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.

Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale?

Written by Caroline Woodward

Illustrated by Claire Victoria Watson

Pownal Street Press

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

June 2024

 

With humour and rhyme, Caroline Woodward, who wrote the text for beautifully illustrated picture books  A West Coast Summer (2018) and Singing Away the Dark (2017), again takes us to her beloved West Coast to really take in all the sensory experiences that life there offers. We will hear, and see, and smell, and taste, and learn and wonder at the unique ecosystem that is the ocean and its coast from those who live and enjoy it.

Have you ever heard a whale exhale

and SLAP the water with its tail?

Breathing in after breathing out,

heaving WHOOSH with a mighty spout!

Our visit to the West Coast has us listening to a whale as it breaches, breathing and tail slapping and spouting. Its behaviours may be typical but to any observer they are captivating and revealing. Such are the actions of the seals who spy-hop to see what's going on–one with a monocle suggests they are paying close attention–or of the oystercatcher, a shore bird, who can pry open molluscs.

From Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale? by Caroline Woodward, illus. by Claire Victoria Watson

And what of the smelly sea lions and the squawking seagulls, eagles and dolphins? All have their place and ways of living that intrigue and reveal life on and near the ocean. But Caroline Woodward also includes humans who are invited to think about what it means to be these animals and the ocean and what living on it and near it is truly like.

From Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale? by Caroline Woodward, illus. by Claire Victoria Watson

By phrasing her text as a series of questions, Caroline Woodward invites the reader to think about the ocean, its animals and their behaviours, including those of humans on the water, at a campfire or something else. Questions like "Have you ever felt the freezing north wind blow...?" or "Have you ever wondered why eagles love to fly..?" encourage young readers to look and smell and feel a little deeper about the coast and its inhabitants and not take for granted that which makes the West Coast their home.

From Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale? by Caroline Woodward, illus. by Claire Victoria Watson

Like Caroline Woodward, illustrator Claire Victoria Watson is a creator in British Columbia. Her visual art blends a variety of media including pen and ink, watercolours, and acrylic, with some digital design. Though the media she uses are plentiful, there is still a simplicity to her art that helps the readers focus on the smells–wavy lines emanating from the sea lions make this clear–or the sounds or the visuals of the scenes depicted. And though she follows Caroline Woodward's text to bring life to Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale?, Claire Victoria Watson also adds her touches of humour. There are the cormorants with the clothespins on their noses, the gray whales fine dining on herring roe, and a cowboy-hatted octopus square dancing or at least trying to. The message about the ocean and the diversity of its animals is never lost but it is told playfully as well as naturally.

From Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale? by Caroline Woodward, illus. by Claire Victoria Watson

Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale? may not cover every animal that lives in the ocean or near it, but it does cover an important message of appreciating our natural world so that we might protect it and all its inhabitants.

 🐋🦭🌊

 

Picture Book Giveaway 📫📘

 

Because I was fortunate to receive two copies of this lovely picture book,  I would love to share one with a reader of CanLit for LittleCanadians. (Only Canadian addresses are eligible to apply. Sorry.)

 

Leave a comment about the ocean (whether you've visited one or not) for me on X (formerly known as Twitter) by tagging me @HelenKubiw or on Bluesky at @hkubiw.bsky.social and using the hashtag #HaveYouEverHeardAWhaleExhale. I'll log all comments until Friday, July 26th, 2024 at 12 noon (EST) and then do a random draw. If you are selected, I will DM you to let you know and get details about where to send the book.

 

Good luck everyone! 

 

 🐋🦭🌊

Club Microbe

Written and illustrated by Elise Gravel

Translated by Montana Kane

Drawn & Quarterly

978-1-77046-702-6

56 pp.

Ages 4+

April 2024

 

First there was The Mushroom Fan Club (2018). Then there was The Bug Club (2021). (Soon there will be Disgusting Critters: A Creepy Crawly Collection.) And now the genius of Elise Gravel takes us to the microscopic level to introduce those germs which can harm us and all the microbes that help keep us healthy, make our food, and do so much more.

From Club Microbe, written and illustrated by Elise Gravel

From a quirky definition of microbes, Elise Gravel introduces us to different groups such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists, and algae. She discusses their sizes, where they can live, and the many fabulous shapes they take. Much of the text involves bacteria and viruses and, though they can cause illness, their roles in helping us with our health and the environment is well noted.

From Club Microbe, written and illustrated by Elise Gravel

I especially appreciate Elise Gravel's notes about how we can keep safer from the illnesses they cause, and she does it with humour and wisdom, mentioning hand-washing, vaccinations and antibodies, and foods that promote gut health.

You know I'm a big fan of germs, but I'm not a big fan of the ones that can make me sick.

There is much science embedded in Elise Gravel's report of microbes. She speaks to the use of a microscope to view them and never avoids using their Latin (scientific) names. And she peppers her straightforward text with numerous quirky facts including about a 150-million-year-old bacterium, van Leeuwenhoek's discovery, and even an experiment how to grow some on bread.

From Club Microbe, written and illustrated by Elise Gravel

As with all Elise Gravel's books, it's her artwork that completes the stories. And while many bacteria and viruses can look creepy, especially when we know of those that can do harm, like coronavirus, Rabies lyssavirus, and papillomavirus, she is able to keep her illustrations authentic–there is no dispute about identifying COVID with its red-orange spike proteins–but to also make them less than scary, with eyes and sometimes little teeth. And by placing them in the context of similarly anthropomorphized intestines and the brain, and a world of familiar situations, Elise Gravel delights, entertains, and teaches. 

 

There's a lot of learning that can happen here, from the role of bacteriophages to the use of microbes in making bread and cheese, and it's aimed at young children who are able to comprehend that there are microscopic organisms that impact our lives, even if we can't see them. We've already got our own Club Microbes going on in our bodies, so why not help little ones become more familiar with their mutualistic tiny organisms and those that contribute to our worlds. It's a membership we already support or can try to keep at bay. With Elise Gravel's Club Microbe, we'll know even better how they work.

Butterfly on the Wind

Written by Adam Pottle

Illustrated by Ziyue Chen

Roaring Brook Press

978-1-250-821-97-3

40 pp.

Ages 3-6

March 2024 

 

The anticipation of presenting the fairy tale she'd written is making Aurora quite nervous. But for a Deaf child who will use ASL to tell her story, trembling hands will make for a challenging storytelling. When she sees a beautiful butterfly in the garden, she recalls her father telling her that a butterfly's wings could create a wind that could carry around the world. With that, she is inspired her to generate one with her hands and send it off into the world.

 

From Butterfly on the Wind, written by Adam Pottle, illustrated by Ziyue Chen

Her butterfly travels to a farm where a little boy Milos, who also speaks with his hands, watches it sway the raspberry bushes. He creates his own beautiful blue butterfly that joins Aurora's to travel to a cabin in the mountains where Abbey and her grandmother spot them.

From Butterfly on the Wind, written by Adam Pottle, illustrated by Ziyue Chen

Knowing the cold would be hard on the butterflies, grandmother and granddaughter make their own butterflies to create an even stronger wind that blows all four butterflies off to warmer climes and above an ocean.

From Butterfly on the Wind, written by Adam Pottle, illustrated by Ziyue Chen

With each step (or rather flutter) of their journey, the butterflies meet a new Deaf child who with their supportive friends and family sends the butterflies off with new ones until "a tornado of butterflies, a churning circle of color and beauty" travels back to Aurora. Emboldened by her small butterfly wind becoming a magnificent storm, she can step forward into the school for her presentation.

From Butterfly on the Wind, written by Adam Pottle, illustrated by Ziyue Chen

Saskatchewan writer Adam Pottle was born Deaf and raised in a hearing family, so his story Butterfly on the Wind has an authentic voice, and a voice that does not objectify Aurora or Miles's disability, or that of all the other Deaf children. They are not there to inspire us with overcoming their deafness. They are there to demonstrate that, like everyone, they will have struggles and must find a way to cope. Aurora's strategy of sending out a beautiful butterfly ultimately garners strength from others in the Deaf community and gives her the courage to step forward for a public performance. There is magic in her butterfly and in all the butterflies that follow, but that magic comes from within–even if she doesn't know it at the time–and has the power to unite and invigorate and sustain. 

The magic that Adam Pottle creates for Aurora and the other Deaf children is something special, and the art that Singaporean Deaf illustrator Ziyue Chen uses to carry that magic is sweet and yet powerful. She uses colour that is both soft and vibrant, ranging from pinks and purples to blues and yellows. Whether it's the butterflies or the landscapes, there is a vibe of life and happiness. 

Adam Pottle appends his story with an enlightening Author's Note– also a visual depiction of the ASL alphabet–that tells readers of the symbolic nature of the butterfly in Deaf culture, and the basis of his story. His motive to reach others–"May it travel around the world as swiftly and beautifully as Aurora's butterfly"–is a testament to his good intentions and the same spirit of strength and grace shown by butterflies.

 🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋

 

There will be a very special in-person (Saskatoon) and streamed (YouTube) book launch for Adam Pottle's new picture book Butterfly on the Wind

on

Saturday, April 6, 2024

at

2 PM

at

the Travel Alcove of McNally Robinson Booksellers

3130-8th Street East

Saskatoon, SK

and

streamed

via

McNally Robinson Saskatoon Events channel on YouTube

here

There will be live ASL interpretation and 

CNS transcription provided by Saskatchewan Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services

 

 

Everyone Gets a Turn

Written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc

Princeton Architectural Press

978-1-7972-2729-0

60 pp.

Ages 3-6

March 2024 

Turtle, Hare, Bear and Mouse are spending a beautiful day in the forest, when they discover an egg. They decide they will each take turns caring for it. 

From Everyone Gets a Turn, written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc

At Mouse's house, a voice from within the egg declares that it is cold so Mouse hurries to remedy that. First, Mouse lays a fire and then he wraps the egg in a scarf and a hat. Mouse is very kind and accommodating,

The next day Mouse takes Little Egg to Bear's house. But Bear's lifestyle is a little more active, and while he exercises Little Egg cracks. Though it's apparently too tight inside the shell for Little Egg now, it needs a little help to get out. When Little Bird finally emerges, exhausted for her efforts, Bear offers comfort.

From Everyone Gets a Turn, written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc

Then, it's on to Hare's house where the rabbit is surprised to see a bird, not an egg. But now Hare has to meet another need for their new ward: food. And though Hare has a stacked pantry, it's a bit of a mystery what Little Bird will eat.  

 

Finally Little Bird is taken to Turtle's place, a house of wonders. It’s filled with trinkets that have stories and that sparkle and that amaze Little Bird and make her dream.  

From Everyone Gets a Turn, written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc

But when Turtle wakes up the next day, he is bereft that she is missing. All the friends are in tears, until they realize that Little Bird’s absence is just the next step in the bird’s development. Gone from one place, or four places, does not mean gone forever.

 

Each of the friends gets a turn with Little Egg/Little Bird and each excels at giving their ward exactly what she needs, whether it’s a little warmth, a little assistance in cracking the shell, sustenance, or the inspiration to dream. Like parents who must support and encourage their children until they are ready to become independent, the four friends learn to work together to be everything Little Egg/Little Bird needs until she can do for herself. And just because she has become independent, it doesn’t mean that she longer wants them in her life. Marianne Dubuc gives us a story that all parents will need to learn sometime in their children’s journey to adulthood. Her message is one of love and support but also the courage to let them fly and be their own selves. 

 

Marianne Dubuc has always created soft worlds, just as she did in On Baba's Back, Bear and the Whisper of the Wind, and Little Cheetah's Shadow. Like Beatrix Potter, who could see worlds and relationships within the animals of the natural world, Marianne Dubuc takes us into their homes, the forests, and the meadows with her subtle use of ink, watercolour, and coloured pencil. She shows us ourselves as we are or could be: friends, parents, children, good people. And she teaches sophisticated lessons of sharing and caring delivered by sweet creatures who are uniquely themselves, while being supportive and cooperative. And though a message about sharing and taking turns may seem paramount according to the title, Everyone Gets a Turn also speaks to the steps we all take in our development, going from needing to be nurtured to shifting to self-actualization.

Hair Oil Magic

Written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

Bloomsbury Children's Books

978-1-5476-1104-1

40 pp.

Ages 3-6

February 2024

 

Most of us love learning about cultural practices and traditions that may be familiar and commonplace to others. The ancient and routine practice of hair oiling, while customary in some places in the world and more popular in some societies, is becoming more of a thing elsewhere. Still, a story like Hair Oil Magic doesn't just educate readers about these traditional rites. It also reminds us of the connections that are the basis for them.

From Hair Oil Magic, written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

For Meenu, Sunday is "Magic Hair Day." It is the day that her mother, like her grandmother once did, would mix a wonderfully-scented concoction and massage it into Meenu's scalp. Then Meenu would go on with her day, playing and helping her Biji (Punjabi for grandmother), until bath time when Mommy washed her hair with a special shampoo.

From Hair Oil Magic, written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

She loved the way her hair felt and bounced at the end of the day but most of all she loved how she felt as she sat in Mommy's lap and had her scalp massaged.

It was like little floating stars

twinkling around her heart!

Not surprising that little Meenu wants to recreate that feeling and impress Mommy and Biji by making her own magic oil, recalling what her mother telling her about fenugreek oil and rosemary and castor oil and more. And so, in bathroom, accompanied by her dog, Meenu begins to pour and mix but she can't quite get the formulation right. After a few mishaps, resulting in a broken bottle, tears, and a fresh bath, Meenu learns the true secret ingredient of their Magic Hair Days.

From Hair Oil Magic, written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

Anu Chouhan has illustrated several picture books, including Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes and A Dupatta Is..., and created art for video games, but this is her debut picture book as the author-illustrator. This Punjabi-Canadian creator knows this story from her heart and speaks to the connection in her "Author's Note." (She also includes "Meenu's Magic Hair Day Tips" as she learned as a child.) The physical benefits of hair oiling are tangible but the emotional bonding that happens between family members as the hair is oiled is even deeper. Anu Chouhan expresses the kinship that comes with this tradition as magic, and her digital illustrations certainly give readers that enchanted vibe. With sparkles and smiles, and tender embraces and swirls of charming alchemy, Anu Chouhan lets us see the magic that surrounds the family as they maintain their traditions and connect with each other through sweet-scented oils, touch, and affection.

 

Drawing on her Punjabi ancestry, I suspect Anu Chouhan has more stories to tell. Fortunately, as an accomplished artist, she is perfectly placed to give colour and heart to those stories and enlighten some young readers and connect with others who already have found the magic in hair oiling.

Death & Sparkles and the Sacred Golden Cupcake

Written and illustrated by Rob Justus

Chronicle Books

978-1-7972-0638-7

316 pp.

Ages 10–4

November 2023

 

When Death first met Sparkles, the last unicorn and media sweetheart, in Death & Sparkles (2021), it was a difficult relationship. Death had never had a friend–how could he when whomever he touched would die?–and Sparkles was all about his celebrity. But they found a way to work together and give support as needed. But in their newest adventure, their friendship will be challenged by a quartet of moles who may know a little more about unicorns–or 'corns as they call them–and are accordingly less than impressed by Sparkles and his ancestors.

From Death & Sparkles and the Sacred Golden Cupcake, written and illustrated by Rob Justus

Rob Justus, who apparently rendered the illustrations "in magical cupcakes with a sprinkle of digital art" develops his story along two parallel subplots. In the first, four moles, identified by their colours of Purple, Brown, Pink, and Blue, are obligated to tend the unicorns' sacred garden resplendent in golden colossal statues. When the  moles turn sixteen, they are sure that they will be invited to the ceremonial coming-of-age party held for uni-colts becoming unicorns. Instead, they are unceremoniously excluded by the unicorns. To exact their revenge, the moles intend to steal the sacred golden cupcake. Instead, they are discovered and banished to the darkness of the underground.

From Death & Sparkles and the Sacred Golden Cupcake, written and illustrated by Rob Justus

The second subplot revolves around our two titular protagonists. Sparkles is not feeling quite right. His horn is glowing and his body is tingling. When Death suggests a growth spurt, Sparkles opens a suitcase left to him by his late parents and discovers a letter about the journey he must go on as well as a golden cupcake on a chain that compels him to dance. Regardless of what Death wants, Sparkles drags his friend to club after club, looking for the right one. When they are transported to an underground cavern and a golden-gated garden, and they must make choices as to where they should go, there is a clash of personalities, as the egocentric Sparkles plows on ahead, ignoring Death and following his "super-mega important unicorn family quest." (p. 134) Separated, Death meets the moles and, feeling welcomed and appreciated, befriends them, unknowingly becoming part of their scheme to get the scared golden cupcake.

From Death & Sparkles and the Sacred Golden Cupcake, written and illustrated by Rob Justus

There may be a lot of pink and purple and bling in Rob Justus's second book starring Death and Sparkles but within all the sugary sweetness and sparkling flashiness there are important messages about being different, empathizing with others, true friendship, and humility (something Sparkles lacks). By juxtaposing the subdued and cautious Death with the look-at-me, self-absorbed Sparkles, Rob Justus lets us see that both extremes can be tiresome. However, a bit of risky taking with some judicious caution makes for a great partnership. And, though the mistreatment of the moles by the unicorns shows Sparkles that his heritage is not as noble as he'd imagined, it does inspire him to do better. (Now, if he just wasn't so over-confident and pushy. Sigh.)

From Death & Sparkles and the Sacred Golden Cupcake, written and illustrated by Rob Justus

Although Death & Sparkles and the Sacred Golden Cupcake only releases tomorrow, I'm already looking forward to Book 3 in this series. (Please let there be more books coming.) Judging by Rob Justus's Acknowledgments, he has lots of ideas. Maybe the ghost pirates didn't show up here, but I think Death and Sparkles have lots more adventures, and calamity, to experience, and more revelations to make about themselves.

 

• • • • • • •

 

Death & Sparkles (2021)

Death & Sparkles and the Sacred Golden Cupcake (2023)

Julie and the Mango Tree

Written by Sadé Smith

Illustrated by Sayada Ramdial

Feiwel and Friends

978-1-250-80634-5

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

August 2023

 

Fresh fruits off the tree are a favourite all around the world. In August, many children in Canada will be craving peaches and cherries, while other parts of the world may be awaiting a crop of jackfruit or pineapples. Depending on the time of year and the location, there will be much anticipation for the first of favourite fruits to become available. For Julie in Jamaica, the time for her beloved mangoes can't come soon enough.

From Julie and the Mango Tree, written by Sadé Smith, illus. by Sayada Ramdial

Julie loved the way mangoes smelled and the way they looked and, of course, the way they tasted. But waiting for the mangoes to drop from the giant tree in her front yard was agony. Occasionally her father would climb up on a ladder to retrieve ripe ones from the top before they fell but, on one hot day when he was gone to town, Julie would have to wait for the tree to give up just one to her. But waiting was hard. When no mangoes were forthcoming, she tried to barter with the tree, plums for mangoes. Then she wrote a song pleading with the tree to give up a mango to her. Finally, she hugged the tree, all to no avail.

From Julie and the Mango Tree, written by Sadé Smith, illus. by Sayada Ramdial

But, when a rainstorm comes the next day, Julie finds the ground littered with her delicious mangoes. Finally, Julie could indulge in her mangoes, until she realizes she has a new problem.

From Julie and the Mango Tree, written by Sadé Smith, illus. by Sayada Ramdial

Though most of Julie and the Mango Tree is Julie waiting and hoping and anticipating the joy of biting into those juicy mangoes, Sadé Smith ensures that the child's experience with the fruit is paramount. For children, waiting can be so hard, whether it's for a birthday, a special treat, or the year's mango harvest. Julie's longing is honest but, like many, she will do whatever she can to dispel the delay, strategizing with good will, particularly for the tree. Not surprising that when she finds herself sated with mangoes, she looks outward to others and considers how she might share their fruity wealth. Author Sadé Smith, herself of Jamaican descent–her debut picture book Granny's Kitchen is also set in Jamaica–shows a child who is passionate about her mangoes but never selfish about the pleasure she derives from them.

 

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, now of the United States, illustrator Sayada Ramdial gives us a Jamaica of colours, warmth, life, and, of course, mangoes. It's as if everything, from the mangoes and the leaves in the trees, to Julie and her neighbours, are touched with the sun and given a vivacity of place. I'll bet even Julie's mangoes are far tastier than any we've ever imagined.

The joy of picking fruit from a tree is a rare one for many but, in Julie and the Mango Tree, Sadé Smith lets us experience what Julie does and allows us to imagine what wishes fulfilled with a bounty of sunshine and sweetness could be like.

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

Written and illustrated by Graham Annable

First Second

978-1-250-19503-6

368 pp.

Ages 8-13

July 2023

School has never been so scary and it's all courtesy of the scary stories told by the kids in Eerie Tales from the School of Screams. Or is it?

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

As child after child is called to tell their eeriest story, Davis and his sister Emily are far more reluctant. So, Alvin goes first with his story of "The Village That Vanished." His story involves two government officials looking for the village of Wattersburg to collect unpaid taxes. The men end up in a field of sheep where an elderly man finds them and invites them to a lone cabin where he tells them what happened to the 232 people of Wattersburg. It's a story about a town that made a pact with the original amphibious people with whom they trade livestock for fish until an unfortunate accident ruins everything. 

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

After Alvin tells his tale, his classmates critique it before Janine tells her story of "The Face in the Forest." Now told in shades of orange–the classroom scenes are greenish, and Alvin's story was coloured in olive drab–Janine's story focuses on little Luanne who lives with her abusive uncle and aunt since her father died, leaving his lottery winnings to her which would become available on her 18th birthday. One day as she gathers wood, she discovers a head who speaks to her. He doesn't remember much but he helps her locate his limbs and more. Determined to sew him back together, she goes to fetch a needle and thread but is accosted by her aunt and uncle from whom she defends herself. Distraught, she returns to the forest, where she does a good turn for the man with the separate body parts and he in turn for her.

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

Bernie's story, "The Ghastly Ghost Chase", illustrated in red, features some kids, a ghost and a drone, while Emily finally tells her science fiction story, "The Infinite Loop of Lunacy", about an alien breach on a spaceship. Finally, Davis is ready to tell his story "The Door to Demons" which the teacher criticizes for not being fictionalized. The kids find out soon enough how right she is.

From Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

A cover in black and red generally signals a book of horror to me and Eerie Tales from the School of Screams does deliver on the scariness of horror and the creepiness of monsters, aliens, the unknown and more. But, Graham Annable who has delighted young readers with his graphic novels about sloths Pete & Ernesto, always keeps it light and droll. There's a cheekiness to the individual stories and to the big story in which they are embedded. A head propped up in the woods looking to be reunited with its limbs, a grandfather with wild tufts of hair, and kids chasing a scaredy ghost tone down the revulsion of multi-limbed monsters, amphibious creatures, and body-swapping aliens. And he gives them saucy lines like the head telling Luanne "Don't be a stranger!" (pg. 107), Janine telling Alvin that she's not buying his story (pg. 76), or Poppi declaring "Stupid diabetes" (pg. 282) as he looks at his vegetable snacks. For lovers of scary stories, Graham Annable delivers multiple tales that surprise and chill without being gruesome. And his illustrations match that balance of frightening with entertaining. He keeps the landscapes austere whether it's a space ship, a field, a house or a classroom. The characters, human and not, are the stars, with their clothes boldly coloured compared to the backgrounds and their expressions and actions propelling the stories on. 

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams might become a hit for Halloween but really it's a weirdly fun read for anytime a middle-grade reader might like to be entertained with some fast-paced stories, quirky characters and the very familiar task of getting up in front of a class to tell a story. OK, it's a little different from most classroom activities but you'll only know how very different when you read the book. Do read it. It's worth the spine tingles.

Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair

Written and illustrated by Jo Rioux

First Second

978-1-250-62538-0

256 pp.

Ages 8-12

June 2023

When we met twelve-year-old Suri, the would-be monster tamer, in Jo Rioux's first Cat's Cradle book, The Golden Twine, she had purchased a dragon's tooth that she hung from some golden twine she'd discovered. She believed that tooth gave her incredible powers and would enable her to become the monster tamer she was destined to be. 

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

Now Suri is heading to the Monster's Cradle, the land of the giants, to help find a giant for whom her companion Byron, the monster-dog, could be a lap dog. Created by a greedy imp named Caglio, Byron is a lovable but massive dog with few monster tendencies, but he is threatening enough for the prince and his entourage to pursue for monster-hunting sport. But, not only is the trio being followed by the hunters, there are also three caitsiths named Siska, Toska and Mouska who are following them, determined to retrieve the golden twine Mouska had dropped.

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

When Suri, Caglio and Byron are confronted with a monster, Byron takes off and Suri and Caglio hide in a mountain cave which Suri believes must belong to the Mole King, according to her monster guidebook. She tries to use the power of her dragon tooth to ward off the Mole King but it's only when Byron reappears, and she feels intensely that it works for her. They soon meet Kolya, a young thief, who had been stealing from the Mole King's treasure room filled with gold coins–this gets Caglio's attention–which explains the Mole King's anger. But when they open Kolya's one bag they realize all he grabbed was a small, three-legged table.

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

Suri and her companions now head into the tunnels of the Mole King's lair, but their motives are all a little different. Suri just needs some gold to pay for food as they journey. Caglio just wants money. And Kolya is stealing so that he might redeem himself with the leader of his thieving ring. But Kolya is also drawn to the golden twine he saw in Suri's bag. If he is a caitsith, that golden twine would be handy in disguising his monster-ness. 

 

But going after the treasure is not as simple as finding their way to the treasure room. The prince is still determined to hunt a monster and is now accompanied by Toska, Siska and Mouska as his trackers and by the people of the impoverished town of Tancredi who'd lost many families and friends to the mines of the mountain. It's now a race to the treasure and to capturing a monster while a ball of gold twine draws attention from the caitsiths and Kolya. Who can work together and who cannot will undoubtedly determine the outcome for Suri and others in The Mole King's Lair, and in Book 3, Suri's Dragon.

From Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux

Jo Rioux has given us a full range of characters from spunky Suri who wants to be a monster tamer, to the freaky Caglio who is all about himself, the cuddly Byron, the farcical prince and his courtiers, the caitsiths, and new characters like Kolya and his leader Lutrov. There's more coming with hints of a relationship between Lutrov and Toska and someone called Baron Grim. There's a lot of story here and Jo Rioux weaves it together flawlessly, taking us from Suri and her group to the prince and his entourage, from the Mole King's lair to the town and the forests. The story is engaging and will keep middle-grade readers engrossed with who is doing what and why and do they know what the others are up to. Nothing is straightforward except Suri who just wants to be a monster tamer and do the right thing, whatever that might be.

 

Like The Golden Twine, The Mole King's Lair is a delight for graphic-novel fans. It has a little bit of everything, from sweet characters and monsters, and idiots and villains, to dark scenes and humour, and a pursuit or two that keeps the action strong and the adventure compelling. Jo Rioux's artwork gives us all of this with expressive faces that show fear and trepidation, suspicion and affection. Readers will laugh when Byron gobbles up Caglio when he insults the dog, or when Caglio explains his origin–"I congealed in a cauldron of bone soup that spoiled on the fire" (pg. 86)–and cheer when the prince is trampled by Byron. There is so much to engage the young reader and all with a degree of innocence and humanity, even for monsters.

I don't know when Suri's Dragon comes out but, after The Golden Twine and The Mole King's Lair, I know there's lots more story to come and adventures and laughs from Jo Rioux. I'll be cheering for Suri and Byron–not so much Caglio–and hoping that their dreams come true.

 

Cat's Cradle: The Golden Twine (2022)

Cat's Cradle: The Mole King's Lair (2023)

Cat's Cradle: Suri's Dragon (still to come)