For the past couple of years I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing some incredibly well thought out and beautifully produced books. Multicultural in nature with a window to the world of global wisdom, Wisdom Tales Press sends an invitation to us all to explore and discover our world.
From its inception, Wisdom Tales Press jumped on board the Multi-cultural Children’s Book Day celebration by not only being our first platinum sponsor, but continuing to support and celebrate with us the beauty and diversity on this planet by being a platinum sponsor every single year.
Thank you Wisdom Tales Press for all your inspirations!
Here’s a round-up of Jump Into a Books past Wisdom Tales book reviews and with complimenting book extension activities.
Whispers of the Wolf is a beautifully illustrated story for children ages 5 and older. Set among the Pueblo Indians before their contact with Europeans, it tells the story of a young Pueblo boy named Two Birds, coming to know himself through the friendship he has with a small wolf pup that he found while out hunting and gathering herbs with his grandfather. Two Birds who before the wolf pup entered his life was very much a loner. The wolf pup however became an ice breaker and helped Two Birds interact with his peers. During their time together, Two Birds becomes an impeccable story-teller using his wolf as the vehicle to do this. In time, the wolf hears the cries of his fellow wolves in the wild and longs to be with them. Two Birds loved the wolf and understood is desire and let him go.
The Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria by Elsa Marston(Wisdom Tales Press 2013).
This poignant biography for teens shares Abd el Kader’s efforts to prevent the French colonization of Algeria but what he is truly known for his deep respect and acceptance for friend and foe alike and an in-depth interest in people of all political and religious backgrounds. I can share with you that my own teen couldn’t put this book down and felt greatly inspired by the ideas of Abd el-Kader and his ways of building harmony and peace between people, ideas, and political agendas.
The Conference of the Birds re-tales the 800 year old Sufi Persian poem written by Farid ud-Din Attar. In the poem the birds of the world gather to decide who is to be their new king, as they don’t have one at the moment.
This book is not only beautiful to look at but is well researched, giving a lot of information on a topic I had no knowledge. Giving us a front row seat of a horse raid from the view point of the main character Lone Bull, we learn of his first horse raid when he was fourteen years old. Horse Raiding was a time honored tradition and a right of passage for every young boy. Lone Bull’s father was the chief of the Lakota tribe.
Angels, angels fill the air, coming down from way up there.
Award-winning author Alexis York Lumbard along with world- renowned artist Flavia, transport the reader on a journey to see how angels work behind the scenes weaving their graces throughout the world in this non-denominational picture book aptly called Angels.
Paul Goble created a book which allows its readers to rediscover the retelling of the Battle of Little Big Horn from a Native American perspective.”Custer’s Last Battle” by acclaimed author/illustrator Paul Goble is this new edition of his first published book out by Wisdom Tales Press. This week “Custer’s Last Battle” was the winner of the Silver Medal for Children’s Non-Fiction in the MIPA Awards Ceremony ( Midwest Independent Publisher’s Association). Gorgeously illustrated and fabulous story-telling.
Today we are venturing to the land and country of Lebanon and reading a most enduring and powerful story about sharing and restoration called The Olive Tree by Elsa Marston and Illustrated by Claire Ewart.
The Otter, the Spotted Frog and the Great Flood by Gerald Hausman and beautifully illustrated by Ramon Shiloh.
Spotted frog announces to the world that a great flood is coming which will destroy all of their homes. All of the animals ignore spotted frog’s warning, except an otter named Listener.
Ridiculed by all the other animals, Listener heeds spotted Frog’s warnings and begins to build a raft to try and survive the coming flood.
Tipi: Home of the Nomadic Buffalo Hunters by Paul Goble is creative and sacred journey into the world of the Native Americans of the Plains and the art and craft of constructing tipis. For the Plains Indian tribes, building tipis were more than just building a home but an expression of their religious beliefs as well.
The Hunter’s Promise: An Abenaki Tale told by long time story-teller and author Joseph Bruchac and beautifully illustrated by Bill Farnsworth is a beautiful re-telling of an old story from the Abenaki Indians of Vermont and Canada.
The Wisdom Tales website has wonderful tipi patterns for book extension activities. See what happened when we downloaded them and created a village!
In this elegant read, we ventured into the world and land of India, the God Krishna, and Hinduism in the book The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna by author/illustrator Demi.
Stand-By-Herself lived with her grandmother amongst her people in the tall grasses and endless skies of the Plains.She was very shy an liked to go off alone. Often times the other children would make fun of her. Stand-By Herself was good at finding thing. She could find sage-grouse chicks in the tall waving grass. She found autumn by watching the ducks flying South. One day she found a odd gray stone. She was sure she had found a thunder egg.
Has your family had the pleasure of reading a Wisdom Tales book? If so, which was your favorite and why?
Get a FREE Diversity Book for Your Classroom Library!
Teachers! We want to help you build your classroom library with diverse, inclusive and multicultural books! Here’s how to get a free book through Multicultural Children’s Book Day on January 27th. You can also win a Skype author visit with a children’s book author! We will draw a winner from the teachers who signed up. This year the Skype author visit is with (to be announced).
LATEST EXCITING UPDATE! Junior Library Guild has agreed to sponsor this portion of the MCCBD 2016 event and donate up to 200 books for classrooms and teachers!
Go HERE for more details or to sign up your classroom and earn a FREE handcover multicultural children’s book!
What a thoughtful list of multicultural book titles that will surely engage readers to learn about other cultures. The short synopsis of each book was well written and helpful in decision making what books to read first.
Hi Sue !!! I highly recommend their books. They’re simply wonderful.
I love your selection. Have read and reviewed some of the stories, but many more to choose from later. I love THE OLIVE TREE and all the Native American Books. Such wonderful stories.
I highly recommend their books. They are so well done.
I love Wisdom Tales Press! I just finished reading Demi’s Krishna book with my kids yesterday! My son was really fascinated by it.
They produce such engaging and captivating books. A very unique publishing house. I like them so much.
Another helpful book list, I love it! Thank you for information about each book.