Momma's Going to March

Written by Jennifer Maruno

Illustrated by Vivian Rosas

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-551-9

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

August 2024

Protest marches have long been a part of history. They are a kind of activism that can inspire change. In a series of vignettes through different periods of time, Jennifer Maruno and Vivian Rosas show us protest marches that brought mother and child out to fight for positive societal change. 

 

In  the first spreads, a mother and her daughter prepare signs for their march for freedom. It's a march for a myriad of civil rights, from voting and integrated schools and decent housing. It's a 1960s march by Black Americans for recognition of their equal rights and the racial discrimination they continued to endure.

From Momma's Going to March, written by Jennifer Maruno, illustrated by Vivian Rosas

Then in the late 1970s, a child and her momma, both dressed in white, join a march for equality, advocating for the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment), emboldened to fight for equal rights for women, from voting to employment. 

From Momma's Going to March, written by Jennifer Maruno, illustrated by Vivian Rosas

There's a pro-peace and anti-war march, sadly one which we must repeat with each new conflict. There is one advocating for clean water in Indigenous communities, and another for the environment by initiating a global climate strike. In each case, a mother and child head out to march to encourage positive change.

From Momma's Going to March, written by Jennifer Maruno, illustrated by Vivian Rosas

Jennifer Maruno's message of "march, March, MARCH" is loud and clear, and she adds to that message with notes about what makes a march, like signs and clothing, flags and banners, as well as identifying the historical marches represented in her story. In each case, her emphasis is on the relationship between mother and child, with one inspiring the other to do good by fighting for something important. It may be promoting social justice or bringing attention to causes too often neglected or unanswered but it's always about doing something. Whether it's walking or carrying a sign, riding in a wagon or shouting slogans, these mommas and their ones are community activists at a grass roots level.

Vivian Rosas, the Toronto artist who also illustrated Queer History A to Z: 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Activism, seems to have found a social justice niche for her art, though I suspect her style is equally effective across all genres. Her digital illustrations, though, strongly support diverse communities, depicting people of all ages, ethnicities, races, abilities, and more, making for inclusive marches and encouraging empowerment. Moreover, Vivian Rosas's vibrant colours and strong shapes lend themselves to Jennifer Maruno's messaging about standing up and marching for important causes.

 

Mommas, and Pappas and little sisters and big brothers and everyone, have always marched to do right and make people see and hear what needs to be done. Now, with Jennifer Maruno and Vivian Rosas's story of Momma's Going to March, young readers can see the big impact a little marching can kickoff.

When You Can Swim

Written and illustrated by Jack Wong

Orchard Books (Scholastic)

978-1-338-83096-5

48 pp

Ages 4-8

May 2023 

When You Can Swim is a promise of possibilities. With four little words, a parent offers their child opportunities and experiences, all once they learn to swim.

From When You Can Swim by Jack Wong

Though the story begins and ends with one mother encouraging her child to learn to swim, various parents describe what their children will experience once they do. They speak of all the places they will go and what they will do and see. There will be a trip to the ocean...

past the sandpipers tracing

the shape of a wave on the shore

past the edge of wet

splashing at your ankles

to receive the water's welcome.

From When You Can Swim by Jack Wong

They'll experience the joys of floating and exploring underwater worlds and playing in waterfalls. Oh, and the things they'll see and feel and hear! From the early morning mist on the lake to listening to "the clinking of waves passing in and out of a million pebbles telling of countless days and months of years" and the echoes of voices beneath a canal bridge from which they've dived. 

They'll push themselves to far-off islands to pick blueberries and swim into darker waters that may look scary but promise gold. The possibilities are enormous, and they will all come when the children learn to swim.

So swim, little one!

When You Can Swim may be Jack Wong's debut picture book but it's a triumph of the heart and the senses, like he's a seasoned author-illustrator.  Whether it's for a child who needs to be encouraged to venture into the water for the first time or for a parent remembering their own experiences with water and swimming, When You Can Swim is a beautiful expression of what promise learning to swim can offer. Most of us will be taught to swim to keep ourselves safe when in or near the water but Jack Wong makes us see that there is so much more than that. It's the offering of a sensory experience of sights and sounds and touch. It's seeing and hearing and feeling. And to get that feeling may require some risk-taking and confidence building, but it also requires and feeds curiosity. 

From When You Can Swim by Jack Wong

The breadth of the experiences that are open to the children who have learned to swim are as expansive and sweeping as Jack Wong's illustrations. His artwork, created with pastels and watercolours, gives an ethereal quality to the natural landscapes and the water settings, intensifying those feelings of wonder and newness that comes from exploration and novelty. There's movement, as befits a book about swimming, and there's amazement that is both internal and external to the swimmer. For the young novice swimmer and the reader, When You Can Swim opens the door for possibilities and offers a promise that good things will happen with the courage to try and learn.

World Water Day (March 22): A youngCanLit booklist

March 22 has been designed World Water Day. It's a day to celebrate water, from its role in our lives to our role in its sustainability and protection. From drinking water to rivers, and oceans to ponds, water plays a critical role in our lives and we in its. Some of these books celebrate our everyday relationships with water, from its life-sustaining role to our use of it for swimming, but some, especially those for older readers, emphasize the power of water during storms and floods. Others speak to the inequities of water availability and our role in water's conservation. Whether encouraging young children to recognize water as more than the stuff that comes out of the taps, or inspiring them to action, these picture books, novels and non-fiction books all remind us to consider the role water plays in our lives.

 

Anna Carries Water

Written by Olive Senior

Illustrated by Laura James

Tradewind Books 

40 pp.

Ages 3-6

2014

 

At the Pond

Written and illustrated by Werner Zimmermann
North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)
32 pp.
Ages 2-5

2018

Reviewed here

The Case of the Shrinking Friend (A Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery)
Written by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford

Firefly Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

2021

 

City of Water (ThinkCities)

Written by Andrea Curtis
Illustrated by Katy Dockrill

Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 8-10

2021

 

Dive In! Exploring Our Connections with the Ocean (Orca Footprint)

Written by Ann Eriksson

Orca Book Publishers

75 pp.

Ages 9-12

2018

 

Eco Warrior (Submarine Outlaw)

Written by Philip Roy

Ronsdale Press

200 pp.

Ages 10+

2015

Reviewed here

 

Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home (Orca Footprint)

Written by Michelle Mulder 

Orca Book Publishers

48 pp.

Ages 8-12

2014

 

Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment
Written by Megan Clendenan

Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

Orca Book Publishers 

112 pp.

Ages 9-12

2022

A Good Trade

Written by Alma Fullerton
Illustrated by Karen Patkau
Pajama Press
32 pp.
Ages 5+

2012 

Reviewed here

Mermaid Warrior Squad

Written by Karin Adams
Illustrated by Janine Carrington
James Lorimer & Co.
150 pp.
Ages 7-11

2017

Reviewed here

My River: Cleaning Up the LaHave River

Written by Anne Laurel Carter
Formac
96 pp.
Ages 7-12

2018

Reviewed here

Nibi's Water Song

Written by Sunshine Tenasco
Illustrated by Chief Lady Bird
North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2019

Reviewed here

 

No More Plastic
Written and illustrated by Alma Fullerton
Pajama Press

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

2021

 

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth    

Rochelle Strauss

Illustrated by Rosemary Woods
Kids Can Press 

32 pp.
Ages 8-13

2007

 

Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa that Brought Them Together (CitizenKid) 

Written by Herb Shoveller    

Kids Can Press

56 pp.
Ages 10-14

2006

 

Safe As Houses

Written by Eric Walters

Puffin Canada

176 pp.

Ages 10+

2007

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist

Written by Jess Keating
Illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
40 pp.
Ages 4+

2017

Reviewed here

 

Swimming, Swimming

Written and illustrated by Gary Clement
Groundwood Books
48 pp.
Ages 4-7
April 2015 

Reviewed here

 

Swimming with Seals

Written by Maggie de Vries
Illustrated by Janice Kun
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

2018 

 

A Terrible Tide: A Story of the Newfoundland Tsunami of 1929
Written by Suzanne Meade

Second Story Press
177 pp.
Ages 9-12 

2021

 

The Town That Drowned

Written  by Riel Nason
Goose Lane Editions
273 pp.
Ages 12+
2011

Reviewed here

Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow

Written by Aimée Craft
Illustrated by Luke Swinson
Annick Press
60 pp.
Ages 10+

2021

Reviewed here

 

Upstream, Downstream: Exploring Watershed Connections (Orca Footprint)
Written by Rowena Rae
Orca Book Publishers

48 pp.
Ages 9-12

2021

 

Walking for Water: How One Boy Stood Up for Gender Equality (CitizenKid)
Written by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Nicole Miles

Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 7-10

2021

Water's Children: Celebrating the resource that unites us all

Written by Angèle Delaunois
Illustrated by Gérard Frischeteau
Translated by Erin Woods
Pajama Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

2017

Reviewed here

 

The Water Walker

Written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson
Second Story Press
36 pp.
Ages 6-9

2017

Reviewed here

 

Water Water

Written and illustrated by Jessica Bromley Bartram
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 5+

2021 

Reviewed here

Water, Water
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Jon McNaught

Tundra Books
151 pp.
Ages 8-11

2022

 

Water Wow!: A Visual Exploration

Written by Paula Ayer and Antonia Banyard

Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich

Annick Presss

64 pp.

Ages 9-12

2016 

Wet

Written and illustrated by Carey Sookocheff
Henry Holt and Company
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

2017

Reviewed here

Who Needs a Swamp? (A Wetland Ecosystem)

Written and illustrated by Karen Patkau

Tundra

32 pp.

Ages 7-10

20212

Whoosh! A Watery World of Wonderful Creatures 

Written by Marilyn Baillie

Illustrated by Susan Mitchell 

Owlkids Books

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

2014

Nibi's Water Song

Written by Sunshine Tenasco

Illustrated by Chief Lady Bird

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-4431-0789-1

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

2019

Though I've already started reviewing books being released in 2020, I'm still finding gems from last year that I really, really want to bring to the attention of young readers and the adults in their lives. Nibi's Water Song is one such title. Its premise of an Indigenous young person searching for potable water is both a cautionary tale and one of resilience and hope, and supportive of the need for clean water in all communities.

Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. Considering this young person's thirst, it is highly appropriate that it is her name. But when Nibi is desperate for water to quench that thirst, she finds no clean water at her home or that of her neighbour, only brown water.

From Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco, illus. by Chief Lady Bird

So begins Nibi's search for clean drinking water. When she finds only dirty water in the river, she skips to the next town of "big, shiny houses." Though a nice lady gives her a teeny-tiny plastic bottle of water, she is given no more, no matter how much knocking she does at the doors of the big, shiny houses. Finally she dances in the street with her sign that "Water is Life."

From Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco, illus. by Chief Lady Bird

Desperate for more water, thirst overpowering her, Nibi is joined by her friends, all begging for water. Their signs shout "Clean Water" and "We All Need Water."

From Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco, illus. by Chief Lady Bird

It is only when their voices are joined together in volume and purpose that the people in the big, shiny houses fall in to help Nibi get clean water.

With a lot of hard work, digging and singing, everyone worked together. And finally, thirsty, thirsty Nibi got her clean water...and she shared with all of her friends.

From Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco, illus. by Chief Lady Bird

Nibi's Water Song reminds us that we are part of a larger community, one whose members may not all have water safe for drinking or washing. The United Nations may have declared it a human right to have safe drinking water and sanitation but there are numerous Indigenous communities who have lived with drinking water advisories as well as compromised water and waste water systems for decades. Author Sunshine Tenasco, Anishinabe from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, Quebec makes it clear that improvements will only be realized when the people in the "big, shiny houses" get involved. It may only take one person, like Nibi, to step forward and start a movement but it will take a concerted group effort from within and outside these unhealthy situations to make them safe. Still Nibi sings and dances to get the attention needed to address the problem.

Nibi's hope is reflected in the bold and bright illustrations of Toronto artist Chief Lady Bird of the Rama First Nation and Moose Deer Point First Nation. Her colours are vivid and lively, from the blue of the clean water to the greens of the grass. Her characters wear red and pink, and blue and orange, and traditional clothing and regalia like moccasins, fringed shawls, and beadwork. Most important are the flowers that surround Nibi, symbolic of the hope for water, the element that grows and sustains life. Chief Lady Bird's highly-stylized plants surround Nibi and reach forward, stretching to advance her quest for clean water.

The message of Nibi's Water Song is a simple one: everyone deserves clean water. I hope that the words and art of Sunshine Tenasco and Chief Lady Bird will reach all communities to spur to action those of us in our big, shiny houses so that we might help everyone quench their thirst and realize that human right to clean water. 

🚰🚰🚰🚰🚰

Nibi's Water Song is also available as a French-language edition, Nibi a Soif, Très Soif.

 🚰🚰🚰🚰🚰

n .b. As of May 2025, there is a dual-language edition with text in both English and Anishinabemowin.

 

Nibi nigomon/Nibi's Water Song

Written by Sunshine Quem Tenasco
Illustrated by Chief Lady Bird

Scholastic Canada
978-1-0397-0067-3
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2025

The Canadian Kids' Guide to Outdoor Fun

Written by Helaine Becker

Illustrated by Claudia Dávila

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-4845-0

175 pp.

Ages 6-13

May 2019

Canada Day has come and gone so summer holidays for kids are truly here in Canada.  While some kids may be off to organized camps and activities, there are many who will be filling their days with caregivers, some at cottages and at travel, and everyone wondering how they will occupy their days.  Helaine Becker's The Canadian Kids' Guide to Outdoor Fun will have you covered for the whole summer.

The book is divided into four main sections: Get Out There!, Make a Splash!, Time to Play! and Around the Campfire.  Get Out There! is all about kids getting outside to discover nature or travel to new locations. It includes everything from creating a kids-only clubhouse and developing secret languages and handshakes and codes to outdoor games like Capture the Flag and Amoeba Tag. There are activities to observe insects, press flowers, hike –I loved the Colour Swatch Scavenger Hunt–and make face-paint. And, of course, there are travel activities for car rides.

From The Canadian Kids' Guide to Outdoor Fun by Helaine Becker, illus. by Claudia Dávila

Make a Splash! includes water sports such as canoeing and fishing, and water-based games such as Sharks and Minnows. There are also water-based activities like making your own bubble solution and blowers, and water balloons. For anyone wary about water-based activities for kids, Helaine Becker rounds things out with a detailed discussion about water safety.

From The Canadian Kids' Guide to Outdoor Fun by Helaine Becker, illus. by Claudia Dávila

Time to Play! covers all manner of games from card games to pen and paper games, and activities such as weaving bracelets, writing a newsletter, taking photos, performing improv or a theatrical play, and studying weather.

Finally, Around the Campfire gets into how campfires are built safely and effectively, how to tell stories, sing songs, make s'mores, roast marshmallows and appreciate the moon and stars above.

From The Canadian Kids' Guide to Outdoor Fun by Helaine Becker, illus. by Claudia Dávila

As a compendium of activities and summertime fun, The Canadian Kids' Guide to Outdoor Fun is complete and comprehensive. There is something for all the kids, from those who want to play alone and read how to do things for themselves, to those who crave full group games and fun with others. There are activities for families and for kids alone. There are those that require nothing but imagination or observational skills and those with recipes to construct a rain stick or bake a chocolate mug cake. With Claudia Dávila's illustrations to enhance delivery of Helaine Becker's messages and directions, The Canadian Kids' Guide to Outdoor Fun provides all children with a slew of distractions to try, helping to entertain them the whole summer, regardless of weather, interests, companions and resources.