World Kid Lit Month #RivetingReviews
September brings us International Translation Day, European Day of Languages, and also World Kid Lit Month. All of these occasions are the perfect excuse to expand your children’s literature collection to include translations and international authors and illustrators; or to expand your international literature collection to include children’s books.
Our reviews today include translations of French, Greek, Italian and Spanish picture books that themselves take us to volcanoes in Iceland, an Aztec emperor’s palace in Mexico, and a mosque in a Paris suburb, inviting us to step into someone else’s shoes.
All Kind of Things/Todo tipo de cosas
Written and illustrated by Bernadette Gervais
Translated from French by Lawrence Schimel
Bilingual Spanish/English edition published by Milky Way Picture Books (December 2024)
This one-of-a-kind, boldly illustrated book introduces readers to an array of everyday Spanish words, along with their English counterparts. What’s unique are the themes that group different words together: the author-illustrator has really thought outside the box to connect words in a way that will surprise and perhaps prompt a giggle. Some of my favourites are ‘Things That Fall’ including an apple and the night, and ‘Things That Jump’ featuring a kangaroo and popcorn.
This is not only an appealing language-learning resource, but it shows young readers just how far they can push the boundaries when it comes to creative thinking.
Reviewed by Anam Zafar
Hekla & Laki
Written and illustrated by Marine Schneider
Translated from French by Nick Frost and Catherine Ostiguy
Published by Milky Way Picture Books (2024)
Old and wise Laki is used to being on his own. But when the small and energetic Hekla suddenly arrives on a gust of wind and doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon, Laki’s life is turned upside down! Hekla tries to be an easy house guest: he does, after all, replace anything he breaks with a bouquet of flowers. Soon, the pair work through their differences and become deeply attached. But what will happen when Laki isn’t there to look after Hekla anymore?
This story about unexpected friendship and sudden loss addresses death in a bold and beautiful way, reminding readers that with every ending comes a new beginning. The painterly artwork uses gorgeous hues reminiscent of sunrises, sunsets and vast landscapes. The characters are named after two Icelandic volcanoes: one of the country’s most active (Hekla) and one now extinct (Laki). Information about the volcanoes is included at the end of the book.
Reviewed by Anam Zafar
Montezuma’s Tantrum
Written by Nuria Gómez Benet
Illustrated by Santiago Solís
Translated from Spanish by Elisa Amado
Published by Greystone Books (2024)
Aztec Emperor Montezuma is in a bad mood, and everything his courtiers try to cheer him up just makes things worse. Until someone has the bright idea to make him some hot chocolate. Dominated by bold, bright illustrations that are like naïve renderings of the Aztec codices, this striking book weaves a tale to explain how chocolate came to be such an important part of Mexican culture. With a glossary at the back to explain terms and concepts English speakers might not be familiar with, Montezuma’s Tantrum is an attractive, accessible introduction to Latinx kid lit for younger children.
Reviewed by Ruth Donnelly
Step into My Shoes
Written by Alkisti Halikia
Illustrated by Fotini Tikkou
Translated from Greek by Konstantine Matsoukas
Published by Lantana Publishing (2024)
Matou is new to walking to and from school by herself in her Parisian suburb. She even has her own set of keys. But she’s easily distracted on the way, especially by the shoes she sees at the entrance to her local mosque. When a different pair catches her eye each day, she imagines herself into the lives of the people living around her, often seeing her assumptions overturned when she notices the owner wearing them later. You can’t judge a book by its cover, it turns out. Or a person by their shoes.
Taking the idea of stepping into someone else’s shoes literally before starting to see it as a metaphor for empathy, Matou figures out in her own way that other people’s lives aren’t always easy – including those of her hard-working parents. Mixed-media illustrations capture Matou’s curiosity about her colourful, diverse neighbourhood.
Reviewed by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp
Yours, Befana: A Letter from the Winter Witch
Written by Barbara Cuoghi
Illustrated by Elenia Beretta
Translated from Italian by Genni Gunn
Published by Greystone Books (2024)
Yours, Befana tells the story of the Italian Christmas tradition of La Befana, who visits children on Twelfth Night, leaving gifts of either dried fruit and nuts (if you’ve been good) or coal (if not). While this might sound familiar, she is quick to dissociate herself from ‘that clumsy oaf dressed in red’, and she certainly has an air of mystery that Father C lacks. La Befana wraps herself up in her warmest cloak and drinks special soup to render her invisible before flying out to bestow her gifts. She blesses the fields and heralds the coming of spring. The story ends with a series of facts about the myth of La Befana, as well as similar traditions across Europe. The gorgeous illustrations are all about the detail – there’s something new to spot on each re-reading.
Reviewed by Ruth Donnelly
September 2024 #RivetingReviews titles are available to buy from bookshop.org.
Ruth Donnelly is an emerging Spanish-to-English literary translator. She graduated with distinction from an MA in Translation Studies at the University of Birmingham (UK) in 2023, and now spends her time sourcing and translating exciting new writing from Spain and Latin America. X: @ruthdonnelly151
Read Ruth Donnelly’s reviews of Latin American books for children and young adults at Words Without Borders
Read Ruth Donnelly’s review of Latin American books for children and young adults at World Kid Lit
Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp is a British literary translator working from Arabic, Russian and German into English. Her published translations include fiction, nonfiction and children’s books from Germany, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Russia, Switzerland and Syria. She reviews international children’s literature for World Kid Lit, Words Without Borders and World Literature Today.
Read Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp’s Riveting Reviews of three picture books translated from French
Read Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp’s international children’s book reviews at Words Without Borders
Read Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp’s introduction to German children’s literature in translation since 1989 (The German Riveter)
Read Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp’s reviews of international children’s literature at World Kid Lit
Anam Zafar is an award-winning translator (Arabic and French to English). She received a PEN Translates Award for her co-translation, with Nadiyah Abdullatif, of the graphic memoir Yoghurt and Jam, Or How My Mother Became Lebanese by Lena Merhej (Balestier Press, 2023). Her co-translation from French, with Sophie Lewis, of Josephine Baker’s memoir Fearless and Free comes out in 2025 with Vintage Classics. She also designs and delivers creative translation workshops and volunteers for World Kid Lit. X: @anam_translates
Read Anam Zafar’s interview with author and translator Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi at The Linguist
Read Anam Zafar’s reviews of picture books by Indian author Asha Nehemiah at World Kid Lit
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