Picture Books are for all children!  

In this blog, Donna will highlight great picture books old and new.

Noor and Bobby by Praline Gay-Para, Illustrations by Lauranne Quentric
(ages 4-7)
Translated from French by Alyson Waters
Library catalog: Print
Libby: ebook

What immediately grabbed my attention was the sweet illustration of a boy holding a dog on the cover. This illustration is simplistic in nature, but the story it tells is multi-layered. There are certain subjects that are hard to discuss with younger children and that is exactly why we need books like Noor and Bobby.

The author never uses the word war in the story, but the reader will realize that something is not right in Noor’s city. “One by one the neighbors have left.” Noor looks forward to seeing the lady who lives on the 6th floor take her dog for a walk each day. One morning though, the lady gets into a taxi and leaves the dog behind. Noor has affectionately named the dog Bobby. Bobby chases after the taxi and Noor yells after him.

On his quest to find his friend, Noor helps a trapped bird and a mama cat who just had a litter of kittens. When Noor finally finds Bobby he tells him, “When we manage to leave the city, we’ll leave together and stay friends forever!” The illustrator uses paper collage for this story in muted colors; keeping the focus on Noor and the story. Through this tale, the reader will learn there can be hope and optimism even in the darkest days.

Yonder is an imprint from Restless Books devoted to bringing the wealth of great stories from around the globe to English-reading children, middle graders, and young adults. Books from other countries, cultures, viewpoints, and storytelling traditions can open up a universe of possibility, and the wider our view, the more powerfully books enrich and expand us. In an increasingly complex, globalized world, stories are potent vehicles of empathy. We believe it is essential to teach out kids to place themselves in the shoes of others beyond their communities, and instill in them a lifelong curiosity about the world and their place in it. Through publishing a diverse array of transporting stories, Yonder nurtures the next generation of savvy global citizens and lifelong learners.

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