Petra by Marianna Coppo

In her first person narrative Petra speaks directly to the reader about her life, feelings, expectations, and reactions. 

"Nothing can move me. Not the wind. Not time. I don't go anywhere. Everyone comes to me."

Petra herself is a huge image on the page. She looks like a large rock, even a boulder and her size is confirmed when she tells us she is fearsome, fearless, mighty and magnificent. She is a mountain!

BUT then we turn the page and discover the truth! Petra is really only huge in her own mind. She is actually the size of a pebble. She is picked up by a dog, then kicked into a bird nest but nothing can crush the spirit of Petra. In the nest she imagines hatching into a dragon or a tuxedo wearing penguin. Her words are so optimistic and upbeat "Whatever I become, I'm bound to be amazing!"

Then the bird kicks Petra out of the nest.  Her adventures continue. Eventually she is picked up by a young rock collector who takes her home where she is given a totally new identity.

Petra was originally published in Italian. You can see the whole book here.

Here are two recent books by Marianna Coppo:

The most beautiful village in the world by Yutaka Kobayashi translated by Mariko Shii Gharbi

The village people of Paghman in Afghanistan grow beautiful produce - plums, pears, pistachios, and cherries. In summer after the harvest Yamo's father takes his sweet fruit to the market. Usually it is older brother Haroon who accompanies his father but this year Haroon is not here.

"There is a war in Yamo's country. And his brother is a soldier."

When Yamo, his father and Pompa the donkey arrive at the market they set up a stall. His father will sell the plums and he tells Yamo to walk around the town to sell the cherries.  Yamo has been practising his call "Cherries here! Sweet little suns! Cherries from Paghman!" At first no one seem interested but finally a little girl buys some and from then on the cherries sell quickly. When all of the cherries are sold. Yamo races back to tell his father. They enjoy a bite of lunch and then work hard to sell the rest of the plums. On the way home his father tells Yamo he has a surprise gift. It is a pure white lamb.

"It will be the first sheep his family has ever owned."

So far this sounds like a book you could share with a younger child aged 7+ but the words on the next page suggest this book is better suited to an older primary group:

"In the winter, the village was destroyed in the war. It no longer exists."

The most beautiful village in the world is the first book in a series of three - the series is called Yamo's Village. 

This unusual picture book gives child readers a glimpse into life in Afghanistan, specifically the village of Paghman. Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

I suggest trying to find all three books. Here is the Kirkus Star review of Return to the most beautiful village in the world.

Yutaka Kobayashi from Japan is a "frequent visitor to the Islamic countries of Asia and the Middle East ... and the main themes of his words reflect these visits."  Dust jacket burb.

The most beautiful village in the world is a truly international book - Japanese author, set in Afghanistan, and the English edition is published in New York.

Here is the Japanese title:   せかいいちうつくしいぼくの村

The right place by Beatrice Masini illustrated by Simona Mulazzai

There are so many picture books about the search for the perfect home. Each of them involve a journey, usually through a forest, asking others for help. In this version Squirrel is not happy with his old hole. 

Woodpecker, where do you think the right place is?

Turtle, where do you think the right place is?

Bird, where do you think the right place is?

Mole, where do you think the right place is?

Owl, where do you think the right place is?

So where is the right place? Of course it is a place you share with all your friends, a place for the whole community and a place that meets everyone's needs perfectly.

The right place was originally published in Italy with the title Il posto giusto. On the Barefoot site you can see more pages from this book. I need to also mention the end papers which would make perfect conversation starters with your young reading companion. Each of the circle illustrations on the end papers link with a page of the story. The clothes worn by the forest animals are also quirky and fun. Mrs Mole has such a pretty apron and Mrs Owl has a sparkling string of pearls.

I'm sure you have heard of Barefoot Books. I really like their philosophy:

"At Barefoot Books, we celebrate art and story that opens the hearts and minds of children from all walks of life, focusing on themes that encourage independence of spirit, enthusiasm for learning and respect for the world's diversity."

Take a look at some art by Simona Mulazzani.

I would pair this book with these:

No place like home

A home full of friends

The Lost Star by Przemystaw Wechterowicz illustrated by Marcin Minor translated by Margot Channing

"Doormouse couldn't believe his eyes - it was a star! A real golden star that must have fallen from the sky. He smiled and whispered 'Hello', as he reached out to touch the star. Star looked up, twinkled and smiled back."

Doormouse invites Star to come and play. The new friends dance into the forest but Doormouse notices Star is fading. It is time for Star to return home but how can the animals of the forest help? Bear takes Star to the top of a tall tree. Crow flies with Star up high into the sky. Nothing works. Then the wise owl suggests the take Star to the lake.

"Suddenly the moon came out, lighting up the night-time sky ... The surface of the lake was now filled with the reflection of the sky above - it was star-studded!"

There are lots of books about finding stars and later returning them to the night sky but The Lost Star stands out because it has such luminous illustrations and a gentle, affirming ending.

Filled with atmospheric illustrations and soothing, dreamlike text, this heartwarming picture book will enchant children. Book Depository

Przemystaw Wechterowicz is the author of over forty books and his work has been translated into twenty languages.   Here is the cover of the Polish edition of this book:

I am including photos of Przemystaw and Marcin (illustrator).

I have previously talked about two other books by Polish author Przemystaw Wechterowicz - Hug me Please! and The secret life of a Tiger.

Other books about finding a star:

The Bear and the Moon by Matthew Burgess illustrated by Cátia Chien

 

Bear wakes from his long winter sleep and finds a red balloon.

"It was red as a berry and round like the moon with a long silver string drifting brightly in the breeze"

The little bear wants to play with this bright red thing. The balloon and the bear romp through the forest all day and into the night. 

"And when evening became night it glowed softly in the moonlight."

The bear takes his new friend on a tour of his world - the trees, hills, waterfall and grasses. Bear loves the balloon so he reaches out to give it a hug and ... uh-oh!

Bear tries to fix the balloon "but nothing bought it back."

With a heavy heart he sits down and looks up at the sky. The full moon rises over the lake and "gently stroked his fur." Bear is comforted.

"Good bear. Kind bear. Don't worry bear."

The emotional arc of this story is just perfect and the illustrations are enchanting. One of my passions is the importance of providing young readers with picture books filled with wonderful art. The Bear and the Moon is almost tactile. Cátia Chien is originally from Brazil she now lives in New York.  

In this video Matthew Burgess talks about his book. And here is his web site. When you find this book be sure to look under the dust jacket - there is a surprise! Oh and the end papers are perfect too! In this video Cátia talks about her processes and Matthew shares some pages.

As delightful as a balloon—but with more weight. Kirkus Star Review

With simple, gentle, poetic text, Burgess conjures experiences and emotions that the littlest listeners will connect with, also showing how to cope with difficult feelings, especially loss and guilt. Chien's illustrations capture the swell of emotions, pairing them perfectly with the natural world. Books4YourKids

Here are two more books by Matthew Burgess:

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

Twins Ned and Tam decide to build a raft and head down the river to the sea. The boys are only seven years old and within minutes of the launch their raft disintegrates. Their father jumps into the river but only one twin can be saved.  The boys' mother is known as Sister Witch. She is the village healer but Tam is dead and that cannot be reversed. Hidden under the house is a jar of magic. Sister Witch does not want both of her sons to die so she invokes the magic and captures the spirit of Tam, stitching into Ned.

Ned survives the accident but he is deeply changed. He can no longer make sense of letters and writing and he suffers with a dreadful stutter. 

The family live in a small remote village located near a huge forest. People in the village believe there is nothing on the other side of the forest and that inside the forest itself there are dangerous monsters. No one dares to go there.

Meanwhile Aine and her father have moved into a remote part of this same forest. They have journeyed from the other side. Aine's mother has recently died. Her father has become almost a stranger. He wears a carved stone necklace and he is now a bandit with a huge gang of thieves under his command. Aine's father calls himself the Bandit King.

Now we need the prophecy - words uttered by Aine's dying mother:

"The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his. And the wolf ..."

Reading a book like The Witch's Boy I just marvel at the imagination of a writer like Kelly Barnhill. My description of the plot so far only explains one of several story threads.  Click these review quotes to read more plot details then go out and find this book today! I highly recommend The Witch's Boy for all keen readers aged 10+.

Here is the alternate cover by Jon Klassen:

The classic fantasy elements are all there, richly re-imagined, with a vivid setting, a page-turning adventure of a plot, and compelling, timeless themes. Kirkus star review

My students and I look to books to escape. We also look to books to entertain us, to keep us company, to make us laugh, to make us cry. We look to books to teach us empathy. We look to books to see others. We look to books to see ourselves. The Witch’s Boy does all of that and more. Ned and Áine’s story will be one that you will return to again and again. This is a book to treasure. Nerdy Book Club

The setting is exceptional: lush descriptions are flawlessly integrated, conveying a deep understanding of the natural world and the people, flawed and complex, who populate it.  Bulletin of the Centre for Children's Books

In 2017 I read and loved The Girl who Drank the Moon also by Kelly Barnhill so I was excited to read The Witch's Boy which is another utterly engrossing story with an absolutely perfect ending.

Where do we go when we disappear? by Isabel Minhos Martins illustrated by Madalena Matoso

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this book:

"Socks, for example. Where do they go when they disappear? They might go to the dark world under the bed or far away down the back of the sofa. But quite often they disappear completely. If one day we find them again, we might discover they've been to amazing places!"

"And the sun? The sun doesn't go anywhere ... but we do. We spin around on the earth and come back messy and half asleep. We say, without thinking, 'Oh look, the sun is rising'. But to the sun it's us that disappears and then rises again."

This is a book to share with a young child. Yes it is about our mortality but it is all done with a very light touch and brightly coloured, very different illustrations. There are deep questions here but also funny ones, like lost socks, and sure there are no easy answers but this book completely affirms our need to ask the hard questions.

This book subtly approaches the subjects of absence, disappearing and death. It won’t give you answers set in stone, instead it will let your imagination fly, making this subject a bit lighter to approach (even if just for a moment). Planet Tangerina

Striking block colour illustrations by Madalena Matoso are hip and modern yet whimsically retro. They are simple yet drenched in meaning--and absolutely give this text its perfect backdrop. Kids Boook Review

A wise, disarmingly simple rumination on the idea that disappearance is really only change. Kirkus Star

This book was originally published in Portuguese with the title Para onde vamos quando desaparecemos?

See some other books illustrated by Madalena Matoso. Here are two more recent books by Isabel Minhos Martins:

Here is a Pinterest of books about death and grief.You could pair Where do we go when we disappear? with this book (new cover and older cover)