THE HERD BOY and IBBY’s list of Best International Books

The Herd Boy

 

THE HERD BOY

We all have impossible dreams.  For some, dreams are more impossible than for others. For some, they make those dreams come true.  The Herd Boy dreams about being President of his African country.  Such foolishness!

In writing the story of THE HERD BOY  Niki Daly slowly and delightfully introduces the reader to rural life in South Africa.  His illustrations are filled with details that transport the reader across oceans and show the beauty in both the land and the people. For the Herd Boy there are snakes to avoid, soccer to play, goats to watch, even baboons to fight – all this in a rich landscape.  This story could have been the story of South Africa’s former President, Nelson Mandela, who was in fact a herd boy as a youngster.

Published by Eerdmans, 2012

IBBY / USBBY provides an excellent source of international books – an international celebration of diversity.  Each year USBBY, United States Board on Books for Young People, publishes an annotated list of their top choices.  The books are divided into reading levels from Kindergarten through Young Adult. The variety is as amazing as the diversity of authors, illustrators and publishers.  Visit www.usbby.org or www.usbby.org/list_oibl.html

One of my favorites from the 2012 list is I AM DIFFERENT! CAN YOU FIND ME? written by Manjula Padmanabhan, novelist/playwright/ cartoonist with a playful sense of story.   Published in the US by Charlesbridge.

I am different

Global Fund for Children works with Charlesbridge publishers to develop books that celebrate diversity.  I AM DIFFERENT becomes a game of hide-and-seek as the reader looks for the object on the page that is different from all the others.  Each puzzle is a mini-language lesson – how to say “Can you find me?” in 16 different languages, including Cree, Hebrew, Hawaiian, Arabic and American Sign Language.  Listen as staff members of the Global Fund for Children read in several of the 16 languages.   I AM DIFFERENT, CAN YOU FIND ME? is published in the US by Charlesbridge.

Global Fund for Children  Charlesbridge

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