Pajama Press

ILA Literacy Daily, “Celebrating Poetry”

“Cara’s sadness is palpable, and her descriptions of the setting are moving….The heart of this story is whether or not Cara will be reunited with Mike, if he’s survived the wildfire. It’s is also a story about the meaning of home….These varied ways of thinking about home are key to Cara and her community’s survival.”

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CM Magazine

“Veteran author Ann Ingalls has produced a book with a lightweight plot but much lighthearted play with language that will delight younger readers just learning about verbal humour as well as teachers who could use this book as a lesson on the pun as literary device.

Dean Griffiths is a British Columbia illustrator with a number of awards to his name. He has filled the pages of Pencil with familiar objects which are candy-colourful and plastic in their contours, as well as expressive images of the two dark-eyed, dark-haired children. Tooth-marked and a little off-kilter, Pencil is definitely a character in his own right in the story. The spread showing the shadowy interior of the junk drawer where a small green flashlight illuminates little but a number of pairs of eyes is especially captivating.

Recommended.”
—Ellen Heaney is a retired children’s librarian living in Coquitlam, British Columbia.

CM Magazine

“Lauren is an eight-year-old girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and she sees the world in her own unique way. Penguin Days is a stand-alone book that also continues a story begun in Slug Days, with Lauren encountering challenges this time beyond school that help her stretch and grow. Not only must she attend her first-ever family wedding, but she is going to be a flower girl!…

Sara Leach’s writing is finely crafted as well as highly readable for the intended age group—no small feat— and Lauren’s first-person voice is just as compelling as it was in Leach’s previous work. Ongoing mix-ups and dilemmas present themselves within a strong, plot-driven storyline, and, while the resolution is authentic and satisfying, readers will no doubt anticipate further books about this delightful character.

Adding to the hilarious escapades in the text are Rebecca Bender’s kid-friendly black-and-white illustrations. Penguin Days would make great independent-reading fare for classroom and school libraries as well as additions to units on identity and difference.

Highly Recommended.”
—Bev Brenna

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Foreword Reviews

“A lighthearted story, Penguin Days follows Lauren, who is on the autism spectrum. She sometimes misreads social cues, like not understanding why others laugh; she is not always included in groups….

Pencil illustrations by Rebecca Bender appear on nearly every spread. They feature Lauren and her family and are insightful in showing the way she navigates the world, including feelings that Lauren herself might not pick up on or understand. The book’s chapter breaks sometimes interrupt the flow of the story, which might imitate how Lauren sees her own world.

In Penguin Days, Lauren’s family learns to accept one another, no matter how challenging a situation might seem.”
—Rebecca Monterusso

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Kirkus Reviews

“Lauren, who has autism spectrum disorder, is back for a second outing following Slug Days (2017)….A scratchy dress, a little vomit, and an accidental fall into the calves’ stall will all get in the way, although Lauren’s dislike of new situations and a bad case of stage fright are the biggest challenges. Lauren relates her prickly feelings in a believably forthright voice that offers readers welcome insight into her perspective….

Bender’s soft, gentle illustrations expand and illuminate Lauren’s narrative. Plenty of white space and short chapters make this empathetic effort extra accessible to a broad audience….

Another fine and enlightening peek into Lauren’s unique, often challenging world that displays her differences but highlights the needs she shares with all children: love, acceptance and friendship. (Fiction. 5-9)”

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That’s Another Story

“The story is told in a way that helps younger children connect to the feelings of sadness and fear of the refugee experience.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful, reminding me of many amazing sunsets and cloud-filled skies I have experienced.”

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ASLC Litpicks

“Canadian Suzanne Del Rizzo has created a gorgeously layered and textured vision of a refugee camp in Syria based on a true story….Politics and worldviews are conspicuously absent, as Del Rizzo’s incredibly detailed paint, Plasticine and polymer clay illustrations make Sami and the camp come to life. The camp is shown as a clean and safe place, with none of the darker elements of refugee life. This allows the focus to remain on the consequences of war for one young boy and his triumph over adversity, and brings the story to a level that young children in this country will be able to access and empathize with. A must for every school library.”

—Lissa Davies

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Vancouver Family Magazine

“It may be impossible to know if childhood anxiety is on the rise, or if society is simply and finally calling it what it is. But in either case, the challenge is clear: many kids experience intense fear and uncertainty in an increasingly changing world. Small Things by Mel Tregonning (Pajama Press Inc., 2018) confronts this reality with stunning illustrations that depict a boy whose worry follows him around like so many clinging monsters, and eats away at him like chipping China. The book is wordless, but the black and white panel illustrations tell a thousand words about the plight of anxiety and ultimately the healing power of acceptance and connection.”

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ASLC Litpicks

“This large graphic novel styled picture book tells the story of a young boy whose anxiety manifests itself as tiny beings, who gnaw away at his very identity. The powerful imagery of anxiety and worry as beings is told entirely through wordless illustrations. They eat away at him, affecting his social interactions, school work and increases his sense of loneliness. When he opens up to his sister, he learns that others may be experiencing similar feelings. ‘Small things’ can grow, as anxiety can, to become something too big to deal with on one’s own. Though this book offers no easy answers, it does end with hope after sharing his worries with his family.”

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Worlds of Words

“What a beautiful book about such a terrible phenomenon! The reality, however, is that flooding happens across the world and has the potential for great destruction. The young protagonist in this picturebook has some real spunk and AGENCY. I think this is a wonderful book to share with young people, showing Malini’s responsibility but also the danger of flooding.”

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