Hello, Beautiful Animal

Written by Lauren Soloy

Illustrated by Janie Hao

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1433-9

32 pp.

Ages 3–7

October 2026 

 

There are countless days in the calendar that recognize pets and animals, whether to walk them, to honour those who have passed, or to love them. October is an especially important month as October 4 is recognized as World Pet Day and World Animal Day. That day would be well served by a reading of Lauren Soloy and Janie Hao's Hello, Beautiful Animal, a picture book that reminds us of how we should treat all the animals with kindness and appreciation. 

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

Lauren Soloy begins by reminding young readers that all animals are amazing and should be treated well. That could include getting them medical care, showing them affection and attention, grooming them, feeding them good food, giving them opportunities for fresh air and exercise, and keeping them happy. Being a responsible caregiver to an animal is filled with joys and requires much from us, not the least of which is kindness.

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

Illustrator Janie Hao shows us a variety of animals, from pets like a dog and a cat and a lizard, but also animals in the wild like fish, otters, birds, and apes. The stars of Hello, Beautiful Animal are the family Corgi and orange tabby upon which two children shower much attention and love.

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

I have reviewed books both by Lauren Soloy, who wrote and illustrated Every Leaf on Every Tree (Nimbus Publishing, 2025), and by Janie Hao (Mad at Dad, Kids Can Press, 2024), and I am surprised by how distinct this story from their earlier works. Lauren Soloy, who has illustrated for others (e.g., A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis by Kathy Stinson) as well as authored and illustrated her own stories diverges with Hello, Beautiful Animal by not illustrating it. Instead, she focuses on sharing positive messages about being an animal caregiver, instructing young readers what it takes to be compassionate and responsible towards animals, domestic and others. 

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

Janie Hao's digital illustrations let us see animals both as foci in our lives as well as a part of the larger world. Whether watching a Corgi howl for food or depicting a world of animals of land, sky, and water, Janie Hao takes us into their worlds. It may also be our world, but through the use of perspective, Janie Hao's colourful art depicts them as they see, feel, and are.

 

Hello, Beautiful Animal has all the charm of a storied picture book, but it is actually an engaging guide to help children understand our responsibilities to animals so that we can keep their lives fulfilling, just as they enrich ours.

Mooz/Moose

Written and illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Translated by Mary Ann Corbiere 

Groundwood Books

978-1-77946-082-0

32 pp.

Ages 3–6

September 2026 

 

 

Mooz, which means Moose in Anishinaabemowin, is a cat. But Mooz is more than cat. From the way she looks and the way she acts, Mooz resembles a moose but also a horse, a marten, a raccoon, and a plethora of other animals. Mooz is one of kind.

Illustration by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley from Mooz/Moose, written by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Told in both English and Anishinaabemowin, Anishinaabe author-illustrator Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, introduces young readers to different animals with the message that we're all, like Mooz, a little bit of everything and wholly ourselves. Mooz may be a cat, but she can swing her tail like a horse, climb a tree like a raccoon, sit still like a toad, and curl up like a squirrel. Mooz is a cat, who is like a moose in some ways, but also like so many animals. Best of all, she's just Mooz.

Illustration by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley from Mooz/Moose, written by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (a.k.a. Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley), who illustrated Nancy Cooper's Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome (2023) and Brittany Luby's Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I Know (2021), keeps with his distinct Woodland Art style but, if possible, gives us even more of it. The heavy outlined elements and his bold colours emphasize more of the shapes within, giving more texture and substance to his characters. (He reserves the heavy dark outlines for Mooz and the people whose lives she graces.) Mooz is the highlight of the story and Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley gives us Mooz in all her animal inclinations. Anyone who tells you she's just a cat is sadly mistaken. She is vibrant and distinct, and even more than the animals she emulates. 

Illustration by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley from Mooz/Moose, written by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Readers will rejoice that Mooz/Moose is a dual-language book that accentuates the Nishnaabemwin dialect (translations by Mary Ann Corbiere) of the Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) language. It gives a different perspective and richness of storytelling. Moreover, by giving us a story of his own Mooz, Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley makes his observations personal, endearing, and culturally relevant, and delivers a story that will have readers looking at how their own pets reflect the attributes of other animals. They are, in their own way, wondrously singular blends too.

Eon: My Pet Tardigrade

Written by Cybèle Young

Illustrated by Cybèle Young and Nell Jocelyn

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-041-8

56 pp.

Ages 3–7

Releases August 11, 2026 

 

Don't be surprised if you've never seen or heard of a tardigrade. They're very tiny. Very, very tiny. At about 0.5 mm in length, they are barely visible to the naked eye. Ah, but a microscope reveals this tiny creature to a young scientist with a new tool and captures her heart.

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

Once she spots the micro-animal with his two little eyes and his ambling, plodding gait, she wants to take care of him. Actually, she wants to hug him but that's impossible so she plans to make that which he might appreciate. A bed? A chair? A slide? 

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

But this young scientist knows it's best to ask questions, so she researches the little guy she names Eon, and learns he's a tardigrade a.k.a. a water bear or a moss piglet. She learns of the extremes at which it can live, and the diversity of habitats it can occupy. So, she prepares a wide variety of dioramas in which to live. And when she loses sight of him—he is very small—she learns more about what a tardigrade needs and gives him an opportunity for a new life where he might have a new home that is "the most magical most-est yet." (pg. 42)

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

As small as Eon, the tardigrade, is, Eon: My Pet Tardigrade tells a big story. It's a story of scientific discovery, creativity, and benevolence. It's seeing what is almost not seen and educating oneself to help guide one's actions. Cybèle Young has garnered much attention and many awards with the intensity of her simple texts and the complexity of her mixed media illustrations. With Eon, she and collaborator Nell Jocelyn will charm readers into discovery, into looking deeper and smaller, and finding ways to express creativity. They've blended pencil drawings (Cybèle Young) with paper sculptures made with Japanese papers (Cybèle Young) and a variety of western papers (Nell Jocelyn). This blending of media gives substance and texture to a story of something almost imperceptible. Because Eon is so small, young readers may have to hunt for him on the many pages, especially when he's dressed in scuba equipment, hiding among stalagmites, or basking on a cactus. The creativity of the child—or rather Cybèle Young and Nell Jocelyn—to create miniature scenes of wondrous detail and movement brings Eon, the tardigrade, from insignificant to something substantial, a star of her displays and a superstar on the planet. (Read about tardigrades in Cybèle Young's "The story behind Eon" or do your own research. It will fascinate.)

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

The story of Eon: My Pet Tardigrade is as much about the child and her response to Eon as it is about learning about tardigrades. I'd never heard of tardigrades and am now excited to learn more. Teachers might love to create lessons on adaptation, habitats, life cycles, and more based on these little invertebrates, but they shouldn't limit themselves to STEM lessons. Eon: My Pet Tardigrade gives opportunities for teaching about compassion, understanding, and letting go as well. For a little guy, Eon has a lot to give.

10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

North Winds Press (An imprint of Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-16179

 48 pp.

Ages 3–8

January 2026 

 

Mélanie Watt, the creator of Scaredy Squirrel and cheeky Chester, the cat with the red pen, returns with another fun book that blends facts with humour and playfulness. (FYI, there may be 10 facts explained in 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, but there's loads more that is included. Pizza is at the heart of those discussions.)

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

In a series of double-page spreads, Mélanie Watt informs young readers about capybaras, starting with the basic info that they are the biggest rodents in the world. And, with each new spread, readers will learn something new. There are facts about their bodies, from their ever-growing teeth to their webbed feet. There are details about their behaviour, from what they eat to how they communicate and interact with others. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

But after the ten facts, the book takes an odd turn. Instead of revealing the unusual way in which capybaras get essential nutrients, Mélanie Watt's capybara interjects with pizza as his answer. The author has to try to get the information back on track with "Fact 11: Capybaras DO NOT eat pizza," though the capybara responds with "Fact 12: Capybaras order PIZZA every day!" And so begins a clever repartee between writer and capybara, and then also a monkey,

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Mélanie Watt is an author-illustrator who not only entertains but also teaches, and she does it with humour and much quirkiness. Her capybara is adorable, as is her monkey, and young readers and a few old ones like me will learn more about these unusual rodents than expected from a picture book. Narrative non-fiction is a fabulous way to share information in an engaging story, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras works persuasively to do so. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Of course, with any Mélanie Watt book, the humour is in the art as well as the text. The capybara's cheekiness is reflected in his words but also in his robust and textured form, his big eyes, and his smile. The focus is always on the capybara, so Mélanie Watt uses few other elements—pizza, monkey, cell phone, legs of birds—to feature him. It's simple but it's fun and informative.

 

I often used Mélanie Watt's books for teaching because they're so entertaining, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras will work just as effectively to teach animal characteristics and to captivate. Add the activities at the Scholastic Canada website for the book, including connect-the-dots, an easy quiz, and a drawing activity, and you've got a nice little package of learning fun for young children.

Left-Handed: Getting a Grip on Handedness

Written by Maria Birmingham

Illustrated by Catherine Chan

Owlkids Books

978-1771476201

48 pp.

Ages 8–12

January 2026 

 

While I suspect that identification as being left-handed is not the big deal that some used to make it, it is still an issue for many whose left hands are their dominant hands, particularly as they live in a world that is dominated by right-handers. For those who are left-handed and those who aren't but love learning about human behaviour, how our brains work, and what makes us unique and different, Left-Handed: Getting a Grip on Handedness offers opportunities for insight and for understanding. 

From Left-Handed: Getting a Grip on Handedness, written by Maria Birmingham, illustrated by Catherine Chan

Maria Birmingham, one of the stars of children's non-fiction (e.g., Snooze-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Sleep, 2021; Canada Wild: Animals Found Nowhere Else on Earth, 2022; When Nature Calls: The Unusual Bathroom Habits of the World's Creatures, 2024; Can We Talk?: How Humans Stay in Touch, 2025), takes a historical and scientific approach to the topic of why and how some people become lefties. Outside of her introduction and conclusion chapters, Maria Birmingham organizes her information according to the following:

• The History of Lefties
• Why is a Lefty a Lefty?
• Fact or Fiction?
• Inside Sports
• Body Talk
• Can Animals Be Lefties?
• Living in a Righty World 

After an introduction to being a lefty, including a fun quiz to help determine whether the reader is a lefty, a righty, or a bit of both—about one percent of people are ambidextrous—Maria Brimingham discusses some fascinating historic evidence of lefthandedness, like scratches on teeth and hand painting. She also writes of how lefthandedness was perceived in ancient civilizations—either as cursed or magical—through the middle ages, and into the Industrial Revolution. Readers will also learn how lefthandedness was seen in modern times, with parents and teachers forcing kids to write with their right hands.

From Left-Handed: Getting a Grip on Handedness, written by Maria Birmingham, illustrated by Catherine Chan

Beyond the history, Maria Birmingham gives readers the basics of the science of lefthandedness, from DNA to baby's development, and brain differences. There's also some discussion related to creativity, intelligence, and memory, as well as its role in sports and perhaps survival. And even though the term "lefthandedness" rests on the premise of having hands, other animals seem to show preferences too. A penultimate discussion about living in a world of righthandedness will give readers pause, particularly for righties who never consider the challenges for lefties using scissors, tech, and other tools.

From Left-Handed: Getting a Grip on Handedness, written by Maria Birmingham, illustrated by Catherine Chan

I appreciate Maria Birmingham's final note about moving away from the lefty-versus-righty idea. The issue isn't that we're different; it's the idea that one may be better than the other because of dominance. Since we're all about diversity, equity, and inclusion, maybe separating people along lines of handedness may not be appropriate. But, acknowledging those differences will help everyone be included and get what they need, and that's a good thing.

 

Left-Handed: Getting a Grip on Handedness is a terrific introduction to why some people use their left hands for writing and other functions rather than their right hands. The book is a thorough examination of the topic from history to science and sports, and even identity. With Toronto illustrator Catherine Chan's digital artwork (created on a Wacom tablet) to bring the non-fiction text to life in colour and context, Left-Handed: Getting a Grip on Handedness becomes an entertaining and informative read about the extraordinary nature of the ordinary.

Owl

Written by Kara Griffin

Illustrated by K. Shawn Larson

Acorn Press

978-1-773661971

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

November 2025 

 

When a grandfather tells his grandson about a beautiful barred owl who lives in the forest nearby, the child is determined to see the bird. The grandfather explains how she hunts for food and where she lives and the sounds she makes. The two even practise calling the barred owl. But no matter how often the child looks and listens for the bird, he is disappointed. 

From Owl, written by Kara Griffin, illustrated by K. Shawn Larson

Learning that the owl is out at night when the boy is sleeping, he finally catches a glimpse of it but only a flash before it disappears. Surprisingly, the bird has seen the boy and even watched him as he sleeps. They are both intrigued with the other. 

 

When the two finally meet, it is because the barred owl has come to the child's window and the two connect in an unexpected and sweet way that the child will never forget.

From Owl, written by Kara Griffin, illustrated by K. Shawn Larson

Seeing any owl–barred, barn, great horned, screech, snowy or another–is always an amazing experience. There is a mystery to them, wrapped up in their magnificence of morphology and their behaviour. For this child, seeing a barred owl that had a connection to his grandfather would be especially prized. Kara Griffin, an author from Prince Edward Island, reminds us of the importance of our connections to the natural world. Her earlier picture books, Flitt's Call (2023)—also illustrated by K. Shawn Larson—about a bank swallow, and The Sea That Sings To Me (2023), both emphasize that powerful connection. In Owl, Kara Griffin tells the story beyond a kid wanting to see a majestic bird. It's a story that speaks to an interrelationship.

 

K. Shawn Larson, also from P.E.I., uses watercolours with an earnestness that addresses the authenticity of this story. It seems very real. I know it's astonishing to imagine an owl purposefully covering a child with a blanket but the way K. Shawn Larson paints it, and Kara Griffin tells is, it all seems very plausible. But K. Shawn Larson doesn't give up any of the whimsy of the story, including some unusual residents in her scenes along with a plethora of local flora and fauna. It's a place you want to visit and to appreciate the beauty of its scenery and the diversity of its wildlife.

From Owl, written by Kara Griffin, illustrated by K. Shawn Larson

I know that there are numerous STEM lessons that could be derived from Owl, but, if you have a little one who is enamoured with these impressive creatures, Owl will teach as well as delight and is sure to have them looking for one in a forest or in their dreams soon enough.

All of Us

Written and illustrated by Manon Gauthier

Translated by Michel Savard

Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides

978-1-98802296

32 pp.

Ages 3–8

October 2025 

  

The message of All of Us is a simple one, but sadly one that we need to reinforce continually. It's one of inclusivity and diversity and it's basic science. We're all the same and yet we're all different. 

From All of Us, written and illustrated by Manon Gauthier

Manon Gauthier, who has wowed this reviewer with the books she's illustrated such as Middle Bear (Susan Isern, 2017), Good Morning, Grumple (Victoria Allenby, 2017), and Elliot (Julie Pearson, 2016), has combined her talents by authoring as well as illustrating All of Us. With simplicity of text and complexity of art, Manon Gauthier develops the idea of how all animals, including humans, are different in their abilities or lack thereof, in their morphologies, in their physiologies, and more. There's "the fish who blows bubbles as it breathes,"(p. 12) and "the quiet and solitary moose," (p. 22) as well as "the tall bharal who has no fear of heights." (p. 7) There's the dancing sifaka, the cold-blooded reptiles and amphibians, and the savannah animals that can tolerate the heat. All differ in what they like, what they look like, what they can do, and more. But, essentially, we all are made up of cells, and Manon Gauthier conveys this in her words and her illustrations, using the same irregularly-shaped oval as the basis for all animals.

From All of Us, written and illustrated by Manon Gauthier

It's not until her last illustration, a double-page spread of a cell, that the reader will recognize Manon Gauthier's cleverness at using the cell's shape as the face or body or abdomen of all the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and fish within All of Us. All of us really do have something in common, even with all the differences. And by using her defining cut-paper collage, in earthy tones of browns, greys, and creams with occasional touches of red, blue, green, and orange, Manon Gauthier gives a textured dimensionality and hearty organic feel to her story.

From All of Us, written and illustrated by Manon Gauthier

Whether you're a teacher who'd love to introduce a lesson on the diversity of living things with a captivating picture book, or open a lesson on animal cells, or even launch discussions about inclusivity and connection, All of Us will work beautifully. (Manon Gauthier even includes an activity in which readers can create their own animal with the same template she used throughout the book.) Whether you read it for the messaging which is presented gracefully or for the intriguing artwork, All of Us is a book for all of us about all of us.

Jackie's Drawing

Written by Andrew Katz

Illustrated by Tony Luzano

CrackBoom! Books (An imprint of Chouette Publishing)

978-2-898025679

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

May 2025 

There have been more than several novels, picture books, and short story collections that have been based during in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic with its lockdowns (stay-at-home orders) and other measures. Though never mentioning the pandemic, Jackie's Drawing sees a child's perspective on the resulting isolation and a rebound to normal in terms of nature's response and her own inspiration for creativity.

From Jackie's Drawing, written by Andrew Katz, illustrated by Tony Luzano

Jackie's story begins with a rusty haze befalling her community. This haze forces everyone to stay indoors and to isolate from everyone and everything, including the mountain she'd often visit for inspiration for her art. At first, Jackie is still able to draw, gathering ideas from memory and her own experience. But, with time, it becomes more difficult as she had "lost the heart to do anything."

From Jackie's Drawing, written by Andrew Katz, illustrated by Tony Luzano

But one day a flash of silver in the canal beneath her window gets her attention. An unexpected dolphin has appeared, and with it a menagerie of other animals, from a bald eagle to moose and deer and foxes who have begun to make their way onto the streets, into the air, and into the water where only people had ventured. Jackie is enthralled and takes up her drawing pencils, determined to draw them all.

From Jackie's Drawing, written by Andrew Katz, illustrated by Tony Luzano

But as she draws them all, a wonderful dragon with antlers, a tail fin and feathers appears and transports her to the mountain where her drawing inspiration always lived.

From Jackie's Drawing, written by Andrew Katz, illustrated by Tony Luzano

While Jackie's Drawing speaks to a child's loss of enthusiasm for her drawing with her separation from nature, Andrew Katz's note at the conclusion of the story reminds us that the natural world too responded to the pandemic or could have. So, as Jackie had lost her creative muse the longer the "haze" drenched her community, the animals who normally would have been relegated to outside that community were able to find their way onto the quiet waterways, skies and land within. And for Jackie to find that nature was coming to her to awaken her imagination was a lovely positive during a dark time. Of course, it is still Jackie's imagination that helps her create a chimera–Andrew Katz discusses this in his appended note too–of the animals she sees, allowing her to travel in a flight of fancy to her beloved mountain to re-experience the joy of drawing outdoors.

 

Andrew Katz and Tony Luzano have previously collaborated on a picture book, I Want to Be Super!, so there seems to be a harmony of styles that works. Jackie's Drawing is again about an imaginative kid and Tony Luzano's digital art reflects every nuance of a child who is enthusiastic but then loses that enthusiasm when troubled with isolation and then finds a way to regain that passion for her art. His use of bold colours and distinct animals places the emphasis on the wonders outside and in Jackie's artwork, not on the grim haze that permeates their world for such a long time. He finds the light for her and for the reader to get beyond that haze of bleakness. 

The first year of the pandemic was especially difficult for many people but for children whose creativity was stifled, it might have been more challenging. Finding new things to do helped many but only coming after feeling the loss of their routines and familiar activities. Finding their new normal involved grief, courage, and imagination. Thankfully for Jackie, she found her ability to express herself from the very same source of encouragement she'd always relied upon, just in a different configuration.

The Comfort Tree

Written and illustrated by Holly Carr

Plumleaf Press

978-1-738165230

48 pp.

Ages 4-8

August 2024

 

For many people, a tree is just a tree. It's a woody plant that reaches above the ground. Sometimes it's green and sometimes it's not. But trees are so much more than just what we see. They are life. And this tree is a comfort tree to the many species that make the forest their home.

From The Comfort Tree, written and illustrated by Holly Carr

This tree is an oak and so it begins life as an acorn, dropped from the bill of a blue jay. It grows until it towers over the forest and is named the Comfort Tree by the forest animals.

From The Comfort Tree, written and illustrated by Holly Carr

For each animal, the tree provides comfort, whether for its views for Raven or its food and storage facilities for Squirrel. In different seasons, the tree provides shelter whether for Lynx who rests on the tree's limbs or in its fallen leaves like Rabbit and Deer. For some, its comfort derives from the aesthetic, Fox appreciating its fall leaves that match its fur or Blue Jays that enjoy playing in its branches. The Comfort Tree provides for all the animals in its own way throughout the year.

From The Comfort Tree, written and illustrated by Holly Carr

Holly Carr, an artist from Nova Scotia, is best known for her painting on silk, a unique medium that produces fabulous forms when paint is applied. Holly Carr's art in The Comfort Tree is extraordinary, intricate and textured, emulating the layers of leaves whether in the tree or in the litter beneath it, or the complexity of animal features like feathers. The patterning of tree and animal and scene require more than a cursory look. They demand the reader stop and look for the bees, the fungi, the butterflies, and more. Her art tells a story of a comfort but also of life cycles, the seasons, and the interrelationships of all living things. It's a big story. Holly Carr's remarkable art matches that story, page for page.

From The Comfort Tree, written and illustrated by Holly Carr

The story of the Comfort Tree goes beyond the forest, with Holly Carr starting dialogues about ways for children to comfort themselves. She acknowledges that there are different strategies, including breathing, going into nature, and stretching, that can all be helpful. (She provides QR codes to activities to help young people to stretch or to visit a forest and listen to Nova Scotian birds.) But first try a walk to the Comfort Tree with Raven, Blue Jay, Deer, Owl, and others to find comfort vicariously. It's as wonderful as forest bathing in vivid colours and the soothing shapes of the natural world, and you don't need to find transport to get there.

Sea Snooze

Written by Sarabeth Holden

Illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-442-4

28 pp.

Ages 3-5

July 2024

 

While a mother reads a bedtime story to her children perched in their bed, their imaginations are invited to soar.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

All aboard our little boat!

We'll sail all night. Let's see where we float!

In their dream boat, they travel far and wide, over mountains and icy seas, where the stars shine bright and guide their way. They see gulls and guillemots, minke whales and belugas, and seals.  As the animals play and feed, the children sail across the waves.

Minkes in the sound exhale from their spouts,

spraying drops of sparkling water all about.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

These are but their dreams, spurred on by their mother's reading and their own lives in an Arctic environment. In fact, their bedroom provides all the setting elements, from the animals in a mobile near the bed, to a wallpaper border of water and starry sky, and stuffed bears and narwhal. (If readers look closely, they'll see the patches on the balloon tethered to their boat match those of the well-loved stuffed narwhal toy on the bed.) Their dreams come from their lives: the bed is their boat, its blankets their sails, and their experiences, from snacking on seaweed and fish to watching the wildlife of their Arctic home, give texture to their dreams.

Soon the morning will come,

the sunshine glittering gold,

with all the wonders that

the new day holds.

What a lovely rhyming text to send your own young ones into their nightly respite! They may not know of an Arctic home with an ocean rich with wildlife both in the water and above it, but they'll appreciate taking a boat to a wondrous place with familiar elements from their own lives. Author Sarabeth Holden, who also wrote Please Don't Change My Diaper! and Benny the Bananasaurus Rex, both of which were also illustrated by Emma Pedersen, may currently live in Toronto but her experiences living in Nunavut and being a mother feed her stories. Sea Snooze speaks to parents putting little ones to bed and to those same little ones visiting dreamland via their own experiences. A co-founder of the Toronto Inuit Association, Sarabeth Holden embeds this story in modern Inuit life whose homes could be anywhere in Canada. But, by emphasizing the landscape that only those of the far north would understand and the inclusion of an occasional Inuktitut word, Sarabeth Holden helps us see that the dreams of these children are unique to their home, and all the richer for their familiarity with it. Yet, with her energetic rhyming that has us travelling with the children on their dream boat, Sarabeth Holden is singing a lullaby for children to rest, imagine, and enjoy their lives in a different way.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Emma Pedersen keeps the playful in the soothing tranquility of children heading to sleep and into their dreams. From their colourful pajamas and bedding to their assortment of toys and art, these kids have wonderful energy to feed those dreams. And though their dreamworld is mostly one of dark turquoises and blues, not unlike the Arctic Ocean and a night sky, Emma Pedersen infuses those scapes with warmth in the playfulness of the animals and the whimsy in their faces and in the clouds. 

 

You might want to read Sea Snooze to your own little ones, perhaps before bedtime, so that they might be encouraged to use their imaginations to discover their own sleep journeys. Their beds may be different, their toys unlike those in Sea Snooze, and the animals they have seen a far cry from the narwhal and the minke whale, but hopefully they'll have their own foundation for dreams to bring joy and contentment and, of course, sleep.

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.

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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! 

 

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