Do You Know...Dinosaurs? Hyenas? Komodo Dragons? Praying Mantises?

Young readers of French non-fiction have been lucky to have Savait-tu...? books (from Éditions Michel Quintin) available since 2001 with at least 50 different titles available.  But since 2013, Fitzhenry & Whiteside has been publishing the series in English, called the Do You Know...? series, with the same authors and illustrator together.  I reviewed the first in September 2013 but here are volumes 9-12 and I'd like to remind readers about these non-fiction gems.  Non-fiction can be so...o...o dry but there are only a few authors that consistently present it in informative and entertaining formats.  Some key youngCanLit authors of non-fiction include Elizabeth MacLeod, Monica Kulling, Susan Hughes, Rob Laidlaw, Bill Swan, Keltie Thomas and Helaine Becker with each having their own specialty. History, biography, animal rights, justice, sports and trivia are usually well-covered but the trio of Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar bring a refreshing perspective to animal non-fiction and young readers love it. I'd love to get more teacher-librarians, teachers, parents and readers as excited about this series as I am!


Do You Know Dinosaurs?
Written by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar
Illustrated by Sampar
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
64 pp.
Ages 7-11
May, 2014

Do You Know Hyenas?

Written by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar

Illustrated by Sampar

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

64 pp.

Ages 7-11

May, 2014

Do You Know Komodo Dragons?

Written by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar

Illustrated by Sampar

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

64 pp.

Ages 7-11

May, 2014

Do You Know Praying Mantises?

Written by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar

Illustrated by Sampar

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

64 pp.

Ages 7-11

May, 2014

From Do You Know Hyenas?
by Alain M. Bergeron et al., 2014

The integration of key facts about the animal within a double-spread illustration of a humourous situation depicting that fact works so well for both verbal and visual learners who will remember that information better for that pairing. For example, in the illustration to the right, the hyena's very thorough feeding on a carcass is depicted by the few bits left over for the vulture who sarcastically thanks the hyena for, like, nothing! Eating habits, morphology, reproduction, behaviour, mobility and more are covered within these graphics. And, as a teacher, I appreciate the subtle humour that provides me with a perfect vehicle for looking at inferencing skills.

Don't read these because of their educational value, though it is there.  And don't purchase them because they're new and unlikely to be in school or children's collections.  But do purchase them for their unique presentation of information and the laughter that will have your little ones easily remembering and sharing what they've read with pleasure.

Kung Pow Chicken: Let's Get Cracking!

by Cyndi Marko

Scholastic

978-0-545-61061-2

80 pp.

Ages 5-7

January 2014

Young readers who believe they're too old for picture books (though I believe no one ever is!) and still not proficient readers for humourous illustrated novels like the ever popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Kinney, Harry N. Abrahms), Dear Dumb Diary (Benton, Scholastic) or Geronimo Stilton (Stilton, Scholastic) will love this new Kung Pow Chicken series from Cyndi Marko.  Forget that Scholastic Branches books, written at a Gr. 2 reading level, should appeal to Gr.1-3 readers, though they will.  Focus on the hysterical word play, weirdly funny plots, empowered superhero chickens and the laughter that young readers will not be able to contain.

Gordon Blue was an ordinary chicken until he and his younger brother Benny fell into a vat of goopy green toxic sludge at their Uncle Quack's science lab. Now Gordon Blue's birdy senses tingle when there's wrong-doing happening, and he and baby brother transform (with a leotard outfit change) into superhero Kung Pow Chicken and his sidekick Egg Drop!  In Let's Get Cracking, the chickens and their classmates head to the Fowl Fall Festival in their city of Fowladelphia.  When chickens at the Festival start losing their feathers in explosive reactions to cookies they've eaten, and sales of Granny Goosebump's Warm Woolies sweaters skyrocket, Kung Pow Chicken and Egg Drop are on the case. 

I don't know where Cyndi Marko has been before Kung Pow Chicken but I'm going to assume she's young and just getting started in children's books.  Because if Let's Get Cracking is any indication of the breadth of her illustrating skill and quirky funny-bone and word play, it would have been shame to have missed out on her creations.  Luckily, there are multiple volumes of Kung Pow Chicken on the publishing horizon and I intend to purchase them all for my school library.  I suggest other teacher-librarians, public librarians, parents and grandparents consider doing the same to encourage early readers to transition from picture books to novels effortlessly and happily.

Retrieved from http://cyndimarko.com/my-books/ on March 8, 2013.

Do You Know Chameleons?

by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar

Illustrated by Sampar

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

978-1-55455-299-3

64 pp.

Ages 7+

August, 2013

Do You Know Chameleons?  If not, you soon will and that learning will be accompanied surprisingly by uproarious laughter that is rarely heard when young readers check out non-fiction.  Why does non-fiction have to be so dry?  Of course, there are many topics which cannot be lightened with humour because the tragedy and horror embedded therein.  But, what about when learning of chameleons (and toads, spiders, crocodiles, and then rats, leeches, crows and porcupines)?  Let's face it: chameleons are odd little organisms with their quirky nature of camouflage. (See why youngCanLit Camilla Chameleon by Colleen Sydor from Kids Can Press, 2005 was such a hit with kids.  But I digress.) So by taking advantage of the weird and wonderful and then developing a graphic Do You Know? series, Alain M. Bergeron, Michael Quintin and Sampar, courtesy of Fitzhenry & Whiteside, have just given young readers another reason to enjoy non-fiction.

From a graphic of a mother telling her chameleon son to look both ways before crossing the street to demonstrate the organism's independent eye movements (noted in captions) to the boxing match between two chameleons in which the victor becomes more colourful and the loser discolours, Do You Know Chameleons? is filled with bright cartoons depicting key attributes of these animals.  The readers may not always get the puns but they are sure to enjoy the chameleons and other animals as they shop, go to school, eat, fight, surprise and even get traffic tickets! A succinct but useful glossary and index complete the book's well organized format.

Other books in the series include the following:

Do You Know Crocodiles?

by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar

Illustrated by Sampar

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

978-1-55455-304-4

64 pp.

Ages 7+

August, 2013

Do You Know Spiders?

by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar

Illustrated by Sampar

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

978-1-55455-302-0

64 pp.

Ages 7+

August, 2013

Do You Know Toads?

by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar

Illustrated by Sampar

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

978-1-55455-303-7

64 pp.

Ages 7+

August, 2013

... and they are all equally engaging and informative.  I love this series!

Cats, Cats, More Cats: Book List

Yes, there is a day dedicated to my favourite furry companion. (Although if you ask a cat, every day should be World Cat Day.  And if you ask a cat person, every day becomes World Cat Day.)

There are so many books by Canadian authors and illustrators that feature felines that I can only provide a limited (!) number of titles and specs here.  Sorry, no room for even the briefest of synopses.

PICTURE BOOKS

The Baritone Cat
By Mora Skelton
Illustrated by Janet Wilson
Lester Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 4-6
1994

Caramba

By Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4+
2005

Caramba and Henry

By Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4+
2011

The Cat and the Wizard
By Dennis Lee
Illustrated by Gillian Johnson
Key Porter Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2001

The Cat Came Back

By Fred Penner 

Illustrated by Renee Reichert

Roaring Brook Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

2005

The Cat Came Back

By Bill Slavin

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 5-9

1992

A Cat in a Kayak

By Maria Coffey

Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

Annick Press

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

1998

A Cat Adrift

By Maria Coffey

Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

Annick Press

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

2002

 

The Cat's Pajamas

By Wallace Edwards

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

2010

Chester

By Mélanie Watt

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

2007

Chester’s Back!

By Mélanie Watt

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

2008

Chester’s Masterpiece

By Mélanie Watt

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

2010

The Chicken Cat
By Stephanie Simpson McLellan
Illustrated by Sean Cassidy
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 3-8
2000

Give Maggie a Chance

By Frieda Wishinsky

Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

32 pp.

Ages 5-7

2002

Maggie Can't Wait

By Frieda Wishinsky

Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

32 pp.

Ages 2-6

2009

The Klondike Cat

By Julie Lawson

Illustrated by Paul Mombourquette

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 5-9

2002

Lucy Maud and the Cavendish Cat

By Lynn Manuel

Illustrated by Janet Wilson

Tundra

32 pp.

Ages 7-10

1997

 

Miss Meow Pageant

By Ricardo Keens-Douglas

Illustrated by Marie laFrance

Annick Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

1998

Mister Got To Go: The Cat That Wouldn't Leave

By Lois Simmie

Illustrated by Cynthia Nugent

Red Deer College Press

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

1995

Mister Got To Go and Arnie

By Lois Simmie

Illustrated by Cynthia Nugent

Red Deer Press

32 pp.

Ages 4+

2012

Mister Got To Go, Where Are You?

By Lois Simmie

Illustrated by Cynthia Nugent

Red Deer Press

32 pp.

Ages 4+

2014

My Cat Isis

By Catherine Austen

Illustrated by Virginie Egger

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

2011

Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That

By Victoria Allenby

Illustrated by Tara Anderson

Pajama Press

32 pp.

Ages 2-5

2013

 

Pounce de Leon

By Tim Wynne-Jones

Illustrated by Alfredo Tapia

Red Deer Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

2009

Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been?

By Dan Bar-el

Illustrated by Rae Maté

Simply Read Books

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

2011

The Sleeping Porch 

By Ian Wallace

Groundwood Books

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

2008

The Snow Cat

By Dayal Kaur Khalsa

Tundra

24 pp.

Ages 4-8

1992

Stanley’s Little Sister

By Linda Bailey

Illustrated by Bill Slavin

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 2-8

2010

True Story

By Marty Chan

Illustrated by Lorna Bennett

Ink Jockey

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

2009

Wellington’s Rainy Day

By Carolyn Beck 

Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan

Orca Book Publishers

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

2011

Where's That Cat?
(previous title: Have You Seen Josephine?)
By Stéphane Poulin
Tundra
24 pp.
Ages 4-8
2003

Catch That Cat!  
(previous title: Can You Catch Josephine?)
By Stéphane Poulin
Tundra
24 pp.
Ages 4-8
2003

Could You Stop Josephine?
By Stéphane Poulin
Tundra
24 pp.
Ages 4-8
1986

You Can’t Rush a Cat

By Karleen Bradford 

Illustrated by Leslie Elizabeth Watts

Orca Book Publishers

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

2003

Zoom

By Tim Wynne-Jones 

Illustrated by Eric Beddows

Groundwood Books

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

2009

Zoom at Sea 

By Tim Wynne-Jones 

Illustrated by Eric Beddows

House of Anansi

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

1990

Zoom Upstream 

By Tim Wynne-Jones 

Illustrated by Eric Beddows

Groundwood Books

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

1992

Zoom Away

By Tim Wynne-Jones 

Illustrated by Eric Beddows 

Groundwood Books

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

1993

EASY READERS, GRAPHIC NOVELS and NOVELS

 

Andrew, Catch that Cat!

By Deanne Lee Bingham 

Illustrated by Kim LaFave

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

46 pp.

Ages 6-9

1999

Any Pet Will Do           

By Nancy Shouse             

Orca Book Publishers

106 pp.  

Ages 8-11

2005        

Binky the Space Cat

By Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press
64 pp.
Ages 7-10
2009

Binky to the Rescue

By Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press
64 pp.
Ages 7-10
2010

Binky Under Pressure

By Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press
64 pp.
Ages 7-10
2011

The Birthday Girl 

By Jean Little 

Illustrated by June Lawrason 

Orca Book Publishers

64 pp.

Ages 7-8

2004

Catboy 

By Eric Walters 

Orca Book Publishers

229 pp.

Ages 9-11

2011

Hunter 

By Eric Walters 

Orca Book Publishers

208 pp.

Ages 9-11

September 2012

Cat’s Eye Corner

By Terry Griggs

Raincoast Books

168 pp.

Ages 9-12

2002

The Circus Dogs of Prague

By Rachel Delaney

Puffin Canada

192 pp.

Ages 8+

2014

Feral

By Bev Cooke

Orca Book Publishers

197 pp.

Ages 13-15

2008

Fred's Dream Cat

By Marie-Danielle Croteau

Illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin

Translated by Sarah Cummins

Formac Publishing

61 pp.

Ages 8-9

1995

The Nine Lives of Travis Keating

By Jill MacLean

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

217 pp.

Ages 8-12

2008

The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy     

By Jill MacLean

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

217 pp.

Ages 8-12

2009

Nutz!
By Virginia Frances Schwartz
Illustrated by Christina Leist
Tradewind Books
120 pp.
Ages 8-11
2011

Plain Kate

By Erin Bow

Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic Canada

314 pp.

Ages 12-15

2010

TJ and the Cats

By Hazel Hutchins

Orca Book Publishers

108 pp.

Ages 8-11

2002

TJ and the Rockets

By Hazel Hutchins

Orca Book Publishers

105 pp.

Ages 8-11

2004

TJ and the Quiz Kids

By Hazel Hutchins    

Orca Book Publishers

128 pp.

Ages 8-11

2007

Apologies to those authors and illustrators whose books I missed including in this list, but my little one is calling for her tuna juice and I shouldn't keep her waiting, ever.

HAPPY  WORLD  CAT  DAY!