Archive for March, 2016

“…The English translation of the French book by Andrée Poulin is almost everything you can hope for in a children’s book. It combines a hilarious father-daughter adventure and a funny counting game, learning about sea life with the colorful, lively illustrations by Anne-Claire Delisle. “Going for a sea bath” makes bathing and learning fun. Can […]

Uncertain Soldier by Karen Bass has been shortlisted for the 2016 National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award. This award is offered annually for the best children’s English book containing at least 500 words of text. The winner will be announced at IODE Canada’s 116th National Annual Meeting being held at the Lambton […]

“Born in southern Africa, elephants Toka and Iringa were later captured and brought to a Toronto zoo; a third elephant, Thika, was born in captivity. When the zoo’s cramped conditions and cold climate began to impair the elephants’ heath, public outcry resulted in their 2013 relocation to a California sanctuary. In subdued oil paintings, Deines […]

Elephant Journey: The True Story of Three Zoo Elephants and their Rescue from Captivity, written by Rob Laidlaw and Illustrated by Brian Deines, has been nominated for the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award. Elephant Journey is an account of the road travelled by Toka, Thika, and Iringa, three African elephants, from the Toronto Zoo to the […]

“Elliot, an anthropomorphized bunny, is just a regular kid. His parents love him very much, but they don’t know how to take care of him. A man named Thomas comes to help, and he takes Elliot to a foster family where everything is different. His new environment is jarring, but Elliot soon feels understood and […]

“A Year of Borrowed Men tells a story from World War II that will be unfamiliar to many readers, but is nonetheless a moving part of the history of the German-Canadian community. The author writes from her mother Gerda’s recollections, bringing to life the engaging voice of the younger Gerda, whose family hosted three French prisoners-of-war […]

Kiss, Kiss, by Montreal’s Jennifer Couëlle was first published in French as Le bisou. Translated by Karen Simon, it retains a cheerful breeziness; simple rhymes describe the various types of kisses and how they can brighten a person’s day—or night (“Good-night kisses on the head. / Hugs before we go to bed,” accompanies a page […]

“…Karen Bass anchors the fantasy element with such gritty, sore and smelly reality and such nail-biting terror that the reader has no choice but to be hooked. I read this novel in a single long gulp because I could not put it down. And after I was finished, it stayed on my mind. A phenomenal […]

“Written by Julie Pearson (an adoptive mother) and illustrated by Manon Gauthier, Elliot is a gentle guide to the foster child system from a kid’s point of view. Elliot’s parents love him, but when he starts crying and misbehaving they don’t know what to do. That’s when Elliot meets a social worker named Thomas… …The […]

“Rob Laidlaw, one of my favorite children’s authors covering animal protection topics, recently released his latest title, Elephant Journey, which follows Toka, Thika, and Iringa in their travels and experiences. (I received a copy of this book to review.) …This lifelong journey to sanctuary was no small feat, and the majority of the book’s pages […]