Cat Shapes

Written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1327-1

24 pp.

Ages 1–3

June 2026 

 

Aidan Cassie recognizes that cats can be very different, but she means more than just their sizes, colours, and personalities. Because cats are so curious and playful, they can also produce wonderfully eclectic shapes.

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Aidan Cassie, known for her charming picture books Sterling, Best Fork Dog Ever (2018) and Little Juniper Makes It Big (2019), seems to know cats well. She knows the curious ones who can jump in boxes and take on the shape of a square. She knows that a hungry one may want to jump into a goldfish bowl and become the shape of a circle. There's a fancy cat, a thirsty cat, a sneaky one, and a sleepy one too. And each one becomes the shape of what it enters. But Aidan Cassie knows the best shape that cats become, as do all cat lovers.

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Many concept books—those that teach a simple concept like letters, numbers, or colours—can become formulaic. Sometimes the author has a theme and wants the concept to fit into that theme. But Aidan Cassie does not do this. Cat Shapes is more than a book about shapes. Children will learn the basic shapes of square, circle, triangle, oval, rectangle, diamond, and more, but, because it's all based on the silly behaviours of cats, Cat Shapes does more than teach a concept. It delights with its authenticity and humour, speaking to cat lovers young and old. 

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Aidan Cassie's previous books have shown us the breadth of her illustrative style, but she's matched her digital artwork perfect to a concept book for very young children. There are just enough details to set the scene, whether it's a hungry cat eyeing a goldfish or one hiding in a drawer, so that little ones know what's going on. Even if they don't have cats, young readers will be able to look for the shapes in familiar settings and start to understand why cats do what they do. Cat Shapes may be about identifying common shapes but it's also a quick lesson in cat behaviour.

 

I wonder if the six distinct cats in Aidan Cassie's book are the same six that she names in her dedication because they are so unique. If so, I suspect she's seen a lot of adorable cat action over the years. With Cat Shapes, those cats can now add educators and shape-masters to their accomplishments. Of course, I always knew cats were clever. Cat Shapes just proves it.

The Great Gathering Place

Written by Naomi McIlwraith

Illustrated by Onedove

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1010-2

32 pp.

Ages 4–8

June 2026 

 

We all need safe places. Whether it's a place to gather with others, to teach and learn, or to celebrate or honour our ancestors, a gathering place can be that safe place for Indigenous peoples. It enables connection with community and culture both spiritually and earthly. This is the story of The Great Gathering Place.

From The Great Gathering Place, written by Naomi McIlwraith, illustrated by Onedove

Naomi McIlwraith, a Métis educator and writer, invites readers to join her to "meet our friends and relatives, and we'll visit and talk for hours and days, just as the breeze and the leaves talk for hours and days." (pg. 4) They'll travel by a big red canoe to visit and give thanks, to feast, to share lessons, and to be kind.

From The Great Gathering Place, written by Naomi McIlwraith, illustrated by Onedove

At the Great Gathering Place, there are opportunities to look back and forward. It's about recognizing those like Grandfathers, Sky and Buffalo; Grandmothers, River and Antelope; Cousins Moose and Sturgeon; and River and Fire. It's looking at learning from each other, even if it means disagreeing, but always with gentleness, kindness, and love. 

From The Great Gathering Place, written by Naomi McIlwraith, illustrated by Onedove

The Great Gathering Place may be a concept of Indigenous cultures, but it is one that we all could recognize in our own ways. It's appreciating that which gave us life and which guides us. It's about lessons learned and still to be learned, and about gratitude which needs to be expressed. Naomi McIlwraith makes the journey to this safe spot accessible for all, even including Cree translations (with pronunciation guides) of key ideas. Her rhythmical text, though not rhyming, reflects the flowing nature of water and the heartfelt thankfulness for everyone and everything that impacts our lives. Naomi McIlwraith makes it seem very natural and yet gloriously profound.

 

The art by Onedove, a Cree and Métis illustrator, may have been created digitally but it feels traditional. I wouldn't have been surprised to read they'd used oil or acrylic, or gouache and watercolour. Onedove takes us to the rivers, lands, and skies where the Great Gathering Place brings people together. Their landscapes are rich in natural elements and colours, with much in reds and oranges, and their people are of diverse backgrounds. Inclusiveness through Onedove's art and Naomi McIlwraith's text is evident.

 

The Great Gathering Place may be a state of mind where we connect with others, but it's more than that. It is a place of safety where we can find ourselves, and others, and bring about healing, learning, and spiritual renewal. It's a place that makes us more of ourselves.

Worm on the Job

Written by Maureen Fergus

Illustrated by Paul G. Hammond

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1316-5

36 pp.

Ages 3–7

May 2026

 

If there's one lesson to learn from Worm, it's that anything is possible if you can see your strengths for what they are and apply them to each situation. Not surprising that Worm is the guy for every job because he believes in himself. 

From Worm on the Job, written by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Paul G. Hammond

After being the head librarian for many years, Worm decides it's time for a new job. And he's willing to try anything. Even when the job may be hazardous to Worm, like life-guarding in the hot sun or deep-sea fishing among sharks, Worm gives it a try. But when he sees a sign advertising for a "courageous night security guard to keep dastardly thief from stealing nifty inventions," (pg. 8) Worm thinks he's found just the job for him. And though the manager is reluctant to hire him, Worm easily proves his value with his unique strengths.  

From Worm on the Job, written by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Paul G. Hammond

When that dastardly thief shows up just as Worm is checking out all the cool inventions, Worm puts his many strengths of flexibility and sliminess to work to catch the bad guy.

 "And when I believe I can do something . . ."

 "I usually can." (pg. 33-34)

From Worm on the Job, written by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Paul G. Hammond

It's not often that a worm can inspire risk-taking and self-confidence, but Maureen Fergus's Worm does just that. He believes he can, so he does. He may have to adjust his choices, but they are still his to make. And because he believes in himself, every choice is a step closer to finding another job that he will challenge himself to take on. He is tenacious, courageous, and positive, and he could be a role-model for any non-worm who may be anxious about trying something new. 

 

Because Maureen Fergus's story of Worm is couched in much humour which illustrator Paul G. Hammond strengthens with his whimsical digital art—do check out the clever details like Worm sorting library books on soil, composting, or crawling, or the striking inventions in the convention center—Worm on the Job is not a preachy tale. It's fun and inspiring and entertaining. And perhaps it will give all readers an opportunity to see their own attributes with fresh eyes.  

Benjamin Grows a Garden

Written by Melanie Florence

Illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0321-0

40 pp.

Ages 3–7

September 2025

 

Melanie Florence introduced us to Benjamin in Benjamin's Thunderstorm (2023), also illustrated by Hawlii Pichette, and we got to know the little boy who learns more about his Cree culture and language while partaking in ordinary activities like playing in the rain and listening to the thunder. By making connections with his Indigenous heritage, Benjamin's experiences are far richer and more meaningful. This time, in Benjamin Grows a Garden, it is spring, and the boy is back outside and enjoying preparing a garden with his mother.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

With spring birds accompanying their efforts, Benjamin and his mother prepare the soil for the seeds that will grow into a variety of fruits and vegetables that feed the family and their community. He's already anticipating the corn, beans, and squash that will go into Three Sisters Soup; the berries that will be served with bannock; and the zucchini, tomatoes, and pumpkins that will become stews and pies and salads. 

 

Into the rich tilled soil, Benjamin drops the corns seeds and waters them. Later on, when they have grown a bit, bean seeds are planted. And even later, the squash is planted, so that the corn supports the bean vines, and the squash beneath keeps the soil damp and cool.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

This is an impressive garden, diverse in its offerings and expansive in its magnitude. With sun and water and careful attention to the garden's needs, there is a bounty to enjoy and share.

  Benjamin loved springtime.

  Spring was when Benjamin and his mother planted 

their garden together and watched it grow. (pg. 29)

This book was released last fall, but I think it's a perfect time to think about the coming spring and the opportunities for making a garden. Many are perusing seed catalogues right now in preparation, and I suspect Benjamin's mother will be doing the same, unless she derives all her seeds from her own plants. But, more than just the planting of seeds, Benjamin and his mother partake in a traditional discussion of why they plant what they do and speaking Cree as they name that which is planted. (A "Pronunciation Guide" provided by Dr. Arok Wolvengrey of the First Nations University of Canada presents help with this vocabulary.) As such, Melanie Florence, award-winning author of Missing Nimâmâ (illustrated by François Thisdale, 2015) and Stolen Words (illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard, 2017), makes planting a garden more than just the mechanics of getting seeds into the ground. Melanie Florence makes it a bonding time for mother and son, and a preservation of culture, language, and tradition.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Hawlii Pichette, the Mushkego Cree urban mixed-blood artist who illustrated the first Benjamin book, continues to support Melanie Florence's story with visuals while furthering the culture through her Woodland style of art. Hawlii Pichette may use digital tools to create her art, but she retains the distinct elements of bold colours, thick black outlines, and segmented interiors for vegetables, trees, shirts, and more. With her style and emphasis on Benjamin and his mother's work tending to the land, the organic connection is evident. There is a distinct warmth of relationship to nature and between family that comes through in Hawlii Pichette's illustrations.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

If land and opportunity presents, now is the time to start thinking about planting a garden in the spring. Whether you and your children follow in the traditions of Benjamin and many Indigenous Peoples in the planting of corn, beans, and squash, or consider the countless other fruits and vegetables that might be grown from seeds, your bounty will include far beyond a mouthful of food.

 

• • • • • • • 

Benjamin's Thunderstorm (2023)

Benjamin Grows a Garden (2025)

Call Me Gray

Written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen

Illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1135-2

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

October 2025 

 

For a four-letter word, "gray" packs a lot of meaning. It can mean the colour that is between black and white, the two sides that allow no middle ground. It can mean the dullness of a cloudy day with the absence of sun pulling a pall over everything. It can also reflect a feeling of detachment or depression, far more profound than the blues of sadness. But, for the child in Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen's story, it's a name that holds colour and brightness, sunshine and joy.

From Call Me Gray, written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

It's the beginning of winter, and an unnamed child is looking forward to some wonderful traditions that they and their father partake in, starting with the building of their ice rink. But this year, this child knows something has changed.

But this year feels different.

 

It's not the snow

and it's not the cold.

 

It's me. 

 (pg. 6)

 

From Call Me Gray, written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

As they build their ice rink, the child hesitantly tries to gain some clarity to their feelings. A  recent incident, in which their best friend doesn't invite them to her sleepover because it's only for girls, has them saddened and perplexed. Talking to their dad, the child asks some very big questions including, "Do you ever feel mixed up about who you are?" (pg.12) Their dad tries to answer this and other questions but it's obvious that he's not grasping exactly what his child is asking. Still, as their work progresses, there is one statement that makes their dad stop and think and appreciate what his child is saying. 

"I look like a boy but

sometimes I feel more

like a girl."  

   (pg. 15)

And with that meaningful communication,  a subtle but monumental change begins to take place in the midst of enduring winter traditions.

From Call Me Gray, written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

I have reviewed so many Andrew Larsen books, both picture books and middle-grade fiction, including Goodnight, Hockey Fans (2017),  Dingus (2017), and Me, Toma and the Concrete Jungle (2019), and each one seems deeply personal. Call Me Gray has that same overtone, perhaps because Andrew Larsen has written it with his son, and the two have spoken of Bells Larsen's own experiences as a transgender person. I don't know if Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen built ice rinks together and enjoyed hot chocolate afterwards, but the relationship between father and child in Call Me Gray is a touching one without being saccharine. In fact, it's quite real. They speak, they interact, and they question as they try to understand themselves and the other. And it's obviously a safe space in which to question and to make choices. 

From Call Me Gray, written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

This is the first children's picture book that Edmonton's Tallulah Fontaine has illustrated,  though her work has been featured on advertising displays and in numerous publications including the New Yorker, the New York Times, and The Economist. Rendered in gouache and finished digitally, her illustrations focus on that which is important: the relationship between the child and their father, as well as others. Tallulah Fontaine shows them pounding stakes, shovelling snow, and chatting while they work. She shows them putting on their skates and skating and always interacting, either in silence or in important conversations. Their work, together to build rink or to build understanding, is the goal. And Tallulah Fontaine always conveys much in the faces of her characters, whether it be disappointment, confusion, contentment, or hope.

Call Me Gray may become a wonderful story starter for challenging conversations about gender identities or about encouraging self-expression or about building an ice rink. It might help children share their feelings, or help their parents establish safe spaces to discuss big issues. But Call Me Gray may also take "gray" out of the unfavourable realm and move it into one of inclusivity and association and positive change.

I'm Longer Than You!: An Epic Contest of Measurement

Written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1294-6

48 pp.

Ages 5–8

September 2025 

 

With school just getting back into the swing of things, I've been on a bit of a non-fiction run lately. But there's so many wonderful books out there, for different young audiences, to inform and entertain that there is no shortage of new books to review. I'm Longer Than You is a different kind of math picture book in that it focuses on measurement and comparisons for the early reader kids at school i.e., Kindergarten to Grade 3.

From I'm Longer Than You!, written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

In Carolyn Fisher's new picture book—she has previously illustrated a number of books for others like Summer Feet and Weeds Find a Way, as well as written and illustrated her own including Cells: An Owner's Handbook—a Supersaurus dinosaur and a blue whale argue about which animal is the longest. What's the easiest way to determine who's right? An inchworm suggests measuring them. So, the little worm gets to work.

From I'm Longer Than You!, written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

But after 12 hours of measuring the blue whale–it's 1300 inches long—it's time for it to pupate and leaves the two competitors at a loss. In comes the centipede who measures exactly one centimeter. Now the Supersaurus and the blue whale, salivating for the lunch the winner would get, wait for the centipede to do its work. Twelve hours later, the Supersaurus is also measured but in centimeters. With a little math and conversion between units, the contest is resolved.

From I'm Longer Than You!, written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

What a fun way to introduce measurement, systems of measurement, comparison and conversion between units! Carolyn Fisher has found a way to tell a story—and a funny one at that with the contest between two humongous animals—and introduce several math concepts that might be hard to grasp easily. Measuring is a complex concept, and she takes it from its most basic, i.e., how to measure, through the different ways people measure things and what units to use and then to conversion. As such, I'm Longer Than You! can be used for our youngest readers just being introduced to units of measurement to middle graders who are learning conversion.

From I'm Longer Than You!, written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

As a non-fiction book, I'm Longer Than You! is anything but dry. It's educational but quirky in its delivery of information. With her illustrations which are hand-drawn on a tablet, Carolyn Fisher makes this a true picture book, albeit an information book embedded in a story. Her art is colourful and bold, and the organization of information, whether it's the true rendering of the inchworm and centipede's sizes or the decision tree to pick appropriate units based on size—after all, using an inchworm or a centipede for these enormous animals was unwieldy—is accessible and presented with clarity and playfulness.

 

I know primary teachers will love using this book to introduce the concept of measurement, but it will be an entertaining starter for any lessons on measurement. Kids will love the contest and comparing animals—this could be a great scaffolding story for lessons on the diversity of living things—but they'll get a fabulous introduction to measurement and some related math concepts like conversion between metric and imperial units. It's a win-win for the Supersaurus, the blue whale, and the kids who get to read or hear the story in I'm Longer Than You!

Rez Kid

Written by Andrea Landry

Illustrated by Isabelle Fassler

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1125-3

32 pp.

Ages 4–7

September 2025 

 

When kids shout out labels or taunts that are meant to hurt or to expose personal vulnerabilities such as poverty or physical appearance, it can be to bully and demean. But, though taunts of "Rez Kid" on the school bus are hurtful, the main character in Andrea Landry and Isabella Fassler's picture book focuses on what living on the reserve means to her and how she can help others understand what being a rez kid is like.

From Rez Kid, written by Andrea Landry, illustrated by Isabella Fassler

Being singled out as a rez kid makes this child's heart sink as she makes her way to the back of the school bus to return home at the end of the school day. But as the bus gets closer to home, her spirits are lifted. For her, being home on the rez means being with her mom and beading together. It's the smell of sweetgrass and sage.

From Rez Kid, written by Andrea Landry, illustrated by Isabella Fassler

It's picking sage, porcupine root and dandelion for medicine with her Nóhkom. It's riding horses with her Moshum. It's enjoying tea with her aunty and harvesting vegetables out of the garden. And it's listening to their wise suggestions about how to deal with the name calling. They suggest she show the other kids how to be kind, how to learn something new, how to be confident, and how to be generous. With every heartfelt interaction with her family and her own kindheartedness—she prays for those with hard hearts—this child turns taunts into understanding and appreciation.

From Rez Kid, written by Andrea Landry, illustrated by Isabella Fassler

Though the verbal jabs at the child are meant to hurt, she is able to be mindful about seeing beyond the bus ride and embrace the rez as a place that she loves. It is a place of trees, lakes and land, and it is one of family and love. This child knows what goodness is in her life by virtue of life on the rez but, in order to resolve the bullying she endures, she must help others see it too. By recognizing that their ignorance is the root of the bullying, she invites them to visit with her and her family on the rez to see the wonderful life she has there. 

I show them the home of my ancestors.

The home of my family.

I show them the beads,

the medicines,

the horses,

the vegetables from my aunty's garden.

My home.

Andrea Landry, an Anishinaabe who now lives on Poundmaker Cree Nation, shares some background into reserves (or reservations as they are called in the U.S.), including the challenges endured because of broken promises by settler governments. But, as she does in Rez Kid, Andrea Landry focuses on the communities that Indigenous families are creating despite these difficulties, and invites readers, like the child does to her bus mates, to see the rez not as a less-than-favourable place but as a home of heritage and compassion. The rez is not a place of less but a place of different and more.

From Rez Kid, written by Andrea Landry, illustrated by Isabella Fassler

While the school bus ride has some cruel moments, Toronto's Isabella Fassler gives us the warmth of brightness in her artwork, rendered in pencil crayons and digitally finished.  And everywhere she incorporates elements important to Indigenous culture, whether it's the brightest of beads becoming flower earrings, a ribbon skirt, or the bannock that is shared. When Isabella Fassler lets the light of the child's pride in her rez home shine, even that dark bus is enlivened. From swirls of colours, stars and waves of flowers and plants, Isabella Fassler gives movement and spirit to rez life and those who make their homes there.

While I know that all schools will not enjoy the presence of rez kids, I hope that Rez Kid, the book, will start a discussion about different cultures, traditions, families and the understanding which we should all show those who are different than us. This child and others including Andrea Landry and her children see the good in living on a reserve. For any child, rez or not, who is lives differently, be proud. Your experiences are incomparable and that makes them all the more special, especially when they abound in love and compassion.

The Sustainable School: A Journey Through Time and Energy

Written by Erica Fyvie

Illustrated by Scot Ritchie

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0668-6

56 pp.

Ages 8–12

September 2025 

 

As the Grade 6 Eco Club presents their project to conduct an energy audit at the school, a buried time capsule outside the school mutters away, waiting to be discovered and realizing it hasn't had many opportunities to learn. As the kids discuss the upcoming improvements to make the school more energy efficient including a rainwater collection system, a green roof, and solar panels, construction workers outside discover the time capsule—which seems to have its own thoughts as seen by its distinct speech bubbles—left by Class 6 from 1900. In the time capsule is a note from the teacher, Miss  Edna Sorman, who speaks of the impressive engineering of Birch Elementary Public School. So, with that note and the artifacts within, the kids of Class 6 of 2025 begin to see how things have changed over more than a century. 

From The Sustainable School: A Journey Through Time and Energy, written by Erica Fyvie, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

With their teacher dividing the class into 4 teams to tackle the issues of electricity, plumbing, building, and transportation, the Energy League is born. Through discussions and perusal of the time capsule's contents, the students think about the past, what their lives are like now, and then aim to apply what they've learned to predicting what things could be like in 2125, sparking plans for a Future Fair.

From The Sustainable School: A Journey Through Time and Energy, written by Erica Fyvie, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

Within the context of the discovery and the class's activities, young readers will learn about energy, kinetic energy, wastewater measures, retrofitting, and more. We get glimpses into the past when a hand-cranked ice-cream freezer was a luxury at $1.26, when innovations like electric light bulbs  and indoor plumbing were often seen as dangerous, and when the horse and buggy were the norm.  In addition to revealing much about where things were at around the turn of the century (the 20th century), author Erica Fyvie provides snippets about other time capsules, some accidental, some not, like the global seed vault, the Terracotta Warriors, the wreck of the Titanic, Voyager Golden Records, and Scott's hut in Antarctica, as well as reports about recycled building materials, food waste as a source of energy, and zero-fuel transportation.

I

From The Sustainable School: A Journey Through Time and Energy, written by Erica Fyvie, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

The Sustainable School covers a lot of information, but it does so in an engaging format. The use of a graphic-novel style to embed history, inquiry-based learning and STEM concepts will interest middle-grade readers and their teachers and parents. It is a story that does not need to be read in one sitting—though it could be—and can be used as a fabulous launching off for a myriad of science lessons on environmentalism and energy but also studies of history, particularly how things have changed. With those query lessons (see above for part of one based on the question, "Can we build a new building with only recycled materials?"; p. 40), Erica Fyvie offers educators a different way of looking at inquiry. She encourages focusing on the past as a step in the evolution of our infrastructure systems and to project how things might just change in the future. And with the illustrations by Scot Ritchie, whose artwork has enhanced the text of many picture books and non-fiction books (e.g., All Our Love, Frederica, and If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It), The Sustainable School becomes a welcome information book for middle graders and their classrooms. I always remark on the lightness of Scot Ritchie's artwork, probably because of his rendering it in pencil and then ink before colouring in Photoshop but it lends itself well to keeping information text manageable and hardly imposing or dull. In fact, Scot Ritchie's characters, who show the wonderful diversity of many classes today, and the graphic-novel format create a milieu for engagement.

From The Sustainable School: A Journey Through Time and Energy, written by Erica Fyvie, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

I really hope that Erica Fyvie and Scot Ritchie can extend this style of non-fiction to other topics, perhaps One Health or education. It is very reminiscent of Linda Bailey and Bill Slavin's The Good Times Travel Agency in the blending of graphics with time perspective and information, and I believe Erica Fyvie and Scot Ritchie honour those who've first accomplished much in presenting non-fiction books in captivating and informative ways. After all, looking back isn't languishing there; it's informing the future.

A Summer Without Anna

Written by Kate Jenks Landry

Illustrated by Risa Hugo

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1025-6

32 pp.

Ages 3–7

June 2025 

 

For children, every summer is different and still the same. There may continuity in activities undertaken or camps attended, in visits with family or in hanging out with friends. But with each year that a child gets older, things will change for them and for their families. Some changes will be welcome and others not. For Junie, this will be a summer without her sister Anna.

From A Summer Without Anna, written by Kate Jenks Landry, illustrated by Risa Hugo

This summer Junie will be visiting her Nan and Pop's house while her parents take care of her hospitalized sister. To help ease Junie into this new set of circumstances, Anna lends her little sister her camera, instructing her to use it if she sees Edmund, a very old turtle. As Junie continues to do many of the activities she and Anna had often done at her Nan and Pop's, such as swimming and catching minnows for bait, Junie takes photos of what she sees, keeping a record of her time away from Anna, and always looking for Edmund.

From A Summer Without Anna, written by Kate Jenks Landry, illustrated by Risa Hugo

But even as she bakes and fishes, swims and relaxes, Junie has a quiet solitude about her. For her, a summer without Anna means so much more than just missing a companion with whom to play and to look for Edmund. Her parents arrange phone calls with Anna so the girls can keep in touch, and Junie takes lots of pictures of everything from the recipes she and Nan use to the water as it ripples with the wind. And when Anna's return home is delayed, Junie is both angry and saddened. 

     I run down to the lake and hurl Anna's tarts into the water.

     The air feels electric. Rain is coming. I tilt the camera straight up to the sky. A fat drop hits the lens and turns the world all wibbly-wobbly.

From A Summer Without Anna, written by Kate Jenks Landry, illustrated by Risa Hugo

When the two sisters are finally reunited, there is much sharing that happens, demonstrating that the two were never far apart in their thoughts and their hearts.

 

This is the first book that I have reviewed of Kate Jenks Landry and Risa Hugo (though both have written or illustrated others). Both take a sensitive perspective to the story, emphasizing Junie's muted experience of a summer without her sister. Though there would be no story without Anna's illness and hospitalization, that all happens outside of Junie's immediate experience. Kate Jenks Landry makes the story all about Junie; in fact, Risa Hugo does not include Anna until the older sister is set to come home and be reunited with Junie. The tenderness of the girls' relationship and the lingering days of summer that Junie experiences are paramount. Without that closeness, there would be no wistfulness or the stillness of play without a playmate. Kate Jenks Landry makes us feel Junie's longing for her sister and the stillness of her summer, even as she is occupied by her grandparents with typical bonding experiences in and outside of their house. 

From A Summer Without Anna, written by Kate Jenks Landry, illustrated by Risa Hugo

The quiet of A Summer Without Anna calms me, even as I feel for a family dealing with an ill child. That quiet, which comes through in both Kate Jenks Landry's words and Risa Hugo's art, is both reassuring and hopeful, and I was left knowing that all would be well in the end. Whether I hear that assurance in Kate Jenks Landry's poetic language ("My belly's full of moth-wing flutters") or in the emotions of her words ("The smile in her voice feels like a promise") or in Risa Hugo's illustrations rendered in gouache, coloured pencils and soft pastel, or in both, I could not speculate. All I know is that, if I had child undergoing medical treatment and wanted to comfort a younger sibling, a reading of A Summer Without Anna would be restorative.

This is How a Ball Rolls: The Science of Wobbling, Bouncing, Spinning Balls

Written by Heather Tekavec

Illustrated by Suharu Ogawa

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0968-7

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

June 2025 

 

Tell most children you're going to be talking about physics, and you'll hear groans. Tell them that they're going to play with balls, and you'll hear the cheers. So, let them play with the balls and they'll learn about the physics painlessly.

This is no ordinary book of nonfiction. Heather Tekavec, who has written both playful picture books (e.g., Arnold the Super-ish Hero) and books of nonfiction (e.g., Same? Different?), always leads with playfulness, and This is How a Ball Rolls has that same whimsy of text, with art by Suharu Ogawa, to lighten the science basis of how different balls work.

From This is How a Ball Rolls, written by Heather Tekavec, illustrated by Suharu Ogawa

For each type of ball, and Heather Tekavec covers everything from a marble to a tennis ball, a bowling ball and a beach ball, she teases readers with a hint to the type of ball she'll be highlighting in the following double-spread. By doing so, she gets young readers interacting with the text, guessing what the ball will be. For example, before her focus on the marble (see illustration above), she writes,

There is a little ball–

A teeny ball–

A glossy, smooth and swirly ball...

The next pages include a five-line poem filled with appropriate verbs and adjectives for that ball–for the marble, words like "clinking,""plinking," and "trading" are used–and then an information box about the type of ball. Information included may deal with how the ball is used in play, the composition of the balls, and even the physics of wind resistance. (Heather Tekavec extends this information in a section called "The Science of (Wobbling, Bouncing, Spinning) Balls" with discussions about the sphere, elasticity, aerodynamics, gravity, trajectory, drag force and speed along with some fun trivia.

From This is How a Ball Rolls, written by Heather Tekavec, illustrated by Suharu Ogawa

This is How a Ball Rolls is anything but boring science. It's playful and colourful and yet informative. It's even more so because of Suharu Ogawa's digital artwork that is as colourful as the balls which she depicts. The brightness of her art is only secondary to the diversity of her characters and the fun that they have in their play. Because she has to represent each type of ball in the scenes in which it would be used, be it a yoga studio, a beach, or a bowling alley, Suharu Ogawa makes every illustration rich in quirky details to draw the young reader's smile and interest. (I'm especially curious about the animated knitted duck head (?) and ball of yarn.)

From This is How a Ball Rolls, written by Heather Tekavec, illustrated by Suharu Ogawa

I know the audience for This is How a Ball Rolls is listed as five to eight years of age so it would work well with Grade 3 students studying forces, but I'd also use it with older students too. They'll appreciate the fun and the interactive nature of the book, but they'll also take away a lot of science that they can apply to new situations. Moreover, they'll never look at any ball again as just a play thing. It will be recognized as much more, and they'll have a ball sharing what they've learned. (Pun intended.)