There's a Song in the Forest

Written by Jennifer Britton

Illustrated by Jillian Thalman

Nimbus Publishing 

978-1-77471-403-4

24 pp.

Ages 3–7

September 2025 

 

If you've seen the videos of forest bathing, i.e., the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in a forest as a mindfulness exercise, then you will understand the premise of There's a Song in the Forest. But more than just being part of those forests, Nova Scotia's Jennifer Britton helps readers to experience the full breadth of music that can be heard within.

From There's a Song in the Forest, written by Jennifer Britton, illustrated by Jillian Thalman

Jennifer Britton invites us to tag along with her trio of walkers and . . .

If you listen, and quiet your mind . . .

If you block out the busy and the bustle

You'll be surprised by what you can find. 

From There's a Song in the Forest, written by Jennifer Britton, illustrated by Jillian Thalman

Everything you see in the canopy and on forest floor and hear in the leaves and twigs becomes a symphony. And who adds to that symphony? There's the geese and the wood thrush, the owls and the loons, and the rocks and the water, and they all contribute to song of the forest. They whisper and tinkle, hum and harmonize. Closer to the sea, there is the boom and crash of the drumming waves. It just takes being attentive to the "beauty of rhythm and melody" to hear the music of the forest.

 

Jennifer Britton, a teacher and musician as well as an author, speaks to the songs of nature with the language of music. (She appends her story with a list in "Musical words found in this book" including melody, percussion, and metronome.) And those with an ear for music undoubtedly have a good ear for the sounds of the natural world. But children for whom a walk in a forest is a novelty or for whom an urban landscape is the norm, There's a Song in the Forest might give them pause the next time they visit a park or a forest. Jennifer Britton encourages them to pause and listen to the quiet that really isn't as hushed as expected. When they become aware of the sounds, they will be privy to a melodic secret that is both varied and full, and giving of serenity, not unlike Jennifer Britton's rhyming text.

There's a secret that lies in the treetops

One that's hidden away, out of sight.

A symphony played under canopy leaves

Through the shadows that dapple with light. 

Her words calm while they hearten and that is what Jillian (Alisa) Thalman's illustrations do but with colour and shape and texture. Jillian Thalman uses a variety of techniques in the book's artwork including cut-paper collage, watercolours, pencil crayon and even digital means, and that undoubtedly explains the depth of her artwork. She gives us landscapes of stillness and sound, movement and restfulness. And the colours! Whether it's in the middle of a forest or alongside the ocean or sitting by a nighttime campfire, Jillian Thalman makes everything strikingly beautiful and eye-catching.

From There's a Song in the Forest, written by Jennifer Britton, illustrated by Jillian Thalman

As someone who enjoys the practice of forest bathing and mindfulness pursuits, There's a Song in the Forest spoke deeply to me. But even for those for whom a walk in the woods is unfamiliar, Jennifer Britton and Jillian Thalman will tempt them with words and art to find the music in nature, hopefully with a visit to a natural area but, if not, by finding it wherever they can.

Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow

Written by Aimée Craft

Illustrated by Luke Swinson

Annick Press

978-1-77321-496-2

60 pp.

Ages 10+

March 2021

At a size of 17 cm x 12 cm (6.75" x 4.75"), Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow is a small book. But its small size belies the depth of lesson and sharing about relationships with the land and water that Indigenous Peoples have and what a treaty really means.

From Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow by Aimée Craft, illus. by Luke Swinson

A girl and her Mishomis (grandfather) sit by the kitchi sipi (great river), where he'd lived all his life, on the land, in the bush and on the river. Though she'd grown up in the city, she has always considered the land home. This is where he'd taught her to listen to the land and remind her of her responsibilities to it and the water and to their stories.

From Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow by Aimée Craft, illus. by Luke Swinson

He tells her of the original treaty, with their grandfather sun and grandmother moon working with mother, the earth, to create life. The agreement to work together, known as aagooiidiwim for the Anishinaabe, is the basis for collaborations with all nations, whether deer, human or other, to ensure respect and find solutions to always honour the treaty.

From Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow by Aimée Craft, illus. by Luke Swinson

We were given the ability to learn from our relatives on this earth about their treaty relationships and through what we call natural law, or earth's law. (pg. 50)

As I read Aimée Craft's words, I wanted to make sure that I fully respected their profound meaning, evocative of culture and history, and ever enduring. An Anishinaabe-Métis lawyer and professor from Treaty 1 in Manitoba, Aimée Craft crafts her words from a place of understanding, both of people and place and time, taking the lessons from her elders and seeing their place in making treaties then and now. The magnitude of treaty words is never in question.

This is why the Treaty is for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the river flows. (pg. 23)

The reverence of Treaty Words: For As Long As Rivers Flow comes through in Aimée Craft's words, resonant and weighty, steadfast and dynamic. Luke Swinson, an Anishinaabe illustrator who is a member of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, could have attempted to match that weightiness with complex and detailed artwork but he chose better. His lines create the necessary movement, from and to place and time, to carry the same messages. Digitally created to reflect and honour the natural environment of water, land and sky, Luke Swinson takes us to the place in which treaties were and are made and demand awe and deference. 

Don't let the small size of Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow mislead you into believing this book is anything but very, very big and important. Its lessons that relationships are the basis for making treaties are everything and should help us all understand how to ensure those relationships are sound, fair and lasting.

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak: Q & A with artist Roy Henry Vickers and writer Robert Budd

Yesterday, I reviewed Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, 

the fourth board book in Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd's collaborative series, First West Coast Books.

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak
Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Text by Robert Budd
Harbour Publishing
978-1-55017-904-0
20 pp.
Ages 2-6
June 2020


Today I am pleased to share this Q & A
with artist Roy Henry Vickers
and writer Robert "Lucky" Budd.

HK:  I have been so impressed with the richness of the art and text in your First West Coast books that I’m intrigued how the collaboration between artist and writer arose. Please tell us how your collaboration began.  

Robert “Lucky” Budd: The answer to this question is literally pages long! Here is the short short answer: Roy and I have been working together since we first met in 2011.  He and I connected the first moment we spoke!  I had a vision in early 2012 while working on his still-unfinished biography while I was at a storytelling event at his gallery.  I saw the four books that would be our Northwest Coast Legends series, Raven Brings The Light being the first.  We have a great synergy and the art he was able to create with the questions I asked was… amazing!

We brainstorm, work together and, as soon as he can see it, it comes to life!

Roy Henry Vickers: I was looking for Imbert Orchards audio files at the Royal BC Museum and was finally led to Robert “Lucky” Budd at Memories To Memoirs.  Lucky came to my storytelling sessions and recorded each story I told at the Roy Henry Vickers Gallery. Lucky transcribed each and we co-wrote each story and I put the images together as they came through storytelling sessions.



HK:  Knowing the plethora of West Coast animals and attributes that could have been selected for this concept book, how did you choose which  you would focus upon?

Robert “Lucky” Budd: In the case of Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, we brainstormed a whole bunch of animals and the sounds the make. I really wanted to focus on onomatopoeias in order to make the sounds really come to life for kids! Once we brainstormed sounds and animals, like a puzzle, I set to work on grouping them around a rhyme scheme. ☺

Roy Henry Vickers: The board books were an extension of the first books. The animals and birds are part of Beautiful B.C. and also part of the legends that have been told for thousands of years.



HK:  Are there plans for additional books in the First West Coast books series?

Robert “Lucky” Budd: Four seems like a good number, but if inspiration hits, we can do more.  I like the idea of a book about animal groupings, like a gaggle of geese or a parliament of owls.  However, we are already super inspired by other books projects we want to do together…

Roy Henry Vickers: I have one book that my children want to see published. Ben the Sea Lion. Lucky and I have another book planned.. I like to follow the flow and run with it.



HK:  Is the artwork used in Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak original for the books or is some of it previously created art for display and/or sale?

Roy Henry Vickers:  Some of the art work was inspired by previous works and some was original works for Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak and is found nowhere else.



HK:  What medium did you use to create the art in Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak and did you make any amendments to the way you would normally create because the art would be in a small format board book?

Roy Henry Vickers:  I work in an old vector drawing program to create the works. I will soon be switching to Adobe Illustrator.



HK:  I know that some illustrators are not always happy with the colour reproduction of their artwork once it goes to print. Did you have any concerns about translating your art into book format?

Roy Henry Vickers:  I had no concerns about colour as I got to preview the colours. I am partially colour blind to all colours, but it seems to work.



HK:  As with all the First West Coast books, the text is very simple yet powerful. Here it is evocative of  sounds of water and land, animals and activity. Coupled with the artwork, Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak is a very sensory experience. How much editing did you have to do to find the perfect words that you did for all the sounds within?

Robert “Lucky” Budd: Oh my goodness!  As with all of these books, it starts with finding the melody.  Once I have that, I play with it and play with it, draft after draft, until it is just exactly perfect!  I remember, in the case of Hello Humpback, I did 11 drafts! 



HK:  Now that the book has been published, are there some sounds that you would have liked to include but didn’t make it in?

Robert “Lucky” Budd:  Good question!  I tried to fit in all the sounds that I couldn’t fit into the text into the very last page!  I am so very happy with all the sounds, animals and natural sounds we were able to bring together into this experience.  I hope children resonate with it as much as I do!

 •••••••••••••••••••••
Many thanks

to

Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd
for answering my questions,
revealing a little more about their collaborative process
and
the creation of their master works of First West Coast board books


Thanks also to

Ariel Hudnall
Communications Manager at ZG Stories,
for arranging this interview
and review copies of Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd's  
First West Coast Books

 

Hello, Humpback (2017)

One Eagle Soaring (2018)

Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue (2019)

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak (2020)

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak

Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Text by Robert Budd
Harbour Publishing
978-1-55017-904-0
20 pp.
Ages 2-6
June 2020

If you’re going to introduce the mooing of a cow and the quacking of a duck to young children, be sure to expose them to the symphony of the Northwest Coast’s landscape for a sonorous sensory experience evoked by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd in their fourth book in their First West Coast book series.

From Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, art by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

As in their earlier concept books in this series, Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd have blended rich graphics with simple words evocative of a beautiful British Columbia environment. There are rivers that rush with whisper and splash; drummers that beat with boom, bang, and pound; cedars that rustle with a murmur and a creak; and geese that fly high with honk, hiss and flap. There are people and places, animals and nature: living, moving, resonating with energy, both subtle and blaring.

From Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, art by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

If you close your eyes, Robert “Lucky” Budd’s words embed you on the BC coast, hearing, sensing, experiencing its many, many glorious attributes. (In my interview tomorrow with the author and artist, Robert Budd tells how their final double spread was used to pack in the sounds of another twelve animals under the text “with Nature Singing all around”.) The rolling water against a boat or a shore, the overhanging trees, the animals on land, in water, and in the air, while people interact with the natural environment–it’s the life and sound of this place.

Artist Roy Henry Vickers does more than do justice to the text; he conjures it with depth and layers and authority. From the coniferous forests and snow-capped peaks, to waters still and turbulent, and creatures engaged with their worlds, all enriched with spot-gloss elements, Roy Henry Vickers uses strong lines and shape to transport the reader to this place. The art reflects and honours his First Nations heritage and shares it with readers.

From Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, art by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

Whether the readers are the very young who will recognize the images, rich in their simplicity, and vocalize sounds depicted within, or adults who will revel in the heart of the art and words, Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd have brought the spirit of the West Coast to the page once again.

  • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Look for my interview with Roy Henry Vickers and Robert "Lucky" Budd tomorrow here on CanLit for Little Canadians.

 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Check out all four books in the First West Coast book series which includes:

 Hello Humpback! (2017)

One Eagle Soaring (2018)

Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue (2019)

and now

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak

Song for a Summer Night: A Lullaby

by Robert Heidbreder 

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-493-0

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

May 2015

Prepare to be lulled into the joyful warmth of a lullaby that will wrap reader and listener in that soft cacophony of a Canadian summer night.  It's when children ready for bed, after long days playing outside, peer out their windows at the creeping darkness of grey periwinkle and marine blues and anticipate a nightly show of colours, sounds and textures.  The branches of trees begin the show with their shh-shh’s, followed by the glint-glint of dancing fireflies, pinging bellflowers (they are bellflowers, after all) and snapping snapdragons, waltzing raccoons, hooting owls, rhythmic crickets, and a sparkling assortment of domestic and wild noisemakers.

The children are spellbound,
attuned to the park.
Its music brightens,
lightens the dark. (pg. 17)

The text is lyrical and the illustrations melodic. Song for a Summer Night harmonizes line and colour with the palatable sweetness of the sound splashes.  Robert Heidbreder does poetry with texture and Qin Leng’s fountain brush and ink art evoke that ethereal musicality, emphasizing darkening backgrounds with flashes of indoor lights, impressed young faces, and splotches of park green and flowers.  Oh, to be enjoying that view and orchestral piece, all without mosquitoes and flies nipping at elbows resting on window sills!

Truly a lullaby for a Canadian summer night.

shh-shh
glint-glint
ping-ping
tra-la-la
snap-snap
tip-tap
hoo-hoo
click-click
purr-purr
scratch-scratch
pound-pound (pg. 32)