An Upside-Down Sky

An Upside-Down Sky
Author: Linda Dahl
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2022-04-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1647423309

When Lidia, a blocked Latinx artist in her sixties, goes on a group tour of Namyan, a fictional Southeast Asian country reopened to the world after a long dictatorship, she gets much more than the vacation she thinks she’s signed on for. Against a backdrop of pagodas and enigmatic customs, she and the disparate crew of eighteen Americans on the tour encounter one adventure after another—experiences that challenge their assumptions about their host country’s placid surface of beautiful pagodas and wandering Buddhist monks. Along the way, Lidia finds companionship and sexual pleasure with Haynes, a Black man seeking adventure—even danger—in Namyan. On a nighttime excursion among mysterious ancient buildings, they watch the nighttime sky. Lidia remarks that the stars look upside down – a metaphor for Namyan as a foreign place and for her. She enjoys being with Haynes but is conflicted. The final chapter reveals a secret, the source of her conflict, and her steps towards a new freedom. An Upside-Down Sky’s cast of characters, including their Namyanese guide, mirrors America: straight, gay, gender-fluid, black, brown, white, progressive, conservative, artistic, repressed, old, young. Some of them accept Nanyam’s charming façade at face value, while others seek to understand the country’s brutal repression by the military and ongoing ethnic conflicts. And most, resistant as they might be to change, are transformed by their time there.

The Upside Down Hat

The Upside Down Hat
Author: Stephen Barr
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2022-03-22
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1797208799

The Little Prince meets Journey in this gorgeous, reassuring picture book fable about loss, perseverance, and finding what matters most. What happens to a boy who has nothing but a hat? Everything. A boy wakes up one morning and finds that everything he owns has gone missing. With nothing but a simple green hat, the boy journeys through distant landscapes, searching high and low for the things he has lost. Along the way he discovers that perhaps everything he needs has been with him all along. Stephen Barr makes his debut in this achingly poignant and deeply profound fable of one boy's adventure to recover his life's treasures. With vibrant illustrations by Gracey Zhang and a subtle message about hopeful perseverance, this book is an exquisite, emotional journey through loss, persistence, and discovering what's truly essential. TIMELESS PICTURE BOOK: Deeply reflective, sparingly written, and beautifully illustrated, this tale will strike a chord with its poignant storytelling. It's a picture book for any reader, of any age, at any time. A FABLE FOR THE AGES: Reminiscent of the stories of Aesop's Fables, this book touches on universal themes of the human condition and shares a heartfelt message that is effortless but hopeful. Readers will come away thinking differently about what they own, what they need, and what they hold most dear. NEW VOICE IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Debut author Stephen Barr brings years of experience working with authors as a literary agent to craft this gem of a picture book that will resonate with fans of classic children's stories. IMMERSIVE ILLUSTRATION: Gracey Zhang's spellbinding art illuminates every step of the story, immersing the reader in a gorgeously rendered world that feels familiar yet utterly unique. Perfect for: • Parents interested in teaching their kids about loss and gratitude • Children who like fables/myths • Readers who love losing themselves in immersive picture book art • Readers looking for a modern classic picture book • Fans of William Steig, Erin and Philip Stead, and the Chronicles of Narnia • Educators and librarians looking for a magical, engaging read-aloud

The Upside-Down Fish

The Upside-Down Fish
Author: Kate Louise
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 25
Release: 2015-02-10
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1632202301

Upside-Down Fish lives in a big tank at a pet store filled with lots of other fish. The other fish in the tank swim the right way up though, and they don’t understand why Upside-Down Fish is so different. This makes him very lonely. One day, a child comes into the store and chooses Upside-Down Fish as a pet. He is anxious that he won’t be accepted in his new tank, but much to his surprise, the new fish are friendly! They love that he is different and want to know what it’s like to have the sky below and the ground above. Upside-Down Fish realizes that it’s okay to be different—it’s what makes him so special. Kate Louise and Laura Matine’s The Upside-Down Fish is about being yourself and finding happiness with people who accept you for who you are. Inspired by the author’s own upside-down fish, this is a book for any child who feels a little different and needs that extra boost of confidence. Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Upside Down Babies

Upside Down Babies
Author: Jeanne Willis
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2014-03-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1467734241

Once when the world tipped upside down, The earth went blue and the sky went brown. All the baby animals tumbled out of bed And ended up with very funny mums instead...

Dragon Overnight (Upside-Down Magic #4)

Dragon Overnight (Upside-Down Magic #4)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 125
Release: 2018-01-30
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338111175

The Upside-Down Magic kids are back in another topsy-turvy adventure in the next installment of this New York Times bestselling series, now a Disney Channel Original Movie! Nory Horace can turn herself into a kitten. But sometimes she adds in a bit of dragon and, well, accidentally turns into a dritten. Oops? Her friend Andres Padillo can fly high . . . but then he can't fly back down again. Nory and Andres are in an Upside-Down Magic class with other kids who have unusual magic. Now they're off on their first-ever overnight field trip! At Dragon Haven, Nory, Andres, and their UDM classmates get to swim with dragons, fly with dragons, and feed dragons. There's even a Hatchery, where they might get to see a newborn dragon. There's only one downer. The UDM kids aren't the only ones visiting Dragon Haven. There are other students there, too. Students from another school. Students with "normal" magic. Dragon rescue, bonfires, and pajama breakfasts won't be nearly as fun with a bunch of snooty strangers. Unless . . . maybe everything isn't as bad as it first seems. Thrown together with kids who are probably enemies, but might be friends, the UDM kids dive into their topsy-turviest adventure yet.

And The Ocean Was Our Sky

And The Ocean Was Our Sky
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2018-09-04
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0062860747

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Monster Calls comes a richly illustrated and lyrical tale, one that asks harrowing questions about power, loyalty, obsession, and the monsters we make of others. With harpoons strapped to their backs, the proud whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt, fighting in the ongoing war against the world of men. When they attack a ship bobbing on the surface of the Abyss, they expect to find easy prey. Instead, they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself... As their relentless Captain leads the chase, they embark on a final, vengeful hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of both whales and men. With the lush, atmospheric art of Rovina Cai woven in throughout, this remarkable work by Patrick Ness turns the familiar tale of Moby Dick upside down and tells a story all its own with epic triumph and devastating fate.

The Sky Detective

The Sky Detective
Author: Azadeh Tabazadeh
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2015-04-30
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1491760613

When Azadeh was an eight-year-old girl growing up in Iran in March 1973, her uncle gave her a chemistry kit. That got her hooked on science early and provided an opportunity for her to find herself. In The Sky Detective, Azadeh shares her life storyone that includes an insiders look at life during the Islamic Revolution and Iraqi War and details how one little girl grew up to become a gifted scientist. Set inside Iran in the final years of the monarchy, the author narrates a true story of friendship between two girls growing up in the same household in Tehran: Azadeh, the daughter of an affluent engineer, and Najmieh, a child servant who arrives from a small village in northern Iran to live with Azadehs family. When the girls are teenagers, political turmoil interrupts their lives, sending them down different paths. This memoir recalls friendship and faith, the bonds between parents and daughters in a paternalistic society, and the clash of values among relatives from different generations in a family. The Sky Detective describes the rich culture of a beautiful but deeply troubled land undergoing radical transformation. In spite of the hardship that comes along with the establishment of a theocratic regime, Azadeh shows her will and determination as a young woman to persevere and realize her childhood dream of becoming a world-renowned scientist.

Is the Moon Upside Down?

Is the Moon Upside Down?
Author: Greg Quicke
Publisher: Random House Australia
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2020-09-29
Genre: Astronomy
ISBN: 1760895059

During his younger days working as a bush mechanic and pearl diver in remote WA, Greg Quick spent countless nights lying in a swag and staring at the stars. That daily distraction grew into a passion that has seen him become one of Australia's best known and most engaging astronomers. In recent years Greg - aka 'Space Gandalf' - has taken on cult status among audiences via his appearances alongside Professor Brian Cox in the hit TV series Stargazing Live. Greg's practical explanations of the complexities of space have also earned him respect from astronomers around the world. Is The Moon Upside Down? is an absorbing guided tour of the cosmos as seen through Greg's eyes. Unlike many of his peers who studied at university he offers a unique and refreshing perspective on astronomy that was instead forged on cliff tops outside Alice Springs, in the endless expanse of the Great Sandy Desert, on the floor of the Indian Ocean and in his own front yard in Broome. No matter what mysteries you've pondered about Earth's astral dance with the Sun, planets, Moon and the stars, it's guaranteed Greg has thought about them too, and the answers can be found in the pages of this book.