Transatlantic congratulates four of our clients and their new books on making the USBBY’s Outstanding International Books List of honorees this year: THE GIRL AND THE WOLF by Katherena Vermette & illustrated by Julie Flett (Orca Book Publishers), THE PHONE BOOTH IN MR. HIROTA’S GARDEN by Heather Smith & illustrated by Rachel Wada, and THE TASTE OF RAIN by Monique Polak (Orca Book Publishers).
About THE GIRL AND THE WOLF
While picking berries with her mother, a little girl wanders too far into the woods. When she realizes she is lost, she begins to panic. A large grey wolf makes a sudden appearance between some distant trees. Using his sense of smell, he determines where she came from and decides to help her. Through a series of questions from the wolf, the little girl realizes she had the knowledge and skill to navigate herself—she just needed to remember that those abilities were there all along.
Katherena Vermette is represented by Marilyn Biderman and Amy Tompkins.
About THE PHONE BOOTH IN MR. HIROTA’S GARDEN
When the tsunami destroyed Makio’s village, Makio lost his father . . . and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child’s anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project—building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn’t connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind.
THE PHONE BOOTH IN MR. HIROTA’S GARDEN is inspired by the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, which was created by artist Itaru Sasaki. He built the phone booth so he could speak to his cousin who had passed, saying, “My thoughts couldn’t be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind.” The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the town of Otsuchi, claiming 10 percent of the population. Residents of Otsuchi and pilgrims from other affected communities have been traveling to the wind phone since the tsunami.
Heather Smith and Rachel Wada are represented by Amy Tompkins.
About THE TASTE OF RAIN
It is 1945, and thirteen-year-old Gwen has been a prisoner at the Weihsien Internment Camp in northern China for nearly two and a half years. Gwen is one of 140 children who were enrolled at a boarding school in Chefoo when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded China.
Life in the camp is difficult. There is not enough food or water, and even the children are forced to do hard labor. But Miss E., one of their teachers from Chefoo, has come up with an unusual scheme: she will follow the Girl Guide Code, treating Gwen and her friends as if they are part of a Girl Guide troop. Girl Guides promise not only to stay positive in the most challenging situations but also to do good turns, meaning they must be kind to others without any expectation of reward. Gwendolyn hopes that when she grows up, she will be as courageous and optimistic as Miss E.
But then Gwen learns that Miss E. is not as full of answers as she seems, and she realizes that in order to protect a friend, she will have to do something that could never be considered a good turn.
Monique Polak is represented by Amy Tompkins.
About USBBY
United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) is a nonprofit organization devoted to building bridges of international understanding through children’s and young adult books; it serves as the U.S. national section of the International Board on Books for Young People
For the full list, please visit http://bit.ly/36H05Px