The Blue Canoe

Written by Sheryl McFarlane

Illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

Familius

978-1641709156

32 pp.

Ages 3-5

July 2024

 

For any child fortunate enough to spend time on a lake, The Blue Canoe will speak to them about the joy of being out on the water, watching wildlife, and contemplating life's many questions. But for this child, there are the special elements of being with her mother in their blue canoe, a ritual that only the two share, and of anticipating coming-soon baby's arrival. Will everything change? Will their special mother-daughter time be lost? What will coming-soon baby do to the family dynamic? And what about all the wonderful things big sister can introduce to coming-soon baby?

From The Blue Canoe, written by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

From a small cabin on a lake, a mother and child, and diapered teddy bear, head out in their blue canoe as they often do. 

Every cabin day is a paddle-on-the-lake day.

 As they weave their way through the water, they enjoy the aquatic plants and animals that they observe. There are dragonflies and lily pads, pond skaters and mallards. There is a heron and trout, kingfisher and river otters, and more. And as their paddles dip and pull, the child wonders about their coming-soon baby, speculating on what they may be doing soon and what it will be like having a baby around.

"What if our coming-soon baby doesn't like canoeing?"

Mom has wise answers that reassure. She speaks to the possibility that the baby may be different than her daughter and that's okay. The baby will like somethings they do and not other things, just like Dad who doesn't like to canoe.

From The Blue Canoe, written by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

Still as the child ponders and questions, the pair glide through gorgeous landscapes abundant with life, enjoying the natural wonders and their connection with each other and their endeavours.

From The Blue Canoe, written by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

The introduction of a new baby can be challenging for families with young children. There can be much positive anticipation but also questions and concerns that cannot be alleviated until the baby has arrived and the children see how things may change but not necessarily mean there will be losses. BC writer Sheryl McFarlane has taken from her own experiences canoeing with her children to give life to The Blue Canoe. There are so many stories within The Blue Canoe: the mother-daughter connection, the activity of canoeing, the wildlife they see, and the discussions about the coming-soon baby. Readers will get a rich and multi-layered story in The Blue Canoe that can be enjoyed for any of those points of discussion, while enjoying Rhode Island's Laurel Aylesworth's serene scenes of time on the water. There is a calmness and uncluttered nature to her illustrations, ensuring that what we feel is the same tranquility that comes with canoeing on a calm lake. 

 

For me, The Blue Canoe was like forest-bathing: calming,  contemplative, and promoting consciousness of our natural environment. For a young family, it will also be a wonderful discussion starter about a coming-soon baby. If a discussion has to be had about an upcoming birth, there's a great way to initiate it with a virtual canoe trip of appreciation and familial connection as in The Blue Canoe.

Rescue at Lake Wild: Guest review

 

This review was written by teacher Elizabeth Cook.

 

 

Written by Terry Lynn Johnson

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

978-0-358334859

208 pp.

Ages 8-12

April 2021

I am a big animal lover.  My friends know to send me cute animal videos from the internet, my trips are often centered around animal experiences (e.g., diving with sharks, trekking with gorillas), and I volunteer for a local cat rescue organization. When I was young, our house was the stray cat and dog sanctuary of the neighbourhood.  It seemed that all local cats knew we couldn’t say no to helping them find forever homes (which usually was our own).  So, it should be no surprise that I was immediately taken in by Terry Lynn Johnson’s Rescue at Lake Wild. Between the cover image of a girl on a paddle board alongside two beavers and a boat with two boys and a dog, and the first page alluding to an animal whisperer, I was captivated. 

Twelve-year-old Madison Lewis and her friends Aaron and Jack, accompanied by Jack's tracking dog Lid, have been watching a beaver house where they'd earlier heard kits crying. Having found the adult beavers shot, the kids are worried that the adults may have been the kits' only family and are trying to decide if they should rescue the little ones. Madison, well known as an animal whisperer, knows it's best for wild animals to remain in the wild but, as night draws near, Madison follows her personal motto: "If you see something, do something.”  So she ends up diving down into the depths of the darkened beaver dam to save two orphaned beaver kits she affectionately names Cooler and Phragmites (Phrag). Together the trio of young people work to secretly save the beaver kits and discover those responsible for killing the adult beavers and for flooding the roadways in town, knowing the beavers weren't responsible for the damage seen around town. 

Using the knowledge she learned from her grandmother on raising and caring for beaver kits, Madison sets up a secret habitat in her clubhouse, determined to safely release the kits later into the wild. But Madison has to keep this secret from her older sister and mother, especially as her mother has told her that Madison could go and see her hero, Jane Goodall, speak only if she can resist rescuing more animals. Madison may dream of being the next Jane Goodall but she's already too dedicated to Cooler and Phrag to give up on them, and she's willing to risk it all to save them. Meanwhile, Aaron, Jack and Lid work to solve the mystery of the flooding around town, which is harder than expected because most adults won’t listen to a couple of kids who are sure that humans are responsible for the destruction, not the beavers.  

Terry Lynn Johnson’s Rescue at Lake Wild is a great novel for middle grade readers. The story focuses on how children learn to do what is right and help others while solving a town mystery. Because the theme of animal stewardship permeates the whole story, Rescue at Lake Wild is a great book for any animal lover you might know.  I especially liked the “Dos of Wildlife” at the back of the book which will help guide animal champions to properly care for wildlife and where to go for more reliable information on the topic.  This will be a great book to read during the upcoming cottage season!   

~ Reviewer Elizabeth Cook is a teacher in the Halton District School Board. She is an avid reader and fan of Canadian literature.

One Wild Christmas

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0203-9

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2019 

Nicholas Oldland's animal friends from his Life in the Wild series of picture books are back and this time the trio of friends are anticipating their favourite time of year and preparing for the finest celebration.

From One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

A beaver, a moose and a bear have their traditions which many children will recognize. There's the cooking of the food–check out the moose's apron that reads "I ❤️ X-Moose"– hanging the stockings, putting up lights, wrapping presents and getting a Christmas tree. Finding the right tree is not easy but they finally locate a beautiful pine. However, "the bear loved all living things, especially trees" and he was not going to let the beaver chop it down. When it becomes evident that moose and beaver are determined to have that perfect tree–there is quite a tussle!– the bear finds a solution, as suggested by a little cardinal, that allows the trio to celebrate the holiday without harming a living tree.

From One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

At this time of year, many families fortunate enough to have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with a tree must be considering their options. The choices would seem to be endless: fake or real, spruce or fir or pine, green or silver, cut or potted. Even within families, the discussions, nay arguments, can seem endless. Fortunately Nicholas Oldland's characters who are a family of their own find a way to enjoy a beautiful tree by taking their celebration to the wild, hence One Wild Christmas. 

From One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

The message about conservation and the natural world is charming, as are Nicholas Oldland's characters and whimsical settings. (Readers may recognize the artwork from the Hatley and Little Blue House apparel companies which are run by Nicholas Oldland and his brothers.) Simple in line and shape and even colour, his artwork, rendered in Photoshop, is uncluttered but natural and inviting while rustic, not unlike the pine the trio of friends discover. In the basic outdoorsy colours of brown, black and green with blue for the sky, Nicholas Oldland's setting reminds us that we are outside in the wild. Still, the only bird and a sled and Christmas accessories bring in the bright reds and colour to offset the organic world and bring a celebration of friendship, family and environment to life.

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

Read about all the books in the Life in the Wild series at Kids Can Press here.

Life in the Wild series by Nicholas Oldland