Pajama Press

Pajama Press is thrilled to announce that we have two winning books on the 15^th Annual 2019 Green Earth Book Awards list.

The Flooded Earth by Mardi McConnochie is the winner of the award in the Children’s Fiction category.

And Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night by Rob Laidlaw is the Honor Book for the Children’s Nonfiction category.

The Green Earth Book Award was founded in 2005 by the environmental non-profit group The Nature Generation. The mission of the award is “to draw attention to the authors and illustrators whose books best inspire youth to grow a deeper appreciation, respect, and responsibility for their natural environment.” Learn more at www.natgen.org/green-earth-book-awards/.

Pajama Press extends our congratulations to Mardi McConnochie and Rob Laidlaw. Our sincerest thanks go to The Nature Generation for their dedication to inspiring environmental stewardship in young people and for their support of the authors and illustrators who strive to do the same.

A Year of Reading

“My favorite feature of the book is the ‘Bat Citizen’ feature.  Author Rob Laidlaw highlights 10+ bat activists–young people who are doing something to protect and help bats in some way. This is a great feature as it not only highlights kids who are making a difference, it will also help us expand our definition of the word ‘citizen’.

Many of the Bat Citizens are part of the “Bat Squad” and the many resources for kids/by kids on the Bat Conservation International website. Lots of great resources that I’ll need to explore more and so much of this connects to our life science unit of study.”

Click here to read the full review.

Growing with Science

“The ‘bat citizens’ from the title are young people from around the world who study bats and let others know how they can help conserve them…In between the descriptions of the kids and their projects are interesting facts about bats. The center features a fold-out illustration of the anatomy of a hoary bat. The back matter includes lists of 14 ways you can help bats and organizations that help bats.

Bat Citizens introduces young ambassadors for bats in a way that is likely to inspire others to get involved in science and conservation efforts. It is a great choice for budding scientists and conservationists alike.”

Click here to read the full review.

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”

Click here to read the full review.

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.”

 Click here to read the full review.

“Creatures of the night, bats are definitely cool. The second largest group of mammals in the world, and the only mammals capable of true flight, bats are shadowy and fascinating, a perennial favourite amongst kids. But, like so many other animals, many species of bats are threatened or endangered. In this highly engaging and informative title, celebrated animal activist and biologist Rob Laidlaw sheds light on these ‘ninjas of the night’ and the efforts being made to save them….

Far from portraying bats as sinister denizens of the night, this engrossing book celebrates them as amazing creatures that are critically important to natural ecosystems and beneficial to humans. With a page devoted to 14 ways kids can help bats, many young readers will be inspired to become citizen scientists and to participate in bat-preservation activities. Visually attractive and full of clearly written scientific information, this is a must-have title for all young science and animal enthusiasts!”
—Tracey Schindler

Read the full review on page 26 of the Summer 2018 issue of Canadian Children’s BookNews

“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

“Rating: 1-5: (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

What did you like about the book? For a fairly slim volume (48 p.), this book contains so much information about bats! Taking a global perspective, Laidlaw presents details about a surprising number of the 1,300 species of bats that exist, including physical characteristics, habitats, raising their young, threats, and the benefits of preserving a healthy bat population….

To whom would you recommend this book? Recommended both as a topic for animal-related research projects and for display at Halloween time for readers in upper elementary and middle school. For additional batty information aimed at this age group, pair with Bat Scientists from the Scientists in the Field series or Hanging with Bats by Karen Taschek….

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Top half of the pile if non-fiction animal topics interest you, but don’t be surprised if you wind up putting up bat boxes in your backyard afterwards.”
—Mary Melaugh, Marshall Middle School Library, Billerica, MA

Click here to read the full review

“In her first middle grade novel, author Michelle Kadarusman skilfully uses emotional honesty to capture the turmoil of not fitting in and the hard journey to acceptance in terms children can easily understand. Alba’s spirited nature keeps her afloat through the tough times having a clubfoot has caused, but she is not immune to wanting to be like her classmates, or dreaming of breaking free from her disability.

Alba and Levi’s friendship is a joy to read about. Able to ground each other when needed, they also support putting aside skepticism and doubt for the sake of the other….Drawing on a tale from Peru, Kadarusman ends The Theory of Hummingbirds with the constructive message that all we can do is what we can do. Even a hummingbird dropping beads of water on a raging fire makes a difference, and Alba’s endearing story is sure to change readers as well.”
—Amy Mathers

Click here to read the full review

“Bats have it tough right now. Not only are they suffering from habitat loss, but the disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) is wiping out entire bat populations. To help these important and fascinating animals we need to learn more about them and Rob Laidlaw’s book Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night provides lots of interesting information….

Complementing the interesting text are numerous colour photographs, a centre-gatefold bat illustration and a poster. Numerous features of ‘Bat Citizens’ (young people working to protect bats) along with sidebars and a glossary also help to make Bat Citizens an excellent book aimed at helping these incredible, vital and often misunderstood mammals. Highly recommended!”

Click here to read the full review