Pajama Press

“…Quebec author, visual artist and publisher Angèle Delaunois takes the reader across the world to witness the importance of water to the children of different countries….Canada is represented by two spreads, one from Quebec and one from Nunavut, both which speak in terms of what is most familiar to young Canadian readers….

While other texts and illustrations will be familiar or at least obvious such as the Russian child of a fishing village and the rain experienced by an urban child in Germany, many spreads will rouse thoughtful discussions of unfamiliar depictions of water….

The artwork of Montreal animator, graphic artist and illustrator Gérard Frischeteau rings with authenticity, depicting each global child in both personal and expansive landscapes, often providing details about daily life and family….

In fact, ‘Water is Life’ is a special touch in Water’s Children. On watermarks adorning each spread, the term ‘water is life’ is translated into a corresponding language, including French, Inuktitut, Catalan, German, Portuguese, Tamil, Arabic and Wolof with a final listing of all regions and languages represented in the book.

I know I’ve listed the reading audience as 4 to 8 years of age but don’t follow that. Water’s Children’s audience should read “All ages” or “Everyone” because it is an extraordinarily inspirational examination of the importance of water throughout the world. You can save it for World Water Day (March 22) but I recommend it for this weekend’s Earth Day (April 22) and anytime meaningful attention be paid to a global resource i.e., always.”

Click here to read the full review

“…In Sylvia Gunnery’s novel Road Signs That Say West, Hanna persuades her younger sisters, Megan and Claire, to join her on a parent-free road trip across Canada….With a cast of interesting yet believable characters, Road Signs That Say West gives a realistic look into the lives and relationships of three very different yet inextricably linked sisters.

Road Signs That Say West is a novel that will absolutely find its way to the shelves of the junior high library I run. In a YA world full of fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian fiction, I have a large number of readers looking for what we call people stories: complex stories about realistic characters and their lives. The sisters in this story are believable and familiar without the author’s resorting to clichés….

Road Signs That Say West reads quickly and cleanly, with simple yet engaging language. It’s broken up into sections; there are smaller passages within the chapters, and 6-8 chapters within each of the three parts. This structure makes the novel manageable for struggling readers without affecting the flow of the story or making it choppy….

On a personal note, there are few things I enjoy more than seeing my hometown mentioned in works of literature. Gunnery’s novel opens with a fitting quote from Islander Catherine McLellan’s song ‘Lines on the Road’. A few chapters in, there is a reference to the university in Charlottetown. A reader in Southern Manitoba will recognize the name Pinawa, and one in Saskatchewan might recognize Weyburn. Baddeck, Edmundston, Jasper, and Mount Robson are among the other places named as the girls travel west across Canada. The mentions of various cities and landmarks across the country is a perfect way to draw readers into the story.

Highly Recommended.”
—Allison Giggey

Click here to read the full review

“In Hat On, Hat Off, Toronto author and librarian Theo Heras humourously captures the complexities of getting a toddler dressed and ready to go outside….Renné Benoit’s softly hued, realistic watercolour illustrations extend Theo Heras’s simple, conversational text. Subtle swatches of knitting patterns appear in background details. The little boy’s stuffed pal Bunny also wears a hat, brightly decorated with a carrot novelty print. The book’s design is very appealing to little hands, with a soft padded cover, and rounded corners. Infinitely relatable, Hat On, Hat Off is a warm, slice-of-life adventure that is perfect for sharing.”
—Linda Ludke

Click here to read the full review

“[T]he complex, interactive webs which rely on biodiversity are critical to a healthy planet and to our health as humans….

By hunting [grey] wolves to the point of near-extinction settlers unwittingly disturbed the timeworn balance that had allowed all sorts of plants, animals and waterways to flourish. This lovely book shows how each piece began to be renewed as wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone beginning in 1995.

Each turn of the page shows another glory of nature able to perform again its vivid song, as the positive, un-domino effect takes place. What a hopeful, gladsome journey! Share this with children ages 4 and up.”

Click here to read the full review

“[T]ry introducing little ones to [poetry] with this picture book…The unique illustrations in All the World a Poem are paper collage art, which adds to the overall artistic aesthetic.”
—Joanne Sallay

Read the full review in the April 2017 issue of Village Living Magazine

“The arrival of a new baby sibling conjures mixed emotions for a boy named Liam in this sweet and relatable story from [Sarah] Ellis…[Carmen] Mok’s warm digital illustrations tenderly depict Liam’s moments of adjustment…”

Click here to read the full review

“…Good Morning, Grumple is a sweet story about a sleepy fox-like creature ­­- who does not want to get up in the morning – and the patient mother who knows exactly what to do.

Author Victoria Allenby – whose debut picture books, Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That, won the 2014 Preschool Reads Award – succeeds once again in crafting a charming tale befitting the kindie set. Just as the mother in Good Morning, Grumple tries different tactics to awaken her sleepy-headed child, Allenby incorporates different narrative styles, moving deftly from rhyming couplets to sing-song lyrics to abrupt variances in rhythm that allow for recalibration and reflection….

The mixed media and paper-collage illustrations by four-time Governor General’s Literary Award nominee Manon Gauthier are rustic in appearance, but convey great depths of emotion….The child-like quality of Gauthier’s work matches the story’s sweet and tender tone, while the gradual increase in text size as the book progresses is a great representation of the experience of waking up and embracing the morning….”
—Sarah Sorensen

Click here to read the full review

“A perilous flash flood threatens a young Sri Lankan girl’s life and her village’s livelihood in this compelling picture book. Fullerton’s spare and lyrical text opens with Malini waking up, excited to learn how to plant rice seedlings and contribute to her community’s well-being….Endnotes explain the realities of child labor, poverty, and a dependence on rice as a staple crop in Sri Lanka, and the book as a whole offers a powerful portrait of a child’s bravery and perseverance.”
—Megan Dowd Lambert

Read the full review in the May 2017 issue of The Hornbook

“…Filled with ear-pleasing rhythms and onomatopoeia, Alma Fullerton’s vivacious free verse paints Malini’s character with deft strokes, and stirringly describes the action. Kim La Fave’s color-splashed illustrations set the scene and create a strong sense of motion, as the ox looms large above the girl, the monsoon unleashes, or Maili returns to the arms of her worried family. When the Rain Comes provides a vivid glimpse at life on an island country in Asia, as well as a satisfying look at a child who discovers the inner fortitude needed to overcome difficult circumstances.”

Click here to read the full review and the rest of the article

“Suzanne Del Rizzo’s My Beautiful Birds articulately conveys the experiences of a child displaced by war in Syria….Intricately detailed and lifelike, the polymer clay and mixed-media illustrations combine with the understated first-person narrative to communicate Sami’s circumstances, heartbreak, and healing process. Through this emotionally accessible story…readers begin to understand Sami’s plight, and to gain awareness and insight into the lives of the many children facing calamity across the globe. An author’s note provides background and a link to resources about the Syrian conflict and the refugee crisis.”
—Joy Fleishhacker

Click here to read the full review and the rest of the article