Pajama Press

Pajama Press is excited to announce that two of our titles have been nominated for the 2020 Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading^® Awards.

Giraffe and Bird Together Again, written and illustrated by Rebecca Bender, is a nominee for the Blue Spruce Award.

And Too Young to Escape: A Vietnamese Girl Waits to be Reunited with Her Family, written by Van Ho and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, is a nominee for the Yellow Cedar Award.

Click here to see the full list of award nominees.

The Forest of Reading^® is an initiative of the Ontario Library Association (OLA) that helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators and promotes a love of reading among Ontario students. Every year, over 270,000 participants read a shortlist of books in their age category and vote for their favourites. Learn more at: www.accessola.org

Pajama Press extends our congratulations to Rebecca Bender, Van Ho, and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, as well as their fellow nominees. Our sincerest thanks go to the Ontario Library Association for promoting reading and Canadian books through this outstanding program. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Book Fund for our publishing program.

For further information, or to request an interview with any of our authors or illustrators, please contact:
Laura Bowman, Publicity
publicity@pajamapress.ca

Pajama Press is seeking an administrative intern for a placement of 4–5 months. An honorarium will be provided.

Pajama Press is an independent Canadian publisher of award-winning literary children’s books. Our interns receive one-on-one, personalized training throughout their placement and have an extremely high rate of post-internship employment, either at Pajama Press or at other companies in the industry. We are always happy to support and encourage our interns’ development in their areas of strength beyond the initial job description.

Qualifications:

• Post-secondary certification in administration OR comparable job experience
• Facility with Microsoft Office programs, particularly Excel
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Strong written English
• Ability to work effectively as a team member in an open-concept office
• Experience with bookkeeping software is an asset
• Interest in children’s publishing is an asset

Duties:

• Manage data in spreadsheets
• Learn and update industry-specific user interfaces for metadata management
• Manage organization of physical and digital files
• Assist with packaging and recording shipments via post and courier
• Compile e-newsletters
• Assist with the execution of social media posts
• Other duties as made possible by the applicant’s skills and interests

Pajama Press welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and with various physical abilities. Physical requirements of the job include navigating a single step at the building entrance, stooping to access filing cabinets, and handling packages containing multiple books.

Applicants should email erinalladin@pajamapress.ca with a cover letter and résumé saved as attachments. Please include your full name in the attachment’s file name.

Applications will be accepted until September 10, 2019. Applicants for whom we wish to schedule an interview will be contacted by September 16, 2019.

Brigham Young University, Children’s Book & Media Reviews

“Bass tells a riveting story of survival and friendship, staying true to the real Cree legend that has been passed down for generations. The story builds a moral message of not judging others or jumping to conclusions about them as Kyle and Jared work together and learn more about the other. The protagonists were able to form a true friendship that genuinely benefited the other as they passed through their experiences together. Bass does a wonderful job of setting the scene for the novel and describing the landscape, particularly the forest. The author also adds an educational value to the book by demonstrating basic survival skills such as having water, knowing the landscape, and avoiding harmful plants while utilizing helpful ones. Overall, a wonderful story for anyone looking for a thrill and to learn something new.”

Click here to read the full review

“Spiritual and cultural beliefs blossom into a celebration of life—at least until the darkness of fear and ruthlessness of the earthmother rip apart a homeland and a cherished way of life. This mesmerizing, aching tale explores ancient beliefs in gods and nature and their impact on an Aegean island society in the Bronze Age….Orr nimbly shows Leira’s imperiousness and her humanity alike as the girl witnesses the jarring shift in order when once-exalted priests and priestesses find themselves cast adrift. Her mixture of prose and free verse to tell Leira’s story is lyrical and magnetic—and devastating. Not for readers searching for a simple or happy journey, this is a beautiful song of a book that shows that life isn’t always fair, but change is always constant.”

Click here to read the full review

“First published in Germany, this picture book tells a story with universal appeal, particularly for children with night fears. The text reads aloud well, while the handsome watercolor artwork transforms elements of Morgan’s daytime experiences within the dream sequences. The most dramatic shift is the simplest: one double-page illustration shows Morgan in bed, ready for sleep, and holding the little button-eyed lion in his arms. In the next scene, they are both sleeping, and the stuffed animal has become the full-size, living lion, ready to bolster the little knight’s courage. A reassuring picture book.”
—Carolyn Phelan

Click here to read the full review

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“Gr 1-3–This lighthearted story about a young girl and her lazy dog will entice young readers who are venturing into chapter books….Illustrations depicting Pistachio’s classmates’ laughter during show and tell and the series of dogs trying out for the Doggone Theater’s lead role (from trumpeting Chihuahuas to a beagle balancing a teacup on her nose) all fit perfectly with the text’s silly and sweet tone. VERDICT The child appeal of this tale will keep independent readers chuckling and wanting more; a strongly recommended purchase.”
—Jennifer Gibson, SUNY Cortland

Read the full review in the July 2017 issue of School Library Journal

“Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green is a heartwarming middle-grade novel told in free verse….There is so much to love about this story. The cast of characters are vibrant and interesting. The free-verse feels very fluid and natural, with well-placed metaphors that build on Macy’s voice and character….

I really appreciated that Macy’s deafness is not the focus of this book; it’s a part of her story but not her whole story. While her hearing loss creates obstacles that hearing children might not have considered or ever had to deal with, Macy never felt ‘other’ to me and I think it’s important for both readers with hearing and those without to see Macy as a kid first, dealing with fear, loneliness, and new experiences….

As sweet as one of Iris’s cookies, Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess is an absolutely charming story from start to finish that encourages cross-generation friendships and getting to know someone before making judgements. I highly recommend.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (5/5 hearts)

Bonus: Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess includes a recipe for Iris’s Sugar and Spice Cookies! So of course I had to try them out. I’m always a bit skeptical of recipes in the back of novels, as so often they’re more gimmicky than good, but these are delicious! The batter didn’t spread as much as I thought it would when baking so you can go for the extravagant-sized cookies without fear of them running together. And the batter works great for freezing. I baked half and put the rest in the freezer. Just let the batter thaw a bit and it’s once again perfect for scooping and rolling in the sugar coating. The cookies tasted just as wonderful done this way. But don’t take my word for it—whip up a batch yourself!”

Click here to read the full review

“This book is a wonderful invitation to celebrate morning and waking up routines….

Manon Gauthier’s illustrations are very unique and appear to be photographs of drawings on paper cut out and assembled/pasted in a collage-like style. They are reminiscent of the art of childhood, without being too childish. Children will relate to them as to something they could have created and in fact, this style would be a great one to have children try as an extension to the book. This is a unique and endearing title that will be a toddler favourite, especially for the ‘Grumples’!”

Thematic Links: Daily Routines/Time of Day; Emotions; Feelings
—Erin Hansen

Read the full review on page 1 of the February 2017 issue of Resource Links