Pajama Press

Read Sylvie Daigneault’s interview with Shelf Awareness, Maximum Shelf

JJones Design Co. Blog: “I got featured on the book, If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It!”

Click here to download the The Umbrella House teaching guide.

Click here to download the The Imaginary Alphabet teaching guide.

Click here to download the I Love My City teaching guide.

Kirkus 

“The story thrums with the sadness of places left behind and the danger that forces people to leave. It also hints at the challenges Ali and his family face in their new home. The vivid illustrations demarcate the past and present by contrasting the bright blue skies and rolling green plains of Ali’s new home with the rustic terracotta hues of his homeland. A sweetly sentimental story that places people at the heart of a home.” 

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School Library Journal, Fuse 8

“This book comes with a bit of a pedigree…Bahram is, himself, from Afghanistan and his books take their inspiration from that land.”

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Dr. Larry Recommends

“This is another great title from Pajama Press by award winning author of The Library Bus and A Sky-Blue Bench. Inspiring!”

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Kirkus Reviews

“Zander is tired of the same old, same old. So when the other geese close up the summer home and pack their bags (literally—they have rolling suitcases!), Zander waves goodbye…but when the cold settles in, Zander decides he needs some advice about winter. None of the other animals’ tips seem to apply, however. He doesn’t like nuts like the squirrel…snuggling with bats upside down, and stuffing himself like a bear in anticipation of hibernation don’t feel right either—though the images are sure to provoke giggles…Just when conditions are becoming dire, he’s rescued by a young light-skinned girl named Grace, whose winter adaptations suit him just fine…An author’s note describes the winter adaptations of bears, geese, bats, snowshoe hares, and humans and discusses hibernation and migration. Ritchie’s palette changes with the seasons, with the charming pencil, ink, and digital illustrations centering the goose and his every emotion…Readers are sure to want a goose of their own to overwinter with.”—Kirkus Reviews

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What Were You Thinking? podcast interview with Colleen Nelson, hosted by Dana Goldstein.

Publishers Weekly *Starred Review*

“Van Hout used wildly expressive fish to illustrate emotions in 2012’s Happy. Twelve pairs of equally exuberant monster friends do the job in this excellent companion book, each representing a verb. As in Happy, Van Hout’s scribbly, childlike creations are set against a pure black backdrop, letting his neon palette shine all the brighter. While different monsters appear on each spread, there is a clear emotional arc…Van Hout expertly conveys the emotional peaks and valleys of each friendship.”

Kirkus Reviews

“With only a dozen or so words and spectacular images, van Hout captures the landscape of friendship for toddlers through teens and beyond. The colors are jewel-bright on black pages, and each opening shows a pair of figures, usually a larger one and a small one, and a single word. They are animals or monsters or little gnome-like creatures, but they are all vibrantly alive…Like the earlier Happy (2012), this conveys emotional heft and arresting images in an appealing, child-size package.”

School Library Journal

“Colorful childlike drawings…cleverly explore playfulness, boredom, teasing, fighting, making up, cuddling, and so on… Each spread pictorially describes one word. This book has a lot of child appeal, and no doubt youngsters will choose a favorite monster they can relate to. This short book will pair well in storytimes with other picture books about friendship.”

7 Impossible Things 

“Laid out on twelve black spreads, with dynamic and very animated pastel drawings, van Hout shows young readers a series of monster friendships… this time the verbs get to steal the show; each spread is assigned one—”play,” “bore,” “tease,” “fight,” “make up,” and much more—as we witness the ups and downs of very furry friendships.”

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Publishers Weekly ★ Starred Review

“[S]izzling lines of scarlet, orange, aqua, and fuchsia…It’s a delightful amuse-bouche of a book, and an aquatic introduction to everyday emotions. Ages 2– up!”

New York Times Book Review 

“Mies van Hout’s Happy is a tour de force of underwater awesomeness and emotion, showcasing what an artist can do with a few pastels, black paper and something fundamental to express. I want to hug it…The creatures accurately represent the emotions, but they’re also unexpected — fresh colors, strange shapes. Most of them look like deep-sea creatures, floating and emoting about the secret lives they live in the black depths of the enormous ocean…simple books about feelings can exhibit complexity, ingenuity and passion.”

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Kirkus Reviews 

“Beautiful, vibrant fish…illustrate emotions in this art piece for children and for adults…The line, color, and texture make each page a pleasure to return to…at the end, readers will pronounce themselves…‘delighted.’”

New York Journal of Books 

“Happy is a kaleidoscope of emotional colors splashed on a black canvas of solidarity. A dramatically colorful, 32-page, hardcover picture book for children ages two and up, Happy takes the reader on a journey of emotional discovery…Happy provides ample opportunities for extensive discussion about the expression of emotions—a true, potentially interactive delight for young readers and their caregivers.” 

School Library Journal  

“This attractive book could be used one-on-one or in a small group to discuss what causes one to feel a particular way and to introduce the vocabulary of emotions.”

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Foreword 

“This sweet book about recognizing emotions on the faces of others…will inspire thought and conversation about what it’s like to feel these often perplexing things. Day-glow pastel drawings on a black background drive home the power of single-word text entries.”

CLCD – Children’s Literature

“Emotions can be so complex and a challenge to communicate…Happy makes this complicated subject more manageable and enjoyable with simplistic one-word text and stunningly beautiful pieces of art with fish. This book goes beyond the basics of happy, sad, and mad to incorporate an enriched emotional vocabulary such as startled, curious, and content. It makes a great gateway book to dive into complex conversations about our feelings, and the feelings of others, to help create a more empathetic child, classroom, and community…The artwork of the fish is so unique, it will easily catch attention from older preschoolers as well. This book would be a great addition to art projects using chalk or oil pastels…therefore older children could also benefit.”

Book Time

“Who knew a fish could have so many expressions. Apparently illustrator Mies Van Hout did…I laughed out loud when I flipped the page over for furious (so good), angry and startled. Bored was pretty fantastic as well. Of all the one-word books out there, this one might be one of my favourites.”

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Kirkus Reviews

“Skydiving instructor, paleontologist, and electrical engineer are just a few of the options highlighted in this career guide. Nelson, MacIsaac, and Ritchie have built on their earlier work, If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It (2022), with profiles of 25 new people pursuing their dreams. Laudably, the subjects are diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and ability… The bubbly style of the writing conveys these people’s excitement for their chosen paths; readers will immediately be pulled in and come away spurred to mull their own ambitions. “Spin-Off Job, “Pro Tip,” “Why Not Try,” and “Inspiring Individual” sidebars enliven the text…Solid inspiration to help young people think big about their futures.”

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School Library Journal, Fuse 8 

“Personally, I don’t think enough attention is paid to those kids that fret constantly about their future….It would have done me quite a bit of good to see a book like See It, Dream It, Do It. Career books are always very popular in a library, of course, but I feel like this book offers a level of reassurance that is different….With a nicely diverse selection of experts, maybe I just like this book because it appeals to elementary school/middle school me, but doggone it that kid still exists and we have to give her something!”

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Dr. Larry Recommends

“Noteworthy is consideration given to people from diverse cultures and diverse genders [dreaming of] all sorts of jobs, helping readers to consider cool career paths and give some consideration of their own dream jobs. This is an informative and engaging nonfiction compilation.”

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Kirkus Reviews

“Turtles swim in and out of this collection of nine gentle stories. Canadian novelist Kadarusman uses short stories to deftly explore emotional turning points in young lives. At some point in each of these moving narratives, the young protagonists encounter turtles, usually sea turtles….All have a strong environmental component; the writer’s own love for the natural world is evident. The settings are well depicted, and the racially, nationally, and economically diverse characters are distinctive. The collection is bracketed by accounts of several sea turtles’ long journeys and an imagined first-person reflection from one. “We the sea turtles are ancient stewards of our planet.” Like the turtles, these stories range widely around the world, from Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada, to Malaysia and Singapore….An exploration to be savored.”

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CM Reviews

“Most of the stories are…snapshots of moments in time for kids living in very different circumstances which will be illuminating for readers…We the Sea Turtles doesn’t pull punches about the gravity of the global climate crisis or the destructiveness of natural disasters…The hope comes from action, and, in most stories, the protagonist, rather than remaining passive, finds an active way to confront the future…Ultimately, We the Sea Turtles is a book about the wonder of nature and the tenacity and beauty of its creatures, in particular the sea turtle. By encouraging kids to love and be inspired by their natural surroundings, author Michelle Kadarusman hopes to encourage a generation of children to play a positive role in the future of our planet. There is lots of fruitful content for thought and discussion. Highly Recommended.”

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Dr. Larry Recommends

“This anthology explores relevant themes like eco-anxiety, natural disaster, and the change people are forced to make when they are uprooted. Kadarusman expertly presents scientific information guided by the sincere environmental concerns that many young people reflect upon. The author takes readers around the world (e.g., Georgian Bay, Canada; Manhattan, NY; New South Wales, Australia; Komodo Island Indonesia) and describes ‘hot off the press’ narratives of such global issues as flood, fires, pollution and extinction. This is a wonderful blend of fiction and nonfiction writing. This is an ideal read-aloud source for grade 4 to 6 classrooms.”

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Kirkus Reviews

“An invitation to fledgling readers to admire various types of flying craft (while practicing their prepositions). A jet plane “soars across the sky,” a glider “glides behind a plane,” and other flyers from a toy airplane to the International Space Station go above, below, between, and around in big, bright stock photographs as Allenby repeatedly urges readers to “Look up high!”…It’s a quick read but well designed to put wind beneath the wings of children working to get their minds around language and parts of speech….A short flight, soon past—but with plenty of lift.”

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CM Reviews

“In the firm belief that our youngest readers need colourful, engaging primary language books, I hope you have room on your shelf for this one. Look Up High! Things That Fly has beautiful colour photos showing a jet plane, hot air balloon, glider, water bomber, airship, helicopter, toy plane, and a space station. …The rhymes are repetitive, changing only the name of the thing that flies. Soon young readers or listeners will be able to fill in the name of the flying thing and join in the rhyme… Look Up High! Things That Fly concludes with four fun and easy activities to do with a child to reinforce the concepts of positional prepositions…Highly Recommended.”

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The Wall Street Journal, Closer Look Feature

“Each letter of the alphabet in this vivid collection gets a sentence along with a humorous tableau full of details that are meant to coax the young reader to identify other objects with names that begin with the same letter. The illustration for “I” is particularly funny, with its depiction of two lizards on skates expressing themselves against a backdrop of frozen islands.…There’s a prismatic intensity to Ms. Daigneault’s pictures that gives them a giddy feel.”

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Foreword★ Starred Review

“Dreamy colored pencil illustrations elevate this alphabet book to a work of art. ‘Inspired Iguanas Improvising on Ice’ and a ‘Unique Unicorn Using a Unicycle’ are just a few of the quirky creatures children will come across in this book; more advanced readers can also search the illustrations for hidden elements listed at the back. White-speckled quails, brown-spotted ocelots, and everything in between are depicted in meticulous detail within illustrations that will enchant adults and children alike.”

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Shelf Awareness, Maximum Shelf

“A menagerie of merry and meticulously embellished animals mingles with witty wordsmithing and a whimsical search-and-find component to create an extravagant abecedary for an extensive audience in Sylvie Daigneault’s glorious, oversized picture book, The Imaginary Alphabet.…Its limited lexicon is sophisticated enough to satisfy linguists while still approachable for its intended audience of early and emerging readers. Animal lovers and I Spy series enthusiasts, especially those who appreciate elaborate detail in picture book art, should find special joy in perusing these pages. This ornate, alliterative, and interactive alphabetical adventure invites discovery as it delights admirers with its eccentric animal reveries.”

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Shelf Awareness

“The featured animals span an impressive array of size, skin, or fur texture, and varying degrees of likely familiarity to young readers. Descriptive vocabulary includes words like ‘clumsy,’ ‘orchestrating,’ and ‘velvety,’ striking a playfully erudite tone without veering into pretentiousness….The author/illustrator uses layers of colored pencil, digitally enhanced, to achieve her attentive artwork, which feels elegant and spacious while sustaining a fanciful tone with childish appeal. This is a dreamy addition to personal shelves and library collections.”

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School Library Journal 

“Unassuming at first glance, this sophisticated yet whimsical, alphabet book lures readers into a fantastical alliterative rabbit hole and is visually captivating, with the utmost attention to detail….Daigneault’s digitally enhanced colored pencil drawings are vivid dreamscapes of nature, magic, and imagination that play along with each alliterative description that proceeds. Readers of all ages will linger and absorb the many whimsical plants, animals, and objects woven throughout each carefully crafted illustration….Early elementary aged children will be drawn to the stunning ­illustrations and gamelike details of the book, but the most interest will likely be shown by grown-ups nostalgic for Graeme Base’s Animalia….An enchanting, artistic interpretation of the alphabet, sure to delight readers from A to Z.”

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Publishers Weekly

“Alliterative lines accompany elaborate colored pencil drawings in this fantastical animal abecedarian for fans of Graeme Base….Daigneault’s absorbing drawings incorporate vivid detail in depicting a wide range of subjects, and back matter guides readers seeking to identify objects tucked throughout. Ages 5–10.”

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Kirkus Reviews

“An alliterative animal abecedarium for avid apprentices. This whimsical yet elegant alphabet book unfolds in a series of 26 vignettes. Daigneault crafts scenes bursting with opportunity for further exploration of each sound. “C,” for example, is “Clumsy Camel Cutting a Crunchy Cake.” The accompanying illustration depicts the long-legged shaggy beast perched on a chair, cutting a toppling cake, while a curious cat looks on (clouds dotting the sky and a candy shop in the background). The letter C on the opposing page is formed out of a prickly cactus. Readers will delight not simply in the sounds, but also in the strange juxtaposition of the quirky subjects, drawn in lavish, ornate style….Fun with phonics.”

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Youth Services Book Review

“Every member of the alphabet receives meticulous attention in this lovely look and find book. Beautiful endpapers preview all the letters; each featured in a large, serif font and decorated with relevant items, which preview how they will appear on the subsequent pages. For each, an alliterative sentence appears on the left page, under a capital letter, while the right page features a fanciful and tightly composed scene with intricate pencil drawings….A complete list of every pictured item closes out the book, which will encourage kids to flip back and forth through the pages.”

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CM Review

“Sylvie Daigneault strives for a fresh approach to the well-populated alphabet book genre… The result is a playful and exuberant picture book that also functions as a treasure hunt as sharp-eyed readers are encouraged to find every alphabet clue hidden within the pages, a total of almost 300 “little gems”…Young children will enjoy exploring the vivid and meticulously detailed coloured pencil illustrations for their own sake while older children will enjoy the challenge of trying to identify every hidden alliterative clue while expanding their vocabularies…Highly Recommended.”— CM Reviews

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The International Educator 

“[The] Imaginary Alphabet by Sylvie Daigneault brings back memories of Wallace Edwards’ Alphabeasts….The large picture book is beautifully executed with heavy pages and gorgeous art. Playful words invite readers to find more objects starting with each letter of the alphabet in the luscious illustrations. A list in the back helps to identify over 300 items. A fun new alphabet book for readers of all ages.”

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McLean & Eakin

“Beautiful illustrations and quirky alliteration guarantee this book will be well loved. It’s simple enough for the first stages of learning the alphabet, but complex enough to grow with a child with features like search & find.”

Parnassus Books 

“Clever wordplay and stunning illustrations make this a fabulous alphabet book.”

Sal’s Fiction Addiction

“The alliteration is a real treat and the artwork is stunning in this truly lovely new alphabet book….the joy to be found on each page is glorious….Every letter has its time in the spotlight. Most animals will be familiar to young readers; others will give older readers a chance to test their knowledge of the less familiar, and of some included objects. Colored pencils are used exclusively, and enhanced digitally, creating scenes that whet the appetite for more.” 

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Toronto.com

“Young readers learning their alphabet will enjoy this exquisitely illustrated nature alphabet book….Whether reading about “Inspired Iguanas Improvising on Ice” or “Wild Wolves Wandering the Wintery Woods” children of all ages will enjoy this book….This is definitely one of the best alphabet books that I’ve seen.”

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Dr. Larry Recommends 

“I love alphabet books. I love books that celebrate words. I love books with illustrations that enrich curiosity, wonder and imagination. This is a triple crown winner for me….300 words and one glorious trip to an art gallery with Sylvia Daigneault’s exquisite, fantastical illustrations. This is a WOW! of a book.”

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The Weather Days teaching guide includes activities that are relevant to Snow Days, Windy Days, Rainy Days, and Sunny Days. Click here to download the guide