The Wolves Return: A New Beginning for Yellowstone National Park

Written and illustrated by Celia Godkin

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-011-6

32 pp.

Ages 6-9

March 2017

I know a science teacher whose go-to book to introduce interrelationships of living things and the balance of natural ecosystems is Celia Godkin’s award-winning book Wolf Island (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1989/2006).  I encourage a new generation of science teachers to look to her new book The Wolves Return to demonstrate those same concepts as they relate to the wolves of Yellowstone National Park and spark a new appreciation for the natural world with an aim to stewardship and not manipulation.

Canadian gray wolves once roamed much of North America before they became an inconvenience to settlers’ livestock and were hunted relentlessly until they became listed as a threatened species in much of the US.  To help revitalize affected ecosystems, twenty-three gray wolves captured in Canada were released in Yellowstone between 1995 and 1996.  The Wolves Return documents in prose and detailed illustrations the impacts of the Yellowstone Wolf Project on the local habitats and wildlife, celebrating the success of reintroducing the wolves here.

But the way Celia Godkin tells the story is not to just lay out that bare facts as many unseasoned writers might but instead to provide visual commentary, in words and pictures, of what would have been happening.

From The Wolves Return 

by Celia Godkin

The Wolves Return begins with a lone wolf’s howl, later joined by those of the pack, sounds previously unknown to a herd of elk grazing in the river valley.

On a moonlit night, a howl rings out across the river valley.  The elk prick their ears.  They have not heard this sound before, yet they are afraid.

Weeks later, the elk, now aware of this threat, have moved themselves to the higher, wooded slopes where trees provide some protection from direct attacks by the wolves. Consequently, seedlings once eaten by the elk are allowed to flourish and grow into aspen trees in the river valley. With the trees come the beavers who build dams and lodges creating ponds that invite more wildlife like muskrats, birds, insects, and an abundance of species, plant and animal, creating a new ecosystem.  Celia Godkin illustrates the complex and sophisticated food webs–not just food chains–and evolving landscape of habitats but punctuates the story with the science of the return of the wolves in her appendices.

From The Wolves Return 

by Celia Godkin

The scientist in Celia Godkin–she has a Master’s degree in zoology–comes through in the precision of her illustrations but her coloured pencil and watercolour fine art is more expressive than just a record of the living ecosystem.  She gives life to the organisms and places within The Wolves Return, though I know that young readers will be amazed by her detailed and accurate depictions of the animals.

Just like Wolf Island, The Wolves Return should become a teacher’s primary picture book for introducing discussions about habitats and communities, the diversity of living things and interactions with ecosystems.  With The Wolves Return, Celia Godkin is able to inform,  fascinate and initiate dialogue about the world we impact in both negative and positive ways and how it can gloriously amend itself sometimes with just a tiny bit of help.

From The Wolves Return 

by Celia Godkin

I Read Canadian Book Challenge: OLA's Forest of Reading contest

The folks 

at the Ontario Library Association's 

Forest of Reading 

are challenging young readers 

Kindergarten to Gr. 12

across Canada

to get reading!

Between March 1 and December 31, 2017,

read 150 Forest of Reading books
(or have them to read you)

from any reading program

from any program year

recording your reading in

the reading log provided at

their website here

Submit completed logs by December 31, 2017 by:

Mail to: Forest of Reading® Book Challenge, 

c/o Ontario Library Association, 

2 Toronto Street, 3rd Floor, 

Toronto, ON M5C 2B6

or

Email to: forest@accessola.com

or

Fax to: 416-941-9581

Since 1994, 

there have been 1,270 books nominated
(Links to archived lists of Forest titles are available here)

and

in October 2017, 

there will be over 100 more titles nominated as part of the 2018 program,

so there are lots and lots and lots of great Canadian books from which to choose.

All participants 

will receive an online certificate 

for completing the challenge

and

have their name entered into a draw for 

a free set of 10 books from the 2018 nominees

plus a free set of 10 books for their school or library.

Go Read Canadian!

Moose's Roof: Book launch (St. John's, NL)

Join 

author  Jennifer Maruno

and 

illustrator  Laurel Keating

for the launch of their first picture book collaboration

Moose's Roof

Written by Jennifer Maruno

Illustrated by Laurel Keating

Creative Book Publishing

978-1-771031004

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

March 2017

on

  Saturday, March 25, 2017

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

at

Chapters

70 Kenmount Road

St. John's, Newfoundland

There will be a reading, signings and refreshments.

You can guess there's a moose and a roof but here's a little bit more about Moose's Roof as described on the Creative Book Publishing website at https://alllitup.ca/books/M/Moose-s-Roof#overview:

Until he discovered a park pavilion, Moose never knew life beneath a roof. His friends Beaver, Bear and Squirrel, however, all seemed to be roof experts. Moose decides to put his antlers to good use. With his friends' help, he soon has a permanent roof over his head. But it becomes more trouble than worth. Moose can't lie down to sleep, can't balance when he walks and can't reach the tender weeds at the bottom of the pond. His friends can only offer advice from the life they know, which is no help at all to tired, cranky Moose.When a sudden storm blows his roof away, his aches and pains disappear. Moose gets a good night sleep and eats a wonderful weedy breakfast. He realizes the sky over his head is roof enough for him.

My Beautiful Birds: Book launch (Burlington, ON)

Join

artist 

Suzanne Del Rizzo

who illustrated

Skink on the Brink 

(by Lisa Dalrymple, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2013)

Gerbil, Uncurled 

(by Alison Hughes, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2015)

Sky Pig 

(by Jan L. Coates, Pajama Press, 2016)

for the launch of her first picture book 

as author and illustrator

My Beautiful Birds

Written and illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-012-3

32 pp.

Ages 6-10

March 2017

Reviewed here

on

Sunday, March 26, 2017

2-4 p.m.

at

A Different Drummer Books

513 Locust St.

Burlington, ON

There will be:

• a book reading and signing

• plasticine activities

• making of hand-made welcome cards for arriving refugee children

and

• refreshments

Under the Umbrella

Written by Catherine Buquet

Illustrated by Marion Arbona

Translated by Erin Wood

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-016-1

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

March 2017

If Under the Umbrella proves anything, it's that there's always a little sunshine associated with the gloominess of rain if you just open your eyes to see beyond the umbrellas.

From Under the Umbrella 

by Catherine Buquet 

illus. by Marion Arbona

A grumbling man dashes through the streets of the town, bracing himself and his umbrella against the sleeting rain.  The man’s suit and umbrella seem as colourless as he is, the only colour the pink of his  raw hands.  He is wet, he is cold and he is late.  It’s not surprising that the older man does not see the young boy mesmerized by the edible treats glowing from within a bright and warm inviting shop.  But when the wind hurls the man’s umbrella away, the rosy-cheeked little boy retrieves it for the man who shows his gratitude with a red rhubarb-raspberry tart. That delightful treat brings the two into a shared experience that takes the chill off the weather for the two unlikely friends.  

From Under the Umbrella

by Catherine Buquet 

illus. by Marion Arbona

Under the Umbrella was first published in French as Sous le parapluie (Les 400 coups, 2016) and garnered much attention for its simple but restorative story told with the pencil and gouache illustrations of Marion Arbona, the artist behind numerous French-language books like Arachnéa and English-language picture books The Good Little Book and Sam’s Pet Temper.  Catherine Buquet’s text suggests a darkness to the man’s trek in the rain, using words like "grumbled", "growled", "muttered", "attacked", "forced", and “With striding feet and stormy heart” (pg. 15), making it evident that the man’s mood is as foul as the weather.  Yet when she introduces the boy who is “entranced” “at a warm and glowing window” and uses words like “gazes”, “the wonders”, “delight”, “shimmered” and “treat”, the atmosphere changes completely, though the rain continues to fall.  What a great lesson in word choice for older readers and writers to witness the impact vocabulary has on atmosphere.  Marion Arbona’s artwork conforms to that climate, using dusky greys and sharp angles for the dreary scenes  while shining bright yellows and reds and pinks within the patisserie and then upon the two as they savour a shared treat.  The interaction between the balding older man in the pin-striped suit and the little boy in cap and short pants is fleeting but colossal in its momentary importance.  I’m glad the boy was taking the time to enjoy the visual display and that the man took the time to acknowledge the boy.  It’s a small thing, but it’s a good thing.

The Vimy Oaks: A Journey to Peace

Written by Linda Granfield

Illustrated by Brian Deines

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-4431-4850-4

36 pp.

Ages 7+

March 2017

On April 9th, 2017, the world will mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.  Many new books published to commemorate the anniversary will be based in the First World War and in that northern region of France.  However, though Vimy Ridge is the origin of this story, Linda Granfield takes young readers into the aftermath of the war when a soldier takes a little piece away with him and plants a world of peace and remembrance far, far away.

From back cover of The Vimy Oaks

by Linda Granfield

illus. by Brian Deines

With photographs and illustrations, Linda Granfield introduces young readers to the beginnings  of the Great War and the role of a young Canadian teacher Leslie H. Miller after his enlistment and deployment with the Canadian Signal Corps.  Along with diary observations of peoples and places and his job with the Signal Corps, Leslie Miller took note of the landscapes encountered and the trees growing within. While the battle at Vimy is noted, it is Leslie Miller’s collection of a few acorns from oak trees blasted during the attack that makes Linda Granfield’s story.  These acorns were shipped backed to his family in Ontario.  Leslie Miller returned to Canada in 1919 and, after ventures to university and teaching again, returned home to the family farm where the oak saplings from the acorns he gathered became the basis for the farm he and his new wife built, The Vimy Oaks.  The history of the farm and the trees, as well as the recognition of the importance of that battle on Vimy, complete the story of Linda Granfield’s The Vimy Oaks.

From The Vimy Oaks

by Linda Granfield

illus. by Brian Deines

The story of Vimy could be a horrific one but Linda Granfield’s text which she peppers with quotations from Leslie Miller’s diary is broad, encapsulating his experiences without embedding young readers in the horrors of his days. The Vimy Oaks is illustrated by Brian Deines, whose artwork has taken readers to different times and places in The Road to Afghanistan (2013), A Bear in War (2012), Bear on the Homefront (2014) and Adrift at Sea (2016). Here again Brian Deines is able to bring his deft oil work to giving light to dark times and shine to landscapes of war and verdant promise.

As a book of non-fiction, The Vimy Oaks: A Journey to Peace provides an introduction to a monumental battle while intriguing readers with a little known story of Vimy on Canadian land. It’s a unique story and one that commemorates the battle with the promise of growth and majesty.  I was discouraged to hear some of the oaks were removed for the widening of a road but pleased to learn that the trees were part of the Vimy Oaks Repatriation Project that ensured the oaks would once again grow on Vimy Ridge, as well as at memorials across Canada.   It seems the oaks have come full circle, from Vimy to Canada and back to Vimy, perhaps as it should be.

From The Vimy Oaks

by Linda Granfield

illus. by Brian Deines

Short Stories for Little Monsters

Written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-896-9

48 pp.

Ages 5-8

March 2017

Whether they’re your little monsters, rugrats, toads, or anklebiters, you can bet that little children will be up to no good and good when March break comes around in a few weeks.  You can either prepare yourself for those days with these humourous stories or share them with your own little monsters to while away the days or nights with some imaginative fun, or save them when your own creativity is waning.

From Short Stories for Little Monsters 

by Marie-Louise Gay

In nineteen short-stories told on single pages or double spreads (except for the final story "The Secret Life of Rabbits" that needs four pages to show us what magnificent worlds rabbits make), Marie-Louise Gay takes readers into the fantastical minds and play of children.  From imagining what can be seen when eyes are closed ("When I Close my Eyes") or fantasizing that no one sees them when clad in pillowcases ("The Incredible Invisible Boy" and "The Incredible Invisible Twins") or outrunning monsters that lurk in the wild ("Monster!"), Short Stories for Little Monsters celebrates the creativity of children in their minds and their play, alone and with others.  And beyond child’s play, Marie-Louise Gay takes their visualizations into the worlds of cats, snails, trees and rabbits, for example exposing what our feline friends really see in a dust bunny or a chess game  ("What Do Cats See?" and "What Games Do Cats Play?") and giving us  a snail’s-eye view into "Snail Nightmares" (who knew?) and "The Secret Life of Snails."  Of course, amidst all the fun there is still the apprehension of every day life, when the teacher may call on you ("Who? Me?"), that your mother can see all you do always ("Zombie Mom") or that your friends might see through your façade of wisdom ("Rhisonoros") but this is all life, told in the splendour of colour, line, shape and ingenuity of the very original and inventive creator of Stella and Sam, Marie-Louise Gay.

From Short Stories for Little Monsters 

by Marie-Louise Gay

The wealth of stories about imaginative fun and speculation abounds in this compendium of illustrated stories.  The stories are a delight, both humourous and insightful, but it's Marie-Louise Gay's illustrations that will grab readers first, as they always have. (She has been honoured with numerous awards including three Governor General's Awards for illustration in English-language children's books.)  In her artwork, that often resembles the loose frames of graphic novels, she tells of childish diversions but gives them life with her effusive children, and ever-present secondary characters of bunnies, cats, snails, birds and other creatures.  The details are whimsical and ever-present, and children will delight in spotting the stray underwear, the fish that can't add 2 + 2, and the rabbit flying a carrot plane.  And the colours, glorious colours! And the swirls, the patterns, the textures of her lines and watercolours!  There is a gaiety to Marie-Louise Gay's art (it's okay to pun; Marie-Louise Gay does it too) that is like no other, and brings merriment to each story, even if it's about "Lies My Mother Told Me."

It's always a celebration when Marie-Louise Gay publishes a new book but this multi-story illustrated format is certainly unique and worthy of attention.  Moreover, because it's not a book that needs to be read in any order or all the way through in one sitting, I suspect Short Stories for Little Monsters will be appreciated by all readers and listeners, whether they be little monsters or not, who will continuously find nuggets of wisdom and whimsy throughout.

From Short Stories for Little Monsters 

by Marie-Louise Gay