Posts Tagged ‘Review’

“A rhyming celebration of kisses of all kinds. Kisses can do so much: from sending love and healing boo-boos to saying hello and goodbye and good morning and good night. And then there are the kinds of kisses: wet ones, big ones, pecks, slurpy ones, and the ones that leave lipstick marks behind. ‘When grownups […]

“…Based on the childhood memories of Gerda Schlottke, the author’s mother who immigrated to Canada after the war, the text is augmented with family photographs and an appended note. The choice of Gerda as narrator adds to the story’s appeal for Gerda is unaware of the many horrors associated with this war; for her, it […]

“Join the magic pen on a journey through the imagination and its stories. Wallace Edwards’ Once Upon a Line is the ultimate springboard to story writing for individual readers or for whole class endeavours. Starter sentences combined with beautifully illustrated colour pictures of a possible story line are set out on each page, where the […]

“Captain Barnacle Garrick displayed all the characteristics of the typical bad pirate; he was saucy, bold and selfish. His daughter, Augusta, however did not follow the pattern. Around the pirate ship she was kind-hearted and helpful, never saucy and bold. She could never be a bad pirate until she did something selfish! Was now the […]

“Although it opens with yet another dead mother, Evie Brooks Is Maroonedin Manhattan is a fresh take on the duck out of water trope. Evie finds herself living in Manhattan with her uncle, a veterinarian—about as far from her late mother’s bohemian life in Dublin as Evie can imagine. After a few funky days, Evie […]

“Ben’s friend is moving away. Ben does not want to see his friend go and does not want to say goodbye. These are difficult concepts for young children to have to learn. Ben creates his cave world to help him come to terms with the loss of his friend. When Ben has spent the time […]

“During the preschool years, children often forge their first friendships and these relationships can be very intense. Here, Sarah Ellis explores how a young boy handles his sadness when his best friend moves away. Ben is distraught because his best friend is leaving the neighbourhood. He opts to move, too, and seeks refuge in a […]

Couëlle and Laplante celebrate kisses, be they big or small, quick or “slurpy.” Both the writing and artwork have a sweetly haphazard quality—Laplante’s scraggly illustrations look authentically kid-drawn, the meter of Couëlle’s verse varies wildly, and she sneaks in a few extemporaneous unrhymed moments. “Some kisses make noises: big ones like… smooch! And little ones […]

“I have long admired the work that Rob Laidlaw does to help protect wild animals from the indignity of being held captive, whether by a circus or a zoo. His books for children have informed, enlightened and encouraged readers to get involved in making a difference in the life of any animal. In his newest […]

“…Couëlle’s gentle reminders of the magic of kisses are simply and poetically rendered on each page. The story, though translated from French, still holds a slight charming rhyme. Jacques Laplante’s illustrations are the perfect mix of vibrant colour and black lines that enhance the playfulness of Couëlle’s story. Laplante’s artistic style is reminiscent of Quentin […]