Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess

Written and illustrated by Janet Hill

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-922-5

48 pp.

Ages 4-8 (but really for all ages)

January 2019

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, many will be thinking of romantic love. But I can't think of a better time (other than International Day of the Cat on August 8th) to promote Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess as Miss Mink's sixty-seven lovely felines share their wisdom about living well and loving self. It's love with a difference.

From Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess by Janet Hill

As with Janet Hill's first book, Miss Moon: Wise Words from a Dog Governess (Tundra, 2016), there is a detailed introduction to Miss Mink and her circumstances. Readers will learn of Miss Marcella Mink's living with her cats and starting her own feline-friendly cruise company but, overwhelmed with her business's success, Miss Mink becomes unhappy. Only by heeding the advice of her cats does she learn how to live "a purrfect life."

From Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess by Janet Hill

In a series of twenty double-spreads, Miss Mink recounts the lessons gleaned from her ever-wise cats. From "Start the day off right with a proper grooming" to "Find happiness in the little things" and "Don't be afraid to voice your opinion (loudly)," Miss Mink recognizes the actions and thoughts that her cats practise daily. There are lessons in gratitude, enterprise, positivity, friendship and mindfulness. It's about being in the moment and taking in what's good around you, not worrying or negating experiences as insignificant or worthless. There's a reason that cats may have been worshipped or at the very least held in the very highest of esteem. Their poise and shrewdness, along with savvy behaviours, provide guidance to living well and in the moment. Janet Hill recognizes that they impart wisdom wrapped up in love, knowing that they will always know better than their human counterparts.

From Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess by Janet Hill

But the life lessons go beyond the words. With a clowder of cats from which to choose, Janet Hill expands the learning from words of wisdom to exemplars for living well. Though her paintings have a romantic feel to them, embedded in the glamour of the 1920s, Janet Hill gives them more whimsy and affection, the emphasis on the tenderness and care rather than the amorous. With mental health issues on the rise, Janet Hill and Miss Mink and her felines share some wonderful coaching on self-care and appreciation to which we should all attend.

For the animal lover, especially of cats, who might appreciate an absorbing and heartfelt book about taking care of oneself to make the most of life, courtesy of life lessons from those who live lives to their fullest, Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess is the book to pick up this weekend. It's a Valentine for self that can be shared with others.

Lesson Twelve: Love others, but don't forget to love yourself too.                         From Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess by Janet Hill

 

The Creepy-Crawly Thought

Written by Alison Hughes

Illustrated by Jennifer Rabby

978-1-9993934-0-3

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

February 2019

We all get them, those creepy-crawly thoughts that interfere with sleep, daytime thinking and life in general. When they come, everything is tainted with worry and anticipation of something bad.

From The Creepy-Crawly Thought by Alison Hughes, illus. by Jennifer Rabby

So what can I do with creepy thoughts
that move right in to stay?
I'll plan a plan, I'll list a list
for shooing them away ...

A list of strategies is what Alison Hughes, author of picture books, middle-grade and YA novels, recommends for the young afflicted with the creepy-crawly thoughts. You can flush them down the toilet, blow them away, chuck them in the fireplace, or sing them away (apparently "bad thoughts hate harmony"). There are loads of suggestions for dealing with those fears and all are manageable for young children. No logic is needed to convince a child that those creepy-crawlies aren't real because reason doesn't always come into play with fears. But by placing control of those bad thoughts directly into the imagination of a child, something can be done.

I'll crowd out the creepy-crawlies
when all my happy thoughts appear,
and squeeze and squeeze and squeeze them out
until they disappear.

And even if those thoughts return, as they are want to do, a child has the means to send them into oblivion once again.

From The Creepy-Crawly Thought by Alison Hughes, illus. by Jennifer Rabby

As a teacher, I know how anxiety can affect children and telling them they have nothing to worry about just doesn't work. Invalidating their feelings while trying to reassure often creates new problems. But by placing the control in their small hands, children can visualize getting rid of these pesky thoughts with action and imagination. And with a variety of strategies for dealing with those creepy-crawlies, Alison Hughes ensures that there's at least one that will work for any child. Moreover her rhyming text, sure to annoy those monstrous thoughts, brings a lightness and manageability to the plight of a child dealing with anxiety.

From The Creepy-Crawly Thought by Alison Hughes, illus. by Jennifer Rabby

Jennifer Rabby's illustrations are relatively simple but effective in giving form to the creepy-crawlies. After all, how do you illustrate a negative thought that pervades without creating new fears for children? By making the creepy-crawly thoughts vague and nebulous blobs of different colours and facial (?) expressions, Jennifer Rabby suggests that there are a variety of detrimental thoughts that cause anxiety and worry and need to be eliminated. Moreover, their fuzzy shapes suggests the enigmatic nature of most fears and worries, allowing children to see their own within these amorphous forms.

Alison Hughes and Jennifer Rabby hope to donate copies of The Creepy-Crawly Thought to local, provincial and national child protection agencies and children's social services but you should purchase your own copy because you know that those creepy-crawlies can slither in at any time and rejection can be just a playful rhyme away.

Say Something!

Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Orchard Books (Scholastic)

978-0-545-86503-6

40 pp.

Ages 4-8

February 2019

In his extraordinary way of blending message with art, Peter H. Reynolds, creator of The Dot (2003), Happy Dreamer (2017) and The Word Collector (2018), brings young readers to speak from the heart and make the world a better place for all.

From Say Something! by Peter H. Reynolds

In a series of double spreads, children are encouraged to speak from the heart "with words, with action, with creativity" when they spot a lonely person or someone being hurt, or when they see an empty canvas or lot that could blossom to life, or when there are ideas and beauty to be shared.

From Say Something! by Peter H. Reynolds

From Say Something! by Peter H. Reynolds

It's about being yourself and being your best self, helping everyone to understand and to say something too.

Sometimes you'll say something

and no one will be listening.

But keep saying

what is in your heart ...

... and you will find someone who listens.

Keep saying it ...

... and you may be surprised 

to find the whole world

listening.

Peter H. Reynolds encourages all to say something in their own way, recognizing that some have strong voices that are easily heard and others are quieter, imparting their messages through poetry, art, fashion and science. This acknowledgement of differences, including in our ways to communicate, makes Say Something! relevant and accessible to all.

From Say Something! by Peter H. Reynolds

As a bonus, there's a wonderful activity pack available free from Scholastic that includes a heart-shaped card that would be perfect for a Valentine's Day class activity. Check it out at https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/scholastic/kids/pdf/say-something/Scholastic_SaySomethingActivityPack.pdf

Say Something! says loads about standing up, sitting down, speaking out and stepping forward. It's inspiring and motivating and empowering. Thank you, Peter H. Reynolds, for cheering those who've led by saying something and encouraging all of us to do the same.

💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬

For more inspiration and to see more illustrations from the book, check out the official trailer posted by Scholastic on YouTube.

Say Something! by Peter H. Reynolds | Official Trailer

Posted by Scholastic on February 1, 2019 

at https://youtu.be/1QfcXz4F0Qc

A Cage Without Bars

Written by Anne Dublin

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-069-8

160 pp.

Ages 10-14

September 2018

The Lord is with me. I have no fear of what man can do to me.      (pg. 1)

In 1492, the king and queen of Spain signed the Edict of Expulsion, giving the Jews of Spain the choice of converting to Catholicism or leaving the country. Many fled to Portugal where their refuge was short-lived. A Cage Without Bars is the story of Joseph, a twelve-year-old Jewish boy, who escapes from Spain with his parents and ten-year-old sister Gracia only to be enslaved by the Portuguese and shipped with other children to the island of São Tomé off the coast of West Africa.

They did not need ropes or chains to restrain us. We were bound by our grief and terror. (pg. 23)

Though Captain Caminha had been expecting a hundred African slaves promised by the king, he is surprised to be delivered of a large group of Jewish children, including Joseph and Gracia, as well as the group of convicts (degredados), who are to be put to work on establishing a settlement and farming cane to make sugar. As horrific as the ship's journey is for the children, with seasickness, poor food, minimal drinking water, dirty quarters, lashings, and Friar Escobar's regular lectures about Christianity, new horrors await them upon the island. When the Portuguese settlers who had received land grants choose their child slaves to work their land in exchange for food, clothing and shelter, Joseph is selected with six others by Dom Pereira, the expert on growing sugar cane. The Jewish child slaves live in huts behind their master's house and begin the hard work of clearing plants and trees. Gracia, on the other hand, who had been chosen to work for the captain's wife Dona Maria while still on the ship, remains by her mistress's side, tending to her clothing and hair and begins to adopt the Christian ways.

Many children lose their lives on the ship, mostly from bloody flux (dysentery), but now the remaining children begin to fall victim to tertian fever (malaria) and accidents including attacks by snakes and crocodiles. The slaves' numbers are augmented with a shipload of African slaves who are a tremendous help in clearing the land and preparing the soil, as well as planting and weeding. Because Joseph sees that they are all slaves, he doesn't always recognize the Jewish children and Africans as different. Even after he is enlisted to learn all he can about making sugar from books after Dom Pereira dies, Joseph begins to befriend the Africans, teaching a boy Tomás his letters–a punishable action–and partaking in their food and storytelling.

Most of us decided to do the best we could; to cling to life; to survive. There was no other choice. (pg. 96)

A tale of slavery cannot have a happy ending, though Anne Dublin does give Joseph a settling of the story that is bittersweet. But she makes sure that it is not contrived or impossible to believe. Perhaps that's to give the reader some hope that from such terrible historical circumstances some resolution could still occur. Still A Cage Without Bars is a very different story about slavery by recounting the historical events that resulted from the Spanish Edict of Expulsion in the fifteenth century. It's evident from author Anne Dublin's writing and historical notes, which include extensive footnotes, a glossary and references for further reading, that this was a difficult story to learn about and to tell. Still, she tells it well by embedding Joseph's story in the big picture of history, making it personal and real, not just bleak in tone and facts, and exposing a new story from the past that needs to be acknowledged in order to further our understanding and extend our compassion, all in the effort to replace ignorance and discrimination.

Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up

Written by Jane Whittingham

Illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-067-3

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

Release March 2019

Queenie Quail may always be the last one to catch up to her parents and nine siblings when the flock goes out but she's the first to see danger when it's lurking in the grass. Seems being a dawdler has its advantages.

From Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up by Jane Whittingham, illus. by Emma Pedersen

Whether quail or human child, the dawdler is not an uncommon concern for parents. And for Mama and Papa Quail, keeping ten little ones together is always necessary when snakes and foxes and raccoons and cats–oh my!–are always searching for prey.
With the rhythmic sounds of heads "bob bob bob"-ing and the "tap tap tap" of little feet, the "ten round bodies went hurry hurry hurry" but Queenie can't keep up, no matter how often they stop to cheep at her.  She's distracted by the pink blossoms and the green grass and the shiny stones and the fuzzy caterpillars and more.

From Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up by Jane Whittingham, illus. by Emma Pedersen

But one morning when she stops to admire a feather, she spots

An unusual flash of orange.
A furry kind of orange.
A moving kind of orange.

Finally given reason to hurry, Queenie alerts her family and her parents squawk into action. Not surprising that Queenie's siblings learn the value in stopping to really see along their daily treks from then on.

Though quails are usually very quiet unless startled, Jane Whittingham gives them voice in Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up and your little ones will enjoy the repetitive chirps of the quails as they move and urge Queenie to hurry. Moreover, by boldly colouring certain phrases or words, including those repeated three times in succession, even non-readers will be able to pick up on key words and read along. Beyond the text, the story content has important embedded messages about sticking together for safety as well as taking the time to really see along the journey.  Queenie Quail may be a challenge for her family because she doesn't march to the same drummer as they do but that same difference also makes her an asset. Her observational skills and appreciation of what she sees around her is a testimonial to the benefit of mindfulness, taking in the moment and all it entails.

Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up is Toronto artist Emma Pedersen's first picture book and she does Queenie and her family, as well as Jane Whittingham, proud. Though Emma Pedersen ensures that the quail are truly quail-like, with their head plumes, known as topknots, of which Queenie's is bi-coloured, and elongated bodies for adults and rounded-bodied young, she has given them her own personal stamp of cuteness. In fact, with the adorable facial expressions on the chicks and parents, Emma Pedersen anthropomorphizes the quails just enough to help children see themselves and their families within. Similarly, the landscapes Emma Pedersen creates of stylized plants are both real and fantastical, enriching each page of the story.

From Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up by Jane Whittingham, illus. by Emma Pedersen

While the basis of Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up may be appear to be a scolding at an errant youngster, it delightfully turns into a lesson about the value in stopping to smell the grass and the blossoms and see the amazing in our surroundings, to the betterment and safety of all.

Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes

Written by Eva Chen

Illustrated by Derek Desierto

Feiwel and Friends

978-1-250-29726-6

32 pp.

Ages 4-6

November 2018

Marilyn Monroe always said "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world." In Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, Juno is given the opportunity to step into the shoes of those conquering women and experience the worlds of those who achieved much in the arts, sciences and society.

From Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen, illus. by Derek Desierto

Preparing for school, Juno cannot find her favourite shoes. Delving into her closet to look for her seemingly boring white sneakers that are "her favorite running-hopping-skipping-muddy-puddly-jumping shoes", Juno and her pup are transported by a milky way into a ginormous closet of hundreds of shoes–"... a cornucopia of shoes! A feast of fashion!"–under glass cloches à la Saks Fifth Avenue.

From Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen, illus. by Derek Desierto

She becomes Cleopatra when she tries on the Egyptian sandals; Frida Kahlo in the colourful lace-up boots; Cinderella in the glass slippers; Serena Williams in her tennis sneakers; an astronaut in Sally Ride's boots; a ballerina in Misty Copeland's slippers; and more. There are athletes, scientists, and celebrities of TV, art and music. Juno tries them all, putting herself in their shoes and their lives. When she finally discovers her own shoes, she finds a way to put a little magic in them, courtesy of her experiences with those of some great women.

From Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen, illus. by Derek Desierto

American Eva Chen brings her fashionista background to inspire children to take a journey through the footwear worn by famous people, past and present, but for me it's Vancouver illustrator Derek Desierto who brings the sparkle to the story with his artwork. Derek Desierto, who is the designer of Derek Cardigan eyewear, brings a mixture of contemporary with retro design to his illustrations, delivering the fun with the footwear (and the clothing and settings) and colour bold enough to bowl over little Juno. The distinction of the women's shoes, summarized in an appendix titled "Juno's Guide to Groundbreaking Women (and their Shoes)," is like a visit to a shoe museum, introducing young readers to important women in history and inspiring them to be great in their own shoes.

The Unteachables

Written by Gordon Korman

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-7016-1

279 pp.

Ages 9-13

January 2019

I can always rely on Gordon Korman's books to make me laugh. But, with The Unteachables, for the first time, Gordon Korman has made me cry too. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher. Maybe it's because an injustice is righted. Maybe it's because a motley group of kids steps up in a big and meaningful way. Whatever the reason, The Unteachables delivers more than expected, just like the students in Mr. Kermit's SCS-8 class.

In a comedy of errors or even negligence, Kiana Roubini who has moved in with her father and stepmom and baby brother while mom is off shooting a movie ends up inappropriately and unregistered in class SCS-8, a self-contained special grade eight class at Greenwich Middle School. The only other students in the class are the angry Aldo Braff; Elaine ("Rhymes with pain") Ostrover; Barnstorm Anderson, an injured jock who had been passed year after year but did no work; quirky comic-movie-TV fan Mateo Hendrickson; Rahim Barclay who sleeps all day; and Parker Elias, farm boy for whom reading is just an endless barrage of confusing anagrams. Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit who, though once a dedicated and inspiring teacher, was ruined by a cheating scandal twenty-two years earlier in which he had no part but for which the superintendent, Dr. Thaddeus, is determined to make the man pay dearly, forever it would seem. Mr. Kermit, or Ribbit as his class calls him, was the teacher of a student, Jake Terranova, who'd stolen and sold copies of the aptitude test, marring the reputation of the school at which Dr. Thaddeus was then principal. Now after years of reassignment after reassignment, Mr. Kermit is coasting until his early retirement at the end of the school year. Unfortunately, Dr. Thaddeus is not going to let that happen.

To the whole school, SCS-8 is the class of Unteachables and Mr. Kermit is happy to accept that. He gives them worksheets that he never grades and works on his crossword puzzle. As long as they don't burn the school down, he's okay with whatever they do or don't. But, enthusiastic young Miss Fountain next door is determined to foist her primary class management ideas on him and his students. Worse yet, she engages car dealership mogul Jake Terranova, the cheating scandal lynchpin, to interact with the kids, hopeful that a reconciliation may return Mr. Kermit to great teaching.

As in life, Gordon Korman's novels are filled with a plethora of characters, all with their own foibles and strengths. By alternating the voice of the chapters between Kiana, Parker and Mr. Kermit, along with Mateo, Aldo, Barnstorm, principal Mrs, Vargas, Dr. Thaddeus and Jake Terranova, Gordon Korman embeds perspective and perception, not always accurate but always telling.

The guidance counsellors say I have anger management problems. They don't know what they're talking about. I manage to get angry better than anybody else in the whole school. No problem. (pg. 39)

Though there is redemption for those who never should have needed to redeem themselves, The Unteachables makes sure to impart positive messages about learning and teaching, and that no one is unteachable.

How can the school know they're unteachable if nobody ever tries to teach them? (pg. 60)

With a dedication "For all teachers who soldier on" Gordon Korman has written a story for the students and their teachers that inspires everyone to do their best because the impact of that choice may never be identified but it will undoubtedly be realized.