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The Wonder of the World Leaf


The Wonder of the World Leaf

Genre: Leveled Reader (Kids)
Publisher: HarperCollins UK/Collins (April 2021, 32 pages)
ISBN: 9780008413880
Illustrated by Sayada Ramdial


SYNOPSIS

“I’m Wygenia. On my island, we speak a language that’s all our own, so you might not be familiar with it. I’m going to tell you about the time my grannie got sick and how my mooma and I helped her get better. I’ll tell you exactly how it happened, using the exact words Mooma and Grannie used.”

When her beloved Grannie falls ill, ten-year-old Wygenia feels lonely and helpless. Then she learns about a healing plant so powerful it’s called 'Wonder of the World.' But will it really work? Set in the Caribbean island of Trinidad, this realistic fiction tale tells the story of Wygenia’s quest to restore her Grannie to the high-spirited companion she used to know.

Teachers, parents and caregivers looking for familial, multicultural stories for children ages 7 and up will appreciate this story that evokes Caribbean traditions and customs in a non-stereotypical way.

The Collins Big Cat series supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support, and ebooks available.

White/Band 10 books have more complex sentences and figurative language.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.













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Awards & Recognition for The Wonder of the World Leaf []
A Teaching for Change Booklist Selection        Top 20 in Amazon Hot New Releases
A 2022 Black Children's Book Week Selection- The Black Unicorn Library and Archive Project
Frantz H. Coe Elementary Parent Teachers Association's 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Book List (Grades K-2)

Praise & Reviews for The Wonder of the World Leaf []
"Delightful! The Wonder of the World Leaf is a beautiful introduction to the rich and varied culture and traditions of Caribbean children's literature."
    —Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor winning author of The Surrender Tree

"Both educational and emotionally captivating, warming the soul and reminding us of the importance of well-being and community spirit."
    —Trish Cooke, Smarties Book Prize winning author of So Much!

"Edward combines language, food, family, diverse neighbours, and a wondrous leaf in a lovingly drawn Trinidadian setting, but that’s not all. The real star of this book is young Wygenia, whose spirited first-person narrative moves this joyful story along."
    —Uma Krishnaswami, Asian/Pacific American Award winner of Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

"This book would be a wonderful addition to a classroom library, public library or personal collection for people on the island and for expats who wish to share their culture with their offspring. It is well written, accessible and perhaps most importantly, culturally authentic...the book’s illustrations capture the joy and vibrancy of life in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the diversity of the people."
    —Josh Hem Lee (school librarian) for the Nerdy Book Club blog

"Edward’s heartwarming story about the bond between a spirited Caribbean girl and her grandmother speaks to the power of love, community, and nature’s bounty."
    —Christine Kendall, author of The True Definition of Neva Beane and NAACP Image Award nominated Riding Chance

"A heartwarming story that serves a light mix of traditional medicine, child ingenuity, and family love, sprinkled with phrases and vistas from Trinidad. Refreshing."
    —Lulu Delacre, New York Times bestselling illustrator of Turning Pages: My Life Story


Awards & Recognition for the Collins Big Cat Series []
BETT 2013 Award for Primary Digital Content        3-star award in the Teach Primary Awards       

British Book Award for Export        Featured in The Sun's Books for Schools campaign

Praise & Reviews for the Collins Big Cat Series []
"Different book sizes, illustrations, characters and genre helps Big Cat match the different interests in the classroom and engage all readers. The range of titles is fantastic - there are books here to interest every child. Each topic has been carefully selected to fit with the National Curriculum for the year, and the engaging presentation and enjoyable text means that children will find real pleasure in reading these books. There are plenty of general interest books to get children reading for pleasure. All the books include a glossary, which helps to extend children's vocabulary, and an index to help them find their way round the book and develop their own research skills. The presentation is superb, with attractive covers, good quality paper, wonderful photos, clear diagrams and fact boxes, all laid out clearly. "Ideas for Reading" at the end of every book is packed with ideas get the full benefit from the book and to extend learning. The books get longer band by band and by Band 18, they are substantial (and highly informative) books of 80 pages. A fantastic classroom resource and also good for children to use at home."
    —Parents in Touch UK

"Collins Big Cat has books for every child in the classroom with a wide range of engaging formats and illustrative styles. They are designed to inspire and motivate young readers with an equal mix of fiction and non-fiction from much-loved authors including Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen and many more. Extensive teacher support helps monitor and improve reading levels. Measurable progression and understanding is ensured with expert levelling and a variety of reading strategies, including phonics. The books provide a rich and enjoyable reading experience with a wide variety of writing genres and text types. They are ideal for independent reading, group reading and for send-home to support parents to get the most out of reading with their child."
    —Cambridge Assessment International Education

"This series is exceptional."
    —Digital Storytime

"All the Collins Big Cat books are excellent. They’re a magnificent addition to any classroom."
    —Lisa Brown, teacher, Calside Primary

Press []
Summer's guest post about the book on the We Need Diverse Books Blog

Summer's interview with Mr. Schu, Amabassador of Libraries for Scholastic

Summer's interview with KidLit in Color

Here Wee Read's 2021 Ultimate List of Diverse Children's Books

Book review by Nerdy Book Club

Book review by Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

Article in the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

The Black Children's Books and Authors Blog's list of 20 Books for Caribbean American Heritage Month

Spotlighted on Penny on Point talk show as one of "Penny's Picks"