The Most Magnificent Team

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1295-3

40 pp.

Ages 4-8

May 2025 

 

The most magnificent little girl and her dog from The Most Magnificent Thing, The Most Magnificent Idea, and The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z return and they're still making and building but with colleagues now.

From The Most Magnificent Team, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

It's another day of doing for our young maker. She and her pug may do lots of things from helping others, snacking and dreaming but coming up with ideas for new builds is at which the child excels. Gathering her materials for her latest idea she heads down to her working space on the street and encounters another child already there. There's another little girl, this one with fabulous hair buns, a green headband, glasses and a grey cat out on the sidewalk with a collection of materials and the start of a house. Impressed with what she sees, our first little girl invites her neighbour to work with her on her new idea.

From The Most Magnificent Team, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Although our little girl starts off wanting to take the neighbour's ideas into consideration, the two have very different styles of working. While the girl gets right to work, the neighbour child is all about measuring and calculating and considering and making suggestions for making the idea better but never starting to build her part of the project.

 

Even when the girl just does it all her way, the neighbour girl has criticisms.

 

The neighbor insists her idea will be better.

But that's impossible since the girl's idea is already the BEST.

And you can't make the best BETTER – it's already

THE BEST!

 

From The Most Magnificent Team, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Not only does the neighbour criticize, but she also undoes the work of the girl. At this point, they huff off and decide to work on their own projects. But they both feel their projects to be mediocre, more "HMMM" than "WOW" so decide to amalgamate. They combine their efforts and help the other and while they still run into disagreements, they find that taking a breath, consulting their canine and feline assistants and rejigging their concept can lead to something even more magnificent than they imagined.

 

They might do things differently, and

they'll probably disagree sometimes, but they

know that whatever they make together is

sure to be MAGNIFICENT.

 

Working with someone can be challenging the first time. You have to take into consideration their ideas and their way of doing things and it might require some compromise and even relinquishing some control. But what happens when your styles of making are drastically different? The little girl in Ashley Spires's The Most Magnificent Team finds out soon enough that it's not just a question of adding a person to the mix. It doesn't mean your workload will be lessened immediately or that it'll be more fun. It sometimes means more work upfront to get to know them, how they work, how they can contribute and how to deal together when the partnership is challenged. Fortunately, Ashley Spires shows how a partnership or team can develop from individuals through disagreement and into compromise and finally lead to success and achievement. While young children will certainly benefit from reading a story about how a team comes together, whether they are working in a makerspace, on a sports team or in a group on a class project, I believe their teachers and parents would also be helped to understand that kids don't always hit it off immediately and that with time they can find solutions for themselves that work. It might not always be the solution we would have chosen, but if it's a solution that works for all, we have to let them try.

From The Most Magnificent Team, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

I love Ashley Spires's stories whether it be her Binky the Space Cat or Burt the Beetle series or her standalone books like Larf and Small Saul. Though her approach is playful, and her illustrations whimsical and bright, she handles tough issues of fitting in and trying your best. In The Most Magnificent Team, Ashley Spires gives us two very different children and helps them find a way to work together, a big goal for everyone. Still, Ashley Spires always keeps it good-natured and lighthearted rather than confrontational or competitive. The kids want to work together; they just haven't figured out how to do it yet. But they do and their collaboration becomes a masterpiece for all, assistants included.

 

Being a magnificent creator can be a solitary activity, whether it be building or writing or something else altogether. But it can be the work of a team and, when a team works together, it can be truly magnificent.

The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0629-7

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

September 2023

I hope there are many, many schools and homes that encourage kids to make: to design and create and build and fix and keep going. Those makers will become the engineers, the mechanics, the inventors, the dreamers, and the innovators. They will become our tomorrows, and Ashley Spires, with her comprehensive alphabet of all things maker, will inspire them and answer all the questions they didn't know they needed answered in The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z.

From The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z by Ashley Spires

Revisiting the little girl from the award-winning The Most Magnificent Thing (2014) and The Most Magnificent Idea (2022), Ashley Spires's latest picture book delves into the process of making things by describing relevant words from A to Z. First we start with A, a girl and her assistant who brainstorm with creativity, which leads to experimenting, fixing, questioning, rethinking, and even walking away.

From The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z by Ashley Spires

Each letter encourages kids to make things–because "Z is for ZILLIONS of possibilities"–and helps them see that every little step of imagining, planning, and building, from jotting notes in a notebook, to gathering objects and unmaking stuff that isn't quite right are all valuable to the process.

Sometimes going backward is

the best way to move forward.

Ashley Spires does not make everything look easy or straightforward, but she does make it real. Kids need to learn that makers don't always have a linear way of doing things and that sometimes there are sidesteps and backward steps and even steps that need to be erased to make that magnificent thing of which you dream.

From The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z by Ashley Spires

Ashley Spires is a true maker of words, of ideas, of art, and undoubtedly more than is revealed in any single book. (Is the little girl Ashley Spires as a child?)  From creating her award-winning Binky the Space Cat and this Most Magnificent series, and every other picture book and early graphic novel, Ashley Spires makes readers witnesses to the creation of the wonderful. She excites kids to imagine, to try, and to endeavour that which might seem impossible. Her digital artwork of a captivated child, a cute dog, and an equally adorable cat, and loads and loads of recognizable stuff from books and a stand mixer, tape and bowls make making seem fun and easy. Even when Ashley Spires suggests that some things might not always be fun and easy–"Even the most magnificent things need a little tune up to get them rolling again"–it seems manageable.

 

To the future makers of the imaginable and the improbable, Ashley Spires shows young readers that they can make things magnificent.

• 🔨  • 📎 • 📓 •  📐•

The Most Magnificent Thing

The Most Magnificent Idea

The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z

Burt the Beetle Lives Here!

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-5256-1011-9

64 pp.

Ages 5-8

June 2023

Author-illustrator Ashley Spires introduced her readers to Burt the ten-lined June beetle (also known as a watermelon beetle) in Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! (Kids Can Press, 2021) and charmed us with his story as well as educating us on the natural habits of a variety of other insects. This time, Ashley Spires takes us into insect real estate to look at the nests and habitats of Burt and his insect friends as they seek shelter for short stints and longer periods.

From Burt the Beetle Lives Here! by Ashley Spires

Burt likes to spend short periods of time "snug as a bug" under a leaf. But when he realizes that it would be nice to have a place to call home, he looks at the homes of other insects. He considers the chrysalis of the monarch butterfly, the foam of the spittlebugs, and the silk web nests of tent caterpillars, but each doesn't work for him. So, he considers what materials he might use to build his own, taking his cues from wasps, bees, and weaver ants. Again, none work for him. 

Though he's ready to give up on finding a home within sight of his beloved porch light, Burt realizes soon enough that he needs shelter from weather and predators, and finds that protection, and even camaraderie, in a most familiar location. 

From Burt the Beetle Lives Here! by Ashley Spires

Kids love learning about science and living things, but it must be taught in a way that entertains through the inquiry process. As in all her Burt books, Ashley Spires has given young students, and their teachers, an easy source of relevant scientific information, here about insects and their habitats using Burt as an insightful guide. Through his very small eyes, readers are shown a bug's-eye view of a variety of different insect nests, with explanations for how the animals live in them or create them. And with her trademark humour, Ashley Spires will make kids chuckle at Burt's antics, as the adults in their lives will laugh at the analogies to human home-buying with places with stunning views, lots of potential, open floor plans and advertised as architectural masterpieces and those that are perfect for entertaining or impeccably renovated.

From Burt the Beetle Lives Here! by Ashley Spires

Ashley Spires, creator of Binky the Space Cat, consistently uses a clean illustrative style that is digitally rendered, never cluttering her illustrations with superfluous details that, while accurate, may detract from the key information about where the insects live and why. Because of the organic nature of the story, Ashley Spires's palette is primarily one of greens and browns, but she gives us enough shades and tints and tones to make it appear rich and varied, much like nature itself.

Whether you're a teacher of younger students who need to understand local habitats or how communities create nests, or you're a school librarian who loves providing quality creative non-fiction for the many children who prefer non-fiction or fiction, or a reader to appreciates fabulously illustrated books with a side helping of humour, Burt the Beetle Lives Here! has got you covered, perhaps even better than Burt's leaf!

 

🐛 🐞 🐜 🐝 🐛 🐞 🐜 🐝 🐛

 

Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! (2021)

Burt the Beetle Lives Here! (2023)

Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite!

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0146-9

56 pp.

Ages 5-8

June 2021

While I may be cursing the mosquitoes and horseflies that are biting right now, award-winning author-illustrator Ashley Spires is showing her appreciation for the wealth of insect species inhabiting backyards and in particular a ten-lined June beetle called Burt.

From Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! by Ashley Spires

Showcasing Burt's attributes from his feathery antennae ("It's a style choice") to his all-natural furry belly, Ashley Spires introduces us to the insect often called a watermelon beetle. But when Burt notes the superpowers of ants, hawk moths, termites and stink bugs, he struggles to recognize what makes him so amazing. He tries to wink, tap dance, climb walls and fly but usually ends up on his back with legs flailing in the air. 

From Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! by Ashley Spires

But like any child looking to identify their own strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses, Burt perseveres and finds his sticky legs and his huggable nature a gift to some insects trapped in a spider web.

From Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! by Ashley Spires

With colourful humour such as calling a spider web "fancy bum string" (pg. 43) and bold illustrations that are both charming and surprisingly accurate (except for their faces, of course), Ashley Spires teaches, entertains and grabs readers' attentions. There may be countless books about insects but Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! educates without droning on about insects' defining characteristics like habitat, eating, and reproduction. Instead kids will learn about the ten-lined June beetle but also about ants and dragonflies, the Australian tiger beetle, hawk moths, echolocation, spraying of toxins and more. And if that's not enough, the end papers display "cards" depicting insects according to their superpowers from "Super Stingy" and "Super Bright Bum" to "Super Annoying" (that's the mosquito!) and "Super Deadly Farts." Finding out what insect matches its superpower will be half the fun of Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite!

From Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! by Ashley Spires

Ashley Spires has always known how to entertain us with her graphic novels and picture books, having won the hearts of young readers with Binky the Space Cat (see my review of Binky Takes Charge, 2012) and inspired them with The Most Magnificent Thing (2014) and The Thing Lou Couldn't Do (2016). Now with Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite!, she teaches, informing kids about insects in a colourful and playful way that camouflages the learning. That, and her illustrations and her humour must be her superpowers and I'm so glad she uses them for good.

🐞 🐞 🐞 🐞 🐞

A downloadable activity package from Kids Can Press is available at https://www.kidscanpress.com/sites/default/files/products/assets/BurtTheBeetleDoesntBite_2685_activity.pdf

Gordon: Bark to the Future!

A P.U.R.S.T. Adventure

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-77138-409-4

72 pp.

Ages 7-10

May 2018

Gordon, the dog who first appeared in Ashley Spires's Binky Takes Charge (Kids Can Press, 2012) as a new recruit to P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel), is now at the heart of his own adventure, and it's up to him to save the day.

From Gordon: Bark to the Future! by Ashley Spires

When the aliens (insects) attack in full force, the easily-distracted but tech-savvy canine is the only one of his team to escape to the lab behind the couch.  His only choice is to use his prototype device to send himself back five days earlier to stop the alien invasion before it begins.

But he must be careful not to change anything else.

If he changes the past too much, he could jeopardize the future, which is, technically, his present because he's in the past.

Holy Hair Balls, that's confusing. (pg. 17)

But Gordon soon realizes that he's gone back 5 years and Binky is but a kitten without space accreditation, Gracie (Binky's sidekick) doesn't live next door and Gordon hasn't even been born! Worse yet, his device is out of allofuzzium fuel. Contacting P.U.R.S.T., which is still the felines-only F.U.R.S.T., has the cats freaking out and abandoning headquarters.  It really is up to Gordon alone.

The past needs a poop scoop because this place stinks. (pg. 31)

Gordon makes it back but then realizes he has made a serious revision in the time continuum and must return to truly make things right.

From Gordon: Bark to the Future! by Ashley Spires

I've loved Binky since he appeared in his first adventure, Binky the Space Cat (Kids Can Press, 2009), and cherish every new adventure in his family of books.  Even with Binky only being a secondary character to Gordon's adventure in Gordon: Bark to the Future! (as also happened in Fluffy Strikes Back, Kids Can Press, 2016), the hilarity of pets striking out to save their humans charms even a steadfast cat-lover such as myself.  Gordon has spunk and brains, and even though his attention is sometimes lost to the need for play and food, he comes through with fun and invention. Ashley Spires always, always delights with her illustrations and stories. Look at Gordon in the illustration above trying to swing his way to the top of the roof, only to slide down the wall past the oblivious kitten that is Binky. The art is direct, effective and effusive with story and sensation.

The space pets of P.U.R.S.T. are still fighting those dastardly aliens and keeping their humans safe in Gordon: Bark to the Future! but, with time travel in their arsenal, it's a whole new world of fighting back. Good boy, Gordon!

Book or Bell?

Written by Chris Barton

Illustrated by Ashley Spires

Bloomsbury

978-1-68119-729-6

40 pp.

Ages 4-8

2017

What reader does not know the agony of having their reading interrupted?

Henry is one such child.  Picking up a book about a bike at his school library, Henry is captivated, taking the book outside for recess, annoyed by the bell that calls them outside and then in. At lunch, when the bell rings again, Henry stays at his desk and continues to read.  This seems to concern his teacher and the principal and even the children in the cafeteria whose actions are disrupted by Henry's absence.  The visiting mayor recommends a louder bell which the school implements the next day.  While everyone is disturbed by the new bell, Henry stays put and continues reading. (What is this book?!) Consequences to his classmates repeat in art class.

From Book or Bell? 

by Chris Barton 

illus. by Ashley Spires

Mayor Wise (yes, that is his name) seeks the governor's suggestion which is a louder bell ("...the percussion-bomb bell was replaced by an avalanche-inducing contraption flown in from the Alps.") Still Henry continues to read, amidst the shambles of a classroom in which birds flit around the boy and letters are propelled from the page.  Yet again, class goes awry and the senator recommends, you guessed it, something even louder.  It's not until a simpler solution that feeds Henry's interest is undertaken, courtesy of Henry's teacher, that everyone can enjoy the day to its fullest.

American author Chris Barton's story is clearly a satire of those in authority suggesting outrageous schemes that are ineffective.  From Mayor Wise to Governor Bright and Senator Brilliant, the cast of administrators is wholly inept.  It is only Ms. Sabio (Spanish for "wise") who truly has the answer, though her reach is discreet.  Still it is Canadian Ashley Spires's illustrations that charm Book or Bell? from parody to entertainment.  Her children are diverse and inclusive, imbibing the story with tolerance and acceptance amidst the idiotic ideas of those in power.  The chaos of classrooms run amok and clothes launched from the vibrations of loud bells are hysterical.  Ashley Spires never disregards the importance of details: the principal's hairy legs, a bird in a shoe, training wheels flung from a bike, and the frazzled hair of all, including the principal's combover, in reaction to the piercing bell.

From Book or Bell? 

by Chris Barton 

illus. by Ashley Spires

No school should ever make a child choose between book or bell but, if there's ever a concern, Book or Bell? makes it clear that looking to those in authority is not necessarily a wise idea.  Looking inward is much more productive and effective.

I Am Canada: A Celebration

Written by Heather Patterson

Illustrated by Jeremy Tankard, Ruth Ohi, 
Barbara Reid, Jon Klassen, 
Marie-Louise Gay, Danielle Daniel, 

Ashley Spires, Geneviève Côté, 

Cale Atkinson, Doretta Groenendyk,
Qin Leng, Eva Campbell and
Irene Luxbacher

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-6304-0

Ages 3+

32 pp.

May 2017

With Canada celebrating 150 years since Confederation in 1867, there will be a plethora of books published solely for the purpose of memorializing that historic milestone for our relatively new country.  Though there has and will be sufficient backlash for praising the birth of a nation amidst the traditional habitation of this land by its Indigenous Peoples, I like to think that we can simply celebrate our land as it is, warts and all, as a glorious amalgamation of peoples and cultures.  This picture book, based on the poem by Heather Patterson and illustrated by thirteen outstanding illustrators, does just that.

The poem, written by Heather Patterson in 1996 and originally put to photographic interpretation (Scholastic Canada, 2006) reads as follows (I've separated lines as they appear in this edition; any errors are solely mine):

I am Canada.

I run, I swim,

I skate, I dance.

I skim over snow

on my toboggan.

I have space.

I read, I learn,

I draw, I dream.

I stay out late and see the

northern lights.

I have time.

I watch, I touch, I listen.

I make up my mind.

I decide to build a castle.

I am free.

I am Canada.

I am cool in summer

and cozy in winter.

I am springing in the spring

and floppy in the fall.

I eat pizza and pierogis

and peppers.

I eat meatballs and muffins

and mangos.

I am quiet,

I am curious,

I am friendly,

I am funny.

I explain, I explore, I enjoy,

I share, I sing, I celebrate.

I am Canada.

Each artist prepared a double-spread illustration to correspond with 1-4 lines of the poem and it's a delightful interpretation and showcase of Canada and its artistry by way of its creators, its landscape and its people.

Portion of illustration by Jeremy Tankard

in I Am Canada: A Celebration

by Heather Patterson

Jeremy Tankard, author-illustrator of Grumpy Bird and Hungry Bird, begins with a drawing of children hiking outdoors heading towards a blazing maple tree.  Ruth Ohi, author of recently reviewed Fox and Squirrel The Best Christmas Ever, brings a lightness of touch in style and content with everyone–families, pets, wildlife–enjoying the outdoors.  Plasticine artist Barbara Reid (Sing a Song of Bedtime) lends her craftsmanship to a winter scene of tobogganing, reminiscent of her award-winning Perfect Snow. Transplanted Canadian Jon Klassen (This is My Hat) focuses on his own outdoor scene of a lone house among bare winter trees amidst the wide open spaces of pristine snow, touched by a single child.  

Creator of Stella and Sam and Princess Pistachio, Marie-Louise Gay plays on the imaginative play that comes from books and learning with daydreaming children envisioning clouds of animals and skies of seas.  Danielle Daniel who burst onto the youngCanLit scene with her award-winning Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox honours our northern regions with a display of brilliant northern lights enjoyed by humans and wildlife alike.  Ashley Spires, author of Binky the Space Cat and The Thing Lou Couldn't Do, moves us to the warmth of a summer on B.C.'s shores for rest and recreation on the sand and in the water.

Simplest of all illustrations is award-winning artist Geneviève Côté's depiction of freedom, a child riding a blue loon embellished with a northern, a forested and an aquatic environments.  Her art, seen in her Mr. King and Piggy and Bunny series, has everything about Canada in the subtlest of depictions.

Illustration by Cale Atkinson 

in I Am Canada: A Celebration 

by Heather Patterson

But there's still more.  Cale Atkinson, illustrator of Vikki VanSickle's If I Had a Gryphon, lends his artwork to an exposé of Canada's four seasons and Doretta Groenendyk (A Harbour Seal in Halifax) provides a multicultural smorgasbord for a diversity of peoples and other animals.  (Have fun picking out all the foods displayed. I counted at least 17!) Perfect for the quiet stylings of prolific illustrator Qin Leng (A Family is a Family is a Family) is a spread about a walk in the woods of Mount Royal in the fall.  Eva Campbell, who illustrated Eric Walters' The Matatu, celebrates exploration and fireworks in her illustration.

Illustration by Qin Leng 

in I Am Canada: A Celebration 

by Heather Patterson

The culminating illustration is from Irene Luxbacher (Mr. Frank) and is perfection as the finale, with a blending of landscapes, indoor and out, and the anticipation of travel across this country.

Portion of illustration by Irene Luxbacher 

in I Am Canada: A Celebration 

by Heather Patterson

While Heather Patterson's words set the tone, it's the artwork of these Canadian illustrators that gives them substance and context.  I Am Canada is truly a celebration of all that is right in our country: the land and its people and the lifeblood they create.

************************************

A French-language version, Le Canada, C'est Moi, uses Geneviève Côté's illustration for its cover. 

The Thing Lou Couldn't Do

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-77138-727-9

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

May 2017

Lou has the spirit of adventure. She and her friends love to play, build fortresses, rescue wild animals and take on all challenges.  But when her little friends suggest pirates,  using the tree as their ship, Lou is apprehensive.  This from the little girl who sees herself as a deep-sea diver or a race-car driver or maybe even a pirate when she grows up.

From The Thing Lou Couldn't Do 

by Ashley Spires

But tree climbing is new to Lou.  While her friends scramble up, Lou tries to convince them to play something else or she makes inspired excuses (e.g., slug funeral, incoming asteroid, resting after eating) to avoid attempting that which makes her uneasy.  When her feline sidekick scales that tree (of course), Lou wishes for another means of getting into the tree without climbing it.  But, that’s no help; after all, where are you going to get a helicopter on short notice?  Finally a plea for help has the young girl trying what she almost believes to be impossible.

From The Thing Lou Couldn't Do 

by Ashley Spires

Don’t think that The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do is a little-engine-that-could story.  It may be about determination and courage and confidence but it doesn’t end with achieving the goal.  That’s the inspiring part of Ashley Spires’ newest picture book.  The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do isn’t about telling kids that they can do anything to which they put their minds because, let’s face, that’s not true.  All the inspiration and encouragement can’t make all dreams and wishes, even those with plans, come to fruition.  And kids need to know this.  It doesn’t mean you’re setting them up for failure.  It’s telling them that it’s good to try but, if it doesn’t work out, you can try again but you can also accept that it’s not for you.

From The Thing Lou Couldn't Do
by Ashley Spires

Ashley Spires makes sure that children will undoubtedly see themselves in Lou’s play and fears so they can take her as a role model for accepting challenges.  This little girl and her diverse friends represent anyone who has ever seen a task as impossible i.e., everyone. And these children are darling.  Ashley Spires’ characters, with their bright eyes and slightly larger than normal heads, serve all children, including those with eyeglasses, unmatched socks, in pants or dresses, red-haired or not.  Ashley Spires, who wowed everyone with her Binky the Space Cat series, has found a way to provide inspirational messages in children’s books (Small Saul, Larf, The Most Magnificent Thing) without preaching or providing answers to life’s dilemmas such as undertaking the impossible.

So, you know that thing that Lou didn’t think she could do?  She was right.  For now.

From The Thing Lou Couldn't Do 

by Ashley Spires

Spare Dog Parts

by Alison Hughes

Illustrated by Ashley Spires

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-0704-4

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

January 2016

Spare Dog Parts is for every dog lover who knows that the perfect mutt may be a motley amalgam of odd and sods that others may pooh-pooh but she is the best of everything.

In this fun story, a lab coat-clad young girl seems to create her perfect pooch out of a miscellany of body, legs, paws, tail and facial features.  What could be a frightening prospect of manufacturing a living creature is instead a light-hearted look at how a little girl visualizes the conception of her loving and much-loved pet.

There were no more matching sets of legs left, so my dog got a spare brown leg, a black one, a white one with black spots, and one that couldn't make up its mind if it was white or not. (pg. 11)

From Spare Dog Parts by Alison Hughes, illus. by Ashley Spires

This dog may look a bit like a Frankenstein of a mutt, but she has a sweet disposition and “knows all the important things.  Like where the sunbeam falls. And the sound of food. And when someone needs her.” (pg. 21-25)

The message behind Alison Hughes’ whimsical story is one of acceptance and appreciation and one that true pet-lovers already know.

When my dog was made, they used leftover parts,
But somehow, when they fit them together
          like a big
             dog puzzle...
                ...they made a perfect dog. (pg. 28-31)

Teaming Alison Hughes’ story up with the artwork of Ashley Spires, creator of award-winning characters such as Binky and Larf and Small Saul, is inspired.  Ashley Spires knows about creating love from bits and pieces and about that which makes a pet so lovable.  I’m sure that this little girl is not unlike Ashley Spires herself, trying things out, analyzing the best combination and finally coming up with perfection.

Spare Dog Parts emulates its message that it’s not the parts that are important but the whole, and the whole is full and finished and flawless.

Binky Takes Charge

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-55453-703-7

64 pp.

Ages 7-10

2012

When last we heard about Binky the Space Cat (Kids Can Press, 2009), he was Binky Under Pressure (Kids Can Press, 2011), dealing with a new feline. But Binky seems to be under even more pressure in Ashley Spires' latest Binky Adventure, Binky Takes Charge, as he has risen in rank to lieutenant and in charge of training a new recruit to F.U.R.S.T.  Actually F.U.R.S.T (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) has now become P.U.R.S.T., for all pets, and Binky's new cadet is a dog!

Gordon, a.k.a. that Puddle of Fuzz, Carpet-Wetter and that Stinky Furball according to Binky, seems almost untrainable, though Binky tries. But when Binky is convinced that Gordon is a spy and a traitor, Gracie (from Binky Under Pressure) and Binky put the puppy under surveillance to learn his methodology and ultimately his motives and technological skills.

Courtesy of award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires, the cherubic and determined Binky continues to entertain young readers with his clever but random misinterpretations.  His first impressions of situations and characters may be skewed but Binky is ready to defer to the evidence and admit when he is wrong, always making the best of a seemingly difficult situation.  Personally, I would love a human-Binky as a colleague in the workplace.  His heart is always in the right place and, even with his mistakes (which we all make), he is an asset to the team, here P.U.R.S.T.  When Binky Takes Charge, as an instructor and evaluator of new cadets, Binky is sure to build a great team of cadets while continuing to capture and amass a throng of young fans.

Read about Ashley Spires at Kids Can Press here or check out the cover story by Cheri Hanson in Quill & Quire's March 2012 magazine.

Larf

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press
978-1-55453-701-3
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2012

There's no way anyone could think that the term "abominable snowman" is a synonym for a sasquatch when that sasquatch is Larf.  How could anyone possibly consider a seven-foot vegetarian who jogs, gardens and cares lovingly for his pet bunny, Eric, as anything but adorable. (Hmm.  Adorable? Abominable? They must have the two words confused.)  So what if he's big and elusive?  In these times of social justice, we should embrace his uniqueness and individuality and respect his privacy.

From Larf, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

And, if Larf reads about another sasquatch and decides he'd like to meet another of his kind, so be it.  Solitude, after all, isn't always the only option.  So, Larf camouflages himself in a pair of jeans and a black beret, and, with Eric strapped into his front baby carrier, Larf takes the bus to the busy town of Hunderfitz.  But, meeting the sasquatch is not as Larf predicts, and disappointment ensues.  However, this sasquatch still helps fate bring companionship to Larf's life through an unexpected encounter.

From Larf, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Just as Ashley Spires' Binky the Space Cat (Kids Can Press, 2009) and Small Saul (Kids Can Press, 2011) have charmed their way into readers' hearts, so will Larf, the gentle giant of sasquatches.  Although Larf believes he is the only one of his kind, children will have heard about the terrifying Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, and Bigfoot whose size overrides any other descriptors other than vicious.  But Larf's size does not define him because his character is far too lovable to be impeded by his bulk.  Charmingly, Ashley Spires uses bright and unpretentious ink and watercolour (just like Larf himself) to illustrate his story.  But it's the details that will have readers searching for hints and hidden humour throughout, whether it be the declaration on Larf's mug or the very Canadian blanket he drapes across his lap.  Ashley Spires' Larf uses a light touch to illustrate how we should be ourselves but be open to new adventures that may enrich our lives in unpredictable ways.

Small Saul

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-55453-503-3

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

2011

Any child participating in the Ontario Library Association's Blue Spruce reading program this year will know Small Saul as a nominated title. But I would bet that most readers will recognize Small Saul as someone they know, perhaps their own child or even themselves. Small Saul is a character with a big heart, a formidable work ethic and a unique creativity but he just doesn't seem to fit in.

Bespectacled and bantam-sized, Small Saul's life-long goal has to live at sea but his limitations force him to look towards being a pirate rather than a member of the navy. After achieving his Pirate Diploma ("You ARRR a Pirate"), Small Saul is taken on by the last pirate ship around, The Rusty Squid. As hard as he tries, Small Saul is an oddity amongst the tough, treasure-driven pirates. But, when the captain unceremoniously pushes Small Saul overboard, the pirates soon recognize the treasure they had overlooked in the small pirate.

From Small Saul, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Readers will quickly get the message that it is important to be true to yourself and show perseverance.  When he couldn't get into the navy, Small Saul substituted piracy to still meet his dream of a life at sea.  When Saul wanted to show the others that he cared about the ship, he tidied and redecorated.  And, when he had kitchen duty, he didn't just serve bland gruel - he served pineapple upside down cake.

From Small Saul, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Ashley Spires, the creator of Binky the Space Cat (Kids Can Press, 2009), winner of the 2011 Silver Birch Express Award, has created a dear character with whom all readers can identify (albeit one in pirate garb).  Her ink and watercolour artwork are bright and straightforward (important for the littlest ones) but still include elements that will have children searching for quirky details like the recurring rat, the hang-in-there poster and the colourful bandages. Arrr, so ye be wantin' t' read this here book.  Tis th' best.


For parents, teachers and librarians:
Kids Can Press, publisher of Small Saul and the Binky Adventure series, provides a great downloadable document of Storytime Activities for Small Saul available at their website, as they do for Binky the Space Cat and other books in their catalogues.

Binky Under Pressure

Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

978-1-55453-767-9

64 pp.

Ages 7-10

2011

If you were loveable Binky (of Binky the Space Cat and Binky to the Rescue fame) and another cat had invaded your space, wouldn't you be under pressure too? Binky the Space Cat (Kids Can Press, 2009), winner of OLA's Silver Birch Express Award last year, has a lot of expectations to fulfill.  He still has to keep his space station (house) safe from aliens (bugs).  His humans need his cuddles.  He has to get enough sleep.  How can he do all that and deal with Gracie, the perfect foster cat?

My own Gracie (yes, that's really her name) is soon going to have a foster kitten around, and I can just imagine her reactions.  Luckily, fostering is not adopting, but poor Binky doesn't know that. He has to share - his food, his litter box, his humans, his best friend.

But, Binky is very clever; after all,  he's a F.U.R.S.T. (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) certified space cat.  Through small acts of diplomacy and rigorous investigation, Binky learns of Gracie's true identity and realizes the value of working together.

Ashley Spires' graphic novels of Binky have such a sweet, light touch to them that they bridge the picture book-graphic novel genres beautifully.  Never too heavy in illustrations or in text, with the right mixture of plot and characterizations, Ashley Spires has conceived a well-loved creature sure to be around for many volumes.  Thank goodness.