All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow!

Written and illustrated by

 Peter H. Reynolds and Henry Rocket Reynolds

Orchard Books (An Imprint of Scholastic Inc.)

978-1-338-57233-9

40 pp.

Ages 4-8

October 2023 

In yet another heartfelt book in his collection, Peter H. Reynolds, this time in collaboration with his son Henry Rocket Reynolds, shows us that the Beatles were always right: all you need is love, though a really soft pillow doesn't hurt either!

 

All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! is a touching dialogue between Little One and their caregiver Poppy. As they are cutie-pie furry creatures, young readers can engender them or not, because it doesn't really matter whether Poppy is mother or father, grandparent, or older sibling. What matters is the love, and the love is stronger than the labels.

 

From All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow!, written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds and Henry Rocket Reynolds

It all starts when Little One asks Poppy whether they need anything. That simple question leads to a sweet heart-to-heart discussion about what we really need. 

Little One,

I’ve got YOU!

We’ve got LOVE!

Love is all

we need!

But then Little One thinks about all the other things that might be nice to have, starting with a really soft pillow. Poppy always concurs with Little One’s ideas, from that pillow to a roof, walls, water and more. With each addition, Poppy acquiesces to Little One’s suggestions, recognizing that it would certainly be useful or sweet, something to add to their life together. Their simple life, now immortalized in a wall hanging, grows with their new shelter and water, as well as chocolate, a cooking pot, a bathtub, a toilet, vegetable garden and books. It’s a lovely life. That is, until a storm hits, and all is lost. Poppy reassures Little One that they still have each other and love, so that’s all they really need.

From All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow!, written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds and Henry Rocket Reynolds

Disasters have always hit, from fires and floods to hurricanes and tornadoes, and people have experienced extraordinary losses. While never diminishing the impact of those disasters, Peter H. Reynolds and Henry Rocket Reynolds remind us that, even with the loss of our material things, with love, we can move forward.

Each day
is a new day.
A new chance to count
our blessings and
savor the journey with
those we love.

All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! is a delightful take on being grateful for what you have and more importantly for the love and support you get. I know many adults who need to understand this message but entitled children who get whatever they want, framing their requests as "I need..." could also benefit from a read of All We Need is Love and a  Really Soft Pillow! Children see what others have and think they need the same, but if this picture book does anything it shows that a close caregiver-child relationship based in love can make room for other things but can also sustain itself with that affection.

From All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow!, written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds and Henry Rocket Reynolds

Though Peter H. Reynolds often has stylized people for his characters (see some samples below), the warm-fuzzy creatures of All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! are anything but human. They may have two eyes, two arms and two legs and walk upright but their similarities to people end there. By drawing them as something other than humanistic, Peter H. Reynolds surprisingly makes the story even more inclusive. Children don't have to see themselves in the characters to empathize with their situations. They will simply understand what it could mean to feel love and to give love and to support those we love, even in times of great loss. Poppy and Little One could be any caregiver and young person, furriness or hairiness aside.

From All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow!, written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds and Henry Rocket Reynolds

There's an eyes-wide-open quality to Peter H. Reynolds's stories, demonstrating for us how we can be the best we can be, whether in pursuing our dreams, being ourselves, accepting others, or being grateful for what we have. In collaboration with his son, Henry Rocket Reynolds, Peter H. Reynolds has given us another important message and reminded us that, if we have love, we might just have everything.

• • • • • • •

Some books of the Peter H. Reynolds collection (with Orchard Books)

Happy Dreamer (2017)

The Word Collector (2018)

Say Something! (2019)

Be You! (2020)

Little Happy Dreamer (2020)

Our Table (2021)

Love You By Heart (2022)

All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! (2023)

2023 Le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse: Winner announced

On October 18, 2023, the Canadian Children's Book Centre and Communication-Jeunesse announced the five finalists for the $50,000 prize for le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l'enfance et la jeunesse.  This past Monday, November 6, the winner of this French-language book award was announced.

Congratulations & Félicitations!

 

 

WINNER / LAURÉAT

 Le Prix TD de littérature pour l'enfance et la jeunesse canadienne

 Seuls

Écrit par Paul Tom

Illustré par Mélanie Baillairgé

Éditions la courte échelle

 

 

 

2023 Governor General's Literary Awards: Winners announced

Earlier this month, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for its highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards. Of the seven categories of books, which are presented for both French and English titles, two categories are specific for books for young people, one for text and one for illustration. Yesterday, the winners of these awards were announced.

Hearty congratulations to all winners 

of this year's Governor General's Literary Awards.

WINNER
English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

The Probability of Everything

Written by Sarah Everett

Clarion Books

 

 

 

 

 WINNER

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

When You Can Swim
Written and illustrated by Jack Wong
Orchard Books (Scholastic)

Reviewed here

 

 

WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Linoubliable
Écrit par Lou Beauchesne
la courte échelle

 WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

Le plus petit sauveur du monde
Écrit par Samuel Larochelle

Illustré par Eve Patenaude
Éditions XYZ

 

Naaahsa is an Artist!

Written and illustrated by Hali Heavy Shield

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-346-0

24 pp.

Ages 6-8

October 2023 

 

Hali Heavy Shield's story, the winner of the Second Story Press Indigenous Writing Contest, is a special one for the depth of the child-grandmother relationship, but it is given life, colour, and texture through the author-illustrator's artwork.

From Naaahsa is an Artist!, written and illustrated by Hali Heavy Shield

A child recalls spending time with her grandmother, whom she calls Naaahsa, an artist. Naaahsa doesn't just babysit her grandchild. She opens doors for creativity and connection to culture, always encouraging the child to try her best. They bead together, sing together, draw together, cook, and paint, and more. They take walks to inspire them, with Naaahsa telling stories in Blackfoot, especially meaningful for her as she had been prohibited from using her language when forced into residential school. Now Naaahsa makes art to help her feel better.

From Naaahsa is an Artist!, written and illustrated by Hali Heavy Shield

Her art is healing but it extends beyond herself, earning her accolades and a show at the National Gallery. She shares that experience with her grandchild, the two travelling by plane to Ottawa. The child hears the praise for Naaahsa, proud of her accomplishments and the recognition she deserves, but it's the little things like her hugs and her inspiration that mean all the world to this child.

Hali Heavy Shield is a member of the Blood Tribe of Southern Alberta and the daughter of an acclaimed sculptor and installation artist. Perhaps Hali Heavy Shield took seeds of her story from life with her mother or a grandmother or someone else but what parts of Naaahsa is an Artist! are true or imagined is irrelevant. (We never see the grandmother's artwork.) What is important is the connection the child has with her Naaahsa that inspires her to do her art, and perhaps fuels the author-illustrator in her own artwork.  Naaahsa was able to use her art to heal and live beyond the tragic circumstances of the residential school experiences, and find work and joy in her art, while imparting those important lessons onto her grandchild.

Art is a language everyone understands.

From Naaahsa is an Artist!, written and illustrated by Hali Heavy Shield

Hali Heavy Shield is a multidisciplinary artist who has used digital media here to evoke both the simplicity and the intricacy of this grandmother-grandchild relationship. Their togetherness may be set on a grassy lawn or against the important Chief Mountain, in a kitchen or in a hotel room, but those landscapes are austere to keep the emphasis on the two as they paint, or walk, cook, or travel. The economy of Hali Heavy Shield's art helps us see the patterns in the child's dresses, the love in their eyes, and the enormity of the world beyond them. They are in their own bubble of love and art. They are, in fact, both artists who create with the inspiration of the other and more.

 

There is more than a story here. There is storytelling. But it goes beyond words and is firmly planted in the artwork of Hali Heavy Shield. There is a new voice and artistry with Hali Heavy Shield's debut picture book and I look forward to seeing more of it,

• • • • • • •

 

The dual-language (Blackfoot and English) edition, translated by Norma Jean Russell and Faye Heavy Shield, is also available as Naaahsa Aisinaki! / Naaahsa is an Artist!

The Little Books of the Little Brontës

Written by Sara O'Leary

Illustrated by Briony May Smith

Tundra Books

978-0-7352-6369-7

40 pp.

Ages 5-9

October 2023

 

This is the story of four siblings who lived about 200 years ago. Their names were Charlotte, Bramwell, Emily, and the youngest was Anne. After their mother had died, as well as their two older sisters, they lived with their father, their Aunt Bramwell, a housekeeper named Tabby, and many pets. And they loved to read and tell stories.

From The Little Books of the Little Brontës, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Briony May Smith

They read everything they could, from novels and poetry, to geography, the dictionary, and the Bible. And when they weren't reading, they were making up stories, creating characters, and acting out plays. And they wrote their own little books to share with each other. What a special gift to have a sister who would paint pictures and hand-stitch pages and give their lives a happily-ever-after. When Bramwell received a set of toy soldiers, which he shared with his sisters, they created even smaller books that would fit into the hands of the toy soldiers. These books were tiny but the worlds within were colossal.

They contain continents and oceans, love stories and battles. There are heroes and antiheroes. And sometimes those who die in one story are brought back to life in another.

Their little books and their stories sustained them and inspired them all to write, taking them to new worlds.

From The Little Books of the Little Brontës, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Briony May Smith

The Little Books of the Little Brontës is not necessarily an illustrated biography of the four Brontë siblings though it does contain key biographical information about their home, the people in their lives, and their occupation with writing and books. But Sara O'Leary has not written this picture book to tell their biographies. She has written it to speak to the power of storytelling and the imagination to sustain us through challenges. There is much still left to tell of the Brontës' stories but those details can just as easily be discovered through research. Like the power of the Brontës' stories, Sara O'Leary takes the reader to see a different world, one in which travel to unknown places is possible, in which struggles are won, and in which lives may be happier, easier, and more exciting. That's the true story of the stories that the Brontës told. Their stories comforted them and fostered their creativity.

Briony May Smith, a British illustrator, uses mixed media to take us into the long-ago world of the Brontë children. She gives their world both historical accuracy but a sweetness of siblings reliant on each other for support and love. The softness of her pencil and digital media take away the austerity of the Brontës' lives and makes them rich in family and togetherness and, of course, literary creativity.

From The Little Books of the Little Brontës, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Briony May Smith

I have reviewed a number of Sara O'Leary's earlier books (including When I Was Small, 2011; A Family is a Family, 2016; Night Walk, 2020; and  Percy's Museum, 2021) and, regardless of the story, there is a gentleness in her storytelling. It's in the choice of her words and the structure of her phrasing and in the choices she makes to tell or not tell. The timeline that appends The Little Books of the Little Brontës cannot help but speak to the losses the Brontës experienced in their short lives–the four who are featured in this book all passed in their 20s or 30s–but, though Sara O'Leary mentions the loss of the children's mother and their older sisters, she makes this story about the wonders of books and storytelling.

The Little Books of the Little Brontës will surely inspire young readers to delve a little deeper into the history of the Brontës but also to create their own little books–instructions provided–and find the wonder in making worlds for themselves and others.

From The Little Books of the Little Brontës, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Briony May Smith

Pigs Can't Fly

Written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-0194-6

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

October 2023

 

Out of the creative heart and hands of Governor General Award-winning author-illustrator Wallace Edwards comes the message to look beyond the seemingly impossible and to imagine.

 

From Pigs Can't Fly, written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards

Many of us have heard the phrase "when pigs fly" and accept the logic of this statement. And the nature of adynatons like "when pigs fly" is the impossibility of them. But Wallace Edwards makes us see beyond the logical and real and imagine otherwise. In rhyming verse and brilliant artwork, Wallace Edwards asks us to consider the impossible as possible. From that flying pig to a turtle chewing gum and a chameleon that smiles, it may all be feasible. In fact, Wallace Edwards provides us with graphic evidence.

Fish never sing, I have been told,

They think it's too much trouble.

But this fish sings an old, sweet song,

Then saves it in a bubble.

From Pigs Can't Fly, written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards

Depicting some of his favourite characters–alligators, mice, pigs, rhinos, and elephants–Wallace Edwards offers hope for the impossible. And that hope, to think beyond what we've all been told, leads to his final proposition about love, contrary to the notion that nothing lasts forever.

From Pigs Can't Fly, written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards

I know that when we're told "when pigs fly" that it's often to indicate something will never happen. It's a statement that puts the kibosh on any expectation of something coming to pass. But Wallace Edwards restores that expectation of possibility, through his words and his art, and reminds us ultimately that love can endure all. (His dedication suggests that his does, giving him "the happily-ever-after part" of his life.) His words are clear and still playful, just like his sophisticated art. The worm in a pointe shoe dances for his party of a frog, mouse, miniature lion, robot, mallard, elephant with red-painted toenails, warblers (maybe?) and a glorious orchid. The frog plays his bagpipes wearing his blue-green tartan and sporran in the highlands. And the mouse juggles a candy cane, key, apple core and teacup for his fellow mice all from atop a playing card. Wallace Edwards always gives readers a feast for the eyes and a message from the heart. His theme here is to look beyond the seemingly impossible for it might just be plausible.

This is the third book in Wallace Edwards's series of books–the first books were Can You Imagine? and Do You Wonder?–that implore us to wonder and imagine. With  Pigs Can't Fly, he reminds us that no matter how often we may be told or hear that something cannot be done, whether it's to protect us or to stifle us, it's within us to try.

• • • • • • •

Can You Imagine? (2021)

 Do You Wonder? (2022)

Pigs Can't Fly (2023)

2023 Governor General's Literary Awards: Finalists announced

Yesterday, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards.

The seven categories of books, both in French and English, for which awards are given are:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Poetry
• Young People's Literature (Text)
• Young People's Literature (Illustration)
• Drama
• Translation

Congratulations to the finalists 

of all the awards.
 

I present here those finalists of

works for young people.

English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)
 

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

Written by Zoulfa Katouh
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Berani

Written by Michelle Kadarusman

Pajama Press 

Reviewed here

Fire on Headless Mountain

Written by Iain Lawrence

Margaret Ferguson Books, Penguin Random House Canada

The Probability of Everything

Written by Sarah Everett

Clarion Books

Weird Rules to Follow

Written by Kim Spencer

Orca Book Publishers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

 

Boobies

Written and illustrated by Nancy Vo
Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

 

Mr. S

Written and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo
Katherine Tegen Books (An Imprint of HarperCollins)

Reviewed here

Still This Love Goes On
Written by Buffy Sainte-Marie

Illustrated by Julie Flett
Greystone Books

The Skull

Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press

Reviewed here

 

When You Can Swim
Written and illustrated by Jack Wong
Orchard Books (Scholastic)

Reviewed here

 

 

 

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Escarpolette

Écrit par Sylvie Drapeau

Dominique et compagnie / Les éditions Héritage

Le plancher de la lune
Écrit par Jean-Christophe Réhel
la courte échelle

Linoubliable
Écrit par Lou Beauchesne
la courte échelle

Mélie quelque part au milieu
Écrit par Mylène Goupil
Éditions Québec Amérique

Zipolaris Tome 3 : La malédiction de Zangra
Écrit par J.L. Blanchard
Éditions Fides

 

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

Gervais et Conrad
Écrit et illustré par Iris Boudreau
Éditions Les 400 coups

Je tʼécris de mon lit
Écrit par Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve

Illustré par Agathe Bray-Bourret
Éditions Les 400 coups

 

Le Bourlingueur de Matungoua
Écrit par Boucar Diouf

Illustré par François Thisdale
Éditions La Presse

Le plus petit sauveur du monde
Écrit par Samuel Larochelle

Illustré par Eve Patenaude
Éditions XYZ

Parfois les lacs brûlent
Écrit et illustré par Geneviève Bigué
Front Froid

 

 

 

 

Winning titles will be announced
on November 8, 2023.