Books with author Vanita Oelschlager

Postcards from a War is about a boy whose mother has recently been deployed overseas to a war. His grandfather, who was about the same age when his father left to serve in World War II, helps him understand why she has gone away. He shares with his grandson postcards and letters sent by his father from the Philippines. The grandfather and grandson collaborate on building a scrapbook that will include these, plus the letters and emails and other communications the boy will get from his mother. Postcards is intended for 4-8 year olds, ones who are old enough to understand that a parent in the military may have to go to a dangerous place, but maybe not why. It shows the imporant intergenerational bonding that famililies often experience during times of war. The postcards and letters in the book were received by the author from her father during World War II.

A Tale of Two Mommies is a beach conversation among three children. One boy asks another boy about having two mommies. A young girl listening in asks some questions too. True to a child’s curiosity, practical questions follow. “Which mom is there when you want to go fishing? / Which mom helps out when Kitty goes missing?” To which he answers: “Mommy helps when I want to go fishing. / Both Mommies help when Kitty goes missing.” A Tale of Two Mommies is intended for 4-8 year olds. This book lets us look inside one non-traditional family, a same sex couple and their son. As the children talk, it’s clear this boy lives in a nurturing environment where the biggest issues are the everyday challenges of growing up.

Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries show children the magic of idioms – words that separately have one meaning, but together take on something entirely different. Children are curious about words, especially phrases that make them laugh (“Couch potato!”), sound silly (“Eat your words”) or trigger images that tickle a child’s sense of the absurd (“Pie in the sky”). Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries uses outlandish illustrations of what the words describe literally. The reader then has to guess the “real” meaning of the phrases (which is upside down in the corner of each spread). At the end of the book, the reader is invited to learn more about these figures of speech. Our first book of idioms, Birds of a Feather (2009), dealt with birds, insects or animals. Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries uses food idioms. Both are fun – and instructive!

The early Railroads became a sign of hope to American people. The work was dangerous. They were a close group who supported each other...men of great honor. By 1910 the railroads employed 1,699,420 Americans. They were conductors, brakemen, firemen, engineers, porters, telegraphers, switchmen and section gangs. Some of the hardest workers were the section gangs. One group called Gandy Dancers, sang songs that helped keep them working together to straighten the tracks. This is a story about the Gandy Dancers, a forgotten group of men like the Pullman Porters. This is our second book in our black history series that we should never forget.

Children are innately curious about words, especially phrases that make them laugh (""Ants in your pants!""), sound silly (""Barking up the wrong tree"" or ""Goosebumps"") or trigger images that tickle a child's sense of the absurd (""Like a bull in a china shop""). Birds of a Feather introduces children to the magic of idioms words that separately have one meaning, but together take on something entirely different. Birds of a Feather introduces idioms with outlandish illustrations of what the words describe literally. The reader then has to guess the ""real"" meaning of the phrases (which is upside down in the corner of each spread). At the end of the book, the reader is invited to learn more about these figures of speech.

Children are innately curious about words, especially phrases that make them laugh (""Ants in your pants!""), sound silly (""Barking up the wrong tree"" or ""Goosebumps"") or trigger images that tickle a child's sense of the absurd (""Like a bull in a china shop""). Birds of a Feather introduces children to the magic of idioms words that separately have one meaning, but together take on something entirely different. Birds of a Feather introduces idioms with outlandish illustrations of what the words describe literally. The reader then has to guess the ""real"" meaning of the phrases (which is upside down in the corner of each spread). At the end of the book, the reader is invited to learn more about these figures of speech.

The Arctic region of North America is a land of long days, icy cold, hardy people and peculiar creatures. The Inuit people there have made traditional use of remarkable folk tales to find truth and explain the mysteries of an astonishing world. In Fish-Boy: An Inuit Folk Tale, Vanita Oelschlager retells a tale passed down by a wise old Inuit. It's an origin story involving a little magic and a very odd boy with a large heart for friendship. On a journey with his new father, he must confront misfortune and the malice of cold hearted villagers. But he has a way...and a lesson for all in the virtues of kindness and hospitality. Here then, is high praise for the tale-tellers: for the richness, diversity and creativity they send from the top of the world- and so, also Fish Boy, An Inuit Folk Tale, retold here and lavishly illustrated for a new generation. After all, that is how ancient folk tales and truth live on in the telling.

Porcupette Finds a Family, is a story about how a baby porcupine (called a porcupette) finds a new family after losing his mother. He wants to have an attachment to the bear family he finds, but is afraid his “bear” mother and “bear” brother and sister will leave him too. This causes him to act out his fears in ways that jeopardize acceptance from his adopted family. However, with the understanding and help of Mother Bear, Porcupette finally accepts that he is truly loved and wanted despite, or maybe because of, his differences.