The Foreign Service Journal, November 2021

66 NOVEMBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS The Ambassador’s Dog Scott H. DeLisi (with Jane Lillian Vance, illustrator), Vajra Books, 2020, $39.95/hardcover, 40 pages. “I know all really good stories begin, ‘Once upon a time…’ “But can you still begin a story that way if it is true? Because this story is. Just ask Lo Khyi. He will tell you his tale. “You just have to know how to listen. “Or ask the man who met Lo Khyi one day, and whose life was never the same.” So begins The Ambassador’s Dog , a story of the power of serendipitous meetings, the power of dreams, and the power of hope that is set in the high Himalayas of Nepal. Written by retired career U.S. diplomat and three-time ambassador Scott H. DeLisi, it tells the tale of a puppy, abandoned and alone, who waited on a trail in what once was the ancient kingdom of Lo on the Tibetan Plateau, and the man who was meant to cross his path. This variation on the classic story of man’s best friend is steeped in the magical lyricism of Nepali culture, which is captured powerfully by award-winning artist Jane Lillian Vance in the rich illustrations that enliven every page. Published by Vajra Books in Kathmandu, this slim volume is a treat for children of all ages. It is printed on textured fox fine paper with museum-quality ink and has a raw, silken-wrapped hardcover, a golden bookmark and a laminated jacket. Ambassador (ret.) Scott H. DeLisi served as chief of mission in Eritrea (2004-2007), Nepal (2010-2012) and Uganda (2012-2015), among many other Foreign Service assignments. He is currently the executive director of Engage Nepal, a nonprofit serving the people of Nepal. Pavlos Tom Armbruster (with Martina Tervi, illustrator), BookBaby, 2021, $24.53/ hardcover, 42 pages. As this charming children’s book begins, Pavlos the polar bear has just been swept aboard a trawler and taken far away from Ice Glacier, his home. But through pluck and resourcefulness, Pavlos escapes captivity and, with the help of human and animal friends, eventually makes his way back to the top of the world. The author ends the story with an invitation for readers to find out more about “the land, people and animals who live above 66 degrees, 30 minutes, latitude: the Arctic Circle.” TomArmbruster was U.S. ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands from 2012 to 2016, his last assignment before retiring from a 28-year diplomatic career. He joined the State Department Foreign Service in 1988 and served overseas in Russia (where he was the only U.S. diplomat ever to arrive by kayak), Tajikistan, Mexico, Cuba and Finland. He received career achievement, meritorious and superior honor awards from the State Department, as well as an award from President Hilda Heine of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. He has published pieces in many periodicals, including The Foreign Service Journal and State Magazine , and contributed a story to Inside a U.S. Embassy (FS Books, 2011). His first book, How to Become an Ambassador , was published in 2020. Martina Tervi is an Italian freelance illustrator. African Proverbs for All Ages Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Nelda LaTeef, Roaring Brook Press, 2021, $19.99/hardcover, 40 pages. In her prologue to this collection of folk sayings, which has already been named a Junior Library Guild gold standard book, Johnnetta Betsch Cole observes: “It has been said that a prov- erb is a short sentence based on long experience. Whether you are young or old, proverbs can open your mind to a whole new way of seeing the world.” That is certainly the case with African Proverbs for All Ages , which features 64 adages drawn from the wisdom of cultures across that continent. Cole selected the proverbs in collaboration with Nelda LaTeef, who then illustrated them. Wherever possible, the authors have attributed each proverb to its country of origin. In instances where the same saying has multiple variations in different countries, they have selected what they consider the most compelling version. Nelda LaTeef is an award-winning author and illustrator who grew up in a Foreign Service family, and attended schools in Europe, Africa and Asia. She holds a degree in social anthropology fromHarvard University. In addition to several children’s books,