Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment

Written by Farah Qaiser and Hajer Nakua

Illustrated by Natalya Tariq

Second Story Press

978-1-772603651

24 pp.

Ages 4-9

February 2024

Today, February 11th, is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment, a book about a little Muslim girl who takes on a big experiment, seems like the perfect picture book to review today. 

From Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment, written by Farah Qaiser and Hajer Nakua, illustrated by Natalya Tariq

Khadija is excited to take her parents and little brother Omar to her school to see the science fair. But this isn't a science fair where children display their projects. This is one in which professional scientists discuss their research and demonstrate experiments and do cool things. Khadija is impressed with all the scientists in their lab coats and safety goggles but wonders why not one is wearing a hijab.

From Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment, written by Farah Qaiser and Hajer Nakua, illustrated by Natalya Tariq

At the fair, Khadija is given a boxed experiment which she is excited to try, mostly to prove that she could be a true scientist. But the family is expecting many guests for Eid, and she is told to wait. But wait she cannot. So as Amma cooks up delicious foods, Khadija heads into the bathroom armed with some ingredients, including food dye, and her Abba's favourite mug.

From Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment, written by Farah Qaiser and Hajer Nakua, illustrated by Natalya Tariq

She follows the directions and is, at first, delighted with the foamy mixture, until it expands beyond the mug and onto the counter and onto the floor. This gaffe gives Khadija's parents an opportunity to talk to her about what it means to be a scientist, including the need for curiosity and patience, and that there is not just one way to be a scientist. In fact, they get her a little something for Eid that gets her started on her own journey to becoming one.

From Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment, written by Farah Qaiser and Hajer Nakua, illustrated by Natalya Tariq

Authors Farah Qaiser and Hajer Nakua know about the curiosity that compels a child to become a scientist as this is something which they both achieved. That inquisitiveness is natural to young children. They want to learn and know and try things. I recall my own young niece and nephews who wanted to do "sparimenting" and even arranging a science-based birthday party for one. For some, that curiosity is sadly extinguished when they are led to believe that they cannot "do science" whether because of their gender, their experiences, or something else. Farah Qaiser and Hajer Nakua shows young readers that a little Muslim girl who wants to be a scientist can achieve that dream, because their message in Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment is all about opportunity and inclusion. 

Ottawa illustrator Natalya Tariq uses cartoon art to give brightness and innocence to Khadija's story. There's a wide-eyed wonder to the child that is infused in every illustration. From her eager acceptance of the boxed experiment to observing all the different scientists at the fair and to her delight at a very special gift for a budding scientist. Natalya Tariq makes us see Khadija's wonder and interest in science, but also her heritage and her family, and, like the text, reminds us that the two are wholly compatible.

On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Khadija and the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment supports Khadija in her ambition to become a scientist, starting with an experiment that any child can undertake (check online for instructions). This can only inspire all children to follow their dreams, whether into science or into the arts.

The First Page Student Writing Challenge for 2024

It's back! CBC Books's wonderful student writing contest is back and with a new author to judge your entires. For teachers and parents, it's a fabulous opportunity to get Canadian students in Grades 7 through 12 writing. For young adults, it's a compelling way to get your writing out there and to win a prize of monthly boxes of books (for a year)! Details can be found at CBC Books website at https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-first-page-student-writing-challenge-is-open-for-submissions-1.4269274.

 

What is the Challenge?

     Write the first page of a novel set in 2174 in which the main character is facing an issue that is important today but set in the future so that we can see how it's played out 150 years from now.

     Your entry, in any genre, should be between 300 and 400 words, and include a title (though it is not included in your word count).

Who can enter? 

     The contest is open to all Canadian residents who are full-time students in Gr.ades 7 to 12. Enter through the submission link at CBC Books's Literary Prizes website at https://cbcliteraryprizes.submittable.com/submit

     Before submitting, check out the full rules and regulations at CBC Books to ensure your submission meets all requirements.

 

What is the deadline for entering?

      The contest runs from February 1-29, 2024, closing at 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 29, 2024.

 

How will entries be judged?

     Entries will be judged in two categories:

         Grades 7-9

         Grades 10-12 

Judging will be by author Basil Sylvester who co-authored The Fabulous Zed Watson! and Night of the Living Zed with their father Kevin Sylvester.

 

 

What are the prizes?

     The winner of each category will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which delivers monthly boxes of books and literary-related goodies. 

     The school library of each winner will also receive a donation of 50 books.

 

Want a little help?

     Head to Curio.ca (most schools have access) for helpful writing videos from authors like Erin Bow, Cory Doctorow, and Cherie Dimaline.

Good luck 

to all teen readers and now writers!

🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊

All Our Love

Written by Kari-Lynn Winters

Illustrated by Scot Ritchie

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada) 

978-1-4431-9880-6 

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

January 2024 

 

We know that families come in so many configurations but do all children know that? All Our Love shows one wonderful family that may be just right as it is but will become even more right with a new baby.

From All Our Love, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

Sofia and her two dads are anticipating the arrival of a new baby. As Dad builds a crib, Sofia works on a welcome letter for the baby. But she has so many questions! When will the baby arrive? Will it want her as a big sister? Will it change their family from being "just right" which her dads said their family became when Sofia came along.

But Sofia is also incredibly excited. When her dad finally arrives at school to tell her that it was time to go to the hospital, she thinks about all she's written "To the new baby." She mentions what Dad likes and does, while Daddy does other stuff. And she speaks about having a Dad and a Daddy because "We're just lucky, I guess!" Finally, after masking up and joining Daddy at the hospital, the family of four heads home, with the letter, now addressed to Oliver, being read, and signed off with "All our love."

From All Our Love, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

There is so much love in this household. Sofia knows she is loved, and she wants the baby to know they are loved too. So, all the things that her dads show her that prove their love for her, Sofia shares with the baby. She talks of Dad picking her up from school, and making pancakes for dinner on Tuesdays, and Daddy telling jokes and kissing boo-boos from falls. This child knows love. 

 

Kari-Lynn Winters can give us funny (e.g., What If I'm Not a Cat? and Bad Pirate) but there is always a degree of tenderness in her stories. Her books like French Toast and Gift Days remind us that there are things which children may think about that may be surprising or different but they are legitimate questions and challenges that children may be experiencing. In All Our Love, while Sofia wonders what the new baby will mean to their family, her welcome letter suggests that she knows that they might wonder about a family with two daddies. This question may have been posed to Sofia herself and her answer acknowledges that she and the baby may have a different family than others but that's what makes it more special. Though Kari-Lynn Winters's dedication suggests that the story is inspired by one particular family or two, All Our Love really speaks to every family, whether with two dads, two moms, only a mom or a dad, or both a mom and a dad, or no moms and dads. If there is love, it is a family.

From All Our Love, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

Scot Ritchie, illustrator of countless books of his own (e.g., Federica) as well as those of others (e.g., Zander Stays), has an art style that is soft in line and colour and tender in its spirit. As All Our Love comes from the perspective of Sofia writing a letter to her new sibling, Scot Ritchie has given the illustrations a sweet, anticipatory feel. From Sofia thinking and writing about what this new change will mean, to the family that feels the stars of a birth's magnificence, Scot Ritchie's art takes us on their journey from waiting and hoping to welcoming and celebrating.

 

I hope that young readers will see this as a story of two dads and their children but will also recognize that it goes beyond that because of the love that comes with family. With all that love, this family will be just right, no matter its composition.

This is a Tiny Fragile Snake

Written by Nicholas Ruddock

Illustrated by Ashley Barron

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-784-1

36 pp.

Ages 3+

February 2024

 

This is a Tiny Fragile Snake is a nature walk, a stroll through different habitats to see a variety of animals but observed through human eyes and through our interactions with them. Nicholas Ruddock, Guelph writer and physician, gives us the perspective of children as they take in a snake, a bear, a hummingbird, a caterpillar, and more as their worlds intersect with ours. In rhyming verse, Nicholas Ruddock lets us see something different along with these children.

From This is a Tiny Fragile Snake, written by Nicholas Ruddock, illustrated by Ashley Barron

The first poem is "Snake" which, while it mentions what the snake eats, is more about the children protecting the snake from being trampled by moving it to a safer place via a coffee cup. Children being benevolent is a theme that also shows up in the poem about the hummingbird that has its beak stuck in a window screen, and a caterpillar saved from a lawnmower, as well as a chipmunk being stalked by a tuxedo cat.

I plucked it from its blade of grass

and placed it on a tree,

and a week ago a butterfly

came by and danced for me. ("Caterpillar")

From This is a Tiny Fragile Snake, written by Nicholas Ruddock, illustrated by Ashley Barron

Some poems reflect how we feel about the animals highlighted, whether disgusted, scared, impressed or something completely different. "Ants" speaks to dissuading ants from ruining a picnic by offering some sugary treats some distance away. "Skunk" suggests to children that, while we might see a skunk as a stinky animal, perhaps the skunk sees us with disdain too. Whether it be hornets, a moose, herons, a red squirrel, or a finch, wasp, worms, or loon, Nicholas Ruddock reminds us that people have a relationship with other animals. This might be because we have imposed ourselves on their habitats, or because they have encroached on ours, but there is an interrelationship as our dynamic worlds merge and separate.

From This is a Tiny Fragile Snake, written by Nicholas Ruddock, illustrated by Ashley Barron

By showing young readers how our actions can impact other species, Nicholas Ruddock demonstrates how we can ensure that those actions are always positive or at least harmless. There is wisdom in getting a raccoon out of house or how to free a loon trapped in ice which is delivered with a gentle awe of these animals and how they behave. There is a respect for them that is both explicit and implicit.

It turned out we were helpless,

there was nothing we could do,

for there seemed a steady stream of them,

and we were only two. ("Hornets")

I've admired Ashley Barron's cut-paper collage illustrations in earlier books that she's illustrated for others (e.g., Up! How Families Around the World Carry Their Little Ones, Chaiwala!, and Granny Left Me a Rocket Ship) and I believe that the texturing that comes with her technique lends itself well to outdoor settings. Like leaves that layer and feathers and fur, scales and petals of texture, Ashley Barron's art is rich in depth and colour, giving a three-dimensionality to the landscapes and their animals.

While This is a Tiny Fragile Snake will entice readers, young and old, to find the poetry in nature and how we interact with it, the poems within also remind us how, when our worlds merge, we can ensure those interactions remain copacetic.

So we gave up, threw up our hands,

defeated by a pest,

and for the rest of summer

she was treated as a guest. ("Squirrel")

2023 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award: Finalists announced

On January 31, 2024, IBBY Canada (the Canadian section of IBBY, International Board on Books for Young People) announced the finalists for the 2023 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award. The award, established in a bequest from illustrator Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver in 1985, honours a Canadian illustrator of a picture book published in Canada in English or French during the previous calendar year.

Congratulations to the finalists for the 2023 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award:

 

Do You Remember?
Illustrations and text by Sydney Smith 

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

Mnoomin maan’gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin 

Illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Text by Brittany Luby

Anishinaabemowin translation by Mary Ann Corbiere 

Groundwood Books

Once, a Bird 
Illustrations by Nathalie Dion

Storyline by Rina Singh 

Orca Book Publishers

Reviewed here

The Only Way to Make Bread 
Illustrations by Sarah Gonzales

Text by Cristina Quintero 

Tundra

Skating Wild on an Inland Sea
Illustrations by Todd Stewart

Text by Jean E. Pendziwol 

Groundwood Books

The Song That Called Them Home
Illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Text by David A. Robertson 

Tundra

Reviewed here

A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis
Illustrations by Lauren Soloy

Text by Kathy Stinson 

Greystone Kids

Le village dans la mer
Illustrations and text by Félix Girard 

Éditions de l’Isatis

Waking Ben Doldrums
Illustrations by Byron Eggenschwiler

Text by Heather Smith 

Orca Book Publishers

We Love You as Much as the Fox Loves Its Tail 
Illustrations by Tamara Campeau

Text by Masiana Kelly 

Inhabit Media

Reviewed here

 

 

 

The winner will be announced at the IBBY Canada annual meeting on March 30, 2024.

 

Still My Tessa

Written by Sylv Chiang

Illustrated by Mathias Ball

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-4431-9623-9

32 pp,

Ages 4-8

January 2024

 

Evelyn is both perplexed and worried. The older child she has always known as her sister is now telling her that they aren't her sister, or her brother. Tessa is her sibling. What does that mean? Is Evelyn even Tessa's sister?

From Still My Tessa, written by Sylv Chiang, illustrated by Mathias Ball

Evelyn sees that Tessa is not herself. Evelyn wants to play with Tessa and take them out of their dark room and make them smile again but she doesn't know how. When she writes a note to the "Best Sister Ever!" Tessa explains to Evelyn that they are not her sister, or her brother, but prefers to be called Evelyn's sibling. They do some stuff together but it's obvious that Tessa is growing up and their interests have changed. They are also burdened with educating Evelyn about their pronouns (they/them/their) and dealing with those who assume they know what Tessa's pronouns must be.

From Still My Tessa, written by Sylv Chiang, illustrated by Mathias Ball

Evelyn wants to learn and she does. After a week, she's using Tessa's preferred pronouns and almost gets a smile from her sibling. But when the family goes for a bike ride, Tessa is again challenged by those who assume their gender is female. Evelyn has no problem informing people they meet that Tessa is her sibling, recognizing that if she can adapt to Tessa's pronouns in a week, others can learn as well. And when their parents introduce Evelyn as a girl and Tessa as non-binary, Tessa's smile finally returns.

From Still My Tessa, written by Sylv Chiang, illustrated by Mathias Ball

The premise behind Still My Tessa goes beyond just recognizing that we should all feel comfortable with the pronouns by which we are addressed. It also recognizes that young children might have to learn about pronouns and being non-binary but that this can be learned with the right teaching. Teacher Sylv Chiang (she/her) finds a sibling relationship the perfect vehicle for addressing the use of pronouns. As a little sister who obviously adores Tessa, Evelyn just wants them to be the sibling with whom she can play and make happy. And by modelling what's she's learned, Evelyn can help teach others what is appropriate for Tessa and all of them. 

 

Illustrator Mathias Ball (he/they) may have had to struggle with enlightening others about their preferred pronouns, and, as such, their depictions of Tessa are truly authentic, reflecting what a child struggling to understand and accept and advocate for themselves with their non-binary status and pronoun preferences would feel. Evelyn is a happy child whose biggest worry is who will play with her, while Tessa is filled with angst. Whether it is becoming a teenager, already a struggle for many, or understanding their non-binary nature, Tessa projects that burden, rarely cracking a smile or venturing from their room and from beneath their headphones. Still, Mathias Ball doesn't make them sullen or angry, but they do make them introspective and solemn. That doesn't mean the illustrations are anything but bright and cheerful and inclusive, ensuring that Tessa and Evelyn both see the joys of their world.

Accepting how we would like to be addressed is an important part of our identities. But it isn't always easy for others to accept the appropriate pronouns or gender designations (even nonconforming ones). Still Evelyn demonstrated that learning can happen and doesn't have to change her relationship with Tessa, except by also becoming their ally now. With a little instruction–Sylv Chiang offers some help understanding of what it means to be non-binary, how to use pronouns, and how to become an ally. With compassion and clarification, every young child can learn to use the correct pronouns as Evelyn did for her sibling and help others to do the same. (And Still My Tessa may even help a few parents learn how to becomes allies for their children.)

The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion (The Inside Scouts #1)

Written by Mitali Banerjee Ruths

Illustrated by Francesca Mahaney

Acorn (Scholastic)

978-1-338-89498-1

64 pp.

Ages 4–7

RL 1.0

February 2024 

 

Sanjay and Viv are the Inside Scouts, and they have the superpower to shrink super small and go inside animals to make them feel better. In this first book in this illustrated early reader (RL 1.0) series, the kids must help a lion who is not feeling his best.

Inside Scouts!

Always on call!

To fix big things,

we get super small! (p. 20)

 

From The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion, written by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illustrated by Francesca Mahaney

Ruslan  is a lion who wants to run and play with his cubs, but he is feeling far too tired to do so.  Using some very cool tech, the kids show Ruslan a leak in his heart. Gearing up, the two go in through his nose–though they must be careful not to tickle the sensitive lion–and follow a vein to the heart.

From The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion, written by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illustrated by Francesca Mahaney

The Inside Scouts show young readers how the heart is made up of four rooms, with doors called valves that allow movement of the blood. Though the story is appended with "Fun Facts about the Heart" that describes the pumping of the heart and uses terms like circulates, arteries, veins and chambers, the illustrations are done at such large scale that the anatomical features of the heart are not readily discernible so even the squeamishest of children will have no problems with the artwork. But they will have a sweet introduction to how our hearts work and how those with poorly-functioning ones might feel.

From The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion, written by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illustrated by Francesca Mahaney

Not only will the Inside Scouts help young children understand their bodies, but the series will also make them think about illness and how our behaviours may be impacted by health issues. Whether it's a lion that cannot play with his cubs because of a leaky heart, or a giraffe with an upset tummy or a cheetah with a leg cramp (Books 2 and 3 are out later this year), the Inside Scouts teach and encourage empathy for those who may be suffering.

From The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion, written by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illustrated by Francesca Mahaney

The tale of the kindly lion with a big heart, albeit a leaky one, will delight young readers with its mixture of humour–such as the kids getting sneezed out of the lion's nose with slime–learning and story. Mitali Banerjee Ruths, who also writes The Party Diaries series for the Branches early chapter book imprint of Scholastic, has written a text that is perfect for the earliest readers but challenges them with more sophisticated words in the "Fun Facts about the Heart" section. There is also an activity (Draw Your Own "I Am Kind" Badge) and encouragement to write a story about being kind. With artwork by Filipino-American Francesca Mahaney, who has done a fabulous job of illustrating what could have been a perplexing topic for young children, The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion becomes an accessible but bold adventure of colour, shape, and story, and one that will be a hit with readers, teachers and parents.

 

• • • • • • •

The Inside Scouts Help the Kind Lion (February 2024)

The Inside Scouts Help the Brave Giraffe (June 2024)

The Inside Scouts Help the Strong Cheetah (October 2024)