The Dog's Gardener

 

Written by Patricia Storms

Illustrated by Nathalie Dion

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-256-3

36 pp.

Ages 4-7

April 2021

Depending on where you are located in Canada, Patricia Storms's story of The Dog's Gardener may already be in full swing or just starting, or perhaps a few weeks away if there are still occasional frosts. But, as the gardening season slowly ramps up, you know there are dogs like Dutch who are ready for the outdoors.

 

From The Dog's Gardener by Patricia Storms, illus. by Nathalie Dion

Told from a dog's perspective, The Dog's Gardener recounts a day of togetherness. From the early morning when Dutch hears her footsteps but waits for her to wake him up, pretending "to be asleep, just so I can hear her gentle voice."  And...

Then I wait for those beautiful words.

"Okay, Dutch. Let's go outside."

With that, the two companions make their way outdoors to an expansive garden of trees, flowers, and vegetables.

From The Dog's Gardener by Patricia Storms, illus. by Nathalie Dion

He knows her routines, from her heading to the dark and dusty shed that frightens him, to her midday rest at the great stump. And he has his own routines, waiting outside as she gets her tools from the little house, to rolling in the grass and napping at her feet when she rests, and anticipating the delight that comes with the turning on of the water hose.

From The Dog's Gardener by Patricia Storms, illus. by Nathalie Dion

Their day of gardening is a lesson in mindfulness, focusing on the task at hand, whether it be digging, watering, rolling or resting. And it's about being together with someone who is different and appreciates the same things but differently.

The Dog's Gardener is a lazy, summertime read of such depth of feeling between a dog and a human that the outdoors almost feels like another character in their story. Patricia Storms, whose picture books include Moon Wishes and Never Let You Go, conveys that contentment of task and company, together but separate, each pursuing outdoor joy, ending her story, as the pair head inside at the end of the day, with a single significant word: together.

Nathalie Dion, whose illustrations graced both The Big Bad Wolf in My House and I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree, does well in creating artwork for stories with emotional connections between characters, even if those characters are non-human. Because the relationship in The Dog's Gardener is one of serenity and affection, Nathalie Dion's illustrations, which are created with hand-painted gouache textures combined with painting using a digital pastel brush, are reflective of its uplifting nature. The colours are warm and bright, the activity of dog and human are distinct and harmonious, and the story moves gently from morning to end of day.

For dog-lovers and gardeners, The Dog's Gardener is a complete package of fellowship and appreciation for the now, of undertakings and of company, of surroundings and of inclinations. For those who are neither, The Dog's Gardener is what we should be: mindful of what we're doing and with whom and appreciating every positive moment.

Thanks A Lot, Universe: Q & A with author Chad Lucas

 

Yesterday I reviewed Chad Lucas's debut novel

 Thanks a Lot, Universe.

 

Thanks a Lot, Universe

Written by Chad Lucas

Amulet Books (Abrams)

978-1-4197-5102-8

288 pp.

Ages 10-14

May 2021

Reviewed here

Today, I have the pleasure of presenting this Q & A 

with author Chad Lucas.

Helen Kubiw:  Thanks a Lot, Universe is the essentially the story of two boys. I love the idea of the story lines of Brian and Ezra being like two different orbital paths, generally oblivious to the other, with only the occasional crossing until they blend in a new relationship. Why choose to write their story in two voices rather than one omniscient voice that tells the stories of both boys?

 

Chad Lucas:  Brian and Ezra both wrestle in different ways with how they see themselves, and how they think others see them. Writing from their alternating perspectives felt like the best way to explore how there’s often a gap between our perceptions and reality. At first, neither boy realizes how much they’ve already had an impact on the other, until their stories begin to converge.

HK:  Most authors build their characters from bits of people they have known. Sometimes they are composites of many, and sometimes they are reflective of a single individual. Who are Brian and Ezra to you?

 

CL:  This book isn’t autobiographical, but there are pieces of me in both Brian and Ezra, and especially Ezra. He looks a lot like I did at his age, and it meant a lot to me the first time I saw him on the cover—although he’s much more assured than I was at thirteen. I also coach youth basketball, so I drew on watching kids talk and joke with each other to inspire some of the dialogue in this book. And of course, a lot of it is purely fictional. 

HK:  It’s rare to have a parent character to have participated in criminal activity without them being either nasty and violent or a joke. Brian’s dad is very human, capable of making mistakes and trying to run from them. Why did you decide to make him involved in the “cannabis production and distribution business”? 

 

CL:  This book is set about a year before cannabis became legal in Canada, and even now that it’s legal there are plenty of moral issues around who gets to profit (usually wealthy white people) and who’s still being punished (often people of colour). I didn’t have the space in this book to do a deep dive on the justice system, but I did want Brian’s dad to exist in this grey area with more nuance than “illegal activity = villain.” Most people aren’t “good” or “bad.” We’re all capable of loving and doing harm. Brian’s dad loves his family and wants to provide for them, but his choices have ripple effects. 

HK:  Brian’s social anxiety is interpreted differently by those with whom he interacts. Some see it as shyness, the nastier ones call him a freak. Worse yet is how hard Brian is on himself, calling it his Super Awkward Weirdo Syndrome (SAWS). He can overthink things and berate himself, often demonstrating a fatalism that is sad to see in one so young. Thankfully Brian does find some support, even if tenuous at first. Though I would not expect you to offer the psychological support young people with social anxiety might need, what would be one tidbit you might offer to show encouragement?

 

CL:  Thanks for including that disclaimer, because I’m definitely not a trained professional! But you’ve already named something I hope readers take away: we’re often hardest on ourselves, and sometimes we need to trust other people to help us get out of our own heads. I remember times even as a kid when I’d lie awake second-guessing myself or agonizing over something that felt like a massive failure but ended up far less of a big deal than I made it out to be. Brian does encounter kids who pick on his perceived weaknesses, which is unfortunately reality sometimes, but he also meets people who have much more kindness and grace for him than he’s expecting, and they help him see differently. 

HK:  While Brian would never be considered an optimist, I probably wouldn’t call him a pessimist. He’s more a realist, recognizing that life isn’t always easy and there will be things that happen that are unfair. However, his dad’s advice, that he should “Brace yourself and kick right back” (pg. 84), may not seem very wise at first though it does give Brian a push to be less intimidated.  Do you think that advice tells us more about Brian or his dad?

 

CL:  I love this question. I think the advice itself says a lot about Brian’s dad. I have a whole backstory for him in my head going back to his own teenage years, and I could only include a fraction of it in the book, but I think this line reflects how he learned to navigate the world. But without spoiling too much, Brian has to figure out if what worked for his dad will actually work for him… and his dad has to rethink a few things too.

HK:  Thanks a Lot, Universe is very much a coming-of-age story in which two boys face different challenges involved with learning who they are and can be. Why write this story?

 

CL:  I can still remember what it’s like to wrestle with those enormous questions of identity at that age. And without being too heavy-handed about it, I wanted to reflect that it’s OK for boys to be complex and emotional. Even a star basketball player like Gabe, one of my supporting characters, displays a sensitive side and helps Brian learn how to face some of his own fears. Sometimes boys need permission and safe places to drop the mask and be vulnerable, and I think books can help create that space.

HK:  Music is an important component in Thanks a Lot, Universe, with Ezra DJing and sharing music with Brian. What would be the playlists for Brian, for Ezra and for the two boys’ relationship?

 

CL:  I was asked this recently for a book festival I’m participating in at the end of May, and I made a playlist of songs that either show up in the book in some form or make me think of the characters. One song Brian and Ezra bond over is “Wolf Like Me” by TV On The Radio, which is about becoming a werewolf—and liking it. It’s a killer rock song, but it also felt like a fitting metaphor about embracing the things that make you different. As my book’s tagline says, Be Brave. Be Real. Be Weird. 

Thanks a Lot, Universe - the playlist by Chad Lucas on Spotify

 

HK:  Though you don’t actually end Thanks a Lot, Universe tied up with a perfect happy resolution, you offer hope that things will be okay and maybe Brian will have a good year after all. Why leave things open? 

 

CL:  Brian and his family go through some genuine struggles in this book, and I don’t think a tidy happily-ever-after would have felt realistic or satisfying to young readers. I respect that middle graders are incredibly savvy, and some of them have been through situations like Brian experiences, or worse. I wanted to end with some hope, but I wouldn’t dare talk down to kids by implying that everything always resolves itself in the end. And besides that, I might want to revisit these characters someday!

• • • • • • •

Many thanks to Chad Lucas 

for answering my questions 

(and especially for the short turnaround time given him) 

and sharing about Brian and Ezra 

and the world that is Thanks a Lot, Universe.

 

Thanks also to Rachel Wehniainen, Publicist at Manda Group, 

for facilitating this interview.  

• • • • • • •

Thanks A Lot, Universe

Written by Chad Lucas

Amulet Books (Abrams)

978-1-4197-5102-8

288 pp.

Ages 10-15

May 2021 

Thanks a Lot, Universe is the story of two boys, both coming to terms with new realities. While they are as different as they appear on the cover, the two are both looking for and finding their true selves, with or without the help of the universe.

Told in the alternating voices of thirteen-year-olds Brian Day and Ezra Komizarek, Thanks a Lot, Universe parallels the stories of the two Halifax boys as they become true friends, and maybe more, though the plot is very much driven by the shy and socially anxious Brian. On the day of his thirteenth birthday, Brian learns via letter that his father has left–the police are after him for his role in "cannabis production and distribution"–and his mother, distraught, attempts suicide, though Brian finds her in time to save her.

We'd thought everything was fine. We hadn't known the world was ending. (pg. 16)

Because the whereabouts of their father is unknown and their mother is hospitalized, Brian and his 9-year-old brother Richie are sent to the foster home of grandparents-like Gordon and Emma Wentzell. Still being questioned by Sergeant States of the police about his father, and now dealing with social worker Kate Evans and the incessant attempts at Mrs. Wentzell to engage him, as well as bullying by Victor MacLennan at school, Brian gets absolutely no respite from his social anxiety, dealing with strangers everywhere.

Meanwhile, Ezra is dealing with his changing relationship with his best friend Colby Newcombe who is in the throws of first love and hanging with a new group which includes Victor. Fortunately Ezra still has his older half-sister Natalie and friends Ty and Kevan with whom he can talk and help him sort out his feelings, including about girls or not.

There are people we hang around because it's comfortable or convenient or safe, then there are our people. When you find them, you'll know the difference. (pg. 48)

Though Ezra knows the quiet Brian from basketball, it's not until the two connect over music briefly on a bus ride, that Ezra begins to really notice him. So when Brian runs away with his brother, Ezra joins up with Brian's teacher's son, Gabe Clelland and his girlfriend Brittany, to find them.

Life is probably doing to kick you right in the junk someday, B-Man. This is all the fatherly wisdom I've got. Brace yourself and kick right back. (pg. 84)

Finding Brian and Ritchie is only half of the story. What happens after the boys are found is a new story, with Brian establishing new supports and the means to divert his Super Awkward Weirdo Syndrome–SAWS is his term for his social anxiety–and Ezra admitting his feelings about his new friend and acting on them with heart and gentleness.

 

In his debut novel, Chad Lucas has given young readers a new way of seeing. As readers, we see the anxiety of family trauma, coming out, and regular teenage angst but Chad Lucas has made us see beyond the surface and look a little deeper into what we think we know. Brian is seen as the quiet kid, perhaps a little weird, even by himself, but beneath that front is a complicated young man who is dealing with so much more: making sense of his own disorder, worrying about a mother with a mental illness, angry with a father involved in illegal activities, and agonizing over a broken family, which may or may not be repairable. But when you're only thirteen and you're left to repair that family without having the supports necessary to do so, it's overwhelming. Most of his peers only see him as different and, though there are adults who can see his need for help, Brian's anxiety doesn't allow him to ask for it. Ezra, on the other hand, is comfortable in his own skin, with his friends and family, but he too is dealing with something new. In his head, he ruminates about his attraction to boys and with whom he might be able to share that. But taking a chance on talking about it with someone else, whether family, friend or crush, is still a risk. 

 

Fortunately, sometimes the universe gives you what you need. Through an alignment of circumstances, Brian and Ezra find each other and give each other something they need, whether a push, a pull, or just a hand. It's all good, or at least better. Sometimes that's all the universe can give you.

 

• • • • • • •

 

Look for my interview with author Chad Lucas tomorrow.

 

• • • • • • •

Hare B & B

Written by Bill Richardson

Illustrated by Bill Pechet

Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides Inc.

978-1-927917381

72 pp.

Ages 4-8

April 2021

If the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood was a coyote and the rabbits in Watership Down were hares, then Hare B & B would be a cross between these two stories. Sort of. Hare B & B is actually its very own story of a clever hare family that runs a bed-and-breakfast and works to thwart a wily coyote. A little dark, a whole lot of clever and completely charming.

From Hare B & B by Bill Richardson, illus. by Bill Pechet

Harriet, called Harry by all, is delighted to help out when her mother has identical septuplets who are named Barry, Perry, Mary, Larry, Jerry, Carrie and Terry. One day after taking the young ones out for a long walk in their pram, Harry returns home to find it encircled with police tape and the sad news from Officer Goose (They/Them) that their parents had opened their door to a coyote disguised as an encyclopedia salesman.

From Hare B & B by Bill Richardson, illus. by Bill Pechet

Determined to keep their family together, Harry devises a plan to rent out their parents' room. Assigning tasks to each of her siblings, Harry gets them dusting and vacuuming, washing and preparing for their guests, including sending out ads via twitter i.e., their bird friends.

From Hare B & B by Bill Richardson, illus. by Bill Pechet

The reviews about the breakfast, bed and entertainment (Terry plays the harp) are glowing. But then an odd guest, claiming to be a hare, arrives, ostensibly before the wedding of her sister. Harry is a clever hare and she knows this is not one, maybe not even a rabbit. After a little spying, Harry discovers the animal's true nature and she puts a new plan in action with her siblings.

From Hare B & B by Bill Richardson, illus. by Bill Pechet

 

With some cleaver manoeuvres involving tickles, molasses and harp strings, the coyote is begging to be taken to jail.

 

From fun wordplay and silliness all around, Bill Richardson will give young readers more than a few chuckles and their parents and teachers smiles. Not unlike the original fairy tale of a wolf disguising itself to deceive a red-caped little girl, Hare B & B has a lesson about trust and caution but Bill Richardson does it with such charm that it's just fun to learn. Still he makes sure not to scare children, unlike so many fairy tales. The parents' death is never explicit, and Harry makes sure to remind her seven siblings that...

...there is nothing a smart hare with a good plan cannot accomplish. We must move forward. We must love each other as much as we can. We cannot be fearful every time someone comes to the door. 

That lightness of touch is carried through by designer Bill Pechet's ink and watercolour illustrations. The art is delicate in colour and line, with splashes of blue, green, turquoise and pink. Everything is soft, except for the sharpness of the deceptive coyote, and the reader is charmed by Harry and her septuplet siblings, rooting for them to succeed in their bed-and-breakfast endeavour and find justice for their parents. They do.

 

At 72 pages, Hare B & B is an extended picture book that gives the reader lots of opportunities to learn about the difference between hares and rabbits, appreciate the puns and look for hidden details in the illustrations, as well as discover that it's okay to be both open and cautious. With love, anything is possible.

The Shaman's Apprentice

Written by Zacharias Kunuk

Illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-268-0

32 pp.

Ages 9-12

May 2021

In this picture book based on his animated short film Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice, Inuk director Zacharias Kunuk delivers a powerful story about a young girl facing her fears as she learns from her grandmother, a shaman, in finding healing help from the underworld.

From The Shaman's Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk, illus. by Megan Kyak-Monteith

Qunguliq and her granddaughter Supijaq are summoned by a young man to provide healing for an ill man at his camp. Packing up their qamutiik (sled), they head to the nearby camp, unaware that the qurvik (bed pan) has fallen off in their travels.

Though Qunguliq questions the ill man about why he is sick and what he may have done wrong, he refuses to answer her. Qunguliq requests Supijaq retrieve the qurvik which the girl cannot locate but, sent out again to the qamutiik, the pot has reappeared. Using the pot for its intended purpose, Qunguliq smears the urine on the ill man's face but without any of the expected healing.

Qunguliq decides they must travel underground and, with a magic song, opens a deep hole leading there. Cautioning her granddaughter that she must not be fearful if their journey underground is to be successful, Qunguliq leads them down a slope deep into the earth. But as they travel down, Supijaq realizes that their bodies have changed, becoming limp and soft as if their bones had left their bodies.

From The Shaman's Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk, illus. by Megan Kyak-Monteith

At the bottom, they face a giant husky protecting a doorway. Again, Supijaq is warned not to show fear, and the two proceed into a darkened room of tormented human spirits and Kannaaluk, also known as The One Below.

Kannaaluk reveals something to them which triggers a vision for the shamans of what the man had done, exposing a selfishness as the cause of his own illness. Returning to the sick man's qarmaq (sod house), Qunguliq confronts the man about breaking a taboo before he is healed.

From The Shaman's Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk, illus. by Megan Kyak-Monteith

This traditional Inuit story is rich with culture, language and an inter-generational relationship blended with subtle lessons about facing fears and karma. From the qarmaq with its qulliq (seal oil lamp) to healing practices and the presence of Kannaaluk (the legendary spirit, also known as Takannaaluk and Nuliajuk, who controls the sea mammals), Zacharias Kunuk embeds us in a traditional setting of the Inuit and honours this story with its messages of customs and beliefs. Born in a qarmaq on Baffin Island, Zacharias Kunuk tells this story with authenticity and insight and with the eye of a filmmaker. Qunguliq, whose voice is the only one given words, brings the wisdom and affection while her granddaughter listens and learns through her silence and actions. But with the artwork of Megan Kyak-Monteith, also born in Nunavut, The Shaman's Apprentice is radiant, whether in the qarmaq lit by the qulliq, or across the tundra of glowing blue snow, or even in the depths of the underworld. Though her palette is limited, Megan Kyak-Monteith evokes warmth and cold, comfort and tension with the profoundness of her technique. 

As with all traditional storytelling that is destined to teach and carry forward culture, The Shaman's Apprentice does so admirably in words and art, informing those outside of the culture and preserving it for those within.

Governor General's Literary Awards: 2020 Finalists

Yesterday, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the Governor General's Literary Awards for books published in 2020. Normally this announcement and that of the winners would have taken place last fall. However, because of the pandemic, the announcements of the finalists and the winners have been deferred until this spring. (The 2021 awards will again take place in the fall of this year.) 

 

Awards are given in seven different categories:

• Fiction
• Poetry
• Drama
• Non-fiction
• Young People's Literature - Text
• Young People's Literature - Children's Illustration
• Translation 

Please join me in congratulating this year's finalists in the two categories for young readers. 

Young People's Literature -  Text

(Jury: Catherine Austen, Cary Fagan, Shenaaz Nanji)

 

Harvey Holds His Own

Written by Colleen Nelson
Pajama Press

Reviewed here

Nevers

Written by Sara Cassidy

Orca Book Publishers

Pine Island Home

Written by Polly Horvath

Puffin Canada

The Barren Grounds (Book One of The Misewa Saga)

Written by David A. Robertson

Puffin Canada

The King of Jam Sandwiches

Written by Eric Walters

Orca Book Publishers

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young People's Literature - Illustrated Books

(Jury: Wallace Edwards, Bonnie Farmer, Kyo Maclear)

 

I Talk Like a River

Written by Jordan Scott

Illustrated by Sydney Smith

Neal Porter Books / Holiday House

 

Our Little Kitchen

Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

Groundwood Books 

Reviewed here

 

Swift Fox All Along

Written by Rebecca Thomas

Illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Annick Press

 

The Barnabus Project

Written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers 

Tundra Books

 

Weekend Dad

Written by Nassem Hrab

Illustrated by Frank Viva

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

 

As part of the Toronto International Festival of Authors, there will be six virtual events on May 27 and 28 featuring readings from the finalists in both these categories. You can register for these events here.

The winners will be announced on June 1, 2021.

Congratulations to all finalists!

When You Get the Chance

Written by Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson
Running Press Teens
978-0-7624-9500-9
272 pp.
Ages 12+
May 2021

 

(n.b. This review was originally posted in May 2020 but because the release was delayed until this month, I have reposted it here to ensure everyone knows about it.)

 

Teens Talia and Mark may think that their destiny is to attend Toronto Pride when they and their families visit Ontario for a funeral but, though they get there, their stories in When You Get the Chance are all about the journey.

When Talia and her dad Gary come from Victoria and meet up with his sister Janet and two kids, Mark and 10-year-old Paige, who live in Halifax, the atmosphere is cool. Though Gary and Janet are attending their father's funeral and trying to help their mother through the loss, their long-term estrangement causes great friction, especially about the family cottage in Muskoka which Gary thinks should be sold and Janet hopes to visit with her kids. Grandma insists they all go up there and spend a week together before a decision is made.

But, when Grandma has a fall and the adults rush back to Toronto, leaving the kids to fend for themselves–grant you, Talia and Mark are in their late teens–the summer becomes a whole lot more interesting. Paige is determined to discover what lead to her mom's estrangement from her brother so, while she and Talia clean and sort, she speculates and puts clues together. Mark, on the other hand, is smitten with local boy Darren who has come around to help fix a 1970 Ford Mustang discovered in a shed. Mark, unfortunately, is all about Mark and, after he learns what Darren is really like, he decides to head to Toronto for Pride. Talia, whose partner Erin had recently moved to Toronto, is desperate to see them (Erin is non-binary and uses they/them/their pronouns), insists Mark take his cousin and, of course, Paige must come along too.

However, when the old Mustang breaks down, their trip looks like it's ended early. But, after meeting diner owner Shirley Jr. and her mechanic partner Babs who offer to take the kids to Toronto themselves, it's a new journey for Mark and Talia in resolving past relationships, meeting new people, experiencing their first Toronto Pride, and discovering who they are and what they need.

For anyone who doesn't know where they fit in, When You Get the Chance provides the promise that somewhere there is such a place for all. While Mark is confident in being out as gay, Talia has come from a small community where she and partner Erin depended on each other for support. But when Erin leaves for the big city and finds a new community, Talia has to balance what she needed then with what she wants now. Fortunately, with much soul-searching and some heartbreak, Talia finds her way.

These are my people, this is my community. I may not know how I identify or whatever, but I'm pretty sure that whatever I am, there's a place for me under this great big queer rainbow. (pg. 177)

Writers Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson have given us a road trip story with a twist in When You Get the Chance. By writing in the alternate voices of Mark and Talia who are from different coasts and have different experiences with their sexuality, Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson present distinct and valid perspectives on being gay or queer or however a young person may identify. By including a myriad of communities from young and old, to gay, straight, non-binary and even polyamorous, they have demonstrated that everyone belongs and sometimes all it takes is one chance and a trip in a vintage yellow Mustang to find one's self, one's voice and community.