Pajama Press

Foreword Reviews **Starred Review**

“Office supplies have never been more entertaining than they are in this punny tale of friendship and ingenuity. Old school and new tech go head to head when Jackson trades his longtime pal Pencil in for a shiny new Tablet. Cheerful illustrations add to the hilarity as Pencil tries a variety of toppers and innovative uses while enlisting the help of everyone from Eraser and Scissors to Sticky Notes and Flashlight in an effort to regain Jackson’s attention.”

—Pallas Gates McCorquodale

Library School Journal

“A strength of this title is the action verbs and rich vocabulary that is introduced….The text and illustrations also work well together….This title lends itself to discussion about friendship and being open to try new things. VERDICT A strong choice for a preschool storytime or a one-on-one sharing.”

–Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA

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Kirkus Review

“Move over, Pencil; Tablet’s in town…but what happens when Tablet breaks?….Pencil tries desperately to cheer Jackson up, but nothing works…until he enlists his old companions from the drawer, Scissors, Paper Clip, Flashlight, Tape, and the rest. Jackson finally smiles again, and all the supplies end as friends, with pages full of puns….The illustrations feature expressive, googly-eyed implements and realistic children and animals interacting against a white background….An overload of fun puns will have many readers giggling through to the openly sweet moral at the end.”

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HW Book Reviews

“The story is told through short alternating chapters between Jeannie and Sapphire the Great (her hamster).

We join Jeannie, Alistair (her brother), and their mother three weeks after Christmas and two weeks after their father left, Harvey, left the house. Everyone is dealing with the separation in different ways. Jeannie yells everything, Alistair has turned to video games, and their mother is feeling very stressed….

This book has left me at a loss for words in a very good way. The characters are so engaging, honest, and real that you forget you are reading a book….The story is complete, satisfying, and just feels right…..

Overall rating: ♥♥♥♥♥”

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CM Magazine

“Veteran author Ann Ingalls has produced a book with a lightweight plot but much lighthearted play with language that will delight younger readers just learning about verbal humour as well as teachers who could use this book as a lesson on the pun as literary device.

Dean Griffiths is a British Columbia illustrator with a number of awards to his name. He has filled the pages of Pencil with familiar objects which are candy-colourful and plastic in their contours, as well as expressive images of the two dark-eyed, dark-haired children. Tooth-marked and a little off-kilter, Pencil is definitely a character in his own right in the story. The spread showing the shadowy interior of the junk drawer where a small green flashlight illuminates little but a number of pairs of eyes is especially captivating.

Recommended.”
—Ellen Heaney is a retired children’s librarian living in Coquitlam, British Columbia.

Booklist

“Bender’s language is lively and poetic: Giraffe gazes and grazes, Bird swoops and soars and explores. Her illustrations focus on Giraffe’s very expressive face, which often dominates his orange-and-brown-colored pages, while Bird, when not displayed in full glory on his blue-tinged ones, is just a feather or two, leading Giraffe on his quest. More than one rescue is needed here, which adds to the tale’s tension. Savor for the warmth of the illustrations, the fun, and the read-aloud possibilities.”
— Edie Ching

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“With the rash of wildfires that have threatened many communities this summer, B.C. author Shari Green’s middle-grade novel Missing Mike seems especially topical….

Green’s novel, written in blank verse, is full of dramatic images of the fire that engulfs the town, and helps emphasize the trauma wildfires can have not only on buildings but on the people who live in them. Good for ages eight to 12.”
—Helen Norrie

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“Bender’s acrylic and coloured pencil artwork is an essential part of the book’s success, and, as in the previous Giraffe and Bird books, the illustrations’ contents not only reflect the characters’ emotions but add to the book’s written text….

Bender provides foreshadowing to the contents of Giraffe and Bird Together Again via a map that occupies part of the copyright page and its facing page. There, young readers can see the route that Giraffe will follow in his quest to find Bird as well as learn the names of the two other African animals that will make cameo experiences in Bender’s illustrations.

Like the earlier two books in the series, Giraffe and Bird Together Again offers subtle lessons in the dimensions of friendship.

Grade One children all across Canada will encounter these two animal friends this autumn as Giraffe and Bird has been chosen as the 2018 TD Grade One Book Giveaway selection.

Highly Recommended.”
—Dave Jenkinson

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“BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH …

This early chapter book is a great read about planning ahead, taking notes, and being nice to your friends. The illustrations are so beautiful, this is a nice series.”

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“Award-winning author-illustrator Wallace Edwards wonderfully captures the adventure of a sea voyage in his wordless story Woodrow at Sea….In vibrant watercolor-and-ink drawings, Edwards tells a delightful story of friendship, peril, teamwork, and song.”

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