Wings of Olympus: The Colt of the Clouds: Guest review

This guest review was written by nine-year-old Shazdeh K.

Written by Kallie George

Illustrated by Celia Krampien

HarperCollins Canada

978-0-06274-154-7

256 pp.

Ages 8-12

April 2020 

Wings of Olympus: The Colt of the Clouds is the sequel to Wings of Olympus by author Kallie George about a young girl Pippa and her beloved horse Zephyr.

Pippa is now banned from Mount Olympus but is happily living with her friend Bas and her horse Zephyr, also known as Zeph. One day while she is riding Zeph, Pippa sees something she thought she would never see again: a winged horse! Pippa knows she needs to get the colt back to the mountain where it belongs, but there is one problem: she has been banished from Mount Olympus by Zeus, the king of the gods and goddesses. But Pippa, who is a lover of horses, sets a goal to get the colt, whom she names Tazo, home, even if it means getting punished by the gods. With the help of Hero, the not-so-heroic descendant of Hercules, Pippa finally gets to the mountain. When Hero and Pippa get to the top of the mountain, they find everything is in chaos, with all the gods at war and all the winged horses missing! Can Pippa and Hero stop the gods' war, find the winged horses, and return Tazo home safely?

I liked this book because it was thrilling and heartwarming at the same time. It’s a book about bravery, courage, friendship, and love. Another thing I liked about this book was that it was full of fantasy so while reading it I could get away from the real world. It gave me a chance to be part of another world. Wings of Olympus: The Colt of the Clouds should definitely be on your summer reading list. This book is a great addition to Wings of Olympus, so if you liked the first book, you are sure to like the second. In my opinion this book is best suited for Grades 3 to 6 and I would rate Kallie George’s Wings of Olympus: The Colt of the Clouds a 9 out of 10.

~ Written by Shazdeh K., Gr. 3

Benjamin's Blue Feet: Q & A with author-illustrator Sue Macartney

Benjamin's Blue Feet
Written and illustrated by Sue Macartney
Pajama Press
978-1-77278-111-3
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
June 2020

Today is the release of the picture book Benjamin's Blue Feet, reviewed here on CanLit for LittleCanadians yesterday. To help launch Benjamin's Blue Feet,  I had the pleasure of interviewing author and illustrator, Sue Macartney.

Sue Macartney, author and illustrator of Benjamin's Blue Feet

HK:  What was the germ of an idea that started your writing of Benjamin’s Blue Feet? Was it finding a mirror on the beach, a trip to the Galapagos, reading a news story, or something else?

SM:  Working with young children as an art educator I’ve been struck by how early they can start comparing themselves negatively to others. This was one of the little sparks that got me writing Benjamin’s Blue Feet. I’m also passionate about nature and knew that I wanted it to be central in my storytelling.



HK:  There have been lots of books recently published that deal with the plastic problem in oceans and the colossal environmental problem of ocean garbage, but most of those books have been non-fiction. Why choose to tell your story as a picture book and not an illustrated book of non-fiction?

SM:  I was particularly drawn to the picture book format because of its amazing versatility. As a picture book author-illustrator I get to play with plots and visual subplots and can write about things like self-awareness and pollution for a very young audience. In picture book format, Benjamin’s Blue Feet is intended as a gentle and humorous exploration of these issues but can also be discussed in more depth depending on the child’s level of understanding.
         Incidentally, I started out in biology and I’m also really attracted to writing non-fiction books for children.



HK:  Though Benjamin’s Blue Feet  makes a comment about ocean garbage, it also addresses the issue of body image and wanting to look like someone else.  Why choose the blue-footed booby to focus on this concern?

SM:  The primary focus of the story is on self-awareness and I wanted my main character to be a uniquely memorable animal. The booby’s blue feet already fascinated me and became the starting point for my story. I was surprised to learn that the word “booby” is believed to come from the Spanish word “bobo”, which in English actually means “fool”. Something that might make any bird feel insecure!  So-named because the blue-footed booby’s large wings and feet can make its on-land movements seem awkward and comical. These same features also happen to be its indisputable strengths. Being able to champion an animal character that initially doubts its own attributes and then learns their intrinsic value felt like a very satisfying fit.



HK:  What do you believe are the best ways to tackle the issue of young children comparing themselves negatively to others?

SM:  Speaking only from personal observation, I think this is symptomatic of a much broader spectrum of behaviour surrounding issues of self-esteem and self-awareness. I would say that overarching societal attitudes have an enormous impact on how a child sees him/herself.  The attitude regarding healthy body image in Scandinavia, for example, is very different from that in North American.  I think primary education and more candid discussions about healthy body image with the very young are key components in tackling these issues.



HK:  Your double-spread of “Creatures of the Galapagos” depicts a variety of land and water animals from the Galapagos Islands. Do you have any personal experiences with these unique islands and would you consider another book to focus on this unusual ecosystem, particularly the endemism within?

SM:  When I was seven I got a copy of Helen Haywood’s The New Noah’s Ark of Rare Animals. Among all sorts of amazing creatures, I was introduced to Galapagos tortoises and land iguanas and learned about Charles Darwin for the first time. I think these fascinating islands have probably been floating somewhere in my brain ever since.  A real Galapagos adventure is high on my dream “bucket list” and a book examining the endemism within this remarkable ecosystem would be an amazing writing project…time to start saving for that trip!



HK:  The copyright page describes your art as  created with pen and ink and digital media.  Can you please explain the process of illustrating Benjamin’s Blue Feet?

SM:  The process for this book started with a particularly cute photo of a blue-footed booby. I really enjoy the deep dive into visual research and googled multiple images of blue-footed boobies and did lots of drawings until I found the right look for Benjamin.  The illustrations start as a series of small pencil thumbnails that I refine and enlarge for a finished pencil rendering. Next I add preliminary ink washes and details to the drawing. Then I scan the images into the computer using Photoshop for further work on colour depth and shadows. I like to incorporate paper and photo textures into my illustrations too.

•••••••••••••••••••

Many thanks to Sue Macartney

for sharing insights into the writing and illustrating of Benjamin's Blue Feet with this interview with CanLit for LittleCanadians

Thanks also go to Laura Bowman,
Sales and Marketing Manager at Pajama Press,

for arranging this interview.

Benjamin's Blue Feet

Written and illustrated by Sue Macartney
Pajama Press
978-1-77278-111-3
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
June 2020

Benjamin is a blue-footed booby who lives on an island in the Galapagos and loves searching for treasure. Unfortunately, with plenty of garbage clogging the oceans, it’s not surprising that much settles on Benjamin’s island. He finds a red “string-stretch-it” and an orange “hole-thing-um” and then he finds a “twink-um-doodle” a.k.a. a mirror. 

From Benjamin's Blue Feet by Sue Macartney

Unfortunately mirrors can be a curse for those of us who see in them what we don’t want to see. Benjamin sees that his beak is straight and very long, his wings are wide and bristly and his feet that are blue and floppy. And everything is different from those of his island mates.

From Benjamin's Blue Feet by Sue Macartney

Sadly Benjamin looks to his other found treasure to change his appearance, squeezing several onto his body to mask his “unsightly” body parts. 

From Benjamin's Blue Feet by Sue Macartney

Though a host of animals including sea lions, iguanas and finches laugh at his plastic enhancements, it is not until Benjamin recognizes the value in his big feet to his swimming, the beak to his fishing and his wings to his flying that this blue-footed booby appreciates all his attributes as they are.

From Benjamin's Blue Feet by Sue Macartney

Author-illustrator Sue Macartney tackles a lot of big issues in Benjamin's Blue Feet while maintaining a sweet story about a curious bird who finds novelty in junk. Like a child who finds gems among stones, Benjamin finds treasure in the garbage that washes up on shore. But it's that mirror that causes him to lose faith in himself when he finally sees what he looks like. By comparing himself to others, he deems himself less. And though he uses dangerous garbage to amend his appearance and can safely extricate himself from its inherent peril, this is what it takes for Benjamin to appreciate his morphological appearance as perfect for the functions of a blue-footed booby.

Sue Macartney’s art, created with pen and ink and digital media, always places the emphasis on Benjamin’s blue feet except when the garish garbage is around. His blue feet are vibrant and still harmonious with the earthiness of his environment, unlike the incongruous junk with its artificial and discordant colours.  Though Sue Macartney carries the reader to the unique environment of the Galapagos through the content of the landscape and its creatures (she also includes a double-spread of an assortment of "Creatures of the Galapagos"), I was especially mesmerized by her aquatic environment. She imbues her water with such hues of green and blues and textures of crinkly waves and whitecaps that the saltwater spray is almost palpable.

From Benjamin's Blue Feet by Sue Macartney

Benjamin may be surreal as a blue-footed booby who talks and can manipulate man-made junk, but the problem of ocean garbage and negative body image are not. They are dangerous challenges to our world and ourselves and teaching young children about them via an amiable bird reflects well on Sue Macartney and Benjamin both.

 • • • • • • • • • •

Tomorrow I interview author and illustrator of Benjamin's Blue Feet, Sue Macartney, about her new picture book.

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak: Q & A with artist Roy Henry Vickers and writer Robert Budd

Yesterday, I reviewed Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, 

the fourth board book in Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd's collaborative series, First West Coast Books.

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak
Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Text by Robert Budd
Harbour Publishing
978-1-55017-904-0
20 pp.
Ages 2-6
June 2020


Today I am pleased to share this Q & A
with artist Roy Henry Vickers
and writer Robert "Lucky" Budd.

HK:  I have been so impressed with the richness of the art and text in your First West Coast books that I’m intrigued how the collaboration between artist and writer arose. Please tell us how your collaboration began.  

Robert “Lucky” Budd: The answer to this question is literally pages long! Here is the short short answer: Roy and I have been working together since we first met in 2011.  He and I connected the first moment we spoke!  I had a vision in early 2012 while working on his still-unfinished biography while I was at a storytelling event at his gallery.  I saw the four books that would be our Northwest Coast Legends series, Raven Brings The Light being the first.  We have a great synergy and the art he was able to create with the questions I asked was… amazing!

We brainstorm, work together and, as soon as he can see it, it comes to life!

Roy Henry Vickers: I was looking for Imbert Orchards audio files at the Royal BC Museum and was finally led to Robert “Lucky” Budd at Memories To Memoirs.  Lucky came to my storytelling sessions and recorded each story I told at the Roy Henry Vickers Gallery. Lucky transcribed each and we co-wrote each story and I put the images together as they came through storytelling sessions.



HK:  Knowing the plethora of West Coast animals and attributes that could have been selected for this concept book, how did you choose which  you would focus upon?

Robert “Lucky” Budd: In the case of Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, we brainstormed a whole bunch of animals and the sounds the make. I really wanted to focus on onomatopoeias in order to make the sounds really come to life for kids! Once we brainstormed sounds and animals, like a puzzle, I set to work on grouping them around a rhyme scheme. ☺

Roy Henry Vickers: The board books were an extension of the first books. The animals and birds are part of Beautiful B.C. and also part of the legends that have been told for thousands of years.



HK:  Are there plans for additional books in the First West Coast books series?

Robert “Lucky” Budd: Four seems like a good number, but if inspiration hits, we can do more.  I like the idea of a book about animal groupings, like a gaggle of geese or a parliament of owls.  However, we are already super inspired by other books projects we want to do together…

Roy Henry Vickers: I have one book that my children want to see published. Ben the Sea Lion. Lucky and I have another book planned.. I like to follow the flow and run with it.



HK:  Is the artwork used in Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak original for the books or is some of it previously created art for display and/or sale?

Roy Henry Vickers:  Some of the art work was inspired by previous works and some was original works for Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak and is found nowhere else.



HK:  What medium did you use to create the art in Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak and did you make any amendments to the way you would normally create because the art would be in a small format board book?

Roy Henry Vickers:  I work in an old vector drawing program to create the works. I will soon be switching to Adobe Illustrator.



HK:  I know that some illustrators are not always happy with the colour reproduction of their artwork once it goes to print. Did you have any concerns about translating your art into book format?

Roy Henry Vickers:  I had no concerns about colour as I got to preview the colours. I am partially colour blind to all colours, but it seems to work.



HK:  As with all the First West Coast books, the text is very simple yet powerful. Here it is evocative of  sounds of water and land, animals and activity. Coupled with the artwork, Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak is a very sensory experience. How much editing did you have to do to find the perfect words that you did for all the sounds within?

Robert “Lucky” Budd: Oh my goodness!  As with all of these books, it starts with finding the melody.  Once I have that, I play with it and play with it, draft after draft, until it is just exactly perfect!  I remember, in the case of Hello Humpback, I did 11 drafts! 



HK:  Now that the book has been published, are there some sounds that you would have liked to include but didn’t make it in?

Robert “Lucky” Budd:  Good question!  I tried to fit in all the sounds that I couldn’t fit into the text into the very last page!  I am so very happy with all the sounds, animals and natural sounds we were able to bring together into this experience.  I hope children resonate with it as much as I do!

 •••••••••••••••••••••
Many thanks

to

Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd
for answering my questions,
revealing a little more about their collaborative process
and
the creation of their master works of First West Coast board books


Thanks also to

Ariel Hudnall
Communications Manager at ZG Stories,
for arranging this interview
and review copies of Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd's  
First West Coast Books

 

Hello, Humpback (2017)

One Eagle Soaring (2018)

Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue (2019)

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak (2020)

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak

Illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Text by Robert Budd
Harbour Publishing
978-1-55017-904-0
20 pp.
Ages 2-6
June 2020

If you’re going to introduce the mooing of a cow and the quacking of a duck to young children, be sure to expose them to the symphony of the Northwest Coast’s landscape for a sonorous sensory experience evoked by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd in their fourth book in their First West Coast book series.

From Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, art by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

As in their earlier concept books in this series, Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd have blended rich graphics with simple words evocative of a beautiful British Columbia environment. There are rivers that rush with whisper and splash; drummers that beat with boom, bang, and pound; cedars that rustle with a murmur and a creak; and geese that fly high with honk, hiss and flap. There are people and places, animals and nature: living, moving, resonating with energy, both subtle and blaring.

From Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, art by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

If you close your eyes, Robert “Lucky” Budd’s words embed you on the BC coast, hearing, sensing, experiencing its many, many glorious attributes. (In my interview tomorrow with the author and artist, Robert Budd tells how their final double spread was used to pack in the sounds of another twelve animals under the text “with Nature Singing all around”.) The rolling water against a boat or a shore, the overhanging trees, the animals on land, in water, and in the air, while people interact with the natural environment–it’s the life and sound of this place.

Artist Roy Henry Vickers does more than do justice to the text; he conjures it with depth and layers and authority. From the coniferous forests and snow-capped peaks, to waters still and turbulent, and creatures engaged with their worlds, all enriched with spot-gloss elements, Roy Henry Vickers uses strong lines and shape to transport the reader to this place. The art reflects and honours his First Nations heritage and shares it with readers.

From Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak, art by Roy Henry Vickers, text by Robert Budd

Whether the readers are the very young who will recognize the images, rich in their simplicity, and vocalize sounds depicted within, or adults who will revel in the heart of the art and words, Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd have brought the spirit of the West Coast to the page once again.

  • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Look for my interview with Roy Henry Vickers and Robert "Lucky" Budd tomorrow here on CanLit for Little Canadians.

 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Check out all four books in the First West Coast book series which includes:

 Hello Humpback! (2017)

One Eagle Soaring (2018)

Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue (2019)

and now

Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak

I Just Want to be Super!

Written by Andrew Katz

Illustrated by Tony Luzano

CrackBoom! Books (Choucette Publishing)

978-2-89802193-0

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

June 2020

Superheroes are everywhere nowadays. They're in novels, TV shows, movies, toys, graphic novels and comics. They are so commonplace and so revered for their exceptionalities that it's not surprising that any child would want to be one. Consequently, when the family tabby, Jaguar, brings a red eye mask home, little Nino is enthralled.

From I Just Want To Be Super! by Andrew Katz, illus. by Tony Luzano

Putting the mask on, Nino feels empowered. He can jump higher, he can throw farther ("He hurled a tomato all the way to Hawaii"), and he can even blast into outer space. Of course, he still has to do chores like put his dishes in the sink and change his clothes, and do normal kid things like nap and eat and play. But when you're super, everything is amazing!

From I Just Want To Be Super! by Andrew Katz, illus. by Tony Luzano

But while Nino is being amazing, and he's cautioned by his family to not go overboard and do harm with his superpowers, Jaguar is snatched by a massive, leafy monster. Of course, Nino is able to save his feline friend, while realizing that he has a few lessons he can teach others about being super.

From I Just Want To Be Super! by Andrew Katz, illus. by Tony Luzano

Author Andrew Katz who co-authored the Prix Peuplier-nominated Comment attraper un ours qui aime lire (French edition of How To Catch A Bear Who Loves To Read) gives voice to every child who has ever dreamed of being a superhero. Nino may claim he just wants to be super but he really wants the excitement and recognition that comes from doing and being good. I don't know if Nino ever flies off into space or shakes his house off its foundation with his stomping, or if it is all in his imagination. Nevertheless, he revels in what he can accomplish, though tempering all that super-ness with being a kid who has to help out around the house, being considerate of others and acting wisely.

From I Just Want To Be Super! by Andrew Katz, illus. by Tony Luzano

Still, superpowers have to have bang and Nino's do through Montreal's Tony Luzano's illustrations. There's a dynamism to Nino's actions, whether mundane play with glitter or heading into the cosmos to speak to aliens, and Tony Luzano accomplishes it with his vivid colours and youthful energy of line and shape.

If I Just Want to be Super! teaches us anything, it's that being a superhero means making the world a better place for all and superheroes are definitely not limited to the media of pages or screens. They're everywhere, doing everyday jobs and helping to improve our lives, and, with some consideration and thoughtfulness, we can all be super.

• • • • • • •

On

 Tuesday, June 16, 2020 

at

6 p.m. EST (“doors” open at 5:45),

author Andrew Katz 

will be virtually launching

the English and French editions of his new picture book

I Just Want to be Super! 

and

 Je suis Super Nino!  


The launch will include:

• an interview hosted by Asian/Pacific American Award-winning author Teresa Robeson,
• special musical guest Treehouse TV’s Splash’N Boots,
and
• a bilingual teaser reading of the book by Andrew Katz and French translator Juliana Léveillé-Trudel.

Register for this free event 
at
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/i-just-want-to-be-super-age-3-je-suis-super-nino-3-ans-et-tickets-108754509666

• • • • • • •

The Little Red Shed

Written by Adam and Jennifer Young

Illustrated by Adam Young

Breakwater Books

978-1-55081-833-8

24 pp.

Ages 3-7

May 2020

In this allegory about the need for diversity and acceptance of all, a little red shed is excluded by the other maritime sheds for looking different. Timely, poignant and relevant.

The little red shed was once white, like all the other sheds, but she has turned red and the other sheds think this is wrong.

From The Little Red Shed by Adam and Jennifer Young, illus. by Adam Young

She feels excluded and tearful. Even more distressing is the fact that, though she feels like she is the same shed she has always been, she is now ashamed of how she looks and takes herself off, boarding the Ocean Queen boat for the anonymity of the sea.

From The Little Red Shed by Adam and Jennifer Young, illus. by Adam Young

There a humpback whale welcomes her, delighted in her colourfulness, telling her that, "Well, nothing would be beautiful if we all looked the same." Feeling hopeful and befriended, she returns home and proclaims her self-acceptance to the others, demonstrating the value of differences and emboldening them to change.

What was once a bundle
without colour or hue
was now a RAINBOW
vibrant and true.

From The Little Red Shed by Adam and Jennifer Young, illus. by Adam Young

From worry and despair through compassion and hope and finally self-appreciation and diversity, The Little Red Shed offers a lesson for young children to accept themselves as they are, not as others decide they should be. It's an important lesson but a difficult one, as the little red shed realizes, first being ashamed for her differences and exiling herself to avoid the discrimination she feels. Newfoundlanders' Adam and Jennifer Young make sure the text is minimal, enough to carry a story, choosing words that are absolute in their power and naturalness. From declaring the little red shed to be "wrong" to her feeling "sad and alone" to something that is "beautiful" and finally being given the moniker of the "brave little shed" when she is no longer distinguished by her colour. The voice of the story is ideal for young children, helping them understand that differences are not a curse but a gift.

With Adam Young's bold and colourful art, the story is carried from the darkness and despair of stormy blues through the hope of green and ending with the vibrancy of the rainbow of sheds and water and landscape. There is so much movement and emotion in Adam Young's illustrations that the story of the little red shed becomes an odyssey of self-discovery and colour that every reader can and will appreciate.