Pajama Press

The greatest feat of this tribute to poetry is that Tibo has managed to illustrate that poetry is, essentially, everywhere. Equally impressive is his ability to place the profound next to the humourous…

The accompanying paper collages created by graphic artist Manon Gauthier capture the wonder of the poems beautifully….their sense of whimsy will bring a smile to the reader’s face.

By bringing poetry to the level of children, All the World a Poem has succeeded in doing the impossible and in the process will certainly spark the imagination of future poets who are destined to write the “verses yet to come.”

Highly Recommended.

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Adrift at Sea: A Vietnamese Boy’s Story of Survival is a big story to tell. It’s broad in historical scope, and emotionally hefty in the distress and fear experienced by Tuan and his fellow refugees, and in its moral significance….I am ever thankful that Tuan Ho’s story does have a happy ending and that Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch chose to share it with young readers in an illustrated book and that Pajama Press chose well to pair it with the art of Brian Deines. From the illustration of a lone boat adrift in a wash of dry heat that graces the cover of Adrift at Sea, to the dark and engrossing images of Tuan’s steps along the journey, Brian Deines’ art is evocative and integrative, resplendent in complementary colours of orange and golds and blues and purples.

By recounting Tuan’s story in the limited but succinct text of a picture book, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is able to forge a powerful connection between the emotions of the narrative and the visual i.e., the expansive oil painted art of Brian Deines. This makes Adrift at Sea: A Vietnamese Boy’s Story of Survival more than just a story about Tuan Ho. It makes it an archive of historical importance for young readers to access.

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This short book for will ring true for parents who have tried to put (and keep!) a hat on their toddler….

The simple and repetitive language used throughout the book works well for children who are just learning to speak and often have a limited vocabulary….Parents and children will enjoy going through the story demonstrating when the hat goes on and off.

…In addition to showcasing a wide variety of hats, [the illustrations] also feature easily identifiable images, such as cars, flowers, and toys, which many young children will be able to name aloud. The illustrations do a great job of giving visual cues for children to follow along with.

Overall, Hat On, Hat Off is a lovely little book for young children and parents, all of whom will identify with the story….

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As she did in The Last Airlift and One Step at a Time, Skrypuch uses one child’s story to give moving insight into the experience of the many children who escaped war-ravaged Vietnam to start new lives….Deines’s (Elephant Journey) hazy oil paintings poignantly capture the family’s physical ordeal and anguish during their perilous journey.

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Laidlaw, an animal protection activist, tells the story in this fascinating picture book. It took enormous effort, careful planning, the construction of special crates, a flotilla of semi trucks, and a summit of animal experts. The long journey was packed with tension.

Illustrator Brian Deines based his lovely oil paintings on photographs of the elephants’ journey and new life in California. They provide a dynamic sense of being on the journey. I freely admit to having tears in my eyes when I l encountered scenes of the elephants enjoying their new, wide-open home.

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