotic places, show them what a beautiful world we live in. And, at the same time, help them realize what it takes to preserve, protect, and promote what we have. Lynne Cherry's classic book makes it easy for me to present at least a few of these issues in a child-friendly way, with irresistible visual appeal.

*Brazilian spelling senhor has been used as this story is about the Amazon rain forest. (Also, the text from the book is paraphrased here to preserve copyright. The original text in the book is superbly crisp and evocative).

The book is dedicated to Chico Mendes, who gave his life to preserve a part of the rainforest.




[This post written for Saffron Tree]

Carbon neutral blogging

As we drive around getting to places we need to be, doing the things that need to be done, and making the best of our time and energy, it does seem hard to look at the big picture at times... and, every once in a while, we do what we can so our children need not grow up in a world that gets progressively hostile, stifling their existence, making even the basic function tedious...

Towards that end, we make small positive changes in our lives today, hoping the Snowball effect or the Butterfly effect will take care of making it better for our children.

Well, rather than rambling about it, here is one step which seems easy to do, thanks to an initiative by kaufDA. In their own words:

Our goal is to contribute our part in reducing the carbon footprint by raising awareness of the severe environmental damage caused by carbon emissions. One of our activities is to raise awareness of the carbon emissions resulting from the use of the internet - specifically of blogs. A blog with 15,000 visits a month has a yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 8lb. To neutralise these emissions we have created "My blog is carbon neutral" buttons so bloggers can demonstrate that they care about the environment and the carbon footprint of their blogs. We present them a small but nontheless worthy solution to contribute to environmental issues. Our idea is to show possibilities to make a contribution to protect the environment.

To find out how you can participate please visit http://www.kaufda.de/umwelt/carbon-neutral/how-you-can-join

And how do we actually neutralize your blog's carbon footprint? We are planting trees in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation in Plumas National Forest in Northern California for our project to neutralize the carbon footprint of blogs. Thousands of wildfires burned down many national forests over the past ten years and 88.000 acres of Plumas' were destroyed by two fires in 2007. To help replanting we need the support of bloggers all over the world! For every participating blog we plant a tree. One blog - one tree.

Why do we do this? We are a German based company called kaufDA, which provides advertisement brochures of local stores online to help consumers search for specific products and find good deals in their neighborhood. This reduces the amount of brochures printed and so the project helps the environment by reducing unnecessary paper in mailboxes. An American on average receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year. This has the same carbon footprint as burning six gallons of gasoline.

We'd be glad to plant your tree! Help us and show that you care! Every tree counts!