Standout Translations: 8 Books for Young Readers
31 July, 2025 ● Written by STORYVOR
Translated books offer young readers the chance to explore the literary traditions of countries and cultures around the globe, or reconnect with the stories of their own heritages. When we share these books with young readers, we help them build a sense of belonging to a much wider world.
Here are eight recent, beautifully translated children’s books — from picture books to books for tweens — that do just that.
I Am the Subway
by Kim Hyo-Eun
Translated from Korean by Deborah Smith
A cinematic journey through the Seoul subway that masterfully portrays the many unique lives we travel alongside whenever we take the train. A poetic translation of the bestselling Korean picture book.
Reading age: 0-6
Giant on the Shore
by Alfonso Ochoa, illustrated by Azul López
Translated from Spanish by Shook
A giant stands on the shore of a secluded city: a place where no trains pass through, where you can hear the sound of birds, and the air smells of bread. What would happen if the giant entered the city? Would the people welcome him? Would they invite him to play in their games? Would they tell him stories and teach him to dance? Would he need lawn mowers to trim his beard and power cables to jump rope? Or would he simply return to the waves?
Reading age: 0-6
Grandma’s Roof Garden
Written and illustrated by Tang Wei
Translated from Chinese by Kelly Zhang
Granny may be old, but she's certainly not been idle! She's built a splendid vegetable garden from scratch on the rooftop of her Chengdu apartment building.
Debut author/illustrator Tang Wei creates a love letter to an indomitable grandma of the city, inspired by her own childhood and a beloved relative. Combining a fun, rhythmic text reminiscent of Chinese folk nursery rhymes with earthy, vibrant colored pencil drawings, Wei shows how one person can create a beautiful green space in the heart of the concrete jungle and bring together an entire community.
Reading age: 0-6
Marcelo, Martello, Marshmallow
by Ruth Rocha, illustrated by Ana Matsusaki
Translated from Portuguese by Tal Goldfajn
Published for the first time 50 years ago in Brazil, this heartwarming tale poses as a celebration of young creative thinkers, like Marcelo, making sense of the world we live in.
Marcelo is a curious and inventive boy who has a lot of questions, especially about words and their meanings. His parents provide him with an assortment of explanations, but as Marcelo ventures to further discover these answers, he decides to create his own vocabulary. His family strives to embrace his new, unique language, but confusion soon unfolds, in a particularly unexpected way.
Reading age: 7+
Mishka
Written by Edward van de Vendel and Anoush Elman, illustrated by Annet Schaap
Translated from Dutch by Nancy Forest-Flier
Roya, her three brothers, and their parents have a new family member — Mishka, a bunny rabbit. He soon becomes a beloved part of their new home and gradually, the rabbit — and also Roya — get to hear the story of the family's journey from Afghanistan to the Netherlands.
Reading age: 7+
The Night Raven
by Johan Rundberg
Translated from Swedish by A. A. Prime
It's 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets . . . or is he? Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this "Dark Angel" he speaks of?
Reading age: 9+
Beasts
by Ingvild Bjerkeland
Translated from the Norwegian by Rosie Hedger
The world has been overrun by hitherto unknown beasts. Society has collapsed: the power is gone, cars are abandoned across the highways, and anyone left is hiding from the terrifying creatures — and one another. Thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva are on the run, their last hope to escape through the forest and to the sea. As they recall the strange events that led to the beasts' arrival, and how the two of them got to where they were, they must ask themselves who they can trust — and what they will do to survive.
Reading age: 12+
The Djinns’ Apple
by Djamila Morani
Translated from Arabic by Sawad Hussain
A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.
When Nardeen's home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something — or someone — she is the only one who manages to escape. And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family's killers to justice, regardless of the cost.
Reading age: 12+
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