Pugs Cause Traffic Jams

Written by Jennifer McGrath

Illustrated by Kathryn Durst

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0340-1

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

May 2022

 

When Kirby, her pug, goes missing, this child searches all over town, inquiring of others with their own dogs, as to any sightings. There's Mrs. Gossman with her golden retriever and Mr. McCraig the crossing guard with his helpful border collie. Then there's Casey with his ball-playing lab and Jo and Jan with their Doberman. There are countless dogs and their people all over town and, while she politely asks for help finding her chubby pug with his macaroni-shaped tail, Kirby is out on the road causing mayhem for drivers and then the police and the community as a whole.

From Pugs Cause Traffic James by Jennifer McGrath, illus. by Kathryn Durst

There are poodles and chihuahuas, huskies and terriers, German shepherds, afghans and basenjis. But no Kirby, the pug, who has left the comforts of his home to follow a butterfly.

From Pugs Cause Traffic James by Jennifer McGrath, illus. by Kathryn Durst

And, oh, the chaos while Kirby plays with the butterfly, oblivious to everyone around him trying to avoid him and instead having collisions and dropping their loads and getting snarled in traffic. But, it's with that attention–in fact, Kirby becomes a bit of a celebrity–that the child is able to finally be reunited with her beloved pooch.

From Pugs Cause Traffic James by Jennifer McGrath, illus. by Kathryn Durst

My, my, my! Kirby may be unaware of the pandemonium and subsequent distinction given to him–there is a sign "Pug 4 Prez" and pugarazzi wanting his pawtograph–but he has always been a star to his girl. His household toys, treats, food and sleeping accommodations suggest a well-loved dog, not unlike the plethora of other breeds that ride in cars with their people, play and work and offer companionship. So, while New Brunswick author Jennifer McGrath introduces young readers to many, many dog breeds and their characteristics, she puts her tongue firmly in cheek, makes a few puns, and lets us join Kirby on his adventure, ultimately a safe one, to be the playful rover of Pugs Cause Traffic Jams. Moreover, Jennifer McGrath shows us the absurdity of those who declare celebrity for trifling matters, with photographers, police, podcasters, news people and fans pursuing the latest trend without question. It's only the children who notice Kirby for the lost dog that he is.

While there's a lot of accuracy in Toronto artist Kathryn Durst's illustrations, easily distinguishing the various dog breeds with their colourings, temperaments and morphologies, she keeps the artwork playful and energized, suitable for a story of an AWOL dog who unknowingly creates havoc. As bold as Kirby's spirit for adventure are Kathryn Durst's art created in pencil and pencil crayon with digital graphic apps Procreate and Photoshop. The illustrations are striking in their colour and shape, offering semi-realism with cartoon sass.

For young readers and especially those who are dog-lovers, Pugs Cause Traffic Jams will make them think twice about dropping their guard around their audacious pets, especially those special pugs, but also recognize that celebrating their pets' uniqueness doesn't require the spotlight of social media. Just being their canine selves should be enough to afford love and attention.

Death & Sparkles

Written and illustrated by Rob Justus

Chronicle Books

978-1-7972-0635-6

368 pp.

Ages 10-14

October 2021

Death has no friends–why would he when his touch kills everything, except if it has a hard shell–and Sparkles, the Last Unicorn, is a celebrity with countless admiring fans a.k.a. Besties worldwide. In Death & Sparkles, the unlikely duo defy all odds to become something special to each other.

Yep, death is no fun...

and it's no fun being Death, either. (pg. 18)

Death, the purple-cloaked floating grim reaper of Rob Justus's latest graphic novel, has a lonely job fulfilling the claims he is sent daily. (Boy, does he have paperwork and emails!)

From Death & Sparkles by Rob Justus

But everything changes when Sparkles, the well-branded, world-famous and last unicorn, is coerced into yet-another stunt to promote his socks. A wild chariot ride between tall buildings doesn't go to plan and he makes the acquaintance of Death (who still takes a moment for a selfie). However, Sparkles's transition to the other side likewise doesn't go to plan, first because his horn has broken off in Death's backside and secondly, because he's told he has wasted his life with vanity and ego and must change his ways.

 

From Death & Sparkles by Rob Justus

After Sparkles is recognized by a group of farmers and his cupcake partying with them results in their deaths–Death simply falls into the crowd–the once much-loved unicorn is vilified and the media and his fans turn on him. After all, they are now following the popular Lizard Bros, three lizards from across the universe who having arrived to help the planet become "responsible cosmic citizens" but were recruited by Sparkles's sleazy manager to promote skateboards and energy drinks. 

In a tug-of-war between being popular and doing what's right, the characters in Rob Justus's latest graphic novel exemplify the worst of celebrity, marketing and media. Though Sparkles is the bright and colourful Last Unicorn, he is also just a marketing ploy, a creature with a high opinion of himself, who loves being adored and fawned over, and living a life of shallow pursuits. He is manipulated by his manager, his fans and even the media. They all support him as they want him to be but not the real Sparkles, or at least the Sparkles he could be. Death, on the other hand, becomes a sympathetic character, one who is just doing his job and craving a friend. Both characters change to become better versions of themselves because of their acquaintance and ultimately their friendship. And Rob Justus gives us laughs and rainbows and silliness as he takes us along with them on their journey of self-discovery, growth and triumph.

I believe there will be more Death & Sparkles stories judging by the "Next Time with Death & Sparkles" section at the end of this book and I'm all for it. From the hilarity of his story lines and characters to the joy of his artwork (yes, even in death), to the important messages about media, celebrity and trends, Rob Justus has given young readers a story that is light and enlightening.

The Center of the Universe

Written by Ria Voros

KCP Loft (An imprint of Kids Can Press)

978-1-5253-0038-7

512 pp.

Ages 14-18

April 2019

...we slam into people around us, invisibly, all the time. Through things we say and don't say. What we do and don't do. That we are slowly changed by the constant bombardment. That we consume and are consumed, until we become products of our interactions, made of old and new parts, simultaneously broken and healing. (pg. 351)

When her mother, GG Carter, celebrity and news anchor, goes missing, seventeen-year-old Grace's world becomes warped, though not shattered. She'd already been arguing with her mother who is obsessed with her reputation and her work, often putting it before her family, even missing out on important events like Grace's astrophotography exhibit. (Grace is a budding astronomer, an active member of Star Club and a fan of Elizabeth Tasker.) Though Grace thinks her mother has been more stressed lately, it's evident that her mother has been keeping her cards close to her chest for awhile, and Dad even wonders if GG just needed some time away. But when Grace's dad gets a text from GG that reads "I'm not coming back. Don't look for me. Goodbye." (pg. 50), which he is convinced didn't come from her, Grace begins to pull memories and evidence together to learn what truly happened to her mother.

In tandem with her mother's disappearance, Grace is connecting with her crush, Mylo McLean, who has his own family issues including a powerful mother whose parenting causes him much stress. Together Grace and Mylo support each other knowing the struggle of having well-known mothers but, when Mylo admits that his father has been gone for five years and may be living on the street, the two realize that being in limbo puts them in a similarly unique place, the Perpetual Waiting Room (PWR).

He could sit in my PWR with me because we actually shared the waiting room. We were sitting against the same wall, staring at the same old magazines, waiting for different people to come through the door. (pg. 201)

The Center of the Universe may revolve around GG Carter's disappearance as her family struggles to learn what happened to her and then to reorganize upon her return home but she is not the center of Grace's universe. Her actions may impact her daughter but Grace exerts her own pull on those around her. While she may not realize her impact, she still draws others to her, including her young brother, her grandmother, her friends, her love interest and even her mother, and it's her story that Ria Voros has appropriately made the focal point. There is much discussion about perspectives and perceptions, especially with regards to GG Carter's back story, but Ria Voros makes Grace a compassionate and astute teen, especially as she attempts to process what she learns about her mother, while choosing what and whom she needs in her own life.

Ria Voros has written an extraordinary young adult novel about a mother-daughter relationship that is turned inside out but, first and foremost, The Center of the Universe is a coming of age for Grace as she learns who she is, with and without her mother, and that she is a star in her own universe.

A Horse Named Steve

Written and illustrated by Kelly Collier

Kids Can Press

978-1-77138-736

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

April 2017

Steve is a horse who wants to be exceptional.  When he finds a golden horn in the woods, he attaches it by string to his head, convinced it will make him very special. As Steve parades it in front of his miscellaneous animal friends, cooing about how fancy he is and how ordinary everyone else is, the horn begins to slip from his head until it’s hanging around his neck.  As the other animals begin attaching random embellishments like a branch, an acorn, a mushroom, or a leafy twig to their own heads, Bob the raccoon reveals to Steve that there is no beautiful gold horn on the horse’s head.  Steve starts to panic, searching everywhere and crying despairingly.  When he is convinced that his horn has fallen into the water, Steve demonstrates the lengths to which he’ll go to be considered distinct, revealing more about his desire for individuality than it does for his need for celebrity.

From A Horse Named Steve 

by Kelly Collier

There is definitely a Mélanie Watt Scaredy Squirrel tone to A Horse Named Steve, primarily because of Kelly Collier’s ridiculously self-absorbed horse, sidebar comments throughout the multi-fonted text, and the awkward relationships between Steve and his cohorts.  But A Horse Named Steve is as unique as Steve himself wants to be.  Few characters are a blend of Steve’s ludicrousness and wretchedness so evident in his pursuit, especially since he is convinced that a golden horn will fulfil that need.  But Steve is more childish than mean, craving attention and not knowing how to get it in a positive way.  Kelly Collier’s story reminds us how much the world is driven by individuals desiring fame and celebrity when their uniqueness would serve them better in highlighting their exceptionalities.

A Horse Named Steve is a quirky story about a horse who doesn’t realize how original he already is, and Kelly Collier’s illustrations are as eccentric as he is.  With simple lines and very few colours (black and white with beige), Kelly Collier both pokes fun at her characters, whose distinct facial expressions share hidden meaning, and society in general while amusing young readers with the absurdity of Steve’s passion for a distinction he already has.  They’ll laugh at his silliness but I hope they’ll appreciate his differences as hallmarks of extraordinariness.

From A Horse Named Steve 

by Kelly Collier

A Taste of Heaven

by Meg Tilly
Puffin / Penguin Canada
978-0-14-318249-8
258 pp.
Ages 8-12
2013

With the recent presentation of the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards, more Canadians will know the name of actress Meg Tilly, who won Best Actress in a Drama Series for her work in Bomb Girls, Global TV's original series about women working in a 1940's munitions factory.  Some may even recall her noteworthy performances in the highly-acclaimed movies The Big Chill (1983) and Agnes of God (1985).

But, readers of youngCanLit have had Meg Tilly on their radar more recently with the short-listing of her middle-grade novel Porcupine (Tundra, 2007) for the 2008 Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children Award.  Now Meg Tilly has come back to the youngCanLit stage with her newest book, A Taste of Heaven.

For some, A Taste of Heaven may be chocolates and candies, as the cover suggests, but everyone has their own vision of what constitutes heaven. In this "the-grass-is-always-greener" story, the town of Rosedale is delighted with the news that a TV series starring Hollywood actors Jessica Ashton and Grant Palmer will be filming there. The book's protagonist, Madison Stokes, is thrilled at the prospect, even if her five-year-old sister Gina can't appreciate it, and her mom is just too busy going to her bank job while her dad keeps looking for more than a part-time job.  A lot of the kids at school are also hyped about the filming, especially snooty Olivia who is convinced she'll get a part, since her mother runs modelling and tap classes.  But when a new girl arrives the second week of school, Olivia finds Alyssa Hawkins to be a snob, though Madison is happy to befriend her.  

In fact, Madison and Alyssa become fast friends, with Alyssa spending a lot of time at Madison's house, playing in the room she shares with Gina and enjoying helping with chores and eating with the family.  When Madison asks about visiting Alyssa at her house, Alyssa is reluctant but welcomes her new friend to the massive house with its flawlessly decorated rooms, elaborate menus and staff, including a housekeeper and driver.  Alyssa may feel imperfect in her own home but her art studio where she paints allows her the freedom to be herself.  When Madison learns that Alyssa's mom is the actor Jessica Ashton, she promises to keep her secret, even if Madison then feels more embarrassed about her own family.  Understandably so, especially after a very funny scene in which little Gina is sitting on the toilet using her sister's baseball mitt to catch her poop!

But the friendship falters when Madison becomes uncomfortable with the lies she must tell her family in order to keep her promise to Alyssa.  So, though she has been discretely helping Alyssa to learn the identity of her father, Madison is accused of wanting to tell the tabloids and of revealing Alyssa's secret to her classmates.

Having moved regularly because of her mother's profession, Alyssa is new to having and being a friend. As such, she purports to trust Madison but she is too ready to accept that Madison would deceive her to the paparazzi and the tabloids. Similarly, Alyssa has not given her own mother a chance to do the right thing with regards to sharing the identify of Alyssa's father. Given the opportunity to share or defend Alyssa, both Madison and Jessica Ashton are respectful and accommodating. But, like many young people, having taken few opportunities to develop friendships or engage her mother, Alyssa doesn't know what to expect and consequently she is most comfortable expecting disappointment. There are more than a few lessons to learn about friendship here.

But the message, that we often wish for that which another has, is explicitly depicted in A Taste of Heaven.  While Alyssa truly believes what Madison has is A Taste of Heaven, Madison revels in the wealth, celebrity and independence of Alyssa's existence.

"My crazy family ... and especially since yours is so fancy, I wanted everything to be perfect when you stayed overnight." 
...
"Coming here," Alyssa continued, "for me, it's like a taste of heaven." (pg. 102)

Meg Tilly shows that, while the worries of these middle-grade girls may not be life-threatening but rather anticipated stresses based in perception and humiliation, they are very real.  Madison and Alyssa each worry about others' perceptions of their wealth or lack thereof, their appearances, their acceptance by others, and their privacy.  Essentially they are concerned with possible emotional bullying that comes with rejection and dejection from those about whom they care and even those they don't. Luckily they both learn a little bit more about appreciating what they have rather than what they don't, a valuable lesson for anyone to learn or at least of which to be reminded.