I Got You a Present!

Written by Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan

Illustrated by Cale Atkinson

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0009-7

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

April 2020

I Got You a Present! is the perfect book to review for April Fool's Day as it is a bit of a joke. It's reminiscent of those irreverent birthday cards in which the giver plans to give the best of gifts but it ends up only being the card. Fortunately, for the recipient of Duck's intentions, the present is more personal than any gag card or gift could be. 

Throughout the book, Duck explains all the great gifts he planned for the birthday celebrant. He has the best ideas. First he is determined to knit some socks. Unfortunately, that doesn't work out.

Have you ever tried knitting birthday socks? It's really hard.

From I Got You a Present! by Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan, illus. by Cale Atkinson

Then he chooses a ten-scoop ice-cream cone with the delicious flavours of Hooty Fruity, Huckleberry Honeycomb and Blueberry Brain Freeze. Of course, something goes awry there too.

From I Got You a Present! by Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan, illus. by Cale Atkinson

There's a birthday music jam, the disappearing magic kit, an apple-juice-fueled jet pack, and more. And each time, there's an "except" or a "but" that tells the reader that that birthday gift also didn't happen.

From I Got You a Present! by Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan, illus. by Cale Atkinson

Poor Duck! He was so intent on getting something special for his birthday friend. Fortunately, he realizes that all these anecdotes make for a fabulous story and a very personalized book that would make it the ultimate birthday present.

I Got You a Present! may be partners and collaborative duo Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan's debut picture book but they are well-versed in the field of children's entertainment, having written for a variety of television shows. They make sure that each flop of Duck's gift attempts is snappy, funny and relatable. From a craft project that Duck can't quite complete, to misplacing something, or dropping a ice-cream, all situations are those to which children can relate and certainly appreciate.  Even Duck's earnestness at getting a great birthday gift for his friend is palpable. 

Cale Atkinson, whose digital art was apparently "rendered in cake icing, gorilla vanilla ice cream and Photoshop," communicates Duck's fervent attempts in his bold and enthusiastic illustrations (except where Duck is saddened to think he may have failed to get a present), blending them with the brightest of colours, the most voluminous of shape and the most spirited of line. 

If you have a child's birthday coming up, do pick up I Got You a Present! It's both birthday card message and gift with a surprise but thoughtful resolution.

...it's a story about you and me. So anytime you want, you can read it again and remember what great friends we are!

🎂🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎂

Sunny

Written and illustrated by Celia Krampien

Roaring Brook Press

978-1-250-31660-8

40 pp.

Ages 4-8

February 2020

It may be raining outside but, with Sunny around, it's never dull and gloomy.

As all the children trudge to school in the rain "while the wind crawls up your sleeves and puddles soak your boats, making your footsteps squish and squash," Sunny sees the positive: she gets to use her big yellow umbrella.

From Sunny by Celia Krampien

Others might think it scary to be picked up by a huge gust of wind and carried high above the town but Sunny, with her joyful disposition, enjoys the feeling of flying like a bird.  And when she's flung above the sea, she enjoys watching the waves before she is dropped into a boat. Then when she's catapulted by a big wave onto a rock, she "thought things weren't that bad because at least she wasn't alone."

From Sunny by Celia Krampien

But, when her gull companion leaves her alone, it's the one moment when she almost loses that sunny attitude. Fortunately, he returns with some friends and rope and they carry her and the boat safely to the school yard.

From Sunny by Celia Krampien

Now, most people would say that being late for school was a bad kind of situation.
But not Sunny.

From Sunny by Celia Krampien

Sunny may be the story of a little girl who goes on an amazing adventure that causes her to be late for school but it's really a story about attitude. Debut author-illustrator Celia Krampien contrasts the glass half-empty and glass half-full attitudes for each scenario which Sunny finds herself in. Most of us would see rain while she sees the opportunity to use her umbrella. We might see only distress but she sees joy in what she is doing and with whom she is spending time. Celia Krampien's signature colour scheme (see her website at http://www.celiakrampien.com/) highlights that contrast of attitudes of most versus Sunny. Sunny's yellow umbrella, rain jacket and boots stand out from the teals and turquoises, sometimes darker and sometimes lighter, of the rainy day and tumultuous sea. The balance of light and dark keeps the story grounded, never too cheery or dismal, and the right blend of imagination with reality.

In our troubling times when many are worried and upset about everything from illness to the changes in their routines and way of doing things, seeing the world as Sunny does would make it a whole lot easier to weather. She still gets to school in the end, just as we'll get through this too. It may be a different way than we had planned but, with an optimism like Sunny's, it may be more manageable.

Little Cheetah's Shadow

Written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc

Princeton Architectural Press

978-1-61689-840-3

30 pp.

Ages 3-7

April 2020

For most of us, our shadow is just something that follows us around when it is sunny and invisible when in the dark. For others, their shadow is something much more. It could be a companion, a sibling, a partner and someone that makes them better than when alone. These shadows, when absent, are truly missed. It's no wonder Little Cheetah is keenly aware when his shadow is not with him.

From Little Cheetah's Shadow by Marianne Dubuc

When Little Cheetah's shadow goes missing, he finds him saddened and sitting in a tree. When asked why he ran away, Little Shadow explains that Little Cheetah always gets to go first and always chooses where they go and then, to add insult to injury, Little Shadow's tail always catches in the door after they leave a shop.

From Little Cheetah's Shadow by Marianne Dubuc

Little Cheetah vows to change things and experiences what it has been like being Little Shadow, including his shadow's reluctance to enter the dark where he disappears. With a flashlight and sticking together, they are able to face the dark. Together they are better.

From Little Cheetah's Shadow by Marianne Dubuc

I'm always charmed by Marianne Dubuc's stories and her artwork. Though her characters are often animals such as cats or mice or lions and birds, she seems to see the world as young children might. In Little Cheetah's Shadow, the characters may be cheetahs but they are children at heart, children who aren't aware of how others perceive their actions or that their actions may actually be unintentionally harmful. Given an opportunity to show empathy and do what's right, Little Cheetah is happy to do so, learning first from Little Shadow's perspective before helping develop solutions that can work for them both.

Using pencil crayons and watercolours, Marianne Dubuc gives us a child-like glimpse at Little Cheetah and Little Shadow's world. The house is homey with its curtains, plants and furnishings, the town and its inhabitants adorable–bunny dad strolling with baby in a pram, a frog tipping his hat in greeting, and an armadillo going shopping–and the darkness oppressive without a light. It feels like a microcosm in which each part is important and contributes to the whole. Part of the wholeness is Little Shadow in Little Cheetah's life. With an awareness of Little Shadow and his perspective, Little Cheetah can ensure that his companion will always be by his side and not obscured in the darkness.

From Little Cheetah's Shadow by Marianne Dubuc

Kamik Takes the Lead

Adapted from the memories of Darryl Baker

Illustrated by Ali Hinch

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-266-6

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

April 2020

Young readers first met the sled dog Kamik in Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story (2012), and were then invited to follow the young pup as he got his first sled (Kamik's First Sled, 2015) and joined others in a dog team (Kamik Joins the Pack, 2016). Now he's all grown up and ready to take the lead.

From Kamik Takes the Lead by Darryl Baker, illus. by Ali Hinch

Jake has been training his own dog team for a year, under the tutelage of Akkak (uncle). Always ensuring plenty of rest and water, he lets the dogs run with his ATV for the summer. Then in the fall, they increase the dogs' load to teach them to trot rather than run full out. Jake learns to always check that the dogs are well fed and healthy, but also to treat them with affection. In the winter, Jake and Akkak take the team out on longer distances with a sled fully loaded with supplies.

From Kamik Takes the Lead by Darryl Baker, illus. by Ali Hinch

The team pulls well together and Kamik is a true leader, listening to and following commands, and Jake and Akkak know the team is ready for their first community race.

Darryl Baker, a teacher, is himself a dog musher and learned about raising dogs and training a team while growing up in Nunavut. His reminiscences about his dogs and training them are the basis for Kamik Takes the Lead and abound with the respect and affection he has for his animals. This story does not end with a win–in fact, the outcome of the race is never revealed–suggesting that it's not the end result that is paramount. What is most important is the process and the care Jake and his uncle extend to the dogs and the learning that Jake acquires that makes the endeavour a successful one.

From Kamik Takes the Lead by Darryl Baker, illus. by Ali Hinch

Kamik's story, in Books 1 through 4, all also available in Inuktitut, has been told by multiple authors, all based on the memories of community members in Nunavut. Likewise, several illustrators have helped bring Kamik to visual life. Though artist, Qin Leng, gave Kamik his original persona, Ali Hinch, another Toronto illustrator and designer, has replicated him in a similar style. In fact, with a quick look, I was sure the illustrator had not changed.  Checking out other books illustrated by Ali Hinch (here is the link for her website), it is evident that she honoured the original Kamik while staying true to her own style. The dogs may be a working team but they have spirit and individuality in their fur colour, morphologies and expression. They run, they rest, they eat and drink, and they are loved. Ali Hinch lets Kamik and his teammates take center stage but makes sure to demonstrate their relationships with Jake and Akkak and the land.

Let's launch Kamik Takes the Lead at the same time of year as Kamik and his teammates head out on their first official race and herald spring with cultural tradition, connection and kindness.

Kamik series of books

Rain Boy

Written and illustrated by Dylan Glynn

Chronicle Books

978-1-4521-7280-4

40 pp.

Ages 3-7

April 2020

Rain Boy is not popular. When he's around, kids have to stop doing fun activities.

From Rain Boy by Dylan Glynn

But when the new child, Sun Kidd, arrives, everything is bright. She's very popular, especially at barbecues, at the beach and other outdoor events.

From Rain Boy by Dylan Glynn

Sadly, when Sun invites Rain Boy to her birthday party, something he'd never experienced before, the other kids freak out that he's ruining everything and shout at him, "Rain, rain, go away!" Sun Kidd is appalled by their behaviour and secludes herself in her bedroom while humiliated Rain Boy leaves. Then, "A storm began to brew."

At first the other children are negative and blaming, but as time passes, they "learned to live with wetness." They find beauty in the rain and puddles and natural world that comes alive with rain. And they find that "they were talking to each other a lot more."

From Rain Boy by Dylan Glynn

Eventually, Rain Boy, tired, peeks out, sees the world and the thunder and lightning stop. And even though there is still rain, it appears that people actually like having him around, and he is bold enough to go outside and play with other children.

Dylan Glynn is an award-winning artist of animation, illustration and fine art. In Rain Boy, the complexity of his art, rendered in watercolour, cut paper, pastels and coloured pencils, manifests in the emotional scenes and characterizations of Rain Boy and Sun Kidd who must be themselves, though they do attempt to hide away from others who label. There is anger in some illustrations, and brightness and joy in others. But when Rain Boy and Sun Kidd come together, something glorious arises.

So the next time you're feeling down and your world is dark and gray...
just look up.

Though Dylan Glynn's picture book is set for release in a few weeks, just in time for April showers, I think that it's a book we need to think about today. Many of us are trepidatious about something that is impacting the normal course of our lives. Some people are lashing out and showing insensitivity and selfishness when we should be extending kindness to everyone in these times of emotional thunderstorms and fears. Let's celebrate our differences not as challenges but as opportunities and come together to weather the storm as a united front.  And look up. Somewhere there is a rainbow.

From Rain Boy by Dylan Glynn

Teddy Bear of the Year

Written by Vikki VanSickle

Illustrated by Sydney Hanson

Tundra Books

978-0-73526-392-5

40 pp.

Ages 3-7

January 2020

If you're trying to stay sane and safe indoors with your little ones, consider reading Vikki VanSickle's latest picture book and partaking in a few of Tundra's activities with your children's own hard-working teddy bears.

From Teddy Bear of the Year by Vikki VanSickle, illus. by Sydney Hanson

Ollie is Amena's teddy bear and he loves his job and being on call weekends and weekdays from 3 p.m. until after breakfast the next day. One night, a shining silver sailboat appears outside the window while Amena sleeps, and a grizzled old teddy bear named Snuggles a.k.a. The Snug invites Ollie to the Teddy Bears' Picnic, an annual event to celebrate the year in teddy-care.

From Teddy Bear of the Year by Vikki VanSickle, illus. by Sydney Hanson

With attention to his ABCs (Always Be Cuddling), Ollie gives Amena a hug and travels through the sky deep into the woods where teddy bears of all shapes and sizes enjoy treats, competition and some bearaoke. Then the awards are given out for exceptional teddy-care. From Boo Bear and Fang, to The Snug, teddy-bears are singled out for their dedication, nobility, and devotion. Certain he was just an ordinary bear, Ollie does not expect to receive one of the shiny stars. But he learns that

Even the smallest actions–a cuddle, a kind word, a hug–have great impact.

and is awarded Teddy Bear of the Year.

From Teddy Bear of the Year by Vikki VanSickle, illus. by Sydney Hanson

In these tenuous times, when we are all feeling a little anxious and need of some TLC, whether from others or ourselves, Teddy Bear of the Year reminds us that small efforts pay off in big rewards. And for children, the attention given to and accepted from any stuffie can mean the world between distress and comfort. Vikki VanSickle balances a message about these life-saving creatures in children's lives with the charm of their personalities and individual morphologies. She recognizes that Amena and Ollie are everything to each other and that surely deserves recognition.

Sydney Hanson, a new illustrator for me, knows what teddy bears mean to all. Her bears are snuggly and cuddly and diverse in their shapes and colours and attire. (I've checked out her portfolio at https://www.shannonassociates.com/sydneyhanson and she can even make scary creatures like ghosts and dragons look soft and caressible.) The art in Teddy Bear of the Year was created with coloured pencils and finished digitally, giving it both an intimate and a polished appearance that will draw young readers to grab their own teddy bears to see if they are depicted within.

Time to have your own teddy bear picnic and give out a few awards for perseverance, resilience and compassion while offering and taking a cuddle or two to make everything feel like it's going to be alright.

From Teddy Bear of the Year by Vikki VanSickle, illus. by Sydney Hanson

🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻
The free activity kit from Tundra Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada) is available here.  They also have activities for other books available on their website. 

My Name is Konisola

Written by Alisa Siegel

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-119-0

176 pp.

Ages 9-12

March 2020

This is a story of generosity. Of how open-hearted strangers stepped into the life of a mother and a child. Of how remarkable coincidences, good fortune, and human connections rescued a young girl. And of how darkness became light. 

With this preamble, Alisa Siegel, a radio documentarian, begins the story of nine-year-old Konisola and her mother Abimbola as they escape an abusive situation in Nigeria and attempt to make a new life in Canada.

After an especially brutal attack by Konisola's uncle, their male guardian since the death of the girl's father, Konisola's mother stealthily grabs her child from school and they travel to Toronto. Their first bit of good luck comes when they meet Ayo, a fellow passenger, who gives them her address so they'd have something to tell the Canada Border Services agents. When Abimbola tells them "We need protection" and gives them the address, she is reassured that they will receive a notice about appearing before the Refugee Protection Division.

While staying with Ayo, Abimbola collapses and is taken to hospital. With Ayo's return to Nigeria, Konisola goes to stay with another woman who expects the girl to take care of the household and not go to school. After many weeks, Konisola contacts her mother's nurse, Colleen, and learns that her mother has advanced colon cancer. Though Konisola is ever hopeful that her mother will be with her soon, it becomes evident that Abimbola will never leave the hospital.

Colleen arranges for another nurse, Darlene, to take Konisola home with her. This is surprising to Konisola, as Darlene is white and already has her daughter Sara and grandson Kayden living with her. But over time, Darlene begins to feel like home.

As rife as Konisola's life is with worries of her ill mother and foreign living situation, some fortuitous circumstances ensure Konisola's safety, which is everything her mother wanted for her daughter. From meeting Ayo and then Colleen, and then Darlene, the right people found their way into Konisola's life. Her mother stays well enough to attend the refugee hearing and even make sure her wishes for Konisola's adoption are clear. At the hospital, Konisola meets Willson whose wife is also ill and this man, a retired lawyer, who was once the Children's Lawyer of Ontario, advises them through the legal adoption process.

From abusive circumstances in Nigeria to finding a new home with a new family, Konisola's story is one of angst and uncertainty. The child endures worries about her mother's health, the strangers in whose care she has been placed, the opportunities of going to school and being with other children and whether she'll ever be able to just be herself and a child. Imagine being a child and worrying that any pleasure you take in life, from play or laughter, is inappropriate. Even when she finally gets adopted–and there is a photo of an older Konisola and Darlene that proves the story is based in reality–she wonders, "Is it possible to find and lose a family at the very same moment?" (pg. 150)

Still Alisa Siegel, a true documentarian, develops Konisola's story with objectivity and distinction for her young audience. She tells it with accuracy from the perspective of a child who is often kept in the dark about adult problems but who shows the resilience and fortitude to endure.  I suspect Konnie has done well for herself, heeding her mother's sage advice:

Your present circumstances do not determine where you go, they merely determine where you begin. (pg. 133)