“At the end of a long day when I was nine months pregnant, my 4-year-old, Winter, asked, ‘Is Daddy going to die?’…
Bon Voyage, Mister Rodriguez cover by Christiane Duchesne and illustrator François Thisdale
Death is one of the
most difficult subjects to talk about with a child. It’s so vast, so many
things to so many people that, like wandering Macy’s the week before Christmas,
it’s hard to know where to start and you’re tempted to avoid it altogether.
There is the obvious fear of traumatizing your child, giving her too long a
look into the abyss. There is also the self-conscious suspicion that whatever
you end up saying will ultimately reveal more about who you are than it will
about the subject itself. Thankfully, a host of new picture books tackle ‘taking
the ferry,’ staring down that overtly thwarting subject, and making it
personal, peaceful and approachable.
In Christiane Duchesne
and Francois Thisdale’s bewitching Bon Voyage, Mister Rodriguez, set in a small seaside town, a group
of kids watch the mysterious comings and goings of a man who wears a bright red
scarf and looks as if he has ‘clouds under his coat.’ His solitary meanderings
through the cobblestone streets and his eccentric love of animals — he attaches
wings to a cat’s back, strolls with a goldfish bowl on his head — go unnoticed
by the adults. But to the children he is a fascination and delight.
When he abruptly disappears…his absence prompts a strong sense of community as [the children] band together to say their goodbyes…Thisdale’s realistic yet dreamlike illustrations, windswept with mist and surreal painted skies, add to the sense of wonder….
As these four books illustrate and I have come to realize, the conversation about death is alive, shifting and fading, bobbing to the surface and just as swiftly sinking below. It is not one thing for us or for children. When I asked Winter again what she thought about death, there was no memory of my parental wipeout. She simply announced with great confidence: ‘You don’t need a phone.’ She had worked it out just fine.” —Marisha Pessl
Join author Theo Heras and illustrator Alice Carter on Saturday, December 14th at Dovercourt Recreation Centre to celebrate the publication of their picture books My Puppy Patch and Our New Kittens!
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.”
“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.”
“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
“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
Brigham Young University, Children’s Book & Media Reviews
“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.”
“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.”