Nevin Knows

Written by Mireille Messier

Illustrated by Elena Comte

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-3684-6

32 pp.

Ages 3-5

February 2025 

 

What does Nevin know? He knows what he wants. 

From Nevin Knows, written by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Elena Comte

Nevin may not have a lot of words in his vocabulary yet–he is but a toddler–but he's pretty clear how to say "No" and "Yes" and he knows when to use them. When he and his Grandpa Frank are getting ready to visit the park, Grandpa Frank asks Nevin what he wants to wear. He gives his grandson choices, some of which are quite silly, and Nevin makes it clear which is the best choice for him. He may not realize it, but Grandpa Frank is giving the child the opportunity to be part of the process rather than just making him do what his caregivers are going to do anyways. (The sneakers were always the best choice, as was the ball cap.)

From Nevin Knows, written by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Elena Comte

Even as they start heading out, Grandpa Frank asks Nevin which way to go. (I'm sure Grandpa Frank knows but by giving Nevin the opportunity to voice his choices, the child is amused and given power.)

From Nevin Knows, written by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Elena Comte

Nevin knows his favourite places to play and how much he likes greeting the birds and a dog, and even which flowers to pick for Nana. (Thankfully he doesn't want the planted flowers but rather the dandelions.)

From Nevin Knows, written by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Elena Comte

The whole point of Nevin Knows is how a grandfather allows his grandson to make choices that empower him, even if Grandpa Frank has known all along what they would be doing and where they would be going. It's a kind and compassionate grandparent who can ask rather than always be telling a child what's going to happen. I suspect that even if Nevin chose something inappropriate, Grandpa Frank would turn it around to ensure that it was a good choice but one that Nevin made himself. Mireille Messier, who has written numerous picture books in both English and French (e.g., The Magic Cap, Nutcracker Night, and Fatima and the Clementine Thieves just to name a few), easily gets into the head of a young child and what they want and to thrive, and into the shoes of those fun and kind grandparents who care for their grandchildren without being authoritarian. Mireille Messier demonstrates that young children, even those with limited vocabularies, can share their feelings and needs if there are only those who would ask and listen.

 

Elena Comte, a Montreal illustrator and nurse, created the artwork for Nevin Knows digitally, emphasizing the shapes and colours that would appeal to very young children. But more than that, she creates scenes that emphasize the elements would be most important to children: dandelions, birds, swings, a playground spring rider, grass, and those they love. 

Both Mireille Messier and Elena Comte make sure that this book truly is about Nevin. There may be caregivers who supervise and protect him, but Nevin is given the capacity to make choices. With that gift of empowerment, even in allowing him to make the simplest of choices, his grandfather bolsters his little grandson and provides him with opportunities for building his confidence and his voice, and for strengthening their relationship. How lovely is that?

Happenstance

Written by Debra Loughead

BWL Publishing

978-0-228632696

284 pp.

Ages 12+

January 2025 

 

What would bring a teen from a wealthy family with both parents and a younger brother and, until recently, a nanny/housekeeper together with a girl who lives with her struggling mom who left her abusive husband, can't hold down a job and now dates incessantly looking for a new man? A ring, a moonstone ring. One loses it, one finds it. It's all happenstance.

 

Happenstance is told in the alternating voices of Sophie and Tara. Sophie has a dad who is a bank VP and is always travelling while her mom spends tons of money, often on new age stuff. Her mom has been hospitalized previously for depression and her brother Jonah deals with anxiety. Now that Dhanu, their nanny/housekeeper, has returned to Sri Lanka, their household seems unsettled. It feels even worse when the moonstone ring Dhanu had given Sophie's mom goes missing when Sophie borrows it.

 

That very ring is found by Tara, a Grade 10 student who loves acting and is in the school's production of "Our Town" though only as an understudy to the lead role. At home, her mom had tried repeatedly to leave Tara's disreputable dad but finally made it permanent in the past year. Still Mom can't keep a job and is always going on dates with guys she meets on dating apps, hopeful of meeting the right one. Though Tara's friend Priya tells her to look for the owner of the ring, Tara is reluctant to give up something so mesmerizing, especially after her mother wins $75,000 and Tara feels like the ring had something to do with their change of luck.

 

As Tara contemplates returning the ring or not, and Sophie wonders whether to look for it or not–both girls are grappling with family dynamics that leave them resentful and confused–their lives are taking odd turns, particularly with their best friends and with a new guy, Silas. He's the lead in Tara's school play and he's Sophie's new neighbour. But who will catch his eye?

 

Debra Loughead, who has previously published multiple books as Deb Loughead including The Secrets We Keep, Bright Shining Moment and The Snowball Effect, looks at two girls and how different they may be and yet how similar too. No one would ever see the similarities, but the moonstone ring allows their lives to become parallel and flipped to some degree. The superstitions tied to that ring may or may not be legit. The coincidences that occur may be just that: accidental and unrelated. But it offers an opportunity to see that lives are not all unfortunate or all lucky. It's a question of perspective. When Sophie and Tara ultimately meet, and connect with Silas, the teens see what they have in common even among the distinctions of their lives. Their new journeys with their families, their friends, and each other may have been prompted by a moonstone, a gem that signifies new beginnings, but how those new beginnings manifest is all up to those kids. Debra Loughead gives them the character to determine the nature of those new beginnings.

 

I don't know if that moonstone ring had any impact on these teens. After all, their lives are constantly in flux with friends, family, school, career choices, and more. But Debra Loughead makes us believe that things can happen sometimes by chance and sometimes by design and it's up to us to work with what we're given and make choices that are right for more than just ourselves.

2024 Lane Anderson Award: Q & A with winners L. E. Carmichael and Byron Eggenschwiler

On January 29, 2025, the winners of the 2024 Lane Anderson Award were announced, and the winner in the Youth category was:

 

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth

Written by L. E. Carmichael
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
Kids Can Press
48 pp.
Ages 7-11
2023

 

Today I have the great pleasure of interviewing the author and illustrator of Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, Lindsey (L.E.) Carmichael and Byron Eggenschwiler. Here is my interview with these Lane Anderson Award winners.

 

 

Helen Kubiw: Congratulations to both of you on the Lane Anderson award. It’s a generous award and one that would surely be appreciated by any writer. As a writer of non-fiction, do you feel like non-fiction is often given less attention, from awards to lists of best-sellers, than fiction?

 

L. E. Carmichael: Thank you so much! To be honest, I’m still a little stunned.

When I tell people I write children’s nonfiction, they ALWAYS say “Oh, like textbooks?”. Nope, definitely not! But I think this response reflects a widespread notion that nonfiction is less artistic, or less interesting, or somehow less important than fiction. Which is absolutely not the case. In fact, research shows that many kids prefer nonfiction to fiction, and will even choose books above their reading level if they’re interest in the topic. When adults push kids towards fiction, kids get the message that the fact-based books they enjoy aren’t “real,” or don’t “count” as reading. And they may stop reading altogether.

That’s why awards like the Lane Anderson are so important. They not only encourage children’s book creators, they validate nonfiction in the eyes of adults, increasing the chance those adults will offer nonfiction to children.

Byron Eggenschwiler: Thanks! This really is a gracious award and a wonderful surprise to receive. 

 

I am not educated enough on the topic to really say one way or the other, fiction can be more flashy but both deserve a spotlight. Oddly I seem to have had a little more recognition within the non fiction space. 

 • • • • •  

HK: For many writers, writing is an opportunity to connect their personal experiences with the reader. What personal connections do you have with the topic of your book? How were you able to include those in your book?

 

L. E. Carmichael: When I was in sixth grade, my family moved to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. In summer, I got to experience the midnight sun, and in winter, I got to experience air so cold, your nostrils freeze shut to keep it out! I did NOT enjoy that last part, but I fell in love with the beauty of the landscape and the amazing animals that live there. When I grew up, I got a PhD in the genetics of northern wolves and arctic foxes.

Polar focuses on wildlife, so my human experiences don’t appear on the page. But my expertise came in handy during the research phase, and I hope that my passion for the topic shines through every sentence.

 

 • • • • •

HK: All this year’s finalists for the Lane Anderson focus on topics that have been tackled in other books. How do you decide on a topic knowing that other books on the same topic have already been published?

 

L. E. Carmichael: It takes two to five years to write and publish a nonfiction book, so the most important thing is to choose a topic I’m completely obsessed with. Without that enthusiasm, I’ll never make it over the finish line!

But I do read as many published children’s books on my topic as I can. That helps me figure out what’s been done a million times, and, more importantly, what hasn’t been done yet. I want my book to offer something new—a new format, a new perspective, or the newest scientific discoveries.
 

• • • • •

HK: Lindsey, you are the only finalist author who exclusively writes science books. Do you ever have a hankering for taking up the fiction writing pen? If so, how would you find a way to blend in your passion for science?

 

L. E. Carmichael: Funny you should mention… I co-wrote a middle grade fantasy novel with friend-and-fellow-science-writer, Helaine Becker, which is out on submission as we speak! And in January, I started an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College, with the goal of learning how to write a novel all by myself.

I’ll never stop writing nonfiction—I’m too curious to quit!—but I’m passionate about fiction that’s inspired by folklore. Fairy tales, urban legends, supernatural creatures, you name it, I love it. Science and folklore sound like a weird combo, I know, but they’re not: they’re two ways that humans make meaning and access wonder. After all, the more we know about the natural world, the more enchanted it appears.

And no matter what I’m writing, it’s going to be grounded in research. Information informs everything I do.

• • • • •

HK: Byron, you have illustrated for both fiction and nonfiction. Is the collaboration process with the author different for both?

Byron Eggenschwiler: In my experience, the process is pretty similar. I typically work directly with the editor and designer and don’t actually deal with the author at all. The publisher might pass along comments the author has at certain points but for the most part that’s all the interaction I have with the author. It seems almost strange, but I think that way they can bring our visions together and see what works and doesn’t from an outside point of view. Speaking for myself, artists can sometimes be fragile emotional creatures about our work so it’s nice to have that separation for the process. The main thing with non fiction as an illustration is I hope the author catches any inaccuracies with the animals behaviour or environment. 

 

 

 • • • • •

HK: When illustrating Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, were there any challenges with ensuring realistic depictions to support the text?

 

Byron Eggenschwiler: Keeping things accurate is always a bit of a challenge because you have to do a lot of digging to find reference for certain details. Something like the snow prints of a paw or what kind of leaves in a nest. I want to make sure to do the animals and their environment justice and capture what makes them unique but also want them to fit properly on the page and perform how I want them too in an interesting way. I tend to look at images and then go off and draw a bit from my head and then go back and try to find the reference for the details. In some cases you need to take a few artistic licences to make things work out. A big challenge with this book, for me, was making sure to keep the image flowing around the text and headlines and finding that balance of supporting the text without overpowering the image. 

 

• • • • •

HK: Like all writing, non-fiction can become formulaic, by organizing text with features like information boxes, a glossary, an index, etc. How do you ensure that your book stays fresh and unique?

 

L. E. Carmichael: Interesting! I hadn’t thought about the glossary and index as being part of a formula, because to me they’re essential tools for navigating a nonfiction text.

As for the body of the book, I let the topic determine the structure. It’s a process of figuring out which pieces of information readers need, and when, and that’s different for every book.

 

Byron Eggenschwiler: I don’t have any specific methods but for me it’s really about how do I keep it interesting for myself. The aim is, if I can do that for myself, then hopefully others will enjoy it too. For this particular book I was drawn to Lindsey's concept of how these two ends of the Earth were tied together across the same spread. It was a fun challenge for me to find a way to connect those two worlds and have them almost make up one continuous image.

 

 

• • • • •

HK: When you write a book of non-fiction for young people, Lindsey, the audience is clear from the reading level and formatting. But, when you write, do you also need to focus on the teacher or parent who might want the book for educational purposes, and how would you do so?

 

L. E. Carmichael: My first priority is always engaging the young reader, but I do check curriculum guidelines in Canada and the USA, to get a sense for when kids are learning about my topic in school. That helps me focus in on the right age range for the book, which helps me figure out which concepts readers will be familiar with and which concepts will need more explanation. My editor, Katie Scott, is excellent at identifying content or word choices that are too advanced for my target audience!

I don’t write to curriculum (that’s textbook territory), but I do want my books to be resources for parents and educators—in the classroom or outside it. Children’s nonfiction is a powerful teaching tool, but there’s nothing more powerful than kids and their grown-ups connecting through a shared interest.

• • • • •

HK: I'd like to ask you both about your next project. Lindsey, is your next book slated to be another book of non-fiction and if so, what topics are you considering? And Byron, what project are you working on now? Also, as an illustrator, have you been tempted to become the author and illustrator of a story?

 

L. E. Carmichael: My next book is nonfiction, but it’s not science—it’s a women’s history project. I can’t share too many details yet, but I cannot wait for this one to hit bookstore shelves. Ask me more in 2026!

Byron Eggenschwiler: I have recently wrapped up two books that will be out this year, Unnaturally Blue by Dorson Plourde that is about a young girl who enjoys swimming but suddenly finds herself a little overwhelmed and goes on a journey to understand her strange new blue feelings. I also have a holiday themed book called The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason coming out for the holidays.

Writing and illustrating a story is something I would love to do one day. I have a lot of half-baked ideas floating around and I hope to commit some time to developing them into something special. It would be nice to explore that side of the process. I also really enjoy being able to work with an author's story and having that jumping off point. 

• • • • •

What a fabulous interview! I learned a lot about the process of writing, particularly non-fiction, but also about how an author and an illustrator contribute to produce an extraordinary piece of literature for young people.

 

 

 Great thanks to Lindsey Carmichael and Byron Eggenschwiler

for agreeing to this interview and for their insightful answers to my questions.

 

 

Thanks also go to

Winston Stitwell, Coordinator at the Lane Anderson Award, 

for bringing this non-fiction award for young readers to my attention

and for facilitating this interview, 

as did Bianca Rodrigues, Marketing & Publicity Coordinator at Kids Can Press.

Do Not Turn the Page!

Written by Jane Blondie

Illustrated by Marcus Cutler

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-0206-6

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

February 2025 

 

Charlie is outside playing in the sand and dirt when he notices the reader has appeared. And so, begins a one-sided conversation as Charlie speaks to the reader about what he's doing, what he doesn't want to do, and what he expects of the reader. Unfortunately, the reader will do exactly what Charlie does not want and that is to turn the page. (After all, it is a book.)

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

Listen. Turning the page gets me closer to the bathtub and there will be NO bath for me. Not today. Nopey, nope, nope!

Charlie is adamant that he wants to play in his sand fort and so instructs the reader to close the book and never turn a page again. And yet with each progression in reading, Charlie is disappointed because the reader is not listening to his directives. It just gets worse.

Ugh! You turned the page again.

This. Is. Serious. 

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

 

With each turning of the page, the reader is chastised by Charlie for leading him from his sand box to inside the house, into the mudroom, through the living room, the kitchen and up the stairs. Accompanied by his cat and pig stuffie, the dirty child is forced by the reader turning the pages to hide from his mother who is already running the bath water. And even though Charlie makes many lingering stops along the way, from having a snack, doing art, and hiding in a toy box, ultimately his fate has been sealed by the reader and their need to turn pages. 

There is absolutely NO WAY you are getting me into that tub.

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

Well, the reader may get Charlie into his bath but a kajillion bubbles and rubber duckies help keep him there before he has one more routine to try to avoid.

 

I'm impressed by Jane Blondie's ability to write a one-sided dialogue that engages and interacts with the young reader so naturally. They will be delighted with the possibility that they control the story and where it leads, even though the adults may know otherwise. To connect so effortlessly with the reader in her debut picture book is an accomplishment but one that undoubtedly stems from Jane Blondie's teaching experiences. Still, it's the humour of Charlie as he pleads with the reader not to turn the page and then his disgust that they have done otherwise. The annoyance is evident but so is his good nature in understanding that this is how it usually goes i.e., he's going to get a bath no matter what. Charlie may be a little cheeky but he's still polite and more than appreciative to have the young readers along for the ride.

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

Marcus Cutler, who also illustrated The Walrus and the Caribou which I reviewed a few years back, gives a playful nature to his digital artwork. From a messy play area outside, littered with everything from an empty box to a discarded crown and a toy dump truck to a sticky snack of blueberry jam on crackers–and on his hands, on the table, and on Charlie's clothing–this could be any family home with children. Even the end papers are rife with yarn, muddy handprints and paw prints, bubbles, and more. Marcus Cutler gives a vitality to Charlie at play and in his routines and, rather than appearing to be unruly or ornery, Charlie charms, taking direction from the reader who moves him from outdoors to a bath, recognizing the inevitability of his story.

 

If you're an adult reading this book to some young readers, be prepared for the howls of laughter when they realize the character is conversing with them. They may be able to tell where the story will end up, probably having experienced similar events, but they'll be pleased to have been invited to participate. I foresee many, many readings of Do Not Turn the Page! just so the page can be turned, and children can witness the impact of their actions.

2025 Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers: Now open for submissions

Let's support young Canadian writers because they will be the published authors of our future. To that end, the Sheree Fitch Prize, a teen writing contest organized by the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick, encourages young people ages 13 to 18 who live in New Brunswick to submit a short story or poem  for this contest.

 

I may not live in New Brunswick but how did I not know about this writing contest for young people? A competition that encourages teens to write and submit their writing for judging by published authors is definitely a win-win. Here are the details, which are available via the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick website.

 

Who may enter?

• Only teens from 13-18 years of age who are residents of New Brunswick may enter

 

What to submit?

• A short story or poem written by the teen

• A short story may be up to 4000 words

• A poem may be up to 100 lines

• Only two submissions per person 

How to enter?

• Entry is free

• Email entries to info@wfnb.ca with the subject line "Sheree Fitch Prize" 

• The deadline for submission is Monday, March 31, 2025

Who will be the judge this year?

• Writer Jacqueline Halsey, author of Joe and the Wreck of the Tribune, Piper, and Peggy's Letters

 

What are the prizes?
• First Prize is $100

• Second Prize is $50

• Third Prize is a 1-year membership to the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick

Time to get writing! 

 

💻✏💻✏💻✏💻✏💻

 

For those who don't know of the incredible collection of works by writer Sheree Fitch, from picture books to poetry collections and YA novels, check out some of her most notable titles:

 

Toes in My Nose and Other Poems

EveryBody's Different on EveryBody Street 

There's a Mouse in My House

Summer Feet

Sing in the Spring!

If You Could Wear My Sneakers

Polly MacCauley's Finest, Divinest, Woolliest Gift of All

Mabel Murple

There Were Monkey's in My Kitchen

If I Had a Million Onions

The Gravesavers
One More Step

Rock

Written by Laurel Croza

Illustrated by Matt James

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-948-7

44 pp.

Ages 3-6

March 2025 

 

There is a rock on a beach. Spotting it, a seagull swoops down to claim it, hoping for a morsel of food. The gull is disappointed when he tries to snatch it and so begins a dialogue about the nature of the rock. In stark text with sweeping illustrations, Laurel Croza and Matt James, the collaboration who brought us the award-winning I Know Here and From There to Here, initiate a simple but profound examination of the concept of self.

 

From Rock, written by Laurel Croza, illustrated by Matt James

 

The gull, chagrined that the rock is not what he expected, asks, "What do you think you are?" The only response he receives is, "I am a rock." To every query and claim, suggestion and threat that the gull makes, the rock stays true to itself and repeats, "I am a rock."

From Rock, written by Laurel Croza, illustrated by Matt James

First the gull discounts the rock's claim and suggests it's more like a pebble or a stone. But then the seagull asserts that it really doesn't matter what it calls itself, it is vulnerable and trivial. The rock is threatened with being dropped in the water, and then eroding away to insignificance, or becoming just one of the multitudes of negligible rocks on the beach. 

I am telling you,

you are nothing

special.

Still the rock just says, "I am a rock."

From Rock, written by Laurel Croza, illustrated by Matt James

 

Throughout the exchange, a child has been on the beach playing. A final illustration suggests that the rock is a rock and one that is special in its own way. 

 

Laurel Croza may let the seagull do most of the talking in Rock but it is the rock's few words that are the most impactful. Just as in life, there are those who taunt and threaten, bully and ridicule and do so with bravado and nastiness. The gull thinks it's more powerful and significant, but it has no substance. It's all talk and bluster. Is it threatened by the quiet strength of the rock that will not cower or renounce its identity? Who knows. But what Laurel Croza makes clear is that self-confidence is not the same as exaggerated self-opinion. It can be a quiet acceptance of self and identity, knowing who you are, regardless of what others tell you or suggest to you. The rock has a foundation of strength that comes from the certainty of its identity.

 

While Laurel Croza's words are few–there are whole double-spreads without text–Matt James's artwork speaks volumes. Done in acrylic and ink on acetate, wood, masonite and cardboard, Matt James fills in the story. From the gull eyeing the rock and then the pain when he tries to grab it, to the gull's bravado while surrounded by other gulls, Matt James shows how the loud and obnoxious get all the attention, even when being nasty, while the stoic rock remains cool and resolute. On that expansive beach that stretches along a huge body of water and under an ever-changing sky, it is only the shadow of the rock that changes.

 

Rock is a powerful story of self-awareness and -confidence. It's about staying true to your identity regardless of those who question it or object to it. It's about being a rock when others want you to be wobbly jelly or melting ice cream, both of which I'm sure the gull would've preferred.

 

🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨

 

The official launch of Rock is taking place in Toronto on March 9th. Details are found below. 

Join author and illustrator

 

Laurel Croza and Matt James

 

for the launch of their newest picture book

 

Rock

 

on Sunday, March 9, 2025

 

at

 

1-3 PM

 

at

 

Queen Books

914 Queen St. East

Toronto, ON

416-788-5053

https://shop.queenbooks.ca/events

 

The book launch will include a story time reading and book signing.

 

🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨

Aaron's Hair (rev. ed.)

Written by Robert Munsch

Illustrated by Dave Whamond

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-0906-5

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

January 2025 

 

It's been 25 years since Robert Munsch first told the story of Aaron's runaway hair. Originally illustrated by Alan and Lea Daniel, Aaron's Hair is a timeless story of hating your hair–don't we all have bad hair days?–but like classic Munsch, the story takes an unexpected turn when Aaron's hair takes off to find an appreciative host. Now illustrated with the wacky art of Dave Whamond, Aaron's Hair has a new and updated sparkle of absurdity. 

From Aaron's Hair (rev. ed.), written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Dave Whamond

Aaron is proud to have long hair like his dad but when his hair becomes uncooperative, Aaron shouts out that he hates it. Well, that hurts the hair's feelings, and it runs away, leaving Aaron bald. And so, the chase begins.

 

From Aaron's Hair (rev. ed.), written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Dave Whamond

As Aaron's hair flits from the baby's head to the street, attaching itself first to a woman's tummy and then to man's behind, Aaron gives chase. The star-shaped hair continues to cause mayhem, especially when it covers a traffic policeman's face, resulting in a traffic jam of epic proportions. There are still a few more stops before both Aaron and his hair find their way back to each other and even find a way forward.

 

The absurdity of Robert Munsch's stories has always been in that germ of reality, here in the conflict between hair and bearer of said hair. It's that struggle to style it, tame it, keep it out of food, and more. But Robert Munsch makes that struggle into a crazy action adventure that will have kids rolling on the floor with laughter. With Dave Whamond's illustrations, the wackiness is heightened, giving more laughs as Aaron's hair misbehaves, as the boy panics at the potential for long-term baldness, and as the community becomes involved in the ensuing chaos. Follow the escape, the pursuit, and the confusion through expressive faces, topsy-turvy scenes, and the unexpected details including Dave Whamond's ubiquitous squirrel, bunny and bird from his popular character in his Reality Check syndicated comic.

From Aaron's Hair (rev. ed.), written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Dave Whamond

Next time you're having a bad hair day, think about Aaron and his unruly hair, and thank goodness for an occasion split end, frizz or cowlick that reassures that you've still got hair on your head. After all, the alternative can be outrageously chaotic,  even if uproariously funny.

Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!

Written by Yolanda T. Marshall

Illustrated by Daria Lavrova

Chalkboard Publishing

978-1-771055901

32 pp.

Ages

2022

 

With Shrove Tuesday on the horizon–March 4 this year–and Christians anticipating Easter, it wouldn't be amiss to review a book I missed when it came out a few years ago. With its charming text and sweet artwork, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone! seems a timely treat of a read.

 

Jackson, a child who loves a yummy hot cross bun, decides to invite his friends to a party for Easter Sunday. With that invitation, all his friends begin their own hot cross bun prep, with adult supervision, of course.  

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

Jewel gets her mom to make a big one like her Nonna's cake. Liam's foster parents use his Scottish granda's spicy recipe. Dimitri's father adds the traditional Greek spice mahlepi as well as vanilla. Others add raisins, glaze them with sugar, sprinkle with rainbow colours, or make them dairy- and gluten-free. For some, the version looks a little different like the traditional Jamaican bun and cheese–a sweet loaf bracketing special cheese.

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

There are hot cross buns aplenty and more than enough for Jackson's invited guests and all the other school kids and their families. There is so much food to savour that he takes the extras to share with neighbours, a lovely offering for Easter.
 

Easter may not be until April this year but a tasty treat that is shared among friends is never limited to one day a year. And Jackson's love of the bun is a perfect foundation for giving and sharing with community. Yolanda T. Marshall, a well-established Guyanese-born Canadian writer whose books I've only recently discovered, seasons her story of hot cross buns with the flavours of diverse communities and cultures, even sharing a recipe for Spiced Hot Cross Buns–as well as some background information and teaching ideas–at the end of her story. Without overwhelming readers with the varieties of hot cross buns enjoyed across the world, Yolanda T. Marshall lets us see some of the ways they differ, whether through spices and ingredients included or the forms taken. Regardless of their flavours and their presentation, the buns are a source of delight and sweetness, bringing people together to share and appreciate.

From Hot Cross Buns for Everyone!, written by Yolanda T. Marshall, illus. by Daria Lavrova

Russian-born illustrator Daria Lavrova, who currently lives in Amsterdam, makes Jackson's Easter party of hot cross buns a joyous and colourful event. From the exuberance of all who bake and partake to the diversity of people and food, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone! becomes a celebration of colour and texture, with the zest that comes from good food shared with generous neighbours.

Everyone came

To eat, laugh, and play!

That's all they did

On Easter day.

No Purchase Necessary

Written by Maria Marianayagam

HarperCollins

978-1-4434-7261-6

256 pp.

Ages 9-12

January 2025 

 

Ajay Anthonipillai and his parents and sister Aarthi recently moved to Bridge Creek to be closer to some family and save money. It's now a three-hour commute for Appa to the city where he is studying for his master's in civil engineering, but the Tamil Sri Lankan family understands the sacrifices that must be made to succeed. While understanding that money is tight and that his parents have very high expectations for him, Ajay really wants to fit in. And so, when taunted by alpha classmate Jacob Underson to steal a Mercury chocolate bar in Scary Al's convenience store, Ajay does it. This one mistake changes everything for Ajay.

 

Jacob refuses the chocolate bar since Ajay hid it in his pants, so Ajay eats the chocolate himself. "It tasted like bliss and guilt." (pg. 25) But there's more than candy in the package. There's also the message on the wrapper that tells him he's won Mercury's $1 million Grand Prize. He knows all the good that money would do his family, including helping his aunt's family in Sri Lanka but Ajay knows he doesn't deserve it. In fact, if he hadn't taken it, his classmate Mindy Yu would've won it, grabbing the next bar after him. 

What to do? He has learned much from karate about integrity and respect, as he had from attending Catholic Church with Father Freddie, so Ajay is torn about what to do. Return the wrapper to Scary Al? Give it to Mindy? Confess to his parents? Cash in the ticket? Even as Ajay vacillates between all his options–not unlike Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" for an assignment with which Ajay is struggling–he ends up working for Scary Al at the store, becoming friendly with Mindy who helps him with his English assignment, and fighting and then collaborating with his tormentor Jacob. 

But lies have a life of their own. Some lies beget other lies. Or the lies morph into something completely different. And they can always be exposed. Whether it's because someone lets something slip or the liar is overcome with guilt or because the truth was known all along, lies do unravel, and for Ajay, it's just a question of when and how, not if.

 

Maria Marianayagam, herself a Sri Lankan-Canadian, undoubtedly drew from her own cultural experiences to give life to Ajay and his family. The high regard for education and family and hard work are evident, all solid foundations for Ajay and Aarthi. But these same values are challenged when they intersect with the culture of their new home, in which kids defend themselves when bullied, do extracurricular activities, and try to fit in with their peers. The balancing act of being different people, one at home and both a peer and your parents' child at school is a precarious one and one that challenges Ajay. Maria Marianayagam does not make Ajay a perfect kid who handles it all. She makes him real, struggling with himself and others, trying to do what's right though it might make life harder, and wishing for a break occasionally to just be himself. When Ajay and Aarthi can finally unmask themselves to their parents, it's both refreshing for all and illuminating.

 

Winning a million dollars seems like a dream but for Ajay it becomes a nightmare of conflict between honour and want. Thankfully, the rules of his family and those of the dojo and his faith help guide him to make the best choice and ultimately to enrich his life in unforeseen ways.

2025 First Page Student Writing Challenge is on! (Deadline February 28, 2025)

Where do you think our world will be in 150 years? How will issues like climate action or human rights, sustainability or war and peace play out in the future? Tell us a story that explores one of those many issues by entering CBC Books' annual student writing challenge, The First Page. If you are or know a student enrolled in Grades 7 through 12, it's time to get writing and enter this fabulous writing opportunity.

From the CBC Books post,  here's what you need to know:

 

 

Partipants:

• All Canadian residents who are full-time students enrolled in Grades 7 to 12 are eligible. Entries will be judged in two age categories: Grades 7 to 9 and Grades 10 to 12. 

 

 • • •

Entries:

• Write the first page of a novel set 150 years from now, exploring how a modern day current affairs event or trend has played out. 

• Write between 300 and 400 words.

• Include a title (which is not counted in the word limit).

 

  • • •

 

Submission:

• Complete the online submission form via Submittable through CBC Books at 

https://cbcliteraryprizes.submittable.com/submit/319477/the-2025-first-page-student-writing-challenge

• If having difficulties, contact cbcbooks@cbc.ca for assistance.

 

 • • •

 

Deadline:

• February 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST 

 

 • • •

Judging and Prizes:

• A team of Canadian literary experts will first select the shortlist. Then writer S. K. Ali (author of books that include Saints and Misfits, Love from A to Z, and Fledgling) will select the winners of the two categories. 

• Winners will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which delivers monthly boxes of books and literary-related goodies. 

• The school library of each winner will also receive a donation of 50 books.

 

 

 

Check out previous winners and finalists from across Canada at https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-first-page-student-writing-challenge-past-winners-and-finalists-1.6262657.

  

Good luck to all participants!