The Dog Who Wanted to Fly

Written by Kathy Stinson

Illustrated by Brandon James Scott

Annick Press

978-1-77321-280-7

36 pp.

Ages 3-6

March 2019

A chattering squirrel just out of reach is the frustration of many a dog. Though a chase may be all that is wanted, but unlikely to happen when the squirrel remains out of reach, that mocking babble is taunting, and Zora is determined to find relief. If only she could fly!

From The Dog Who Wanted to Fly by Kathy Stinson, illus. by Brandon James Scott

Tully the cat may be the voice of reason, stating quite clearly that "Dogs can't fly" but Zora is resolute. She bounces as high as she can and she crashes. She flaps her ears and her tail and she crashes. She tries to springboard from a teeter-totter and she crashes. She considers using an umbrella but that idea is thwarted by a human. She fashions herself into a plane with ears, paws and tail extended but she cannot will herself "up." Still, when Tully begins to fall from a perch on a branch, Zora zings to the rescue.

From The Dog Who Wanted to Fly by Kathy Stinson, illus. by Brandon James Scott

Zora's story is that of author Kathy Stinson's own dog Georgia to whom she dedicates the story, but it really is the story of every dog who watches wistfully at chase fodder a.k.a. squirrels. But, like anyone with big dreams that may be preposterous–let's face it: dogs can't fly–there still may be a way to achieve versions of those goals and that's what Zora does when her friend is in danger.  Kathy Stinson, who can write everything from picture books to YA novels, tells Zora's story with words and logic that young readers will understand and enjoy, ending it with the subtle humour that children will appreciate, sure to laugh themselves silly.

And the squirrel was very quiet.

From The Dog Who Wanted to Fly by Kathy Stinson, illus. by Brandon James Scott

Brandon James Scott is an accomplished animator, creating the Emmy-nominated "Justin Time" TV series, but his artwork really shines when giving visual life to Kathy Stinson's story. He endows Zora with the cuteness to sweeten her story and the attributes of determination, imagination and compassion to carry it forward. Her expressive eyes and eyebrows, mouth and body language always speak to Zora's intentions, just as Tully and the squirrel voice their own views. (Check out the final illustration directly above.) Even Zora's backyard of fenced-in greenery is lush with light and life.

Here's to Zora who doesn't let logic keep her from her dreams and to the squirrel and Tully who will have to rethink what a dog can and cannot do.

Zora, The Dog Who Wanted to Fly by Kathy Stinson, illus. by Brandon James Scott

🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

Annick Press, the publisher of The Dog Who Wanted to Fly, just posted this sweet book trailer for it on YouTube.

Uploaded by Annick Press to YouTube on March 12, 2019.

Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life

Written by Beverley Brenna

Illustrated by Tara Anderson

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-069-7

128 pp.

Ages 7-10

February 2019

Finding one’s own purpose in life is not an easy task and one which many of us never find. Imagine being a hamster in a cage in a pet store and wondering about what life holds for you. Is it just anticipating fresh bedding? Is it waiting for extra peanuts? Is it to find a forever home? Is it to be free?  But with the hamster’s adoption by nine-year-old Jeannie, the hamster, first known as Harvey Owens and then Sapphire, looks for that meaning and finds it with the help of a rich collection of characters and a few nibbles on fingers.

Told in the alternating voices of Sapphire and Jeannie, Beverley Brenna begins Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life with a long-awaited trip to the pet store for Jeannie’s promised Christmas gift of a hamster.  Though the visit almost doesn’t happen as Jeannie’s mother deems her daughter’s behaviour at the mall as inappropriate, Jeannie picks out the white hamster with the navy blue eyes and purchases all the materials to make his home perfect. But the hamster, whom she originally names Harvey Owens after her father who has moved out of the house, is frightened by the new sounds, smells and temperatures and lashes out by biting, even more so after they are involved in a car accident. Jeannie, who is dealing with her own stresses that include not being heard, a father who seems to be off with a new life and a mother struggling with two young children and trying to deal with her own grief and anger about her marriage, recognizes that the little guy bites when scared or surprised, and helps educate all who come near him to be considerate. And since he is such a great comfort to all of them–Jeannie, her brother Alistair, her mom and others–once they learn how to be kind to him, he has much to offer them back. And it makes no difference when he is identified as a her.

Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life is far greater than a story about a girl getting a pet hamster. It’s about struggling to find your place. Jeannie is a pretty good caregiver for Sapphire but she’s trying to figure out why her father isn’t keeping in touch, whether her parents are “getting put back together” (pg. 40), why her little brother seems stressed, how to be a friend, why her Mom’s new friend Anna Conda seems reserved though really cool, and the questions that kids want answered but no one will respect them enough to tell them the truth. Meanwhile Sapphire is recognizing how nice her new home is, singing when pleased, and beginning to understand freedom, especially after a dangerous escape outdoors in frigid January.

It seems to me that Free is just a little bit too big to think about for very long. (pg. 67)

It’s perfect that Jeannie’s story and Sapphire’s come together to become something bigger and better. Just as the two are better for having each other in their lives, Beverley Brenna’s text is enhanced with the adorable illustrations by Tara Anderson which head each of the forty-two chapters. Her pencil sketches of Sapphire make up the majority of these illustrations and show the little hamster eating, playing, sleeping, hiding and just being all-around cute. I had some trepidation about an animal story, especially one which begins in a pet store, but Tara Anderson’s charming artwork reassured me that Sapphire’s story would turn out well.

A perfect early reader for kids who love animals, Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life is actually more about giving significance to managing our own stories. It may require a nip or a bite or some yelling to be heard, or perhaps a snuggle or a quiet voice might be in order, but it's about finding the meaning of your own life, even if only for the time being.

From Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life by Beverley Brenna,               illustrated by Tara Anderson

What Makes Girls Sick and Tired

Written by Lucile de Pesloüan

Illustrated by Geneviève Darling

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-096-4

48 pp.

Ages 12-18

March 2019

I know last Friday was International Women's Day. I was certainly flooded with notices about books celebrating women and their day. But I didn't want to post this review on that day because I didn't want it to get lost in that flood. I think What Makes Girls Sick and Tired deserves to be recognized beyond that day as all women should be.

The girl's frustrated look on the cover says everything about What Makes Girls Sick and Tired. She certainly looks disgusted and weary and, with the plethora of problematic situations which girls must endure, it's no surprise.

From What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan, illus. by Geneviève Darling

From how girls are told they should behave and how their societies and cultures treat them, any compassionate human should cringe. Lucile de Pesloüan is candid about how women are treated and the unrealistic and ridiculous expectations settled upon them. From domestic roles and judgements placed upon them to emphasize their appearance and not their substance, women are regularly faced with discrimination and criticism. Worse yet, Lucile de Pesloüan shares devastating stats from the likes of the United Nations UNITE Campaign and the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2017 about inequities in wages, vulnerabilities in war and with illness, and more. For those who don't believe that injustices are levelled against girls and women, the numbers don't lie.

From What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan, illus. by Geneviève Darling

In graphics of faded lavender, a little grittier than the pinkish purple of the floral, Montreal artist Geneviève Darling provides unique visuals that depict all women. Women of different ages, shapes, colour, relationships, cultures, and circumstance. Everyone is here. She makes sure to ensure inclusivity and diversity. By representing everyone, girls can see their story within, even if those stories are uncomfortable or troubling.

Girls are sick and tired because sexism affects everyone, every day, in ways that are both obvious and subtle and both simple and complex. (pg. 2)

And that's why girls are sick and tired and why they have every right to be.

From What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan, illus. by Geneviève Darling

Girls are less sick and tired when they are encouraging, supportive, and united in solidarity with one another. It's one of the best parts of feminism.  (pg. 47)

Here's hoping that every day there will be fewer and fewer girls who have reason to be sick and tired. What Makes Girls Sick and Tired is a fair and equitable portrayal that makes a great start at informing the world.

Moon Wishes: Book launch (Toronto, ON)

Join

authors

Patricia and Guy Storms

and

illustrator

Milan Pavlović

in celebrating the launch of 

Moon Wishes

Written by Guy and Patricia Storms
Illustrated by Milan Pavlović
Groundwood Books
978-1-77306-076-7
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
March 2019
Reviewed here

on

Sunday, March 10, 2019

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

at

TYPE Books Junction

2887 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON

416-761-9973


This free event for all ages
promises

cookies, music and fun!

Moon Wishes

Written by Guy and Patricia Storms
Illustrated by Milan Pavlović
Groundwood Books
978-1-77306-076-7
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
March 2019

Everyone makes wishes to the light of the moon but what does the moon wish for? That’s the question Guy Storms and Patricia Storms answer in their first picture book collaboration with illustrator Milan Pavlović.

From Moon Wishes by Guy and Patricia Storms, illus. by Milan Pavlović

With a beginning that allows young readers to put themselves up in the night sky, Guy Storms and Patricia Storms introduce Moon Wishes with "If I were the moon ..." and then propose the loveliest of sentiments to brighten the world from the darkness that extends far beyond nightfall. There would be the creation of art by shimmering over waters teeming with fish and over "dreams of snow." It would "wax and wane over the Earth's troubles" to soothe and light the way for travellers including human, bird and marine and showcase those who play, sing and reside outside. And the moon would always shine with love and light.

From Moon Wishes by Guy and Patricia Storms, illus. by Milan Pavlović

In a series of glorious images, as iridescent with their glowing moons as the cover, Milan Pavlović gives these heartfelt moon wishes substance. They are no longer wishful thinking or dreams for something better. They are real. Readers can see the lustrous moon paving the way for lives to be lived. From refugees trekking across an expansive landscape to the trumpeter serenading delighted felines or the whales swimming in seafoam green waters, Milan Pavlović shows the smiling moon, serene in all its phases, making the world a brighter place for all.

From Moon Wishes by Guy and Patricia Storms, illus. by Milan Pavlović

I will be adding this book to my Read a Book of Bedtime booklist because it belongs among those titles that help ease little ones to slumber.  With its meaningful intentions and luminous illustrations, Moon Wishes will certainly hush children to sleep knowing that the moon is watching over all and wishing only goodness.

•••••••••••••••••••••
The book launches this Sunday (March 10, 2019) in Toronto. Details here.

The Triumphant: Book launch (Toronto, ON)

It's finally here!

The final book in

The Valiant Trilogy

Fallon's story began in

The Valiant

and her fight continued in

 The Defiant

Now

author

Lesley Livingston

completes Fallon's story with

the launch 

of

The Triumphant

Written by Lesley Livingston

Razorbill

9780451480682

416 pp.

Ages 12+

February 2019

on 

Thursday, March 7, 2019

(sorry for the short notice!)

7 -10 p.m. 

at

Dominion Pub and Kitchen

500 Queen St. E.

Toronto, ON

The event is open to all ages! 

(Don't let the pub in the venue name dissuade you from taking in this event.)

⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔

The following blurb about the book comes from Penguin Random House Canada at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/577072/the-triumphant-by-lesley-livingston/9780451480682:

The final book in the Valiant series takes Fallon and her warrior sisters on an epic journey from the corrupt Roman Republic to the wonder of the ancient world: Alexandria, Egypt.

In the wake of their victorious fight to win back the Ludus Achillea, Fallon and her gladiatrix sisters have become the toast of the Republic. However, as a consequence of his actions during the Ludus uprising, Fallon's love Cai has been stripped of his Decurion rank and cast down to serve as one of Caesar's gladiators.

Amid fighting for Cai's freedom, Fallon soon learns that Caesar's enemies are plotting against him and planning to get revenge on his fearsome gladiatrices. When Caesar is murdered by these conspirators, Fallon and the girls lose any sort of protection they once had. Fallon also realizes that the foreign queen Cleopatra is now in grave danger.

Fallon rallies her war band and Cai's friends to get Cleopatra out of the city, and the group heads to the safety of Cleo's homeland, Alexandria, Egypt. Once there, the gladiatrices are promised a place of honor in the queen's elite guard, but is that what any of them really want? 

Circle

Written by Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Candlewick Press

978-0-7636-9608-5

48 pp.

Ages 4-9

March 2019

Young readers met Circle and her friends Square and Triangle in Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen's earlier books in the Shape trilogy, Triangle (Candlewick, 2017) and Square (Candlewick, 2018), but now it's Circle's turn to reveal herself. In each of the books, the shape at its centre have dealt with personal issues of trust and self-confidence and, above all, friendship, and now Circle finds herself similarly challenged in this final book in the Shape trilogy.

From Circle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Circle and her friends Square and Triangle are playing a game of hide-and-seek near Circle's waterfall but she insists that they cannot hide behind the waterfall. But Triangle chooses to do just that and Circle slips in behind the falls to find him.

From Circle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

It is very dark in the cavern behind the falls but, as Circle goes in farther, calling out to Triangle, it becomes pitch black. Only Circle's eyes are visible until a second pair appears. As Circle chastizes Triangle for his rule-breaking and disregard for his friends, the second pair of eyes remains silent. Finally Circle apologizes for her rant and tells Triangle that they love him, just as a third pair of eyes appear behind Circle with Triangle's voice thanking Circle for her declarations. Then things get a little harried as the two realize the third set of eyes does not belong to their friend, though in hindsight, Circle recognizes something highly relevant.

"You know," she said, "that shape in the dark might

not have been bad. It might have been a good shape.

We just could not see it."

From Circle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Let's talk about the subtlety of message which is perfectly understated for the very young for whom this board book was written. Kids will know about playing and rules and friends and getting frustrated and angry and then taking all back. They'll know about being afraid of the dark and confronting their fears. But, while Circle speaks to all that, in the hands of that dynamic duo of American Mac Barnett and Canadian Jon Klassen, it also speaks to larger issues of forgiveness and tolerance. Big concepts for a little book but presented in such a sophisticated way that it will permeate any barrier.

From Circle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

There is a quietness to Jon Klassen's earthy illustrations, created with a combination of coloured pencils, gouache and crayons, evoking the natural setting for the stories of the three shape friends. Like the rocks and the cavern and the shapes themselves, the illustrations have substance but are not oppressive, while giving hints of harmony and freshness with the touches of mint green for Circle's waterfall. It's so easy to fall into Jon Klassen's art and swim around, even if in the pitch darkness of the deepest depths of that cavern.

I am sorry to see this trilogy end but I am ever hopeful that the partnership of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen will continue, as it should, to add to the canon of picture books that tell powerful stories with distinction and without preaching.

Shape trilogy by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen