Backpack

Written and illustrated by Katie Arthur

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-725-3

40 pp.

Ages 4–7

August, 2026 

 

Soon school will be starting for many children. As they become part of a large school body, many will want to find a way to define themselves. It could be loudly or quietly, with confidence or with shyness, with a look-at-me attitude or with a I'm-OK-by-myself outlook. And the backpack, that familiar bag of many students, will help define them.

 

Katie Arthur, who illustrated the recently reviewed Whale Man: The Story of Jon Lien (Robert Chafe, 2026), follows Izzy through the year, starting on her first day of Grade 1 to see what her backpack, a blue one with ears and a toothy grin, will mean for her.

Illustration by Katie Arthur from Backpack, written by Katie Arthur

Getting her out the door is hard enough, especially when Izzy wants to take multiple, large, stuffed animals with her, and her preschool sibling wants to wear the backpack. But get to school they do, and with some loving goodbyes, Izzy joins the throng of students. Her backpack now has a place beneath her name, and a place to belong. 

Illustration by Katie Arthur from Backpack, written by Katie Arthur

That backpack carries a lot and does a lot. For Izzy, what her backpack means is very complicated. It holds her treasures, the things she needs, what she wears, and even what she'll eat. There are messages, school work, and odd bits of Lego and stones. "All the bits and bobbles of your life, held together with a squish and a zip." (pg. 13) It will bring her joy, comfort, and even hold onto sadness. It can serve as a pillow, as a toy, and a travel buddy. "You carry it, and it carries you." (pg. 36–37)

 

This is more than a book about Izzy's backpack. It's about all the backpacks and those who carry them. It's about what it does, what it means to you, and how it's a part of your growth. We transition through different sizes, through different styles, and with different contents. Whether we're young or old, our backpacks keep us company and serve us well. Katie Arthur's story may be about Izzy B.—there must be two Izzys in her class if the initial of her last name is being used—but it's also about a younger sibling, and all the children who carry backpacks. I love the colour and style of Katie Arthur's artwork which works so well in a book about backpacks. Like the variety of their shapes and colours, Katie Arthur gives the story that same range of feeling. From nervousness to joy, to confidence and heartache, the child carries it all and so does her backpack. The illustrations are colourful and bold but also overcast as the scene necessitates.

Illustration by Katie Arthur from Backpack, written by Katie Arthur

There is a trend—but one that is actually decades old—of examining the contents of purses. I hope Katie Arthur will consider a sequel to Backpack that might expand on what's inside different backpacks, so as to investigate how and what the contents might reveal of the person carrying them. As with people, what's on the inside is perhaps more important than what's on the outside. And what a backpack can do is so much more than just being a vessel for school stuff, as Izzy and Katie Arthur show us.

Whale Man: The Story of Jon Lien

Written by Robert Chafe

Illustrated by Katie Arthur

Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides

978-1-998802357

44 pp.

Ages 4–8

August 2026 

 

Jon Lien (1939–2010) was an extraordinary man. His accomplishments, both academic and charitable, earned him the Order of Canada and the respect of many. This is the story of how Jon Lien became the admired scientist whose benevolence saved countless marine mammals and the livelihoods of local fishers.  

Illustration by Katie Arthur from Whale Man: The Story of Jon Lien, written by Robert Chafe

Jon Lien may have grown up in South Dakota, but it was there that he learned to connect with animals, something that ultimately would help him become known as the Whale Man. Curious, Jon watched and learned how animals behaved. After his university studies, he and his wife moved to Newfoundland where he taught at Memorial University. Jon's curiosity with his new home and its many creatures made him a bit of a novelty among the fishers of his community, but when he was called upon to help, he resolved to do so.

Illustration by Katie Arthur from Whale Man: The Story of Jon Lien, written by Robert Chafe

When a fisherman got a humpback whale caught in his net, he called upon Jon. Knowing the disaster this could be both for the whale, who might not survive, and for the fisherman whose livelihood was dependent on his nets being undamaged, Jon saw that both were fearful of the possible outcomes. Looking into the eye of the great animal, Jon recognized fear. Wearing a diving mask, Jon repeatedly stuck his head beneath the water to untangle the net, knot after knot.

Illustration by Katie Arthur from Whale Man: The Story of Jon Lien, written by Robert Chafe

His success with this whale rescue led to more rescues and the founding of the Whale Research Group at Memorial University, as well as helping others to rescue these creatures when the whales became trapped in nets.

 

The story of Jon Lien, the Whale Man, is an extraordinary one. It is especially poignant as Jon Lien became the Whale Man because of his compassion for animals and his curiosity about living things. His understanding of how the whale might be feeling as well as the fisherman helped him find a solution, albeit it one that was perilous to him. His courage to make things right and to help others do the same is the story that author Robert Chafe of Newfoundland tells. It is not one of audacious bravery or imprudence. It is one of curiosity and grace. It tells of a man whose actions were governed by his heart and his inquisitiveness. Robert Chafe tells Jon Lien's story as that of a man of decency, a man who did the right thing. He looked into the eye of a whale and saw the need for mercy, not enmity.

 

The illustrations by Katie Arthur of Nova Scotia impress upon the reader the magnitude of Jon Lien's connection with animals, whether it's a donkey or a whale. Katie Arthur's ability to focus on the man and his efforts while still conveying the vastness of the sea and its inhabitants is a fine balance of her artwork. Most important is the folk-art nature of her art, which blends several media to convey the nature of a Newfoundland landscape and culture. Katie Arthur makes us see the people, the sea, the animals, and the spirit of the Maritimes.

 

I was delighted to make the acquaintance of Jon Lien via Robert Chafe and Katie Arthur's story Whale Man. He was an exceptional man who learned compassion from connecting with animals, from farm animals to birds and finally to whales and other marine creatures, to the betterment of them and of us.