Pajama Press

Click here to download the Teaching Mrs. Muddle teaching guide.

Booklist

“Illustrations in warm-hued watercolors depict the buildings in the old city nestled in the mountains ‘like the embroidered scarfs in the Grand Bazaar,’ which contrasts with the dusty tents of the camp. The girls’ individualized faces and emotions will establish a bond with children everywhere as Rahman celebrates the brave and resourceful Afghani women teachers from his childhood who found creative ways to educate girls.”
—Lolly Gepson

Read the full review in the October 1, 2020 issue of Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

“Grimard’s illustrations pair well with Rahman’s words, from the sun rising over the mountains in the morning against an atmospheric sky to the dusty camp area with tents labeled UNHCR. Pari, her mom, and many girls cover their hair. In the backmatter, the author, an Afghan refugee himself now living in Canada, offers a personal message, which is accompanied by a brief note about refugee camps.

An inspiring story that conveys the power of education—paying it forward and meeting avid readers where they are.”

Click here to read the full review

Quill & Quire

“The majority of Canadian children – though shamefully not all – can take for granted the availability of books at home or in schools and local libraries. Two new picture books, both told from the perspective of children, are set in war-ravaged countries where access to books is anything but a given….The Library Bus introduces readers to the brave women in contemporary Afghanistan who run mobile schools and libraries to teach young girls and provide them with reading and writing materials….

Bahram Rahman’s The Library Bus is inspired by growing up in Afghanistan and by the children he met during visits to orphanages and camps in Kabul….

The dangers and obstacles that still exist for girls getting an education in Afghanistan are not emphasized; Rahman instead refers back to the education of Pari’s mother by her father, which had to be conducted in utter secrecy. In the afterword, the author mentions the inspiration he drew from the real-life children he met. Gabrielle Grimard’s characteristically warm style and her animated representation of Pari and the other children beautifully brings to life the vitality and potential of the girls in the book.”

Click here to read the full review

Open Book interview with author Colleen Nelson

Click here to download the The Flooded Earth teaching guide.

Click here to download the Tickled Pink: How Friendship Washes the World with Color teaching guide.

Click here to download the The Girl Who Rode a Shark: And Other Stories of Daring Women teaching guide.

Click here to download the Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round teaching guide.

Click here to download the Nutcracker Night teaching guide.

Kirkus Reviews

“Fiction and nonfiction meet as a boy seeks to save an orphaned rhino….This picture book offers a colorful portrayal of a gentle rhino and a boy who cares for him and helps him survive. Readers will encounter many other animals throughout the savanna in Patkau’s illustrations, including egrets, giraffes, an ostrich, guinea fowl, and vervet monkeys. Young readers will also enjoy finding small insects, reptiles, and mammals along the journey. The backmatter offers insightful details on the poaching of rhinos, their endangered status, conservation efforts to save them, and Rao-Robinson’s story of her encounter with rhinos in South Africa that inspired the book.

A gentle story that helps children understand why wildlife conservation matters and why they should care.”

Click here to read the full review

Click here to download the Music for Tigers teaching guide.

Click here to download the Animals of the Galapagos Glossary of Facts

VoiceED Radio “Reading Between the Limes” Podcast with Geoff Ruggero and Beth Lyons (17:50 for Geoff’s summary of Music for Tigers)

Kirkus Reviews ★ Starred Review

“Storytime gets a kick in the pants with this jaunty combo of shapes and vehicles….Similar in its cadences to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle (1967), this book is ideal for construction storytimes everywhere. ‘Road roller / Road roller / Coming through! / I spy a circle— / How about you?’ Be sure to sing it to the tune of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ if you really want to bring down the house. Activities to further engage young children are included at the end of the book.

Clear, crisp, clean, and concise—trucks and shapes have never before looked (or sounded) this good.”

Click here to read the full review

School Library Journal

“Conventions of gender, species, and race have all been rendered moot, making this a universal book for lapsitting young ones and their caregivers to point at and select…With the call-and-response format of “Who is my daddy?” and “This is my daddy!” this generous game will inspire noisy story hours as well as reassuring bedtime rituals.”

Click here to read the full review

Youth Services Book Review

“Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review)4

What did you like about the book? A fun interactive story with funny animal challenges….The bright, colorful characters and playful storyline celebrate the bond of father and child. It is sure to engage young children, and support their abilities to notice details, think critically, and predict what will come….

To whom would you recommend this book? A wonderful book for fathers to share with their sons. And a great read aloud for PreK-K to build observational skills and have fun together.”
—Julie Durmis, J.C. Solmonese Elementary School, Norton, MA

Click here to read the full review

Mr. Alex’s Bookshelf

“Mies Van Hout leads you on a dynamic visual journey in her latest contribution to the world of Board Books: This is My Daddy!

Board Books can be well, dull. Not for the kids. Children love them, if they are done correctly. But, for adults, the lessons contained in a Board Book are among the most basic of lessons and, as a child often likes to repeat them over and over, they can start to grow tiresome on the reader. This is My Daddy!, however, provides entertainment both for the child and the adult….Van Hout layers clues into her carefully crafted illustrations so that even if you are unfamiliar with the particular species, you can make an educated guess.

In trademark Van Hout style, the visuals are big, bold and bright. The artwork on the ‘reveal’ pages encompasses an entire two-page spread dominating the visual field and highlighting the father/child relationship. This is particularly important as there are so few Children’s Books on the market that reinforce the father/child bond. This is a welcomed addition.”

Click here to read the full review

CM Magazine

“The contents of This Is My Daddy! are not the simple matches of the familiar kitten/cat, puppy/dog, calf/cow or piglet/pig variety….The physical book, with its padded cover and round corners, is very child safety-friendly, and the glossy cardstock paper will stand up to the manipulations of fingers just learning to turn pages….

This participation book, with its colorful illustrations, belongs in libraries serving the target age group, and it would be a good home purchase as well.

Recommended.”
—Dave Jenkinson, CM’s editor, lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Click here to read the full review

Sal’s Fiction Addiction

“Little ones are invited to take part in reading both the repetitive question and its accompanying answer. The question and the creature asking face a page with four choices each time. It affords growth in vocabulary, practice in reading (even for little ones), and a good deal of fun for all. Kids love interactive books, and are generally happy to read them again and again. They like the success that comes with knowing the pattern and the answer.

Each choice is made from a set of four dads. All have things in common, but only one is the Daddy. The baby rhino chooses from blue/green images of an elephant, a rhinoceros, a hippopotamus, and a crocodile. Talk can lead to the difference between a rhino and a hippo, habitat, the fact that each has four legs, etc. Once the child listener has made a decision, a turn of the page provides a full-page answer spread of father and child enjoying each other’s company.

Some of the creatures are less easily identified than others. That will lead to further learning as explanations will ensue. For the very young, it won’t be as important as it is the older toddler. Both will garner enjoyment and new learning from sharing it.

Perfect as a bright and appealing gift for a new baby, or to be included in a book basket meant to start a brand-new home library. Mies Van Hout is a talented writer and illustrator whose bold colors are distinct and appreciated by young readers.”

Click here to read the full review

Metroland

“Young children will enjoy this simple book with bright, colourful illustrations. The reader is given an illustration of a young animal and then four illustrations where one animal is the father and the reader is asked to pick the correct illustration…

This is My Daddy will keep young children entertained and features fairly durable pages, a padded cover and rounded corners.”

Click here to read the full review

Canadian Bookworm

“This delightful toddler book explores colour, shapes, and other early learning concepts….I just loved this book, for the thought that went into it and the lovely pictures. There is humour and fun throughout.”

Click here to read the full review

Open Book interview with author-illustrator Sue Macartney

CanLit for LittleCanadians Author Q&A with Sue Macartney

KidLit 411 interview with author-illustrator Sue Macartney

Picture Books, Eh! interview with author-illustrator Sue Macartney

Storyteller Academy interview with author-illustrator Sue Macartney