Pajama Press

“Repetition and humour make Going For a Sea Bath a wonderful read for children who are young enough to enjoy playing in the bathtub. They will enjoy counting and adding all the sea creatures. Poulin uses a combination of familiar animals, like turtles and clown fish, along with lesser known ones, such as sea urchins, anemones and eels. The illustrations are realistic yet humorous and show Leanne swimming around with her new bath mates. Each page offers an opportunity to spot the creatures from previous pages as well as count the new ones being added. Large full-page illustrations by artist Anne-Claire Delisle give readers lots to look at and add to the humour of the story. The sea turtle, who was the first one to join the fun, is the largest and funniest of all the creatures and can be spotted in many funny poses throughout the story.

Rich with vocabulary, numbers, humour and wonderful art, Poulin and Delisle have created a wonderfully entertaining counting book.

Highly Recommended.”

 —Claire Perrin is an elementary teacher in Toronto, ON.

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“…Edwards’ work is an educator’s delight as it offers countless instructional opportunities in storytelling, creative writing, and visual arts. Children will unquestionably enjoy the interactive nature of the book and how it openly invites them to make the stories their own. Perhaps most importantly, Once Upon a Line allows children to recognize that even the grandest of ideas often begins from something rather small.

A wonderful addition to any classroom, school or home library, Once Upon a Line will most certainly appeal to a wide audience of readers for years to come.

 Highly Recommended.”

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“The text begs to read aloud by a parent or teacher with great dramatic flourish and a pirate accent. Words that describe different character traits are highlighted for emphasis. The slang and nautical terms are included on the endpapers….As always, Griffiths’ artwork is outstanding. The lively text is wonderfully complemented with high-spirited and energetic drawings, full of bold colours and great detail. Bad Pirate is artfully designed. Much of the pirate dialogue cleverly appears on floating pieces of sail. The pirates’ being portrayed as very expressive dogs has a dynamic comic effect. Various breeds are cleverly used, and these delightful “sea dogs” should require a second look. Griffiths also makes use of many different perspectives to simulate vibrant sea action.

Both writer and illustrator have many children’s books and awards to their credit. Their depth of experience and creative ability results in a feisty, fun tale. Recommended.”
—Reesa Cohen

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“…Brian Deines has often used his illustrative talents to depict stories of North American First Nations life, but here his rich oil paintings, with their solid figures and warm palette, are very much up to the task of giving readers the sense of life in Africa. The joy of the children who have received a life-changing gift leaps off the pages. Ontarian Alma Fullerton, who is the author of a number of works including picture books and young adult novels, has provided a spare text that touches neatly on all the key points of the story.

Although not designed only as a teaching tool, In a Cloud of Dust would be useful in a classroom discussion of how children live in surroundings not familiar to Canadian children. There is an end note about bicycle libraries, which really are functioning in various places in the world, and some of the organizations which make them happen.”

Highly Recommended.

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“Laidlaw, author of No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs, now provides a book that will empower you to help homeless cats…An index and resource guide (cat protection and information websites) can be found on the back pages. This book worked for me…

Highly recommended.”

— Tanya Boudreau

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“As with Mary Norton’s Borrowers books, and Chris van Allsburg’s Two Bad Ants, one of the charms of this book is that we are allowed to see our world through the eyes of another, much smaller, creature.…charmingly illustrated by Dean Griffiths whose mice carry satchels and sometimes wear scarves, but otherwise don’t depend on clothing to be cute. Their ears, tails, and expressions tell it all.
…this book is charming, exciting, interesting, and really good fun. I hesitate to compare it to The Wind in the Willows, but it is in the same league; so read and enjoy. I especially recommend it as a read-aloud for those younger ones who would hesitate to tackle a 200-pager on their own, but will love hearing the story.

Highly Recommended.”

—Mary Thomas

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“Karen Bass’ depiction of life in post-war Eastern Germany is incredibly gripping and informative. As young adult war-related historical fiction goes, this book is second to none. The story is loosely based on the true story of a close family friend of the author, making her protagonist all the more realistic and relatable. Readers will find themselves seeing the war-ravaged vantages through Wilm’s eyes and feeling his pulse racing as Wilm sprints from the scene of his crimes, avoiding enraged Soviet officers and Schupo. Wilm’s triumphs and fears become the readers’ own.  I believe this book could well be used as a supplement to World War II historical education in Canadian high schools. Highly recommended.”

— Amy Trepanier

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“Tweezle into Everything is a great book for young children. It can be used to help young children who may be struggling with the challenges of not being able to do what older siblings can do, or for slightly older children who have younger siblings. The clear language and straightforward plot make it easily comprehendible for young children. Dean Griffiths has illustrated the book in bright, cheery colours that will appeal to young eyes and hold their attention. There is quite a bit of detail in the illustrations which can invite interaction with the storyteller and the child.

Overall, Tweezle into Everything would make a great addition to any bookshelf. It tackles the real-life issues of age and the challenges of birth order for both older and younger children, and it can be used as a great tool for teaching empathy.

Recommended.”

— Rhiannon Jones

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“I enjoy the succinct nature of novels in verse. The format does, however, require careful and evocative word choices. The author must say a lot with a little, or the reader is left with too many gaps to fill and too little direction to make sense from. Jill MacLean successfully meets the challenges of the format of a free verse novel in her new book Nix Minus One. The powerful, moving story is told from the first person perspective of 15-year-old grade 9 student, Nixon Humbolt.

…The complexities of Maclean’s novel add depth and believability to the story events and the multi-faceted characters she has created. As the flawed and troubled Nix lurches from one situation to the next, the reader is constantly hoping for him to emerge with happiness and success. At his core, he is a brave and caring individual hampered by insecurities, a distinct lack of confidence, and limited ability to verbalize his feelings.

Despite experimenting with a new format, MacLean has produced another wonderful novel. She is to be applauded for respecting her readership and refusing to shy away from difficult topics. As mentioned, this book tackles sensitive issues and oftentimes delivers powerful and upsetting punches. Nix Minus One is a book for mature readers, but those readers will be rewarded with a story well told.”

Highly Recommended.

Gregory Bryan is a professor of children’s literature at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB.

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As educators, we often tell our young students to look at the pictures when we read. The pictures reveal clues that will help us read the story and to better understand it. The images and text of A Good Trade complement one another to the point of poetic consistency. The text and the images are both complex and simple: concept easy, content load heavy. The prose is lyrical, playful and inviting to young listeners or readers with words such as “poppy” and “rut-filled hill”. Yet, there are potential story-stopping words too: “Jerry cans”, “borehole”, and “aid worker”. For every challenging word, however, there is a corresponding image, pictures simple enough to convey meaning and yet complex in colour and perspective. One image shows only the upper portion of Kato’s face as he peeks into the back of an aid worker’s truck to find many pairs of colourful shoes.

The message of A Good Trade is equally daring. Author and illustrator have created a marvelous balance of apathy and respect. When Kato presents a rare white poppy flower to the aid worker, she honours his present with her own: shoes for all his friends. One of his friends is missing a leg. An allusion to soldiers indicates that war and trouble are constants in Kato’s village in Uganda.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end. It will make an excellent discussion starter in social studies classes (as a supplement up to grade seven) and as a read-aloud  in K-2.

Highly Recommended.

A children’s author, David Ward is an assistant professor at Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR.

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