Playdate Surprise

Written by Karen Autio

Illustrated by Laura Watson

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9981-0

24 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2024

 

Remember the two friends Kayla and Piper from I Can, Too!? Karen Autio and Laura Watson have brought the two little girls, one with mobility issues, together again in a story of friendship and accommodation.

From Playdate Surprise, written by Karen Autio, illustrated by Laura Watson

Being a friend and having a friend are great opportunities for growing as a person with the fun and understanding that comes from being together. No wonder Kayla is so excited when Piper is able to come over to her house for a playdate. Although there are lots of accommodations that have been made for Kayla to get around outside and in her house, these are not the focus as the two girls play with Kayla's dog Roscoe, who is very well trained, and just having fun.

From Playdate Surprise, written by Karen Autio, illustrated by Laura Watson

But when it's time for Piper to leave and she wants to invite Kayla to their house the next day, Piper's mom realizes that their front step would be an obstacle to Kayla. So, the girls must wait until the weekend when Kayla's dad can help her get into Piper's house.

From Playdate Surprise, written by Karen Autio, illustrated by Laura Watson

Their next playdate is just as much fun. No wonder that the girls want to continue having playdates and Piper's family finds a way to help that happen with an unexpected surprise of accessibility.

 

Karen Autio's first story of Kayla focused on the different modes of mobility available to a child in a wheelchair, allowing her to do many of the same activities as her wheel-less peers. In Playdate Surprise, that same message of positivity is pervasive, with Kayla and Piper smiling with joy for their friendship and time to be spent together. And even though a concrete step is a real impediment to Kayla's visiting Piper's house, both families find a way or two to accommodate her wheelchair and support the girls' friendship. 

 

Laura Watson, who also illustrated I Can, Too!, uses her digital art to keep the story light and yet meaningful. Her bold colours and joyous characters make a story a positive one of camaraderie and reassurance, demonstrating that at its heart, Playdate Surprise is a story of two friends, one of whom just happens to be in a wheelchair.

 

Karen Autio's dedication suggests that there was such a family that modified their home to allow her daughter accessibility, for which she was very thankful, so she speaks from experience in Playdate Surprise. That alone makes this picture book special. But it's also a reminder to everyone that accessibility doesn't just happen. We have to make it happen, whether through policy or protest, training or grassroots actions at home. Because when everyone is included, there's a lot more smiling that happens for everyone.

Playdate Surprise: Book launch (Kelowna, BC)

 

Karen Autio 

author of picture books, middle grade novels and non-fiction, including

I Can, Too!

 
is launching her newest picture book

 

 Playdate Surprise

 

Written by Karen Autio

Illustrated by Laura Watson

Scholastic Canada

978-1-443199810

24 pp.
Ages 3-7

September 2024

 

(also in French) 

Une surprise merveilleuse

978-1-443199841

 

on 

 

Sunday, September 22, 2024 

 

at

Once Upon a Bookstore
2795 Tutt Street
Kelowna, BC

 

at

 

 1 PM and 3 PM (local times)

(The 3 PM reading will be simultaneously interpreted in ASL)

Cost: $10 /two people (children under 2 attend free)

includes an autographed book (or store credit) and a sticker sheet 

Use this QR Code to purchase a ticket for either the 1 PM or 3 PM event

There will be storytime, a kids' craft and cake with author Karen Autio!

I Can, Too!

Written by Karen Autio

Illustrated by Laura Watson

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9008-4

24 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2022

In a a story about differences, Karen Autio and Laura Watson show us that we're all the same, or can be, when it comes to mobility.

From I Can, Too! by Karen Autio, illus. by Laura Watson

From birth, Kayla and Piper move the same: they're pushed in strollers, they roll and then they crawl. As they reach for new milestones like standing, they begin to do things slightly differently. Piper uses a chair to support her and Kayla uses a standing frame. Riding their tricycles, zooming around the streets, riding horses, gliding over ice and skiing are all the same and yet different. Still the joy that the girls get from movement is palpable in their smiles, cheers, and twinkling eyes.

Once they start to attend school, the girls participate fully in their play and learning. Whether outside on an inclusive playground with a raised sand table and accessible slides or field trips in nature, all the kids can enjoy a satisfying experience. Moreover, the others get to learn how Kayla moves in a wheelchair when her mom brings an extra chair for her classmates to try out.

From I Can, Too! by Karen Autio, illus. by Laura Watson

When it comes to the kids, they can all move and have fun, even if differently. 

The dedication to I Can, Too! suggests that Karen Autio's experiences come from those of her daughter Annaliis "who joyfully gave all mobility equipment that came her way a try" and it's evident that the range of adaptive equipment, from hand-propelled tricycles to hiking wheelchairs and sit-ski, is staggering. What is most important are the opportunities this equipment gives to those with mobility issues and it's fairly obviously that Kayla, and undoubtedly Annaliis, were able to enjoy all activities that children should experience wholeheartedly, from sports to trick-or-treating and beach play. (Yes, there is a beach wheelchair with oversized tires.) But, while BC author Karen Autio explains the use of these devices, appending her story with "Amazing Ways to Move!," her goal isn't to highlight the differences but rather the commonalities and connections children make through their play and learning.

 

Ontario illustrator Laura Watson brings that joy of movement and play to the children of I Can, Too! Her characters are full of life and colour, different in their clothing, skin, and abilities, same in their pleasure at connecting with others and engaging in fun.

 

I Can, Too! is an affirmation that, with accessibility, comes equity and opportunity. Whether it's Reciprocating Gait Orthoses or inclusive playgrounds, adaptive equipment helps everyone to find happiness.

Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon

Written by Karen Autio

Illustrated by Loraine Kemp

Crwth Press

978-1-7753319-0-2

48 pp.

Ages 7-10

October 2018

For lovers of trees, history, horses and British Columbia, Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon will appeal to all.

Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon is about the history of Wild Horse Canyon, a hidden canyon in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, alongside the Okanagan River. The story, told as a series of dated vignettes in text and pictures, begins in 1780 with an Okanagan man communing with the natural world of the steep-walled canyon. Listening to the flora and fauna, he leaves behind a red-ochre and bear-grease paint pictograph.

Through the years, the Okanagan people find shelter and home in this valley, as do wild horses, alongside the growing ponderosa pines (also known as yellow pines) whose growth the reader observes in every illustration of this book. From seedling, as witness to the community of Okanagan people, and their taming of the horses for transport and carrying heavy loads, to saplings, the yellow pines and other flora give life and assistance to these first peoples. With the arrival of the first Europeans, the Okanagan people offer horses and temporary shelter and the Okanagan Brigade Trail becomes a route for fur traders, explorers and pack-trains.

From Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon by Karen Autio, illus. by Loraine Kemp

Like the seedlings and saplings of yellow pine growing into majestic trees, the canyon is evolving, specifically from a wholly natural element to one impacted by human development. Settlers move into the Okanagan Valley, displacing the Syilx/Okanagan people who are shamelessly shoved onto reserves. Trees are cut, a railway is built and more settlers establish themselves. But, with the onset of World War I, horses are being trapped for military purposes and still more rounded up to be trained, sold or killed because they compete with ranchers' animals. "Soon few wild horses are left in the Okanagan." (pg. 22) Forests are cut, land is cleared, and Wild Horse Canyon is being changed forever.

From Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon by Karen Autio, illus. by Loraine Kemp

Still the ponderosa pines grow and reproduce amidst Wild Horse Canyon.  As with any story in which humans begin to exert their will on the natural environment, Karen Autio recounts that critical time when development begins to be reined in, and the establishment of the Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park heralds the recovery of the area to its humblest beginnings. Even wildfires like the firestorm of 2003 that destroyed a 223-year-old ponderosa pine in Wild Horse Canyon is still a new beginning.

From Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon by Karen Autio, illus. by Loraine Kemp

Don't misinterpret the story of Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon from its title as I did. It is a historical account of a Canadian region unique in its heritage.  Karen Autio makes sure to tell the story of Wild Horse Canyon from all perspectives: First Nations, European settlers, and Mother Nature. By using a ponderosa pine as her focus for the unfolding of the canyon's history, both natural and human, Karen Autio keeps the story fundamental.  She could be critical of the canyon's evolution–I'm thinking of the treatment of the First Nations and wild horses–but she presents its history as simply a timeline of events, warts and all. That completeness of story is likewise achieved by Karen Autio's inclusion of additional details like maps, photos and notes about the Syilx People upon whose lands the story unfolds. With Okanagan Valley artist Loraine Kemp's accurate and appreciative paintings as illustrations for the story, Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon becomes a history book that young readers will welcome and enjoy for its realism and truthfulness.

Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon: Book launch (Kelowna, BC)

Join

Karen Autio and Loraine Kemp

for the launch of their picture book

Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon

Written by Karen Autio

Illustrated by Loraine Kemp 

Crwth Press

978-1-7753319-0-2

48 pp.

Ages 7-10

October 2018

 on 

Saturday, October 20, 2018

from

2-4 p.m.

at

Okanagan Regional Library

Kelowna Branch

1380 Ellis Street

Kelowna, BC 

From Crwth Press's website:

In a hidden canyon in British Columbia’s Southern Interior, a ponderosa pine tree sprouts. Seasons pass as the tree grows, witness to generations of human history in the Okanagan Valley, from First Nations quests to fur brigades, horse wrangling, secret wartime commando training, to the firestorm of 2003. Richly illuminated by maps, illustrations, and historical images and informed by a timeline and historical notes, this fascinating book weaves First Nations history with European settlement and natural history. By following the thread of one tree growing in one sheltered and sacred space, award-winning author Karen Autio gently explores patterns of colonization that will resonate with readers all over North America. 

Kah-Lan The Adventurous Sea Otter: Book Launch (Vancouver and Kelowna)

Celebrate 
Sea Otter Awareness Week, 

Science Literacy Week, 

and 

the launch of children’s author Karen Autio’s new book!

Kah-Lan, the Adventurous Sea Otter

Written by Karen Autio

Illustrated by Sheena Lott

Sono Nis Press

978-1-55039-244-9

64 pp.

Ages 7-12

September, 2015

on Saturday, September 26, 2015

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

at

Vancouver Aquarium

845 Avison Way

Vancouver, BC

AND

on Saturday, October 3, 2015

2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

at

Okanagan Regional Library

1380 Ellis Street

Kelowna, BC

Special to this event:

Contest for students!

A free author presentation 

for the school or homeschool co-op 

with the most students attending the event

Door prize for teachers!

Draw for a reading circle set of 6 copies 

(donated by Sono Nis Press)
for teachers who attend

Both events include:

• a reading by Karen Autio

• a Q & A with Karen Autio, and 

• a book signing.

Here's the description from Sono Nis Press, the book's publisher, retrieved here:

Kah-Lan, a young sea otter, is hungry. He is sure there are big crabs and sea urchins, his favourite foods, around the point, but his mother won’t let him out of her sight. Then, one day, Kah-Lan sees his chance. He and his friend Yamka race to the point and soon they are swept into danger. At first, the challenges are familiar: strong currents, crashing waves, the open ocean, and Orca, who is hungry too. Then, as the sea otters travel unfamiliar waters, they encounter new and strange dangers: two-legged furless creatures; fearsome, noisy, smelly things that pull log islands; and fish-filled webs that threaten to tangle them up and drag them down. All the while, they struggle to find enough food to keep going. Will they ever get back home? 

The heroic travels of two dynamic and realistic sea otter characters are a wonderful introduction to sea otters, and to the human activities that threaten them. Warm and appealing illustrations by Sheena Lott and a triumphant ending will inspire readers to learn more about these remarkable animals, helped by the factual notes and resources provided by author Karen Autio, who has loved sea otters from first sight.  

This is the fourth book by popular author Autio, and her first foray into illustrated chapter books and natural history.

Sabotage

by Karen Autio
Sono Nis Press
978-1-55039-208-1
293 pp.
Ages 10+
2013

In 1915 Port Arthur Ontario, Saara Mäki and her younger brother John, from Karen Autio's Second Watch (Sono Nis Press, 2005) and Saara's Passage (Sono Nis Press, 2009), may seem to be typical Finnish children in their community but, with the Great War on in Europe, nothing is typical anymore. John's Ukrainian friend Fred has had his father herded away to an internment camp. Then a man at the grocery store calls the Mäki family "enemy aliens". Even Saara has worries that she may not progress from Junior Fourth to Senior Fourth because she's been away for months helping her aunt who has TB. And the news is rife with the case of Carl Schmidt, a German who participated in dynamiting an armory, a plant and the Nipigon River railway bridge, almost. Suspicions abound.

Alternating chapters in the voices of Saara and John, Sabotage begins at the onset of summer holidays. While Saara, now 14, must work away at delivering her mother’s sewing work and completing assignments that would allow her to pass into the next form, John (9) delivers newspapers with Fred, and keeps his ears open to all the gossip and any news the reporters might share. Though Saara is pestered by John’s pranks and outrageous ideas, she is forced to watch him and even work with him whenever directed by their mother. When a new boy, Peter Schmidt, joins them in playing war, Saara meets his sister, Birgitta, and they become fast friends.

While John’s suspicious but observant nature helps him to find evidence of sabotage and get him rewarded with the moniker of “Scoop”, he and many others see sabotage and saboteurs everywhere, whether it be a fire in a grain elevator (a fairly common occurrence) or a person speaking German. But when their own actions are misinterpreted as suspicious, and their father is accused of attempting to blow up the grain elevator, John and Saara must work together and ask for help of those who disapprove of them if they are to help their father and prove that all landed immigrants are not dangerous enemy aliens.

Although the premise behind Sabotage is, well, sabotage, Karen Autio paints a picture of a Canadian community on the edge: men away at war, never coming back; women need to find work to help support their families and help with household duties previously shared with their spouses; families of internees are left without support, financial and emotional; flagrant prejudice is leveled against those who speak other languages regardless of their loyalties, community connections, and valuable contributions; censorship of letters shows up between children; attempts to unionize workers and institute labour reforms are seen as suspicious; and paranoia about everyone and everything abounds. The little pleasures of an ice cream with a beau are few and far between (though sweet), as is play for children. Youth like Saara and John, as well as Fred, Birgitta, Peter and others are slammed hard with the realization that the world and the adults running it are not always hospitable and generous, or even rational. It was a hard lesson to learn, I’m sure. Credit to those adults who could demonstrate sound judgement during a time of war, and impressed that model upon children, because in a world where there really were saboteurs aiming to do harm, there was enough to worry about.