I See the Sun in Russia - by Dedie King (Paperback)

Number of Pages: 40
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Sub-Genre: People & Places
Series Title: I See the Sun
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Satya House Publications
Age Range: 4-8 Years
Book theme: Europe
Author: Dedie King
Language: English

About the Book

A young boy describes his typical day in Russia, going to a music school and seeing many famous sights.

Book Synopsis

Through the eyes of a child, I See the Sun in Russia is the story of a day in the life of Anton, a young boy growing up in St. Petersburg, Russia. Anton loves to play the violin and he and his family hope that one day he will play in an orchestra. On this day his class takes a field trip to the Hermitage Palace, but there's still time for violin lessons and playing soccer in the hall of his apartment building before supper. A country overview and glossary is included for parents and teachers who want to go beyond the story and talk more about Russia and why it is important. In English and Russian. For ages 5 and up. This is the fourth book in the I See the Sun series.

Review Quotes

"When talented violinist, Anton, wakes on a snowy morning in St. Petersburg, he embarks on a day that likely seems unimaginable to young American readers. From the darkness that lingers through the morning to the stray cats who congregate around the radiators in Anton's apartment building to the tempting candies that are far beyond his family's financial reach, the world differs significantly from what we would call ordinary. But amidst the cold, the snow, the darkness, and the struggle, Anton radiates contentment with the good food served in the school cafeteria, the satisfaction of performing with a group of violinists, the fun of playing soccer with a friend. The pleasures and difficulties Anton experiences are, in the end, not so foreign after all. This recognition is the point of the beautifully illustrated I See the Sun series, of which this volume is the fourth. Daily life looks different in Russia--just as it does in Nepal or China or even in the house next door. But beneath the differences that are tied to culture and geography are values common to people around the world--love of family, pursuit of success, pleasure in nourishment." -- Margo Orlando Littell, San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review

About the Author

Author, Dedie King, a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, also taught school there. She travels extensively and spends a considerable amount of time, not as a tourist, but immersed in many cultures, living with families who open their homes to her. She holds a MEd and has taught elementary school and children with learning disabilities. Her interest in writing books about different cultures is to bring awareness to young children of both the sameness and the differences of cultures around the world.

Judith Inglese has been designing and fabricating ceramic tile murals for public environments for more than thirty years. Her commissions include libraries, schools, hospitals and municipal and institutional buildings like the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Her murals often focus on the play and imagination of children as well as cross-cultural exchange and community. In the I See the Sun books, she combines photography, cut paper and drawing in her collage illustrations. Like her ceramic tile murals, her illustrations are colorful and detailed with strong forms and line work.

Irina Ossapova has lived in St. Petersburg her entire life.