Rebekah Gienapp

This summer we’re reading our way around the world with Barefoot Books’ Global Passport summer reading program. This week, we’re headed to North America. As I read these books with my four year old, we had a globe by our side so that we could locate each country. We’ll also be adding these books to our passport reading log. Scroll down to grab your copy!

I was a bit frustrated to not be able to find more books set in Central American countries at my local library. I think this may be in part because of living in a city where the Latino community is still a modest size. It also points to the need for greater diversity overall from children’s book publishers.

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The Terrible Chenoo is based on a humorous and heartfelt folktale from the Algonquin people. One day while her husband is gone hunting, a woman is surprised by a visit from a dreadful chenoo, a creature with “eyes like a starving wolf” and sharp pointy teeth. To avoid being eaten by the hungry chenoo, the clever woman convinces the monster that he is her long lost father. Will the woman’s friendship be enough to stop his terrible ways? (Set in Canada, recommended for ages 6+).

Jean E. Pendziwol was inspired to write Dawn Watch based on her experience of living on her family’s sailboat for a year traveling from Ontario to the Bahamas. The book follows a girl and her father as they cross Lake Superior at night. As the girl assists her father as first mate, she also explores the constellations. The illustrations capture just how small and alone their boat is during their nighttime journey across the world’s largest freshwater lake. (Set in Canada, recommended for ages 5 – 9).

“The Mightiest Mouse That Ever Nibbled Fat” is one of our four year old’s favorite tales at the moment. The Inuit story, found in the anthology Tales of Mystery and Magic, tells of a frustrated little mouse who keeps trying to accomplish something great so that he will be remembered for a thousand years. Each time he thinks he has done something brave or difficult, he realizes the task was not so challenging and that “perhaps the world is harder to please than I thought.” (Set in Canada, recommended for ages 4 – 10).

One of the challenge in choosing stories from Native American cultures is avoid deepening stereotypes that children may already hold. In Jingle Dancer, Jenna dreams of being able to dance at the upcoming powwow like her grandmother does. As Jenna visits relatives to see if they have jingles she may borrow for her dress, we see that Jenna lives in an urban neighborhood.

Her cousin cannot make it to the powwow because she’s a lawyer and has a big case to work on for the weekend. I appreciated the many ways this book showed the blending of the traditional and modern in Jenna’s life, and my son was very curious about how her dress jingled while she danced. (Set in the United States, recommended for ages 4 – 8).

To get your passport-themed book log, just fill out the quick form below to access it in my free Resource Library!

Pablo’s Tree celebrates a special tradition between grandfather and grandson. When Lito was waiting for his daughter to adopt a baby, he bought a special tree for the baby. The day that Lito finally got to meet baby Pablo, he planted the tree. Each year since on Pablo’s birthday, Lito has decorated the tree with special surprises. On his fifth birthday, Pablo cannot wait to take his new birthday presents to Lito’s, where he will play with them under his specially decorated tree. (Set in the United States, recommended for ages 4 – 8).

Set in Tennessee in the early 20th century, Mirandy and Brother Wind explores the African-American tradition of a dance called the cakewalk. Mirandy badly wants to win the cakewalk, and knows if she could just get the wind to be her dancing partner, she will be sure to go home with the beautiful cake. While her clumsy friend Ezel hints that he would like to be her partner, Mirandy sets out through town to try everything she can think of to catch Brother Wind. (Set in the United States, recommended for ages 4 – 8).

The bouncy, rhyming text of Off We Go to Mexico! and the brightly colored illustrations bring alive the sights and sounds of the country. Each page spread visits a different place, and includes Spanish vocabulary related to the scene. Places visited include the home of monarch butterflies, the market, and ancient pyramids. After the story there are 7 pages of brightly illustrated educational notes on Mexican history, holidays, and a map showing each of the sites featured in the story. (Set in Mexico, recommended for ages 3 – 10).

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun tells the Zapotec legend of Lucia Zenteno. Lucia shines so brightly that when she bathes in the river, the water falls in love with her and clings to her hair. Each time she bathes, she must comb out the water, fishes, and even the otters so that they will return to the riverbed.

Because of her mysterious power, some in the village come to distrust her, driving her from the village. The story naturally lends itself to conversations about how to treat others who are different from ourselves. The book is fully bilingual, telling the story in both English and Spanish. (Set in Mexico, recommended for ages 5 – 9).

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred dives into a campesina’s recipe for delicious arroz con leche. Written in a similar style to The House That Jack Built, key words in the rhyme are first introduced in English, but then are replaced with Spanish as the rhyme builds and repeats (a glossary is also included in the back of the book.) Children are sure to enjoy the brightly colored, playful illustrations of a goat churning milk and a burro picking limes. A recipe for arroz con leche is included. (Set in Mexico, recommended for ages 4 – 8).

Barefoot Books’ rendition of The Wheels on the Bus is set on a chicken bus traveling from the Guatemalan countryside into the city. The accompanying CD, sung by the Amador Family, gives voice to bouncing children, drum playing papis, and a wise granny who knows just what to do when one of the wheels on the bus goes “bang!” The story includes 2 pages of endnotes about Guatemalan culture. (Set in Guatemala, recommended for ages 3 – 7).

Related Post: Best Children’s Books about Guatemala

Drum Dream Girl is a poem that was inspired by Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who in the 1930s broke the cultural taboo that only men could play drums. The illustrations of her dreams of drumming are magical; I wanted to dive right into the pages of the book. Especially since our 4 year old son has started to express a few gender stereotypes, I was glad to be able to use this book to talk about how girls and boys can do anything. (Set in Cuba, recommended for ages 4 – 8).

Parrots Over Puerto Rico takes on the challenge of telling the centuries-long story of parrots in Puerto Rico, as well including important moments in the island’s history, and it does it well. While the story of how these birds came back from the brink of extinction is fairly lengthy, the textured paper and fabric collage illustrations kept our four year old’s interest. This is a truly unique book. (Set in Puerto Rico, recommended for ages 6 – 11).

Although The Tangerine Tree is out of print, I wanted to include it because I was so touched by the story of Ida, a little girl whose father must leave Jamaica to work in the United States. As Ida and her family struggle with the sadness of Papa leaving, he gives her the important task of caring for their tangerine tree. He also gives her a special gift that will signal to her when he will be able to come home again. Though dealing with a very heavy topic, the story manages to end on a hopeful note. (Set in Jamaica, recommended for ages 5 – 9).

Want to continue your book journey around the world? Find books set in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Tell us in the comments: what are your favorite books set in North American countries?