Archive for December, 2016

“…Adrift at Sea tells this difficult tale with a direct honesty that creates an opportunity for accompanied discussion, especially for some younger readers. Skrypuch maintains a strong sense of hope throughout, demonstrating the true strength of young Tuan. It is also a powerful story for all readers in light of the Syrian refugee crisis, providing an accessible way […]

“…All the World a Poem is a poetic picture book that immerses the reader in a world or words and wonder….From the moment this book is opened and a kaleidoscope of butterflies greets you, you are immediately transported­ – almost as if on the wings of said butterflies…. For young readers, hearing the words of All the […]

“Malini, a young Sri Lankan girl, is tasked with protecting a bullock cart carrying a load of rice seedlings that will feed her entire village for a year. Malini is eager to accept this responsibility, but when it starts to pour rain, she must make a difficult decision: protect the rice crops or save herself. This moving […]

“In this follow-up to 2015’s Timo’s Garden, Allenby again recounts a heartwarming story of friendship… The story reads like an encyclopaedia of friendship with each good act from a friend provoking another. The warm, detailed illustrations evoke a comfortable small-town charm, sure to entice readers to visit Toadstool Corners again and again. The book also does a nice […]

“There are many reasons why Jared and Kyle should never be friends: different backgrounds (affluent white urban single child vs Indigenous youngster living at a camp) and different values (fashion and coolness vs family bonding and respect for the elders). But since a plane crash left Jared stranded in the bush, he has to rely on Kyle’s survival skills. […]

“A hedgehog sets out to ask how its fellow animals feel; along the way, readers will learn there is more than one meaning to the word ‘feel.’ A puffy, cheery cover framed in soft purple opens onto endpapers depicting a fresh green meadow in early summer. The tone is set for this toddler-friendly book that introduces a […]

“Sami was feeding his pigeons when his home and his neighborhood were suddenly gone. Sami and his family, Muslims, escape, along with everyone he knows. He’s frightened by smoke and noise, and his father squeezes his hand and assures him his beautiful birds have escaped, too. Days of walking get them to a refugee camp and […]

“With the arrival of Syrian refugee families in many Canadian communities, parents and children alike are charged with trying to understand the harsh experiences these new classmates and neighbours have undergone. The compassionate and beautiful new picture book from Oakville, Ontario, illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo – the first for which she has created both pictures […]

“This is one of the most beautiful and powerful picture books I’ve seen in a long time. I was…blown away by the emotional impact of both the story and the illustrations. It would make a perfect edition to any middle or high school history classroom. I STRONGLY recommend this one!” Click here to read the full […]

“What a powerful book! Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch and Tuan Ho tell the story of Tuan and his family’s escape from Vietnam in an overcrowded fishing boat in 1981. The story is a true one recounted by Tuan of how he (when he was six years old), his mother, his two sisters and his aunt and cousins made […]