Still Alive (Kidnapped From Ukraine, Book 3)

Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Scholastic Press

978-1-5461-0457-5

320 pp.

Ages 8–12

April 2026 

 

 

While the war on Ukraine by Russia continues to this day, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is ready to resolve the story of twins Dariia and Rada Popkova. The story that began with Dariia's perspective on the attack and invasion of Ukraine in Under Attack (2025) after the girls' separation, and that led to Rada's story in Standoff (2025) comes full circle with a story that brings families together. They are still alive and fighting for themselves, each other, and their country.

 

Still Alive begins in November of 2022 with Rada and her mom living in a ski village in the Carpathian Mountains. Mom works as a manicurist at the Hotel Karpaty, and they are preparing to move into their prefab home in a new refugee area in nearby Prytulok. They receive unexpected messages from Dariia, who has been "adopted" by a Russian family in a Moscow suburb, with details about her "new" name and birthday, as well as those of other Ukrainian children who had been kidnapped to Russia. So begins their fight to get Dariia and the other children back to Ukraine.

 

With the help of Save Ukraine, a Ukrainian charitable organization whose initiatives includes rescue and reunification of children taken from Ukraine, Mom and Rada and their new family of friends get to work trying to find families of others so that they might rescue as many as possible. But it's an arduous task as all must be done legally, finding legal guardians, obtaining powers of attorney, and more.

 

The second part of the story comes after Dariia is rescued and comes to live with Mom and Rada. She may be back with much of her own family—the whereabouts of her soldier father are still unknown—but she must navigate a new reality. She and Rada may be twins but they have always been different. With the traumas that they have endured, it's not just being together like it had been. Here's healing that has to happen but still with the mission to help their country. In fact, they do even more. They find a way to...

...take a shattered world and make it into something beautiful. (pg. 273) 

A series titled Kidnapped From Ukraine does not intimate a story of joy.  Of course, a story based in the ongoing war on Ukraine could be nothing less than horrific. While Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is an author who tells real stories, she is also one who handles them with sensitivity, aware that there is a way to tell an impactful story and still offer reassurance. With Still Alive, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch remind us that this war is not over, and that people are still suffering. Rada's question about the senselessness of this war—"How much hate does it take to kill your neighbour with missiles aimed at churches, children, hospitals?" (pg. 43)—resonates throughout the book as Ukrainians consider atrocities, new or repeated. Their reactions are as diverse as their experiences but their resolve to do what they can—build drones, sew camouflage nets, feed abandoned animals—to save Ukraine is unmistakable. 

 

The Kidnapped From Ukraine trilogy may be disheartening in the nature of its story, but Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch heartens it by comforting young readers with a narrative of families, made and found, and hope for a new future.

 

Under Attack (2025)

Standoff (2025)

Still Alive (2026)

Best Friend, Worst Bully: Based on a True Story

Written and illustrated by Mei Yu

Union Square Kids

978-1-4549-5993-9

144 pp.

Ages 7–10

April 2026 

 

This is the story of friends, or it was until it wasn't. But that's the thing about friendships: they are dynamic. They change with circumstances both self-controlled and unplanned. It's why they are the source of much joy but also carry the potential for despair, as a young Mei Yu learns.  

From Best Friend, Worst Bully, written and illustrated by Mei Yu

Mei Yu wants to be best friends with Maggie forever. Along with Sophie, Maggie's best friend before Mei came along, Mei is hopeful that she'll have lifelong friends. But when Maggie moves away, Mei and Sophie become new friends, hanging out at Mei's house—though Mei is super embarrassed by her mother's heavily accented English that makes everything sound a little weird—shopping together, and more. Still, when Ella and Rola, two older girls in their split class, become jealous of Mei's drawing ability, they approach Sophie, convincing her that she can be cool like them if she does what she's told in dealing with Mei.

 

And though she's reluctant at first, Sophie is pleased to be more popular with the older girls and rudely snubs Mei. Mei's Happy Meter—one of the graphic meters she uses to depict her emotions—shatters. She discusses it with her sidekick Meiow as she's too scared to talk to anyone else about the bullying. But even though she feels completely alone, Eve and Izzy, two girls from another class, tell her they've had the same experiences with Ella and Rola, particularly their "bathroom game." After inviting Mei to be their friend, they advise her to just ignore Sophie and her fellow bullies. 

From Best Friend, Worst Bully, written and illustrated by Mei Yu

But then Sophie and her "friends" escalate their bullying, phoning Mei's home and leaving horrible messages. Determined to deal with the bullies, Mei uses her artistic talents to express her feelings, and expose Sophie, Ella, and Rola in her own way. 

From Best Friend, Worst Bully, written and illustrated by Mei Yu

I'm sad to think about all the kids out there targeted by bullies. For Mei and her friends, they are picked on for being talented, or tall, wearing glasses or liking hearts. The reasons bullies attack others are countless and meaningless. But when they involve more people, steal friends away, intrude on your home life, cause fear and sleepless nights, it's not "just" bullying. It is persecution. And for Mei Yu, main character and author-illustrator who debuted with her Silver Birch Express award-winning Lost and Found, that bullying is overwhelming and very realistic. And thank you, Mei Yu, for not giving us an unimaginable ending where all is right between Mei and Sophie. There was still forgiveness, but it is sheltered in the safety that Mei has in her art, in her new friends, and in her family. And in her understanding of what bullying is all about.

. . . and then I realized that bullies are silly! They can pick on anyone because of anything! (pg. 120)

Mei Yu's story is based on her own experiences, and her advice, to be strong and be yourself, will resonate with young readers, many of whom will have experienced or witnessed bullying. Coupled with Mei Yu's charming artwork—check out her YouTube channel for videos on her drawing—Best Friend, Worst Bully will speak to young readers with empathy for the bullying they have seen and with colour and cheer for the friendships they enjoy. Best Friend, Worst Bully is the best outcome coming from the worst situation.

A Friend is a Friend is a Friend

Written by Sara O'Leary

Illustrated by Qin Leng 

Groundwood Books

978-1-77946-026-4

32 pp.

Ages 3–6

April 2026 

 

A concern for many children entering a new situation, whether a new school, a new sports activity, or even a new neighbourhood, is whether they'll make any new friends. For this child, heading off to camp, the worry is very real, but she's hopeful of learning some new strategies from her peers.

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

Without ever asking a question—or does she?—a little girl gets different perspectives from other children. As the diverse and colourfully dressed children play on a massive tree, they are quoted about their friends and the basis for those friendships. The first piece of advice is about asking questions because that's how you learn if you have things in common with others. It might be a birthday, a favourite colour, or the need for quiet.

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

The variety of their experiences is rich, as are the friends they have. For one child, their best friend is their grandfather because they share stories. It could be a friend who supports you or one that you appreciate for the type of person they are. There are children who don't speak the same language but understand each other just the same. There is a child whose friend was a he and is now a she and that's okay since they still like doing the same things. There is a shy child, lifelong friends, and one who has an invisible friend. There are so many children, and they all make friends differently and make different friends. The richness of their experiences is only matched by the individuality of their friendships.

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

Sara O'Leary, author of A Family is a Family is a Family (2016) and A Kid is a Kid is a Kid (2021), gets to the heart of friendships by showing children that there is no right way to make a friend and be a friend. Her message is one of joy in the diversity of who we are and how we make friends. Without telling kids how they can make friends, she allows children to express their own feelings about their processes, giving them voice. (All responses by children to the unasked question of making friends are placed in quotation marks.) By giving them voice, Sara O'Leary lets young readers take what they want from the guidance of their peers, perhaps to help them make their own friends. And, with the wisdom of a compassionate adult, she reminds readers that, "It turns out that the best way to make a friend is to be one." (pg. 29)

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

A Friend is a Friend is a Friend has been illustrated by Qin Leng, as in the earlier books in this collection. Qin Leng's art, created with ink, marker, and watercolour, are distinct, both light in marks and bright in mood. She does well with stories with young children, giving them innocence, playfulness, and wonder. By making all the children unique in their demeanours and expressions, and by keeping them joyful and natural in the familiarity of play, Qin Leng helps reflect Sara O'Leary's emphasis on diversity and individuality.

  

There will always be those children who make friends very easily, never worrying about how to do it or if they can do it. But there are others for whom it is an uncertainly and even a fear, and A Friend is a Friend is a Friend will help them. Best of all, it's a sweet story without being a contrived teaching tool. And if your little one is heading to summer camp, or to kindergarten or a new school this fall, or you're planning on moving house, A Friend is a Friend is a Friend will reassure those for whom finding a friend may be more of a challenge. It reminds them that they can do it.

 • • • • • • •

 

A Family is a Family is a Family (2016)

A Kid is a Kid is a Kid (2021)

A Friend is a Friend is a Friend (2026)

Now I See . . . board book series

Written by Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Tundra Books

24 pp.

Ages 2–5

April 2026 

 

There are only 35 words in the four board books in Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen's new series, Now I See. That's because each book has the same 35 words, in the same order, and describing almost the same things. What changes is what is happening to the people and places over the four different seasons, and that is communicated with the dramatic and yet straightforward artwork of Jon Klassen.

 

The four books are as follows:

 

Now I See Spring

978-1-77488-673-1

Now I See Summer

978-1-77488-677-9

 

 

 

 

Now I See Fall

978-1-77488-665-6

 

 

 

Now I See Winter

978-1-77488-669-4

 

 

 

 

In each book, a double-page spread focuses on an illustration of one element and then its identification. They are the house; the tree; the garden; me (shadow of a child on the side of a house); some birds; a treat (that's nice and sweet); the farm; the sky; the wise old cat; something red; and the perfect hat. The final text is a declaration that, "it's my favorite time of the year." But, in each book, each element is a little different. The tree might be leafing out in Now I See Spring, fully green in summer, losing its red leaves in the fall, and bare in the winter. Each season brings something different in where we live, what we wear, what we like to eat, and what we see. And they are all true.

From Now I See Spring, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen collaborate to produce extraordinary books. There's their Caldecott Honor books Extra Yarn (2012) and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole (2014)—Jon Klassen won the Caldecott Medal for his own This Is Not My Hat (2012)—and their Shape trilogy of Triangle (2017), Square (2018) and Circle (2019). The Now I See books equal these earlier books in their verve, teaching an important concept without instruction. They teach by helping children make observations and connect to that which they experience in their own lives. And, by reading all four books together, children will see how the seasons change and their reading of simple words, repeated in each book, will be reinforced.

From Now I See Winter, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Mac Barnett gets the text right by keeping the words simple—mostly articles and nouns—and giving them rhythm, though not necessarily rhyme. The text has a quiet pep to it, carrying the reader from one scene to another. And Jon Klassen's watercolour and digital art is the ideal medium for giving a lot in an unambiguous way. His lines and shapes give us the seasons with their distinctions, emphasizing both colour and shape to the familiar and perhaps less familiar. 

From Now I See Summer, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Exceptional concept books are those that do more than teach. They delight with their words, they charm with their artwork, and they engage readers by inviting them to be part of the story. Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen's Now I See series is fresh in its exceptionality.

Visions From the Fire (Dreams, Book 2)

Written by Wanda John-Kehewin

Illustrated by nicole marie burton

Colour by Rhael McGregor 

Lettering by Kielamel Sibal

HighWater Press (Portage & Main)

978-1-77492-065-7

80 pp.

Ages 12+

Releases February 24, 2026 

 

Visions From the Fire starts with a bang. Damon and his classmates are preparing to graduate from high school. And Damon, his mom, and his friend Journey are then heading out to his mom's reserve, which she hasn't visited for fifteen years, for a powwow. And Damon's classmate and bully, Marcus, who'd taunted the teen relentlessly about his Indigenous heritage, has recently learned this his own mother is Cree, part of the Sixties Scoop, though she shrugs it off as "not a big deal." (pg. 2) If that isn't enough happening in Damon's life, then there is the gifting of a bear claw necklace made by his mom that gives him visions of her abandonment on the reserve. He asks her but she doesn't want to talk about it.

What's there to talk about? When stuff hurts, Indians try to forget about it. They bury it deep inside 'til it stops hurting. Counsellors call it suppression. I call it survival. Still not ready, son. (pg. 13)

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

Unfortunately, they do have a blow up when Damon's mom inadvertently learns her son has contacted his dad and intends to meet up with him at the powwow. She's angry at him for not trusting her enough to tell her, and he's angry at her for her reaction and trying to control him. It's not a good way to arrive at the reserve. 

 

Soon after, Damon's mom takes off in his car, and he worries she might be drinking and driving. He goes for a walk and meets an older man who seems almost otherworldly, turning rain off and on, making fire of wet wood, and knowing more than Damon thinks he should. 

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

But this man is wise, and he has some choice words for Damon about listening instead of talking, about sitting on the fence, and more. When the man is gone, Damon finds the bear claw necklace in his pocket and is transported by vision to see what his mother experienced, what Journey experienced, and even what his ancestors discussed when faced with starvation or signing a treaty.  

When you don't know who you are, life becomes a tough journey. Same for your mother and your father. (46) 

Still, it's what happens afterwards, meeting family he'd never known but who know him and his gifts, attending a sweat lodge, and learning that he has been chosen, that leads Damon into his next story.

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

Road trips are often transformative. They give opportunities for discussions either previously avoided or finally deemed necessary. A little thing, like Damon asking his mother why she hated being called, "Ma," opens up a lot about her mother, about Damon's dad and about his mom's relationship with him and with drink. Unfortunately, with the arrogance of youth, Damon goes after his mother, accusing her of trying to control him, never recognizing she knows more than he does about her situation. But this journey is but one step in Damon's exploration of self: where he comes from, and perhaps where he is going. Wanda John-Kehewin, who introduced Damon and Journey and others in Visions of the Crow is taking Damon slowly to where he needs to find himself. And while he sees himself through his experiences and through those of his mother, of Journey, and of others who interact with him, his visions of what has happened to them and his ancestors give him insight into his own actions and needs. This richness of self is embedded in Damon's Cree heritage, especially once he arrives at the reserve in Saskatchewan. From the language—kindly translated as needed—to the cultural traditions like the sweat and the offering of tobacco, Wanda John-Kehewin lets us know that being Cree is part of Damon, though there is still much for him to learn.

From Visions From the Fire, written by Wanda John-Kehewin, illustrated by nicole marie burton

nicole marie burton, who also illustrated Book 1 in the Dreams series (Visions of the Crow, 2023), blends realism with the intangible. Damon is a contemporary teen who listens to his music, goes to school, argues with his mom, and deals with life. But, he sees into the past and into the lives of others, experiencing surreal episodes that nicole marie burton makes believable. They use darkness and textured iridescence to transport the reader to different places and times, convincing us that Damon's vision has shifted. There are hints in the clothing and the scenery, as well as in Wanda John-Kehewin's words, but nicole marie burton shows us without telling us that Damon is going through something cathartic.

 

There is still story to be told, including Damon meeting his father, Damon and Journey's relationship, and Marcus's identification as Cree. But I know that, like Damon's journey, it will happen in due course, with help from those past and present, and be revealed as necessary. Wanda John-Kehewin cares enough to ensure the story is told in its time, making sure that Damon's self-actualization is real, personal, and complete.

 

• • • • • • •

 

Dreams 

 

Visions of the Crow (2023)

Visions From the Fire (2026)

 

Anne of Green Gables: The Chapter Book Collection

Adapted by Kallie George

Illustrated by Abigail Halpin

Tundra Books

978-1-774887905

Ages 6–9

October 2025

 

Last year, the world celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. That book, published in 1908, continues to enamour its fans and new readers. While the book and its sequels have captivated readers of all ages, its language, particularly vocabulary, is more challenging for younger readers since it is generally more suitable for those 12 years of age and older. But it would be a shame for those younger readers to miss out on the enchantment that is Anne. To that end, Kallie George, writer of the Heartwood Hotel and The Magical Animal Adoption Agency series, and illustrator Abigail Halpin have found the perfect means to introduce early readers to this red-haired star.

Now, Tundra Books is releasing a boxed set of the six previously-published books of stories adapted by Kallie George and illustrated by Abigail Halpin from the Anne of Green Gables story. These are the six books that are included in the set:

1.    Anne Arrives (2018)
2.    Anne's Kindred Spirits (2019)
3.    Anne's School Days (2021)
4.    Anne's Tragical Tea Party (2022)
5.    Anne Dares (2023) 
6.    Anne Dreams (2024)
 
By dividing up Anne's story into six short (64-72 pages long) books, Kallie George's adaptation is manageable as well as thorough. And with Abigail Halpin's illustrations, the books are enriched with colour and detail.  

From Anne Arrives, adapted by Kallie George, illustrated by Abigail Halpin

Anne's story begins with Anne Arrives. All the key elements of Anne's beginnings, from Matthew picking her up at the station and being surprised by her being a girl, to Marilla's wanting to return Anne to the orphanage, and the altercation with Mrs. Rachel Lynde are included. There is a sweeter tone to the story than perhaps the original, though Anne's angst at being returned to the orphanage and her anger at having her hair compared to carrots are evident. 

That night, she cried herself to sleep. Not even the beautiful cherry tree outside her window made her feel better. (Anne Arrives, p. 27)

From Anne's School Days, adapted by Kallie George, illustrated by Abigail Halpin

Anne's Kindred Spirits focuses on the girl's friendship with Diana, while Anne's School Days highlights her relationship with Gilbert Blythe. Anne's Tragical Tea Party centers on Anne and Diana's relationship, from an infamous tea party that becomes a disaster because of some misguided sharing of cordial to Anne's redemption by caring for Diana's little sister.

The final two books in this adaptation show us Anne as she grows as a person, first finding the courage to take on some daring exploits including public speaking (Anne Dares), and then daring to dream of being a raven-haired beauty and going to college (Anne Dreams)

From Anne Dreams, adapted by Kallie George, illustrated by Abigail Halpin

Without giving us every part of Anne's original story, Kallie George gives us the key anecdotes and a true sense of Anne the girl. Her spirit and the foibles come through loud and clear in the stories, the dialogue and her thoughts. Making Anne the full character she is while using a reduced vocabulary and simpler text is an achievement, and it is one that young readers will appreciate, especially once they get to read the original. 

 

Abigail Halpin complements the story of Anne with her illustrations which are rendered in graphite, watercolour and coloured pencils and then coloured digitally. The artwork is plentiful, at least once on every double-page spread, and contribute greater detail than can be provided in the limited text needed for early readers. From Marilla's distress at Anne's green hair in Anne Dreams to the period clothing of the girls—oh, those puffy sleeves Anne wanted so desperately (Anne Dares)—Abigail Halpin takes us into the lives of Anne and her friends and family and to visit Green Gables, the schoolhouse and the Lake of Shining Waters. 

 

These six books have given us Anne. Her story may look a little different because of the text and the artwork but Anne, in all her splendour and simplicity, is truly here. And now, younger readers can meet her and experience why the world adores her.

"I am not changed," Anne said to Marilla. "Not really. I've grown and branched out. But me, the real me, is just the same. Where I go or how much I change on the outside won't make a difference." (Anne Dreams, p. 58)

The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island (Wild By Nature)

Written by Deborah Hodge

Illustrated by Karen Reczuch

Groundwood Books

978-1-773067186 

32 pp. 

Ages 3–7 

August 2025 

 

Children's non-fiction books generally take two formats: one as a story, and the other as an information book with graphs, maps, info boxes, a glossary and more. Both formats work but some stories work better one way than the another. For the Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, Deborah Hodge and Karen Reczuch's chose to tell their story as a narrative, taking readers right onto the island and making them witness to the lives of these seabirds. 

From The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, written by Deborah Hodge, illustrated by Karen Reczuch

First, Deborah Hodge transports us to Triangle Island, an isolated island off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. This Ecological Reserve is protected, as is the Marine Wildlife Area around it, offering safety for millions of seabirds from people and land predators. Each year, more than 50,000 Tufted Puffins return in the spring and, after finding their mates, prepare burrows in which nests are created.

From The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, written by Deborah Hodge, illustrated by Karen Reczuch

In addition to recounting the life cycle from the laying of the egg to it hatching six weeks later, Deborah Hodge discusses the food and feeding of the Tufted Puffins, the fledging of the birds, and their end-of-summer departure to the North Pacific. It's not until the birds are mature that they will return to Triangle Island to start new lives with the laying of eggs.

From The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, written by Deborah Hodge, illustrated by Karen Reczuch

While Deborah Hodge does append her story with a graphic list of other seabirds of Triangle Island and extensive information about the island itself—an extraordinary place of seabird diversity and national and provincial protection—including further reading, she stays true to a narrative. From their arrival to their breeding, departure and return, the lives of the Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island are told with simplicity but heart. It is evident that Deborah Hodge has a deep appreciation for this place and its wildlife and the need to protect them all.

From The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, written by Deborah Hodge, illustrated by Karen Reczuch

The remarkable beauty of Triangle Island and its uncommon accommodation of seabirds, among which the Tufted Puffins are but one species, is gloriously portrayed in Karen Reczuch's watercolour and coloured pencil illustrations. The scientific accuracy is there but it's Karen Reczuch's style of creating textures in the birds, in the landscape and with her perspective that generates an elegance of graphic storytelling.  

 

Karen Reczuch and Deborah Hodge have collaborated on previous picture books in their West Coast Wild series (e.g., West Coast Wild Rainforest and West Coast Wild ABC) and, as in The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, they have always given us reality with feeling. Even as they tell us about plants and animals and Canadian landscapes, they make us feel for the places they portray. I anticipate no less for this new series Wild By Nature if The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island is any indication.

The Puzzle of Doom (The Lunch Club, Book 8)

Written and illustrated by Dom Pelletier

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-1102-0

136 pp.

Ages 7–10

July 2025 

 

You know there will be laughs to be had if the secret club called the Lunch Club is meeting again. This time Leo and Tia, along with their club advisor Mr. Peabody, are pulled into a ghostly puzzle that comes from England.

From The Puzzle of Doom, written and illustrated by Dom Pelletier

In the prologue to Dom Pelletier's latest volume in his The Lunch Club series, readers are witness to Lord Puzzlegood who, while working outdoors on a puzzle at his club in 1890 London, is killed by lightning. His fellow puzzlers, threatened by his ghostly demands to find the final puzzle piece, lock him away with the puzzle while his earthly possessions are exiled to Canada.

 

In the present day, Leo and Tia, along with Mr. Peabody, are enjoying a local street fair where Madame Celeste (from an earlier adventure) gifts them with a protection amulet and crystal ball respectively. Tia also ends up with a piggy bank left behind by another vendor, Fred, a neighbour of Madame Celeste's.

From The Puzzle of Doom, written and illustrated by Dom Pelletier

At school, they meet new student Dale Picklesworth III who is on exchange from the Puzzle Collector's Club of England, another secret club. Leo is not especially friendly to Dale who is bright and athletic, talented and partnering with Tia. 

Everything becomes a little wackier when Leo and Mr. Peabody open a box hidden in the gym's storage area and Tia gets a message about the piggy bank being haunted. With that, Lord Puzzlegood rears his ghostly head in an effort to complete his final puzzle.

From The Puzzle of Doom, written and illustrated by Dom Pelletier

Dom Pelletier always brings the wacky and the fun with The Lunch Club, and, with The Puzzle of Doom, he introduces a new character and an ongoing story. (The puzzle is going to lead into a new adventure in Book 9 of The Lunch Club.) He gives us the supernatural, school- and friend-based tensions that all children will recognize–except for the ghosts, of course–and laughter through the puns, the clever repartee, and zany panic. I love everything about The Lunch Club, from the characters as they act and as they are drawn (by Dom Pelletier) to the humour of their situations and of their interactions, and to the silliness of the

extraordinary plots. In The Puzzle of Doom, Dom Pelletier makes readers laugh but still think about how we get along with others, about how to work together to find solutions to problems, albeit supernatural ones here, and about what the next adventure might be for the "Philately" Club. And by giving us eye-catching art and nutty cartoon characters, Dom Pelletier continues to hook young readers and keep them returning to the Lunch Club.

 

 • • • • • • •

The Lunch Club series

#1 It Came From the Basement
#2 The Curse of the Scarewolf
#3 The Mutant Mouse from Outer Space
#4 Revenge of the Bigfoot
#5 The Return of the Mummy

#6 The Swamp Thingy

#7 Night of the Living Rocks

#8 The Puzzle of Doom

Mr. Beagle and the Quidi Vidi Caper

Written and illustrated by Lori Doody

Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides, Inc.

978-1-998802234

44 pp.

Ages 4-8

June 2025 

 

If it's a picture book by Lori Doody, you know it's time for another visit to Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, Lori Doody invites us to revisit her character Mr. Beagle, whose nose for mystery helped him solve the local cases in Mr. Beagle Goes to Rabbittown, Mr. Beagle and the Georgestown Mystery, and Mr. Beagle Climbs Signal Hill.  This time, Mr. Beagle heads to the charming neighbourhood of Quidi Vidi in St. John's, Newfoundland and discovers a new mystery to solve.

From Mr. Beagle and the Quidi Vidi Caper, written and illustrated by Lori Doody

While making a delivery from his store, Mr. Beagle's Convenience, he notices that folks in the neighbourhood are looking a little sad and seem to be having a hard day. He learns that their stuffed teddy bears have gone missing. "It was unbearable!"

From Mr. Beagle and the Quidi Vidi Caper, written and illustrated by Lori Doody

He walks through the neighbourhood, talking to people and visiting the fish and chips stand and the one selling pupsicles before heading to the wharf. As the locals and tourists, all donning colourful sweaters and hats, scarves and bottoms, meander the wharf, shopping, taking boat rides, fishing, watching artists and more, Mr. Beagle has his beagle eyes open and his sniffer on the scent. With observation and insight, he catches the culprit whose plight compelled him to theft.

From Mr. Beagle and the Quidi Vidi Caper, written and illustrated by Lori Doody

But identifying the thief is just part of Mr. Beagle's talent. As in his earlier stories, Mr. Beagle finds a way to help the offender and in turn enrich the community in a novel way. And for Quidi Vidi, there's going to be a new attraction.

 

With a plethora of pun and subtle charm, Lori Doody has Mr. Beagle solving a mystery and helping the neighbourhood of Quidi Vidi. The mystery he tasks himself to solve may not be a heist of incalculable wealth, but it is a grab at the most precious and comforting of possessions for many: a beloved teddy bear. So, he takes his task seriously and just apprehending the culprit is not enough. Mr. Beagle needs to know why the theft took place and what could be done to resolve this for both thief and victims. In doing so, he institutes a form of restorative justice whereby both victim and perpetrator can find healing.

 

That's a big message for a little story about a dog who solves the mystery of the disappearing teddy bears, but St. John's printmaker Lori Doody keeps the lightness and brightness of the story in her art. From the bold colours of the sea, sky and land to the myriad of characters that populate the community, Lori Doody takes us to a neighbourhood that is unique and rich in spirit. And with another mystery solved, Mr. Beagle has strengthened another Newfoundland community and revitalized its residents through humanity.

 

Mr. Beagle Goes to Rabbittown (2020)

Mr. Beagle and the Georgestown Mystery (2021)

Mr. Beagle Climbs Signal Hill (2022)

Mr. Beagle and the Quidi Vidi Caper (2025)

 

Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?: Celebrating the Seasons

Written by Tyna Legault Taylor

Illustrated by Michelle Dao 

HighWater Press

978-1-774921227

36 pp.

Ages 5-8

May 2025 

 

A boy and his father walk the land through the seasons. With each season, there are new things to forage or fish or gather but always the child asks his Notawe/Baabaa, "Dad, is it time to gather mint?" That mint, a key component in his mother's teas, both cold and hot, drives this child to ask each time they head out to walk the land.

From Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?, written by Tyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Dao

The text of Joshua's story is told in English but it is peppered with translations into Omushkegomowin, Swampy Cree, as well as Anishinaabemowin which is Ojibwe. As Joshua learns about the land and its plants and animals, so too do the readers in multiple languages.

 

Although Joshua would love for it to be summer (nipin in Swampy Cree, niibin in Ojibwe) when he can gather mint (katakipanik, gaaminomaagobagak in Swampy Cree and Ojibwe respectively), it is still fall when this story begins. His father (Notawe, Baabaa) reminds him that now it is a time of hunting, gathering Labrador tea (the plant), and fishing for whitefish.

From Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?, written by Tyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Dao

As he and his father venture out into the season of winter, Joshua asks again and is reminded of those winter activities like snowshoeing, fishing for lake trout and herring, and gathering cedar branches for tea and for cleansing the indoor air. 

From Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?, written by Tyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Dao

When winter turns to spring and the animals and the plants respond to the warming temperatures, Joshua is reminded that it is a time for hunting geese and gathering spruce buds and fishing for lake trout. Alas, it is still not time to gather the mint.

 

But when it finally is summer, Joshua rejoices, not just for the pickerel they'll fish and the sweetgrass, blueberries and cranberries they pick but for that much-anticipated walk with his father and the inevitable mint iced tea–recipe included–that his mother will share with the family.

From Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?, written by Tyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Dao

There are many picture books about the seasons, but Tyna Legault Taylor's story has a richness of Indigenous heritage that makes it unique. Tyna Legault Taylor, a member of Attawapiskat First Nation, ensures a completeness of the year of seasons with the abundance of activities that Joshua and his dad enjoy together with the changing weather and circumstances. She brings us to Joshua's traditional lands in northeastern Ontario and to the culture of his Omushkego Cree and Anishinaabe family.

 

Michelle Dao, a Vietnamese Canadian illustrator, gives both a storytelling flavour and a non-fiction character to Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? Her digital artwork conveys the deep relationship between Joshua and his father, as well as the rest of the family, but also details the important elements that are hunted, fished, or gathered through the seasons.

 

Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? is but the first book in the Joshua Learns from the Land series, with the second book set to be released this October. For teachers of young students who are just learning the way seasons work, Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? would be a fabulous and sensitive introduction, with an Indigenous emphasis on language–two languages in fact–and traditional practices of hunting, fishing, gathering and more.

 

• • • • • • •

 

Joshua Learns from the Land

 

Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?: Celebrating the Seasons (May 2025)

Kokum, Are These Moose Tracks?: Celebrating Fall (October 2025)

Mom, Is It Time for the Spring Niska Feast?: Celebrating Spring (forthcoming)