I love books—all books—but especially international books. I eagerly await the announcement in January of USBBY’s Outstanding International Books. Which of the books on the list have I read? Which did I miss? There are 42 books on the 2016 list, and I found I had some catching up to do. Here are the books that I missed during the year and enjoyed reading during the last few weeks.

Ages 4–8

I Am a Bear. Jean-François Dumont. Trans. from French by Leslie Matthew. 2015. Eerdmans.

A bear, who cannot remember how he got there, finds himself homeless in a city. Life is difficult for a bear on the streets. It’s hard to get food, although there seems to be no shortage of it. Trying to communicate with people is impossible. They seem to be afraid of him; some run from him when he approaches and others chase him away. He spends the day sheltering in cardboard boxes in a doorway. People pass by, not noticing him, pretending not to see him, or hurrying past with disapproving looks on their faces. He is left alone with sad thoughts. Then one day a little girl stops, asks him why he is sad, gives him a little smile, and says he looks like a teddy bear. The girl gives him a “Hello, teddy bear” greeting each morning that warms his heart. It makes his life brighter to know that although he is a bear lost in the city, he is a teddy bear. Dumont’s portrayal of the bear and the response of the little girl to to the bear in contrast to that of the adult urban dwellers offer a gentle lesson of compassion for the homeless.

Like a Wolf. Géraldine Elschner. Trans. from French. Ill. Antoine Guilloppé. 2015. Minedition.

A sad and lonely dog, chained to a concrete slab by an abusive owner, tells how his wolf-like appearance and nighttime howling has led humans in the city neighborhood to misunderstand him. He longs for the freedom to run and the touch of a friendly hand. Taken to an animal shelter, the abandoned dog loses hope of being rescued until a man carrying a long, thin stick reaches through the bars to pat him on his back and says, “You look like a real shepherd dog!” Now, the dog reports, he spends his days tending sheep in the fields and his nights beside his shepherd, singing to the moon. Black-and-white silhouette illustrations dramatically show the transformation of this mistreated dog, whose life is changed by one caring individual.

Why Dogs Have Wet Noses. Kenneth Steven. Ill. Øyvind Torseter. 2015. Enchanted Lion.

In this imaginative retelling of the story of Noah and the Ark, a bearded Noah, wearing a hoodie and boots and carrying an umbrella, stands in the rain—the kind of rain that looks like it will never stop. Noah builds a gigantic ark and then gathers together as many creatures as he can remember and invites them aboard. Last of all comes a mutt with a soft, black nose. Norwegian artist Torseter’s detailed cartoon illustrations featuring cutaway views of the ark show the activities on board throughout the long, crowded voyage. When the ark springs a leak, the resourceful Noah plugs the small hole with the dog’s nose. The loyal dog stays at his post night and day. When they reach land and the parade of animals depart, Noah frees and rewards him with a tummy rub. The dog gives Noah a kiss with his wet nose. Never again would Noah’s dog go to sea, but since then all dogs have had wet noses.

Ages 9–11

Adventures With Waffles. Maria Parr. Trans. from Norwegian by Guy Puzey. Ill. Kate Forrester. 2015. Candlewick.

Nine-year-old Theobald Rodrik Danielsen Yttergård (“Trille” to everyone in Mathildewick Cove) has a best friend and neighbor, Lena Lid. Actually, although Trille considers Lena to be his best friend, he’s not sure she feels the same way about him. Trille has a big family, including her mother, father, sisters, brother, Grandpa, and Auntie Granny—the maker of the best waffles ever. Lena just has a mother, but would love to have a dad, too. After a year of shared adventures that usually go awry and frequently end with an injury, things have changed. Auntie Granny has died; Lena is getting a father (a doctor, which should be a help with future broken bones, concussions, and other injuries); and Lena has declared that, of course, Trille is her best friends. After adding her “I do” at the wedding during the Midsummer Festival, Lena joins Trille to make waffles using Auntie Granny’s famous recipe for Waffle Hearts to share with Grandpa, who is missing his sister, Auntie Granny, on this festive day. This episodic novel full of fun and heart is a great read-aloud choice.

Dreams of Freedom: In Words and Pictures. Amnesty International UK. 2015. Frances Lincoln.

Dreams of Freedom is a collection of 17 statements from individuals from around the world on various aspects of freedom. Each quotation is paired with one of the fundamental rights of all people identified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights presented in language that can be understood by young children as well as an illustration by a renowned international artist. For “Freedom to Make a Difference”, Chris Riddell, a United Kingdom illustrator, created the artwork that offers a visual story of the Chinese proverb that inspired the founding of Amnesty International in 1961: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” There are notes on the authors of the quotations and the illustrators.

Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees. Franck Prévot. Trans. from French by Dominique Clément. Ill. Aurélia Fronty. 2015. Charlesbridge.

This picture book biography of Wangari Maathai (1940–2011), with colorful stylized artwork, goes beyond her childhood in Kenya, in which she became aware of the destruction of the forests around her village, and her founding of the Green Belt Movement to replant trees and fight for women’s rights upon her return to Kenya after studying in the U.S. In focusing on Wangari Maathai life work as a political and human rights activist, Prévot’s well-crafted text clearly shows why Wangari Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 “for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.” Extensive back matter includes a timeline of the life of Wangari Maathai, a map and notes on Kenya today, information on the continued destruction of forests in Kenya and throughout the world, and a page with quotations from Maathai, a bibliography of her books, and related websites.

Ages 12–14

Book: An Autobiography. John Agard. Ill. Neil Packer. 2015. Candlewick.

John Agard serves as transcriber of Book’s life story, which offers readers an interesting history of books from the beginning of writing on clay tablets more than 5,000 years ago by the Sumerians to the e-books of today. In his autobiography, Book covers the importance of libraries as depositories of knowledge and as resources to make books available to everyone. Book also includes information on dark periods in history in which books and libraries have been destroyed. Book’s narration is authoritative yet playful. Each chapter includes poems and sayings related to books and reading by individuals throughout history and black-and-white mixed media illustrations.

You Can’t See the Elephants. Susan Kreller. Trans. from German by Elizabeth Gaffney. 2015. Putnam/Penguin.

While her father remains in the city for his annual private grieving for his wife who died seven years ago, 13-year-old Mascha spends the summer with her grandparents in their small town, whose slogan is Together in Clinton. With nothing to do, Mascha spends her day sitting quietly at a nearby playground listening to her favorite music. There she meets a sister and brother, 9-year-old Julia and 7-year-old Max. She sees bruises and wounds the children have and begins to wonder about Julia’s explanations for them. When Mascha goes to their house to find out why they haven’t been coming to the playground, she hears screaming and witnesses the father’s violent abuse of Max through a window. She tells her grandparents but only gets the response that the family is “good people” and that such things do not occur in their peaceful town. As the problem escalates and she can get no adults to help, Mascha initiates a rescue of the two children on her own. Her well-meaning but ill-conceived plan falls apart, and Mascha is labelled a kidnapper by the outraged citizens of Clinton. Nonetheless, there are signs that her actions are leading some members of the community to see “the elephant in the room” and to face up to problems they are pretending did not exist.

Ages 15+

The Last Leaves Falling. Sarah Benwell. 2015. Simon & Schuster.

Abe Sora, a 17-year-old Japanese boy, has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Abe has read everything he can find on ALS to supplement what doctors have told him. Confined to a wheelchair and unable to attend school, his contact with people is limited to his mother and doctors until two teens he has chatted with online, Kaito and Mai, begin to visit. They involve Abe in normal teen activities and their friendship grows. As his symptoms worsen and control of his body diminishes, Abe knows that he does not want the undignified ending to life that ALS brings. He wants to face death under his own terms and he must involve Kaito and Mai in assisting him in ending his life with dignity.

Carolyn Angus is former director of the George G. Stone Center for Children's Books, Claremont Graduate University. She served on USBBY’s 2007, 2008, and 2009 Outstanding International Books committees.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Literacy Daily.