Books with author Richard Sobol

What does worm spit have to do with the world?s most luxurious fabric? Travel to Thailand for a close-up look at wrigglers, weavers, and wearers of silk.Join author and photographer Richard Sobol as he picks up his camera once more and travels to a small village in Thailand for an in-depth exploration of the story of silk and the labor-intensive process of making it. From nurturing the silkworms to weaving the fabric and photographing the children as they proudly model the finished product, this first-person narrative, illustrated with richly detailed photographs, chronicles the amazing process of creating one of history?s most desired textiles.

This photo-essay for children is a story of coexistence, focusing on Jewish, Muslim, and Christian families in a Ugandan village who created a Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative and learned to live and work together peacefully. On the morning of September 11, 2001, J. J. Keki, a Ugandan musician and coffee farmer, was in New York, about to visit the World Trade Center. Instead, J.J. witnessed the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. He came away from this event with strong emotions about religious conflict. Why should people be enemies because of their religions? Back home in his village, J.J. was determined to find a way for people who held different religious beliefs to work together. He saw that the neighborhood children, from Jewish, Muslim, and Christian families, played with one another without a care about religion. Why not enlist their parents, all coffee farmers like himself, in a cooperative venture around a shared goal? Together they would grow, harvest, and sell their coffee. At the same time, they would bridge religious differences to work and live together peacefully. Here is a rare and timely story of hope, economic cooperation, and religious harmony from an often struggling part of the world. From J.J.'s vision, his community has achieved what many people strive for: a growing peace.

Follow a photographer to Thailand as he documents the life of rice—from planting ceremony to eating—in a compelling narrative with vivid color images.Rice is one of the most abundant and widely grown crops in the world today. In Thailand, rice is grown everywhere—and it is almost always a part of every meal. Photographer Richard Sobol invites us on a journey to Thailand to explore the life of rice: from the beginning of the growing season at the Royal Plowing Ceremony, to the hard work of transplanting and harvesting the rice plants, and finally ending with a delicious dinner—of rice, of course! Illustrated with beautiful photographs of the farmers and rice fields of Thailand, this is a firsthand account of one of the world’s most valuable and important crops.

What mysteries hide inside this ancient Cambodian temple? When local children lead the author through the ruins, he discovers a little-known secret.In 1100 CE, the mighty Khmer people of Cambodia built the world's largest religious monument: the sprawling stone temple of Angkor Wat. Now, thousands visit the crumbling ruins each year to see the last remains of the ancient and mysterious Khmer civilization. Photographer Richard Sobol explored these fascinating ruins, searching among the fallen, moss-covered stone slabs and wall carvings for clues that might link the ancient Khmer people to present-day Cambodian culture. A personal narrative and illustrative photography document his pilgrimage, capturing the historical legacy and mystery contained within the walls of Angkor Wat. A glossary, maps, and key facts are included.

Exposing children to a diverse range of literary and informational texts, the Core Concepts program helps develop important literacy and cognitive skills necessary to meet many of the Common Core State Standards. Gold Light and Gold Ray are the only known pair of elephant twins in the world! Photojournalist Richard Sobol has masterfully captured the twins' playfulness, as he shows the twins feeding, bathing, napping, and learning with their trainer Pai. Elephant Twins transports readers to Ban Tha Klang, Thailand, to play with the baby elephants and meet this unique pair of brothers! Elephant Twins covers the concept Animals.

Exposing children to a diverse range of literary and informational texts, the Core Concepts program helps develop important literacy and cognitive skills necessary to meet many of the Common Core State Standards. Gold Light and Gold Ray are the only known pair of elephant twins in the world! Photojournalist Richard Sobol has masterfully captured the twins' playfulness, as he shows the twins feeding, bathing, napping, and learning with their trainer Pai. Elephant Twins transports readers to Ban Tha Klang, Thailand, to play with the baby elephants and meet this unique pair of brothers!Elephant Twins covers the concept Animals.