Pajama Press

Kids’ Book Buzz

“I thought this book was cute. I liked the ending. All the illustrations were made with clay and paint. I thought that was neat. The art was my favorite part. The book is not that scary for little kids. People who like animals will like this book. It would be interesting to live in a place where the sun never sets.

Reviewed By: Nishaant – Age 10”

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CanLit for Little Canadians

Children will love the story of Juno as Sun Dog, not least of which because she is an adorable dog, thanks to Suzanne Del Rizzo’s elaborate and emotive dimensional art. But I think that Deborah Kerbel’s message that ‘Juno might be little, but there’s a big dog inside her’ is a meaningful one for young children who often feel too little to do anything significant and wish to be big so they can stay up late or go somewhere alone or just not be hindered by their youth or size…

The joy of being outside and the beauty of the Arctic landscape are beautifully conveyed through Suzanne Del Rizzo’s artwork. I’ve oohed and aahed over her polymer clay and acrylic paint art that graced her own My Beautiful Birds and other picture books and Sun Dog is no exception. Those summer skies of yellow, pink, purple, and blue, with many shades in between, took me to that land of the midnight sun and the home of children who rarely saw themselves in books. Within that landscape, Suzanne Del Rizzo brought playfulness and charm, with the reality necessary to tell Deborah Kerbel’s sweet story.

It’s lovely for me to review books by creators like Deborah Kerbel and Suzanne Del Rizzo whose work I’ve seen transform and evolve with each imaginative work. Now, with their collaboration, a charming story has been synthesized from message and art into the brilliant and heart-warming combination that is Sun Dog.”

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“Del Rizzo’s polymer clay and acrylic wash artwork is colorful, textured, and three-dimensional….VERDICT The captivating text and illustrations invite repeated reading. An inspiring tale of determination, courage, and devotion.”
—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ont.

Read the full review in the September 2018 online issue of School Library Journal

“Suzanne Del Rizzo’s dimensional art in polymer clay and acrylic wash offers both an intimate romp with a young puppy and a sweeping celebration of the vast and beautiful tundra, making Sun Dog an immediate and enduringly popular addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 4 to 7.”

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“Young readers love knowing as much as they can about bats. Rob Laidlaw writes terrific nonfiction on topics that kids love to read. It’s a win-win situation. No one will be disappointed when sharing this new book.

Rob’s writing style is conversational, and personal. He provides clear information, based on up-to-date study and creates a book that is perfect fare for his target audience….

The information provided throughout is easy to follow, answers most common questions and leaves readers with a good amount of knowledge concerning these oft-maligned creatures. The final section provides ideas for being a friend to bats. Making sure that buildings are safe for bats to make their homes there, bat mapping, understanding how important bats are to a healthy world, raising money to help fund bat research, and celebrating their place in the world. A list of 14 Ways You Can Help Bats, and a list of the many organizations that help bats around the world are presented. A glossary and index follow.

Impressive and well-researched, as are other books by Rob Laidlaw, there is much to like about this fine book.”

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“Kerbel’s poetic detail places the reader in a calm town on top of the world at a time before anyone else is awake and where the wind is lighter than a whisper….Del Rizzo’s textured illustrations in polymer clay pair incredibly well with the acrylic wash of the sky, creating a dreamy image of the midnight sun. Each illustration adds a new dimension to the story, encouraging readers to find hidden meaning in the illustration’s detail….This interesting and unique story could lead to scientific conversations with younger children about life in the Arctic, diverse tundra animals, and the sun cycles in a fun and engaging way, as well as the take-home message of displaying true bravery. In addition to the text, which depicts the romantic landscapes of the tundra and the magical feeling of being on top of the world, Kerbel also includes information on the endpapers about the majestic midnight sun and the atmospheric optical phenomenon called sun dog, both being her inspiration for Sun Dog. Highly Recommended.”
—Mallory Dawson is the Teen Advocate Librarian at Vaughan Public Libraries

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“Beautifully illustrated, this book shows the lingering effects and the impact that animals a the top of the food chain have on the environment….See also Jean Craighead George’s The Wolves Are Back (2008).”

Read the full review on page 11 of the April 2018 issue of Book Links

“At the top of the world in the Arctic Circle, a young sled dog, Juno, seeks adventure….Kerbel weaves facts about the Arctic Circle within a tender story of the devotion between a boy and his dog. Del Rizzo’s vibrant, colorful polymer clay and acrylics capture the beauty of their home. The modeled clay gives Juno, the boy, and environs a sculptural, tactile quality. The boy has beige skin and black hair, there is an inuksuk in one picture, and their town is a tidy one of wood-frame houses. Juno may be a puppy in the Arctic Circle, but children everywhere will relate to her.”

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“This extensive introduction to the world of bats covers a wide range of topics from where they live to what they eat to how they communicate. Laidlaw debunks myths such as bats are blind and discusses threats to their survival, such as the devastating disease, white nose syndrome, and human disruption of hibernating sites. He explains the vital role bats play in pollination and insect control. Particularly interesting are 10 profiles of ‘bat citizens’ from around the world who are helping conservations efforts…A center gate fold opens to reveal a larger-than-life hoary bat with various anatomical features labeled and explained….VERDICT Even readers who don’t actively engage in citizen science projects should gain a new appreciation of bats through this engaging overview. A good choice for most school and public library collections.”
—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

Read the full review in the March/April issue of School Library Journal

“In words and pictures, Celia Godkin documents the positive effects of the introduction of this predator on the entire ecosystem including, surprisingly, the elk population. By demonstrating the complexity of seemingly simple problems and apparently simple solutions, this clear explanation of cause and effect relationships will encourage its 6-to-9 year old audience to think critically about humanity’s interventions in the environment.”

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