New Releases by Rita Golden Gelman

In 1987, Rita, newly divorced, set out to live her dream. She sold all her possessions and became a nomad. She wrote a book about her ongoing journey and, in 2001, insisted on putting her personal e-mail address in the last chapter—against all advice. It turned out to be a fortuitous decision. She has met thousands of readers, stayed in their homes, and sat around kitchen tables sharing stories and food and laughter. In this essay collection, Gelman includes her own further adventures, as well as those of writers and readers telling tales of the shared humanity they experienced in their travels. The stories are funny and sad, poignant and tender, familiar and bizarre. They will make you laugh and cry and maybe even send you off on your own adventure. Also included are fabulous international recipes such as vegetarian dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), chiles en nogada (stuffed poblano chiles topped with a white cream sauce with walnuts and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds), and ho mok (an extraordinary fish-coconut custard from Thailand). Happy reading—and bon appétit, selamat makan, buen provecho!

The true story of an ordinary woman living an extraordinary existence all over the world. “Gelman doesn’t just observe the cultures she visits, she participates in them, becoming emotionally involved in the people’s lives. This is an amazing travelogue.” —Booklist At the age of forty-eight, on the verge of a divorce, Rita Golden Gelman left an elegant life in L.A. to follow her dream of travelling the world, connecting with people in cultures all over the globe. In 1986, Rita sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands, and residing everywhere from thatched huts to regal palaces. She has observed orangutans in the rain forest of Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women on fires all over the world. Rita’s example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults.

Here is a doodler doodling. And here are her doodles. Here is a book starring twenty-one words, a blank piece of paper, and a train of thought. And you will be amazed. WOW!

This beautifully illustrated children's book begins at morning on the Indonesian island of Bali. Farmers head out to the sawah, or rice field, to plant seeds. While they work, eels slip through the mud around their feet, & dragonflies flutter overhead. Rains come & the rice stalks grow steadily. Mice crawl over the stems, munching as they go. As the sun sets each night, bats dart & swoop, looking for mosquitoes to eat. When the rice is ready to be harvested, the farmers cut, thresh, & pack the grain. After they are done, they give thanks. For in Bali, as in many countries around the world, everyone knows that rice is life.

Bo the sheep is finding his field of grass too quiet, too safe. So Bo takes Jo, they say sayonara, and go off to the beach and the seas, and then on to the city in a bus. The delights of the Yummycafe prove overwhelming, but they move on to the airport, and parachuting, and float down into a lovely field... It'll be a jungle next time! Illustrated with full-page colour drawings.

A cumulative rhyme describes the choppy cheese, sloppy sausages, gloppy tomatoes, and floppy dough that are cooked into a pizza and enjoyed by dozens of mice.

Thinking that the zoo animals look "as bored as bored could be," a boy takes them all home with him.

The animals in these stories are laugh-out-loud funny! 4 easy-to-read stories for beginning readers.

A rhyming text describes the different kinds of scientists, what they do, and the kind of people they are.

Text and photographs explore the vast array of unusual creatures still to be found in the Galapagos Islands.

Illustrations and brief text depict twelve giant sea creatures, some prehistoric and some modern.

Two children are joined by a funny man who builds the biggest sandwich in the world.

Minnie gives advice to her friend on how to get his finger out of the bottle in which it is stuck.

Minnie the monkey is too busy eating spaghetti--all day, in all ways--to play with her friend Freddie. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Two children help a man build a giant sandwich.

A pet store owner has many strange animals to pick from, but the pet a young boy finally decides on is a big surprise.

Follows the activities and adventures of a koala bear from birth until two years of age when he leaves his mother to look for a mate.

Young children learn to chew their food thoroughly, to ask for things out of their reach, to be careful crossing the street, to look where they're going, and to dress according to the weather

Millie the monkey wanted to fly.

Strange experiences that real people have had.

A young girl tries to convince a grumpy cat to wear a variety of hats, including a walkie-talkie hat, a monkey hat, and a cowboy hat. First published 20 years ago, this story is featured in a different format with brand-new, full-color illustrations.