The Blue Canoe

Written by Sheryl McFarlane

Illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

Familius

978-1641709156

32 pp.

Ages 3-5

July 2024

 

For any child fortunate enough to spend time on a lake, The Blue Canoe will speak to them about the joy of being out on the water, watching wildlife, and contemplating life's many questions. But for this child, there are the special elements of being with her mother in their blue canoe, a ritual that only the two share, and of anticipating coming-soon baby's arrival. Will everything change? Will their special mother-daughter time be lost? What will coming-soon baby do to the family dynamic? And what about all the wonderful things big sister can introduce to coming-soon baby?

From The Blue Canoe, written by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

From a small cabin on a lake, a mother and child, and diapered teddy bear, head out in their blue canoe as they often do. 

Every cabin day is a paddle-on-the-lake day.

 As they weave their way through the water, they enjoy the aquatic plants and animals that they observe. There are dragonflies and lily pads, pond skaters and mallards. There is a heron and trout, kingfisher and river otters, and more. And as their paddles dip and pull, the child wonders about their coming-soon baby, speculating on what they may be doing soon and what it will be like having a baby around.

"What if our coming-soon baby doesn't like canoeing?"

Mom has wise answers that reassure. She speaks to the possibility that the baby may be different than her daughter and that's okay. The baby will like somethings they do and not other things, just like Dad who doesn't like to canoe.

From The Blue Canoe, written by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

Still as the child ponders and questions, the pair glide through gorgeous landscapes abundant with life, enjoying the natural wonders and their connection with each other and their endeavours.

From The Blue Canoe, written by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

The introduction of a new baby can be challenging for families with young children. There can be much positive anticipation but also questions and concerns that cannot be alleviated until the baby has arrived and the children see how things may change but not necessarily mean there will be losses. BC writer Sheryl McFarlane has taken from her own experiences canoeing with her children to give life to The Blue Canoe. There are so many stories within The Blue Canoe: the mother-daughter connection, the activity of canoeing, the wildlife they see, and the discussions about the coming-soon baby. Readers will get a rich and multi-layered story in The Blue Canoe that can be enjoyed for any of those points of discussion, while enjoying Rhode Island's Laurel Aylesworth's serene scenes of time on the water. There is a calmness and uncluttered nature to her illustrations, ensuring that what we feel is the same tranquility that comes with canoeing on a calm lake. 

 

For me, The Blue Canoe was like forest-bathing: calming,  contemplative, and promoting consciousness of our natural environment. For a young family, it will also be a wonderful discussion starter about a coming-soon baby. If a discussion has to be had about an upcoming birth, there's a great way to initiate it with a virtual canoe trip of appreciation and familial connection as in The Blue Canoe.

The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids: Essential Skills and Recipes Every Young Chef Should Know

Written by Pierre A. Lamielle

Familius

978-1-64170-156-3

170 pp.

Ages 8-13

September 2019

As a teacher-librarian, I loved purchasing cookbooks for the school library. Kids love looking at photos of great food, dreaming about sweet desserts and baked goods, and emboldening them to try their hand at some kitchen magic. With Chef Pierre A. Lamielle's newest cookbook, this one for children specifically, they'll get a good start on developing their culinary skills and creating some tasty treats.

More than a recipe book, The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids covers important lessons, all told via quirky illustrations and a group of distinct characters called the Munchy Munchy Bunch which includes Sal, Pepper, Ragu, Ziti, Sage, Rose, and Bean. The first lessons focus on avoiding dangers that involve sharp objects, fire and hot items or sources of germs. From learning how to slice, hinge and saw with a knife, to dealing with burns and fires and avoiding Salmonella, Cyclospora and E. coli, Pierre A. Lamielle's "Safety Pages" are an excellent beginning to this cookbook.

From The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids by Pierre A. Lamielle

While introducing the Munchy Munchy Bunch, Pierre A. Lamielle also presents the basic tastes of salty, bitter, sour, sweet and umami, and makes a case for ketchup–with recipe included–being a balance of all five tastes. (Who knew?)

From The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids by Pierre A. Lamielle

The remaining sections–Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Sweets–focus on basic recipes but always offer up more. From cooking eggs six ways to making jam for breakfast, or preparing soup, salad, or sandwiches for lunch, and serving up schnitzel, butter chicken or pizza with homemade dough, each meal becomes an exploration of ingredients, techniques, history, and culture. The photographs, most of which are double-spreads that extend across the hardy hidden wire o binding (making scanning of the images near impossible for me), are appealing and never unsophisticated. The recipes are for restaurant quality food from the pumpkin pie soup to the soy delicious lettuce wraps, veggie chili with mini cornbread muffins and browneapolitan dessert. For vegetarian to meat-eaters, and those who prefer savoury to sweet or vice versa, everyone's tastes are covered within the recipes of The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids,

From The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids by Pierre A. Lamielle

Calgary's Chef Pierre A. Lamielle, who has appeared on Top Chef Canada and Chopped Canada, has his spoon in a lot of creative bowls from cooking and writing, to illustrating and teaching, all related to art and food. By mixing both here in The Munchy Munchy Cookbook for Kids, Pierre A. Lamielle has found a way to teach and entertain young readers with the promise of developing their culinary skills, of feeding themselves and others, and of making tasty food a source of sustenance and joy.