“This look at an experience foreign to most readers in the United States hits on some easy-to-spot universals of children around the world, including the experience of learning, of disappointment, and of playing with friends.”
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“Fullerton notes that in Tanzania and other parts of Africa, there are still millions of people who cannot afford transportation….Some NGOs donate bicycles and open bicycle libraries where children can sign out a bicycle. In a Cloud of Dust lists organizations in North America that donate bicycles to Africa….Learning more about these organizations and doing fundraising in your classroom could be great book extensions for intermediate students.
In a Cloud of Dust demonstrates kindness and the idea of paying it forward. The message in the book is terrific and can be embedded throughout the curriculum, specifically focusing on equality, citizenship and social justice. This book would be appropriate for junior and intermediate levels.”
—Lindsay Freedman is a member of the Peel Teacher Local
Read the full review on page 46 of the Fall 2017 issue of ETFO Voice
“Glowing oil painting in golds and oranges spotlight the simple, uplifting story about sharing. An author’s note highlights more information about bicycle libraries and organizations that distribute bikes to Africa and other developing countries.”
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“…The bright, appealing illustrations carry the joy that the bicycles bring to the students through gold and orange washes, though specifics of the Tanzanian countryside are often lacking.
Verdict: Highly recommended for preschool, elementary and public libraries to increase awareness of life in different cultures and parts of the world.”
—Jane Cothron
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Pajama Press is thrilled to announce that three of our titles have been nominated for the 2016 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards.
The picture book, which is written from the WWII memories of Michelle’s mother Gerda, celebrates the ability for humanity to win out over hostility during a dark time in world history. Gerda’s father has been conscripted into the German army, and the “borrowed men” sent to work the family’s farm in his place are prisoners of war forced to labour in their enemy’s homeland. Still, the seven-year-old girl finds small ways to defy authority and build a forbidden friendship. This book has also been nominated for the 2017 Chocolate Lily Book Award.
In this picture book set in Tanzania, a young girl named Anna is determined to get an education in spite of the long walk that leaves her no daylight in which to do homework at the end of the day. Working through the lunch hour instead, she misses a visit from the bicycle library. Luckily, her compassionate classmates find a solution that lets everyone get home faster than ever before. In a Cloud of Dust has previously won the Rainforest of Reading Award, been nominated for the Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award, and been a Foreword Reviews Best Children’s Books of Fall 2015 selection.
Uncertain Soldier is a suspenseful YA novel about a WWII prisoner of war struggling with conflicting loyalties. All his life Erich has learned that keeping his head down is the best way to avoid trouble. But when his silence could cost a friend dearly, it may be time to stand up at last. Uncertain Soldier has previously been nominated for the IODE Violet Downey Book Award and the Forest or Reading Red Maple Award. In 2014, author Karen Bass won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for her novel Graffiti Knight.
From the Canadian Children’s Book Centre press release:
“The nominated books exemplify some of the very best work by Canadian authors and illustrators across the country. The winners of the English-language awards will be announced at an invitation-only gala event at The Carlu in Toronto on November 17, 2016. The winners of the Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse will be announced at an invitation-only gala at Le Winsor in Montreal on November 1, 2016. Overall, $135,000 in prize monies will be awarded.
This year, TD and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre are once again partnering with CBC/Radio-Canada to present the Fan Choice Award/Choix du public littérature jeunesse. Young readers are invited to choose their favourite book from the titles shortlsited for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse. The awards will be presented to the winning authors at the Toronto and Montreal galas.”
Click here to read the full press release and the lists of nominees.
For more information about these awards, please visit the Canadian Children’s Book Centre website.
Pajama Press is pleased to announce that three of our picture books have been nominated for the 2016 Rainforest of Reading Award: Bad Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters and Dean Griffiths, In a Cloud of Dust by Alma Fullerton and Brian Deines, and Skydiver: Saving the Fastest Bird in the World by Celia Godkin.
Inspired by the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading program, the Rainforest of Reading is a book festival that brings award-winning children’s literature from Canada to primary schools in Saint Lucia, Grenada, Montserrat, and Nevis. For three weeks in March 2016, 8,500 students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will read and engage with the twelve nominated books. At the end of the three weeks, students will vote for their favourite book and many will attend a day-long celebration with the authors and illustrators themselves.
We are thrilled that our books will be a part of this important literacy initiative. Congratulations to our participating authors and illustrators!
The Rainforest of Reading will announce full festival information on their new website, to be unveiled on February 5, 2016
“Anna is doing her homework inside during lunchtime since her walk home takes far too long, so she is the last to arrive at the pickup truck that is delivering charity bicycles to her school, and she misses out. Rather than moping, Anna helps her friends learn to ride. Mohammad returns the favor by letting her take his bike the rest of the way home since she has the farthest to go. The dusty Tanzanian countryside and the children’s joyous faces, rendered realistically in Deines’s artwork, shows how simple acts can transform a child’s life. Ages four and up.”
Click here to read the full post.
“A simple, straightforward text illustrated with oil paintings by Toronto’s Brian Deines, In a Cloud of Dust nevertheless teaches a powerful lesson about sharing, and can be used by parents and teachers to show children there are others in the world who are less fortunate—and who would benefit from donated bicycles. An author’s note at the end of the book lists some organizations that distribute bicycles to African nations and other developing countries.”
Click here to read the full review.
“There’s much excitement in a Tanzanian village when the bicycle library arrives in a cloud of dust. There are bikes for all the children except Anna, who arrives too late. Her disappointment is tangible, but rather than feel sorry for herself, she helps her friends learn to ride their new bicycles. She supports, balances, encourages, and accompanies her friends as they twist and turn, skid and slide, churning the dust into clouds of red and gold. Ultimately, Anna’s generosity is reciprocated by a friend who is as kind as she is. Notable for its message of putting others before oneself, the story is buoyed by illustrations that shimmer with movement, light, and feeling. Shades of ochre, amber, and pale gold radiate from each two-page spread, conveying through oil paint the warmth and grittiness of this village and its children. An author’s note explains the role of and constant need for bicycles in Africa.”
—Amina Chaudhri
“Living in a Tanzanian village means lots of walking. Each day, young Anna makes the long trek to and from her schoolhouse from her home. So when a truck shows up from the bicycle library, it means a great relief for the students. Except they run out before Anna gets one. Disappointed, but excited for her classmates, she receives a gift of kindness in the response of her peers. In a Cloud of Dust highlights the daily challenges faced by many in rural villages throughout Tanzania. An author’s note at the end highlights more information about bicycle libraries and their impact in places like Africa…VERDICT Additional purchase for educators wanting to highlight compassion and awareness of different social structures.”
—Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID