A Green Velvet Secret

Written by Vicki Grant

Tundra 

978-0-7352-7012-1

256 pp.

Ages 10–14

March 2023

Twelve-year-old Yardley has a rather original family, and she wouldn't have it any other way. Her grandmother and best friend Gidge, a retired fashion design teacher, lives her life to the fullest, dressed and accessorized to the nines. Yardley's parents, Pa and Mima, run The Hoof & Mouth Theatre, along with performing in its productions. They all offer Yardley opportunities to be creative and independent and inventive in her dress and activities, though they wish she'd make friends with kids her own age. And then Gidge drops the bombshell that she has terminal cancer and is thrilled that she has been "given the chance to go out in my own perfect way." (p. 6)

Yardley is angry at her grandmother's attitude but agrees to help Gidge "get her karma in order." (p. 8) Two important tasks Gidge undertakes are the writing of numerous cards and letters, some to be sent immediately, others after her death, and sorting her diverse wardrobe for donation and consignment. With that intent, they head to the Over Easy Vintage Emporium, the shop of a former student, Conrad Kim. In between running errands that include chemo, Gidge and Yardley help out at Over Easy, along with Con's twelve-year-old nephew, Harris, a sullen boy who spends his time working on puzzles.

 

Then "Gidge's big day" comes, as she has elected for medical assistance in her dying. Her death hits Yardley especially hard, and she works at honouring Gidge's directive to "make the most of each glorious moment." (p. 75) Yardley continues to help out at Over Easy, feeling a special closeness to Gidge there, through her clothes, including a long green velvet dress which Gidge had said did not bring out the best in her. When an older woman, Mrs. Margaret Johnson, comes to the store saying she'd won a prize, and she's given the green dress, everything goes awry. Mrs. Johnson says the dress was hers and she doesn't want it; Yardley is convinced Mrs. Johnson is Gidge reincarnated; and Harris gets caught in the middle, even more so when he tries to hide a small ballerina that had fallen from the dress.

For a book about a death from cancer, A Green Velvet Secret is surprisingly light-hearted but that's because it's about life and living life and make the most of life. Vicki Grant always, always, always finds a way to put a light touch to her stories, whether they are dealing with hoarding (Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret), scammers (Short for Chameleon) or unknown heritage (Small Bones), finding a way to show compassion and affection and even humour in challenging situations. Like Gidge who takes a graceful approach to her cancer diagnosis and the opportunity to orchestrate her own death and tie up any loose ends she has left, Vicki Grant takes an elegant way to telling Yardley and Gidge's story, and even that of Harris whose own secret causes him shame and a disconnect with his family. Vicki Grant finds the colour in the greyness of death and, though Gidge couldn't make it all right in her lifetime, Vicki Grant helps make it all right for her and Yardley and even Harris, without giving us a predictable ending and the happily-ever-after that rarely happens.

The Ugly Place

Written by Laura Deal

Illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-432-5

28 pp.

Ages 4-7

July 2022

When our negative moods take over, everything becomes ugly: places, people, ourselves.  

There is only one way to get to the ugly place, and you have to feel absolutely miserable.

From The Ugly Place by Laura Deal, illus. by Emma Pedersen

With the wet and gloomy weather, this child recognizes that everything is pointing them to a visit to the ugly place. They see ugliness in the exposed shore at low tide, in the fish, in their own mucky footprints on the wet tundra, and the smells of the salt water and the stale seaweed. And this child wallows in that which they see as ugly and matches their ugly mood.

From The Ugly Place by Laura Deal, illus. by Emma Pedersen

But seeing, really seeing, brings clarity. By focusing on that which is in front of them, perception is changed.

...my heart settles when I see the seagull circle around again in effortless flight, joined by another. Their crisp white feathers are exceptionally bright against the sunless sky. They play while gliding and swooping through the air.

They close their eyes and open their senses to the sounds, the smells and the feel of the emerging sun.

Then, and only then, is when IT HAPPENS.

Small things emerge to announce their joyful presence: a stir of the water, the flip and flop of sculpins, and life in the sea, on the land, and in the air. And in the child's heart, through the art of breath.

From The Ugly Place by Laura Deal, illus. by Emma Pedersen

Everything becomes part of an orchestral piece of music with the child conducting. It's up to them to see the virtues of every piece of their place and harmonize them for the big finish. And that grand performance is what finally takes the child from the ugly place to one where smiling is possible and the despair of the person and place disappears.

 

Getting to the ugly place is not hard when negative emotions overwhelm. Whether it is anger or fear, anxiety or disappointment, misery makes for an efficient vector to joylessness and the blindness to that which would normally inspire gratitude and bring comfort. While Iqaluit's Laura Deal may envision a literal ugly place to which this child visits, with scowling rocks and clouds, the ugliness is actually within and carried by the child, creating the foulness they experience within their landscape. But children, not unlike many adults, don't realize that they carry that ugliness with them to place and people. Fortunately, they also carry the possibility of finding joy both within and without, as this child discovers with some mindfulness in an natural environment. Laura Deal, whose earlier picture books In the Sky at Nighttime and How Nivi Got Her Names share a northern perspective of culture and place, again takes us to a community of the tundra, of rocky terrains, gulls and Arctic sealife. It's a place where a child can walk for great distances from town, ponder their moods and take the time for mindful appreciation beyond themselves. It's a place for insight and reflection, thoughtfulness and solitude, all of which reverberate in Laura Deal's text.

Likewise, Toronto illustrator Emma Pedersen mirrors the moods of the child as they experience the ugly place and shift to acknowledgement of the beauty evident. The furrowed brows and hunched shoulders of a child among the harshness of a landscape teeming with grimacing components reflects the bitterness of their feelings and the gloom of the weather. But all is transformed with light and softness as joy returns. 

 

Misery and despair will happen in our lives. But, it can and will give way to calm and joy given the opportunity for mindfulness of self and nature, a lesson for all who feel.

From The Ugly Place by Laura Deal, illus. by Emma Pedersen

Tough Like Mum

Written by Lana Button

Illustrated by Carmen Mok

Tundra Books

978-0-7352-6598-1

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

April 2021

Though her mum might not always feel very tough or that she is able to manage, Kim tries to emulate her, never admitting she needs help or acknowledging anything she might perceive as weakness. But can anyone really be tough all the time?

From Tough Like Mum by Lana Button, illus. by Carmen Mok

From Carmen Mok's gouache and coloured pencil illustrations, it is evident that Kim and her mother are financially strapped. They share a bed, their socks are unmatched, their clothes and furniture are patched, and the food in the house is minimal. It's no wonder that Kim awakens soothing herself with her thumb in her mouth. But Kim is a tough cookie, tough like her mum, and she gets herself ready for school, making her own breakfast and lunch, and even planning for dinner–"Tomato, you are my favorite soup. Sit right here and wait for me"–because her mom hasn't gotten out of bed this morning. But Kim has a form for school that is due that day, a form for a field trip that costs $6.00. How is she going to get Mum to sign it when she's still sleeping, attempting to shut out the world–"Don't start on me, Kim!"–and get the money she knows they don't have?

On that cold winter day, Kim gets herself off to school, though some parents question her about being without a hat. Kim just tells them she doesn't need it, and the parents call her tough like her mom Jen. Kim won't let anyone see that she's cold. Because she's learned not to ask for help. And at lunchtime when David makes fun of her sandwich, she stays tough, never letting them see how sad and mad she is on the inside. But there's still the problem of the school trip. 

She has tried to find a solution, submitting a few coins she'd found in her mom's pocket, hoping the teacher wouldn't notice. But Mrs. Jones does notice and suggests her mother check a certain box on the form. It may read "I can't pay" but Kim knows it really means "I need help" and that's a box her mum has never checked.

From Tough Like Mum by Lana Button, illus. by Carmen Mok

Accepting help is never easy, and it seems to be especially so for Jen and Kim.  But when Kim gets home from school, she finds a way to take care of her mother, sadly still in the clothes she slept in, with compassion, humour and courage. Asking and accepting help might not be easy but it can be worth it.

From Tough Like Mum by Lana Button, illus. by Carmen Mok

Though Lana Button's picture books, including Raj's Rule (For the Bathroom at School), What If Bunny's NOT a Bully, and Willow Finds a Way, are aimed at young children, they focus on some tough issues. There are worries that young children have that cloud their lives and can cause anxiety. Whether it's bullying or self-confidence, using the bathroom or an absent teacher, Lana Button understands that these are very big issues for children. But in Tough Like Mum, Lana Button demonstrates that the shame of poverty transcends age and manifests differently for young children and for their parents who try to provide their best. Kim wants to be tough about what money they don't have, or the food she eats, or the clothes she wears. She strives to be tough like her mum. But sometimes being tough means accepting that help is needed. Together Kim and her mum realize this.

Lana Button's honest story of a single mum and child living in poverty and struggling with the perceived disgrace of their circumstances is stark. There are moments of lightness, like when Kim is praised for her reading and then brings that joy to her mum with it, or when they snuggle together in bed. But it's a hard life for both and the illustrations by Carmen Mok reflect that sparseness of their lives. From a sparsely-furnished home, to the mismatched clothing and furniture, patched or damaged, theirs is an unadorned life, and the art depicts that. 

From Tough Like Mum by Lana Button, illus. by Carmen Mok

But Lana Button's message of having the courage to accept help is paramount. Asking for help is not weak, though many, including Kim, may feel that it is so, exposing their vulnerabilities. Perhaps Kim's mum has never checked that box before, managing to somehow scrape together needed funds or accepting that Kim would have to do without. But by acknowledging that they might need some help, they've taken a big step forward. That just proves how tough Kim and her mum truly are.

 

• • • • • • •

Check back tomorrow for my interview with author Lana Button about Tough Like Mum and her approach to writing this story.

Story Boat

Written by Kyo Maclear

Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh

Tundra

978-0-7352-6359-8

40 pp.

Ages 3-7

February 2020

A young girl and her little brother begin a journey with family and others, travelling from one "here" to another "here" and finding comfort where they may in a cup, a blanket, and especially in a story of hope.

From Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, illus. by Rashin Kheiriyeh

As they travel, the girl tries to explain the concept of "here" to her little brother. The concept can be a difficult one for very young children to grasp, especially as "here" is constantly changing for the travellers. But here becomes whatever is on hand that creates a permanency of people and emotion. It's the cup "Old and fine, warm as a hug" or a "song that every can sing." And, always, that cup or song, or blanket or lamp, or flower, becomes part of a story boat that takes the two children and their cat to see hope amidst a turbulent sea.

From Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, illus. by Rashin Kheiriyeh

Kyo Maclear, author of my favourite Virginia Wolf (2012), consistently tackles big issues by making them personal and intimate. Leaving one's home for something safer, travelling into uncertainty, and looking for hope wherever it may reside will sadly be familiar to most refugees looking for new homes after violence, persecution, and instability compels them to leave the homes they've always known.

Here is our journey
That holds the warmth of a cup,
The softness of a blanket,
The brightness of a lamp,
The strength of a flower
And the openness of a story.

Imagine what it must be like for young children for whom the destination is a grey hole of nothingness, unable to anticipate where home may be or who will be there or what it will look like. Kyo Maclear's wonderful child's storytelling transports them to a new here.

From Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, illus. by Rashin Kheiriyeh

Award-winning Iranian-born illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh, who currently lives in Washington D.C., fuses the gravity of the refugees' lives with their comforts from home and hope for something good. She does this primarily through her palette of backgrounds of muted blue green and splashes of brightness in the oranges, though much is still black and white, not unlike their circumstances. However, Rashin Kheiriyeh's art, created with coloured pencil and watercolour, oil and acrylic paint, along with some cut paper and other media, also uses shape to infuse the story with the activity of movement, whether it is the travellers' journey on foot or on water or the children's jaunts by story boat. Thankfully, it's all forward from an old here to a new one.

Kyo Maclear and Rashin Kheiriyeh's Story Boat may be a story of those seeking refuge and children finding ways to cope with uncertainty but this story transports and guides just like their story boat. For them and for us, stories can save and illuminate new ways.

From Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, illus. by Rashin Kheiriyeh

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body Under the Piano

Written by Marthe Jocelyn

with illustrations by Isabelle Follath

Tundra Books

978-0-73526-546-2

336 pp.

Ages 9-13

February 2020
Reviewed from advance reader's copy

At the time, I did not see that a sequence was unfolding. One never does. Afterward, it was clear how the moments piled up, each leading naturally to the next, quietly altering the course of things. (pg. 4 in arc)

The events to which twelve-year-old Agatha Morton is referring are those that have lead to the death of their neighbour, the cankerous Mrs. Irma Eversham, at the dance studio of her sister-in-law Miss Marianne Eversham.  It's 1903 Torquay, England and the murdered woman has been discovered by Aggie the morning after the "Befriend the Foreigners" recital aimed at collecting clothes for needy refugees and immigrants, many of whom have fled persecution, hunger and political turmoil. Among the recipients will be Agatha's new friend, Hector Perot, a Belgium boy with impeccable manners and a brain blistering with reasoning, who becomes her compatriot in sleuthing.

When it is discovered that Mrs. Eversham has been given rat poison, Agatha and Hector lead their own investigation, sometimes with the assistance of Aggie's Grannie Jane, to ascertain who had the opportunity and the motive to murder the prickly widow who'd tried to control her daughter Rose's social life and disapproved of her sister-in-law's efforts to help newcomers and get the vote for women. But what of Mr. Roddy Fusswell who was interested in Rose and whose hotel had provided food and dishes for the charity drive event? Or the reporter Mr. Augustus Fibbley who keeps popping up and getting Aggie to reveal what she has learned? There are so many potential suspects and players in this middle-grade mystery that it's helpful that Swiss artist Isabelle Follath provides illustrations of 16 characters, including Aggie's dog Tony.

From Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn, illus. by Isabelle Follath

If the reader is a fan of cozy mysteries, they will recognize the names of Agatha and Hector Perot and Grannie Jane as homage to writer Agatha Christie and her sleuths Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. But for our youngest readers for whom Agatha Christie is an unknown, author Marthe Jocelyn will snag them with an excellent murder puzzle and a host of rich characters in a unique historical context while introducing them to Christie through a detailed author's note and list of information sources. Aggie is a precocious child who is developing her investigative skills while she tries her hand at writing descriptions and scenarios that could become part of future books. She inserts herself into police investigations and processes what she sees and what she knows into a logical interpretation and ultimately a resolution that will amaze the professionals and dumbfound her family and others. As a reader, I am so pleased that Marthe Jocelyn chose to introduce us to her Aggie in the context of a soft whodunit–there is absolutely no violence to distract from the plot–and look forward, as we all should, to the series's second book, Peril at Owl Park, set for a fall 2020 release.

Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing

Written by Nadia Mike

Illustrated by Amanda Sandland

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-135-5

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

April 2017 

Ukaliq is an Arctic hare and Kalla is a lemming and they are friends, though they are very different.  Ukaliq is energetic and loud and acts before thinking.  On the other hand, Kalla is careful, thinking before he acts and preparing for all circumstances.   When the impetuous Ukaliq disrupts Kalla’s quiet to insist they go fishing, their trip becomes a study in contrasts.

From Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing

by Nadia Mike 

illus. by Amanda Sandland

While Ukaliq is already heading out on his snowmobile, noisily disturbing the char beneath the ice surface, Kalla is thoughtfully preparing snacks and ensuring he has sufficient fuel.  Ukaliq has already been fishing, impatiently yanking on his line by the time Kalla arrives but it is Kalla who quickly catches the first of many fish.  Kalla tries to advise Ukaliq about patience, but the Arctic hare pays him no heed.  Eventually Ukaliq realizes the wisdom of Kalla’s approach, benefiting from the lemming's preparedness and attention to detail in more than a few ways.

From Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing 

by Nadia Mike 

illus. by Amanda Sandland

The lesson in Nadia Mike’s Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing is easily recognizable, making it essentially an Arctic fable about self-control and foresight.  The silly Arctic hare may appear to be the go-getter, but he’s loud, too quick off the mark and exasperating.  It’s the lemming who is shrewd and considerate.  With Amanda Sandland’s cartoon illustrations, the humour in Ukaliq’s brash and inconsiderate behaviour is unmistakable.  I suspect it’s better to laugh at his silliness rather than focus on how futile or dangerous his efforts are.  Kalla, on the other hand, is Yoda-esque, small in stature but big in heart and insight.

From Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing 

by Nadia Mike 

illus. by Amanda Sandland

With Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing, Nadia Mike and Amanda Sandland have created a children’s book that contrasts different personalities and teaches an obvious lesson about being self-possessed and cautious in the unique setting of the Arctic.  Moreover, this lesson is sure to be extended beyond just this book as it is also available in an Inuktitut edition and like another Inhabit Media picture book, The Owl and the Lemming, Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing has become a short (5 min.) film by Taqqut Productions.  

Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing Inuktitut edition

Inuit Spirit: A Colouring Book

by Germaine Arnaktauyok

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-126-3

48 pp.

Ages 7+

December 2016

This may be a colouring book and I know the expectation is that pencil crayons will be taken to the black-and-white line drawings, but it almost seems sacrilegious to mar Germaine Arnaktauyok’s stunning illustrations.  Perhaps this reverence is essential for all who behold this book as it will ensure that, even if you do take on the near impossible task of bringing new life to Germaine Arnaktauyok’s outlines, you do so with respect, care and an authentic appreciation for her images of traditional Inuit life.

From Inuit Spirit: A Colouring Book 

by Germaine Arnaktauyok

There are twenty-nine different line drawings that may be coloured, from the title page to Neil Christopher’s introduction and the author’s page, though the emphasis is definitely on the 26 drawings set up in double spreads opposite explanatory text about the art.  Some of the art focuses on the natural landscape of the North like the numerous drawings of the tundra plants including willow, lichens, saxifrage, bilberry, and its inhabitants such as the Arctic char, plankton, sea mammals, ptarmigan and gulls.  Other drawings feature characters  from traditional Inuit stories such as the very creepy mahahaa, the taliillajuuq, the qallupilluit, the nanurluk and Sedna, the mother of the sea mammals, as well as scenes from these tales. (See reviews of Way Back Then and Those That Cause Fear by Neil Christopher (Inhabit Media, 2015 and 2016, respectively) for original illustrations by Germaine Arnaktauyok for these and similar stories.) There are also several line drawings of Inuit dress and activities such as drumming.

From Inuit Spirit: A Colouring Book 

by Germaine Arnaktauyok

The text is informative, bringing a knowledge of Inuit life and traditions to help clarify the black-and-white artwork. While the snippets are generally quite brief, the text teaches while helping the reader/colourist discern the elements of the drawing and selecting colours.

Inuit Spirit may not be graced as completely as it could be with Germaine Arnaktauyok’s own colouring version of pointillism–though there is a lengthy discussion of her style being based on squiggles of varying densities–but this colouring book brings an interactive element to her remarkable illustration and to the book’s aim of bringing the art of Inuit life to those beyond the northern areas.  Perhaps by doing rather than just seeing, readers of Inuit Spirit will achieve a new appreciation for Inuit life in general and Germaine Arnaktauyok's art specifically as defining of the northern experience.

Lesson for the Wolf

by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley

Illustrated by Alan Cook

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-005-1

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

May 2015

Any book that can teach self-acceptance in a succinct but non-preachy manner is a keeper.  But, coupled with an appreciation for the Arctic and its innate beauty, Lesson for the Wolf is all the more poignant.

The story begins with the wolf “who disliked all the things that wolves enjoy” like running and playing and hunting and hanging with other wolves.  He’s a bit of a loner, preferring to study other animals including the wolverine and the snowy owl.  So overwhelmed by the beauty of the Land and compelled to feel part of it, not be “just a wolf”, he gathers some fallen caribou antlers, some wolverine hair and a feather from an angry owl and sings to the Land until “his own life moved with the life of the Land.”  Imbued with power, he is transformed into a wolf with an antlered head, a feathered body and a bushy orange and black tail.

Problem is that the wolf is no longer a wolf and not even a caribou, a wolverine or a snowy owl.  He is embarrassed and starving, and runs from the other wolves.  But they are his salvation.  They help him recognize “the greatest beauty that a wolf can know” and return him to his former beautiful self.

The wolf of Lesson for the Wolf is truly a creature of the Land, so filled with love for its beauty and creatures.  But, like so many of us, he cannot see the beauty within, not realizing until it is too late what he has lost by coveting the attributes of the other animals.  Lesson for the Wolf provides an Arctic-themed story for the idiom of “The grass is always greener” and it works so well because of the partnership of Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley.  Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley speaks from one who knows the Arctic, born in a wilderness camp and being of Inuit ancestry. Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley comes at the story from the folklorist side.  Together they make Lesson for the Wolf a story resplendent in a valuable lesson about self-acceptance and in the beauty of the Arctic Land and Sky and its creatures.  Alan Cook, who studied animation at Sheridan College, uses subtle colour and line to evoke an Arctic of contrasts: delicate and bold, elusive and obvious, precarious and inviting.  An amazing accomplishment with a limited palette of whites, browns and turquoises (except for the single spread in which the wolf transforms).  Still, the wolf and the other creatures and the landscape in Lesson for the Wolf are truly characteristic of the tundra and complement Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley’s newest foray into wisdom-sharing stories.

The Pirate's Bed: Book Launch (Toronto)

Join author Nicola Winstanley 

and 

illustrator Matt James 

for the launch of their new picture book

The Pirate's Bed

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-616-3

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

March, 2015

on Sunday, March 29, 2015

2:00 p.m.

at

Another Story Bookshop

315 Roncesvalles Avenue

Toronto, ON

416-462-1105

Call or email (books@anotherstory.ca) to reserve your autographed copy

The blurb, retrieved from the RandomHouse site at http://www.randomhouse.com/book/228423/the-pirates-bed-by-nicola-winstanley#blurb_tabs, tells this of the book:

"A pirate is sleeping snug in his bed, dreaming pirate dreams, when a great storm comes up at sea. The pirate sleeps on, but his bed is awake and scared of the thunder and the angry waves. Tossed this way and that, the ship finally crashes, sending the pirate to a tropical island and his bed off to sea.
     At first, the bed is overjoyed. It's free from smelly feet, snoring and scratchy wool. It floats in the now peaceful water, meeting friendly gulls and playful dolphins and basking in the sun. But soon the little bed begins to feel like something is missing..."

Little Chicken Duck: Book Launch (Toronto)

Join 

author Tim Beiser

 and 

illustrator Bill Slavin

for the launch of their newest picture book

Little Chicken Duck

Written by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Tundra Books

978-1-77049-392-6

24 pp.

Ages 3-7

Release date November 26, 2013 

Described as a lovingly illustrated, heartwarming tale in rhyme about facing childhood fears

Book launch page 

on

Sunday, December 1, 2013

at

1 pm 

Type Books

883 Queen St. W.

Toronto, ON

Meet Froggie and Little Chicken Duck there!

Making Contact! Marconi Goes Wireless

by Monica Kulling

Illustrated by Richard Rudnicki

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-378-0

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

September, 2013

Biographies can be so dry.  Endless facts, occasional anecdotes, references and, if the person is long dead, few graphics.  Ah, but not if it's one of Tundra's Great Idea Series written by Monica Kulling. The author who has given us It's a Snap! George Eastman's First Photograph, All Aboard! Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine, In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps It Up and Going Up! Elisha Otis's Trip to the Top is well versed in transforming biographies into readable narratives.

From his birth in Bologna in 1874, Guglielmo Marconi, the baby with the big ears, was destined to "hear the still, small voices in the air" and become known as the father of wireless communication.  Those are the type of details Monica Kulling focuses on, not the details of Marconi's would-be curriculum vitae, typical of many biographies.  The reader learns of Marconi's experiences with Morse code and the telegraph machine; his brain spark of using radio waves to send wireless messages; his inventing and experimentation; a personal demonstration for Queen Victoria; and his ultimate achievement with wireless.  And Richard Rudnicki's illustrations take the readers to Marconi's time and places, providing the appropriate atmosphere for his story.

By resisting the need for excessive text, the affliction of many biographies for young people, and enhancing that limited text with illustrations, Tundra's Great Ideas Series will continue to garner awards and recognition.  With Monica Kulling at the writing helm and astutely concentrating on the anecdotes of pivotal experiences, the stories will continue to be fascinating to young readers.

Whimsy's Heavy Things: Book Launch (Toronto)

Join

debut author and illustrator 

Julie Kraulis

website: http://www.juliekraulis.com/

for the launch of her first picture book

Whimsy's Heavy Things

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-403-9

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

on

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

at

6-8 p.m.

at

Modern Baby

208 Christie Street

Toronto, ON 

416-536-9977

RSVP to 
RSVPCanada@randomhouse.com

The Pocket Mommy: Book Launch (Ottawa)

Join singer, actor, music director and 

author Rachel Eugster

for the launch of

her new picture book

The Pocket Mommy

Written by Rachel Eugster

Illustrated by Tom Goldsmith

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-300-1  

32 pp.

Ages 4-6

August, 2013

at

Kaleidoscope Kids’ Books 

1018 Bank Street

Ottawa, ON 

K1S 3W8
 

 on

Sunday, September, 22, 2013

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Smokescreen

Written by Nancy Hartry

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-405-3

202 pp.

Ages 12+

August 2013

I know that most coming-of-age stories involve protagonists in their early to mid-teens, but Kerry Williams is seventeen and definitely in need of growing into herself by Smokescreen's book end.  You see, at the story's onset, Kerry is thrown into a totally unfamiliar situation: a summer job for the Department of Forestry and Parks in the northern Ontario bush as a cottage development technician i.e., looking for potential sites to develop for cottages.  Kerry is convinced that her mother happily finagled this job for her after she'd disappointed her by losing a major Irish Dance competition due to a fall and subsequent injury ("My body betrayed me.  Correction, my mother overtrained me." pg. 8). Regardless how naive the Toronto teen might feel in her new circumstances, especially after she meets Yvette Bernier, her nineteen-year-old partner for the summer, she is determined to not fail.  Luckily, even though Yvette comes off the bus looking like a trendy urbanite, she knows everything about working in the bush, dealing with campfuls of men, negotiating with bosses who try to push summer students into unsafe conditions, and how to handle herself to ensure a profitable and worry-free summer, and she willingly shares this knowledge with Kerry.

But a raging forest fire has them moving base camps several times and conscripted to work in food prep and camp work for the fire crews.  In addition to their misogynistic boss, Buzz Harcourt, there's Didier, the handsome and friendly crew boss of a fire unit; Matt the pilot who must take them north regardless of Yvette's refusal to go; Rolf, the older, no-nonsense professional camp cook who is eventually brought in; Slash, the scary and scarred man brought in to help with heavy kitchen work; Aubrey, the intense Métis fire crew boss on whom Kerry crushes and Yvette does not trust; and Mr. Sirois, the violent and sexist boss man from New Brunswick.  

Over time, Yvette has learned to trust very few people, particularly ones that seem to have hidden agendas, and she warns Kerry repeatedly about watching her back.  But, with the discovery of Yvette's pink lighter at the source of the forest fire, the young women realize that there is someone who is setting Yvette up, and they must tread carefully to keep their jobs and protect themselves.  Problem is that Kerry and Yvette have very different perceptions about whom to trust, and the emotional baggage they each bring to their friendship has them repeatedly at odds.  It's only when the two get mixed up in a potentially deadly situation that Kerry can see Yvette's vulnerability and accept her own strengths as the basis for their survival.

Nancy Hartry, author of the 2010 Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children Award–Watching Jimmy (Tundra, 2009)–knows how to take a straightforward storyline, e.g., teens taking summer jobs in the bush, and enriching it with psychological intricacies and complex social situations that can take straightforward to dangerous.  And that's probably why her stories hit home for her readers.  There are no paranormal experiences or supernatural elements that take the story into the fantasy and improbable, if not impossible, realm.  The characters in her books could be our children, our neighbours, friends, family.  So, as we read and recognize that these circumstances could happen to anyone and that different elements could be derived directly from the news, we read a little more cautiously, hopeful that no one we know should ever have these experiences, and thoroughly, perhaps learning the means by which survival may be achieved.  Nancy Hartry shares a dramatic story that could be passed down from one summer student to another, or from parent to child, or from anyone to anyone who wants to tell a good story and teach a little something in the process.  Nancy Hartry does both in Smokescreen. 

Caribou Song / Atihko Nikamon

by Tomson Highway

Illustrated by John Rombough

Fifth House Publishers

978-1-89725-261-1

32 pp.

Ages 4+

June, 2013

Joe and Cody are two brothers who travel with their parents by dog sled across the tundra all year round.  Joe plays the kitoochigan, an accordion, while his younger brother dances.  At one stop, a large rock in the middle of a meadow seems a fine spot for music and dance, especially when singing, "Ateek, ateek! Astum, astum!" ("Caribou, caribou! Come, come!"). Engrossed in their play, the two boys do not hear the rumbling of thousands of caribou heading their way, even though young Cody has fallen onto the caribou moss below.  While their parents fear for the boys' safety, the rapids of powerful beasts carry the boys along and the mystical voice of the herd invites them to know the caribou spirit.

Tomson Highway, award-winning Canadian and Cree playwright and author, originally offered this tantalizing story in 2001, illustrated by Brian Deines (HarperCollins, 2001). This new edition, illustrated by Chipewyan Dene artist John Rombough,  emphasizes the intensity of the story, specifically the emotional experience of the boys amidst the enormity of and the potentially fatal caribou run.  The bold and rich tones of blues and purples, strongly outlined in unrelenting black visually depict the fierce, almost violent nature of the landscape and the caribou in run.  The intermittent golden hues of the sky and other backgrounds lend a warm cushion that provides relief from the terror and hostility of the boys' circumstances.  

Presented in English and Cree, Caribou Song will take young readers to a world fast disappearing: one of a frozen landscape of snow and traditional hunting and life on the tundra.  For those readers who can appreciate the high Cree translation of Caribou Song, this new edition suggests that there are still valuable ways to retain their ancestral ways.

An Infidel in Paradise

by S. J. Laidlaw

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-304-9

311 pp.

Ages 12+

February, 2013

in·fi·del
noun \ˈin-fə-dəl, -fə-ˌdel\
1 : one who is not a Christian or who opposes Christianity
2 a : an unbeliever with respect to a particular religion b : one who acknowledges no religious belief
3 : a disbeliever in something specified or understood

Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infidel on May 8, 2013

Under this definition of infidel, just about anyone could be called an infidel.  Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, agnostics - all could be considered infidels by another group.  Yet the scathing judgement that is leveled against sixteen-year-old Emma as a Canadian teen forced to live in Islamabad, Pakistan is especially outrageous; she doesn't want to be there anymore than anyone else wants her there.

After her dad takes off with the family maid from their posting in Manila, Emma Grey's family (older brother Vince, younger sister Mandy and Mom) relocate to Pakistan for her mother's job, running the consular section of the Canadian embassy. Though embassy children are used to moving around a lot, the whole "make-new-friends and learn-to-fit-in" process required to make lifetolerable seems more problematic for Emma this time, probably because of her father's absence and mother's absorption in her work and obliviousness to her children's needs.  Emma is resentful of her mother for forcing them to move (this was a weak effort to make Dad choose between his family and new partner), and for expecting more of Emma specifically, including mothering eight-year-old Mandy.  Not surprising that Emma is brutally honest when asked by a new classmate, Mustapha Khan, how she is enjoying Pakistan.

"Well," I begin, feeling the familiar anger wakening like a beast inside me, "there's not a single mall, movie theater, or Caramel Frappuccino within a thousand miles, but there are huge poisonous reptiles, beggars on every street corner and all the atmosphere of a maximum-security penitentiary.  I'm just surprised there's not more tourism." (pg. 21-22)

 Ouch.  Not the way to make friends and influence people apparently.  Although she is quickly welcomed by Angie, a girl from the American compound, and introduced to her friends, Leeza, Jazzy and Tahira, Emma's candour and insistence on personal freedom place her at odds with several students, including Aisha, Mustapha's wealthy "promised" one, and Faarooq, protective and strict brother of Tahira.

All conflict is compounded when Mustapha continues to pay attention to Emma, much to Aisha's irritation, and Emma and Mustapha are thrown into a drama group with Faarooq and another boy Ali to produce a skit about conflict, first focusing on a racist American girl (hint?) and then on a Pakistani boy who likes a Canadian girl.  And, although Emma enlists Angie's help to avoid being alone with Mustapha, knowing that she is attracted to him, she and Mustapha are repeatedly thrown together, sometimes because he chooses to be with her and sometimes because he wants to be kind.  It all makes for much cultural and romantic confusion.

I can't imagine the transient lifestyle of foreign service families and the particular skills that the children must need to navigate new lives successfully.  Couple that with divorced parents and living with a workaholic mother and in a tenuous political-religious situation, and you've got all the makings of a disaster.  S. J. Laidlaw thankfully has given Emma the wicked sense of humour, common sense and heart to find a way to help Mandy and herself, as well as carve a niche for themselves in their new world.  She finds a source of wisdom, recognizing the value in the kind and comforting Mr. Akbar, and has enough insight to recognize her own flaws and address them as she can.

S. J. Laidlaw could have imbued "An Infidel in Paradise" with the same resentment that is implied in the scathing indictment of "Infidel!" leveled against Emma but she does not.  Instead, she plays with the idea that the safety of "inside", whether it be the compound, one's comfort zone or culture, and the danger of "outside" is not always the case.  It has more to do with perception and broaching that transition with caution in an effort to make both territories manageable.  Even Emma is able to find herself accepting her new life as "An Infidel in Paradise."

Mister Dash and the Cupcake Calamity

by Monica Kulling

Illustrated by Esperança Melo

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-396-4

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

March 12, 2013

Mister Dash is back!  The well-mannered pooch from Monica Kulling's Merci Mister Dash! (Tundra, 2011) is still sharing his life with Madame Croissant who has started Cupcakes à Go-Go and using her well-bred (I mean polite; I'm not sure 5 different breeds in one dog would be considered successful breeding) canine for delivery.  And, just as in his first book, Mister Dash must contend with the lovely lady's hurricane of a granddaughter, Daphne.

In Mister Dash and the Cupcake Calamity, Madame Croissant is extending her cupcake baking enterprise into North America.  Using a well-used van and custom-made paniers for Mister Dash, the lusciously-decorated cupcake treats would be delivered très rapide! Though he's not thrilled to be in his new outfit, Mister Dash is nothing but accommodating and loyal, helping his mistress as he can (although when the van breaks down, he holds some hope for a reprise).

But Mister Dash cannot evade the enthusiastic flurry of Daphne, Madame's granddaughter, though he does try to slip out in a very clever disguise.  Sadly, even Madame cannot keep Daphne from creating havoc in the kitchen, while baking, and even on delivery.  But Mister Dash, the ever clever companion, comes to the rescue when the delivery of five hundred cupcakes to the mayor's house is in danger of being trashed.

Monica Kulling gives such sweet voice to Mister Dash who questions, ponders and evaluates before springing to action as needed. He is responsible, faithful, and has a flair for picking up the pieces (as well as flour, dough and cupcakes) after things go awry.  He is the embodiment of chivalry, albeit in a canine form, made all the softer for Esperança Melo's warm acrylic paintings.  Daphne may be a smiling bull in a china shop, and Madame Croissant the Julia Child of the fashionable baking set but Mister Dash is Sir Galahad:  courageous (you'd have to be to ride in the van driven by Madame Croissant), gentle and polite. The story is smooth, sweet and sparkles with goodness, not unlike Madame Croissant's cupcakes. A tasty treat, to be sure.