Author Archive

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 […]

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 […]

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. Click […]

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’ […]

Padrón uses elegant and simple shapes and earth tones. She creates lost scenes that are just scary enough, and as the tale lightens, the addition of other young animals to the backgrounds brightens the mood….A sweet and simple cautionary tale perfect for lapsits and one-on-one sharing. Click here to read the full review. Save

Heras and Benoit tell a story that every parent will relate to, using toddler-friendly language and soft watercolor illustrations. The patterns of each hat are subtly woven into the narrative as a backdrop to many of the pages that contain text….Recounting the delights and trials of toddlerhood, this charming offering makes for a fun read-aloud […]

If you’re Canadian with young children, you know about that compulsory basket of hats (and mittens and scarves) by the front door from which appropriate outdoor apparel can be plucked before heading out…. A red bear hat goes on, a sweater gets hidden. The red bear hat goes off as sister does up his sneakers….But […]

Shari Green has created characters who are complex, and thoughtful. Bailey’s first person narrative brings awareness to the beautiful island setting, knowledge of the complex characters who people this new community, the pain inherent in keeping family secrets, a growing concern for others, and the courage to take a stand. Her support for the eccentric Jasper and her […]

Bedtime preparations aren’t going too smoothly in the Rhino household. The three Rhino babies fight over toys, make faces at each other and start a riot in the bathtub…. Tara Anderson’s folksy pencil crayon and acrylic illustrations show the squabbling siblings in all of their mischievous glory. They butt heads, overturn chairs, and snap towels […]

Little Fox waits tentatively, quietly. He thinks that even if his mother cannot see him, she might be able to hear him. He begins to sing, and gradually other forest animals join in the chorus to alert Mama Fox to where her little one is. Of course, there is a happy ending as Mama arrives, […]