scholarly journals Marie and Mr. Bee by M. Welwood

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Small Community ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Study Materials ◽  
Children's Book ◽  
Children's Picture Books ◽  
Christian Fellowship ◽  
The Protestant Work Ethic ◽  
The University

Welwood, Margaret. Marie and Mr. Bee. Illustrated by Coralie Rycroft.  Bomars Ventures, 2016.Very few children in Canada’s towns and smaller cities can buy a “locally” published picture book of reasonable quality. Happily for them, young children living in tiny Beaverlodge, Alberta (population, 2,327 as of 2016) can do just that.Marie and Mr. Bee is locally produced. Its author, Margaret Welwood, has teamed with Beaverlodge artist, Coralie Rycroft, to produce an enjoyable work for young children. Its publisher, Bomars Ventures, (also known as “Grandma’s Bookshelf”) appears to operate from Welwood’s address. The book is printed in Canada. It is a paperback, its sturdy, glossy pages stapled to its soft cover along the central fold (technically, “saddle bound”).Because this appears to be a self-published book, Welwood’s professional credentials should be noted. She holds a BA in Psychology and a Diploma in Adult Education, both from the University of Alberta. She is a member of the Writer’s Guild of Alberta, and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. For twenty years she has taught English as a second language at Grande Prairie Regional College. She edited Northwest Business Magazine; has contributed nonfiction articles to a variety of journals, e.g., The Alberta Report, New Trail, Christian Woman; and has reviewed books ranging from children’s picture books to Bible study materials. This experience culminates in a writing style well suited to engaging, entertaining, and instructing her intended audience.Her book is admittedly didactic in intent, but not in style. A “Note to Parents” [Inside front cover] identifies one of its themes, “…get your work done first, and then it’s time to play.” While this theme evokes the Protestant work ethic (and, indeed, the back cover of the book features an endorsement by the Christian Fellowship Assembly) Albertans of every faith would embrace it.Welwood’s storyline is simple but charming. Marie, like her small forest friends—the Squirrels, Little Bear, and Fox—is a model of industry until Mr. Bee corrupts her with his own carefree attitude to life:            “I don’t have to make honey. The workers make the honey and I eat it!” [p.6]  Ultimately, however, indolence proves painful for Mr. Bee, and tedious to Marie.A secondary theme is much more subtly explored. Marie is wheelchair-bound.  No words allude to her situation; it is simply conveyed by the exquisite artwork of Coralie Rycroft. With ink and colour, Rycroft depicts Marie’s lifestyle in an idyllic log cabin surrounded by beautiful woodlands. Marie is independent, self-sustaining, and fully functioning; the concept is powerfully communicated.Beyond its intended messages, the book conveys a third by its very existence.  Given a few individuals with gifts and initiative, a small community can develop its own “literary oeuvre”, enrich the lives of its citizens, and communicate its cultural norms in ways that the wider world can appreciate.Reviewer:  Leslie AitkenRecommended: 3 stars out of 4Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship involved selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and university collections. She is a former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.

scholarly journals Good Little Wolf by N. Shireen

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Book Illustration ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Children's Book ◽  
The University

Shireen, Nadia. Good Little Wolf. New York: Alfred A Knopf. 2011. Print. Good Little Wolf is British illustrator Nadia Shireen’s picture book debut, and a successful one at that. Shireen, who earned an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Angela Ruskin University in Cambridge, originally planned a career in law but thankfully pursued her passion for illustration and now, authorship. The story begins with the narrator ensuring a group of youngsters, including a red-hooded girl and a (soother) suckling pig are all comfortable. Rolf is a good little wolf. He is helpful to his friends, the elderly Mrs. Boggins and Little Pig, eats his vegetables and enjoys baking.  One day Rolf meets a Big Bad Wolf, who is clearly surprised by Rolf’s goodness; young children will delight at the Big Bad Wolf sniffing Rolf’s butt to confirm that he is, indeed, a wolf. A few tests are in order to determine his wolf-ness and Rolf fails miserably – until the Big Bad Wolf shows up with Mrs. Boggins and a fork. Suddenly Rolf shows his fierce side and the Big Bad Wolf is going to reform – or so it seems. The quirky illustrations and fresh take on a traditional tale will delight the 4-8 crowd, though parents may need to do some explaining after the final twist when we learn the identity of the narrator . I look forward to Shireen’s next book and won’t have to wait long – “Hey, Presto!” is due out this summer. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Debbie FeisstDebbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.

scholarly journals The Long, Long Line by T. Ohmura

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Long Line ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The University

Ohmura, Tomoko. The Long, Long Line. Toronto, ON: OwlKids Books, 2013. Print."Thank you for waiting, and welcome aboard! One at a time, please!" mentions the bird, who is the ride guide on this mysterious ride for which 50 different animals have patiently lined up. As they wait, the bird flies amongst them, offering reassuring words as they guess as to what they may be in line for and play word games to pass the time.  The anticipation builds, and finally they start boarding the ride, which turns out to be a very large whale on which the animals ride while the whale performs somersaults, dives and sprays. Children will be delighted by all 50 animals represented on the large gatefold spread in the center of the book, from the smallest frog to the largest elephant.Children will love the small details such as the tail of the next animal in line ‘peeking’ around the corner of the page and the size of the animals increasing as they get closer to the ride giving perspective of size. A list of all 50 animals is included at the back for easy reference when young readers get stumped by a species. While this is indeed a picture book aimed at young children it is no quick read – children will want to hear every word of the animals’ conversations as they wait and will want to count as they go, and likely once all the animals are aboard the whale they will want to confirm there are indeed 50 animals present, perhaps multiple times.The colourful illustrations by the author are cute and engaging and show a wide range of expressions and interplay between the animals.  The language felt slightly unnatural but this may be a result of this edition being a translation of the original Japanese work Nanno Gyoretsu? A fun book for public and elementary schools as well as a nice addition to science or math based storytime in lower elementary grades.The Long, Long Line was selected as one of the best children’s books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews.Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Debbie FeisstDebbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.

scholarly journals Noni is Nervous by H. Hartt-Sussman (2nd review)

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Walter
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Nursing Research ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Nail Biting ◽  
Scholarly Communications ◽  
The University ◽  
Research Office

Hartt-Sussman, Heather. Noni is Nervous. Illus. Geneviève Côté. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2013. Print.This picture book gently, but also deftly, captures what anxiety feels like for a child. Noni is Nervous opens with a humorous depiction of Noni’s anxiety about universal problems such as bossy friends and global warming--an overenthusiastic playmate has lassooed Noni and a polar bear sweats next to a penguin in a kiddie pool. But this gentle humour and lightness is also interspersed with images that show Noni as a lone, isolated figure on the page, worrying about her first day of school and all that could go wrong. In addition to capturing this sense of isolation that is a symptom of anxiety, Heather Hartt-Sussman’s book also explores other symptoms such as nail biting, hair twirling, non-stop talking, and catastrophizing, which all add up to form a compelling portrait of a nervous child. Geneviève Côté’s cartoonish, crayon and watercolour illustration that conveys Noni’s isolation also becomes a wash of colour and excitement as Noni’s anxiety lessens when she befriends an outgoing girl and begins to form friendships.Easy to read with simple, repetitive sentences and filled with visual jokes--Noni imagines she has ended up at school in her pyjamas and that her teacher is a mean monster with fangs and a lizard tail, this book will appeal to young children as it gently explores what it is like to have problems with anxiety. Parents could also use the book to raise anxiety issues with their children and children may be able to use the book to give voice to their emotions and fears.Noni is Nervous is an engaging, informative, and durable hardcover picture book for its target audience of two to five year olds.Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Lori WalterFor over two years, Lori Walter worked as an assistant to the Research Librarian in the Faculty of Nursing Research Office at the University of Alberta.  She has recently graduated with her MLIS from the University of Alberta, and she is the new Scholarly Communications Librarian at the UBC Okanagan Library. 

scholarly journals The Riddlemaster by K. Crossley-Holland

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette Leung
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Humanities Computing ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Literary Characters ◽  
The University

Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Riddlemaster. Tradewind Books, 2015.The Riddlemaster is a picture book aimed at children between the ages of four and seven, although the story may interest readers of multiple ages. It tells the story of three children: Anouk, Ben, and Cara. Together, these friends seek to cross a harbour to a special island full of treasure. The children are offered passage on a boat with the mysterious old man known as the Riddlemaster, and many terrifying island creatures. Anouk, Ben, and Cara must answer seven riddles the Riddlemaster and island creatures ask them during the voyage, or be eaten alive. If they succeed, however, they will meet the rest of the islanders, who are well-beloved literary characters from around the world.The riddles within the story are generally drawn from classic mythology, and may be difficult to guess for young children. The story is told in approachable and masterful language, however, and is well-paced. The watercolour illustrations in the book match the text well, and add a layer of diversity, especially among the children, who come across as distinct in personality and culture. The setting is haunting, and reminiscent of coastal medieval European towns.The Riddlemaster presents a different story for children, with a lot of charm. It strongly celebrates literature and mythology, although some references may not be understood by younger children. The Riddlemaster is a rich read for families that naturally leads to new thoughts, questions, and conversations. It also serves as a good jumping board for further myths, legends, and literature.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Colette LeungColette Leung is a graduate student at the University of Alberta, working in the fields of Library and Information science and Humanities Computing who loves reading, cats, and tea. Her research interests focus around how digital tools can be used to explore fields such as literature, language, and history in new and innovative ways.

scholarly journals Akilak’s Adventure by D. Kigjugalik Webster

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Upper Elementary ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Children's Book ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Kigjugalik Webster, Deborah.  Akilak’s Adventure.  Inhabit Media, 2016.This is a first children’s book from Deborah Kigjugalik Webster, who grew up in Baker Lake, Nunavut.  It is a story of a little Inuit girl navigating the tundra by herself to reach her uncle’s camp.  As the child walks, she is joined by a caribou, who mysteriously knows her grandmother’s saying, “Your destination did not run away, you will reach it soon.”  The conversation between the two is about people changing into animals, but Akilak in the end decides to remain a person.   The story is deceptively simple.  On the surface, children will understand it as a little girl’s adventure.  However, it encompasses several important aspects of Inuit culture:  the relationship between grandparent and child, the importance of extended family support, the prominence of animals and the stories of people taking the shape of animals, the distance of travel across the tundra and the related concept of taulittuq or the sense of moving but not getting closer to your destination.Charlene Chua’s artwork is charming. Each two pages are an image with text overprinted on one page, often shaped to fit around parts of the image.  The images are simple and cartoon-like, but good representations of the tundra and its creatures.  While this is mainly a picture book with an intended audience of children ages 5 to 7, the reading level is upper elementary, so younger children will definitely need an adult to read it to them.Akilak’s Adventure would be an excellent addition to public libraries and elementary school libraries.Highly Recommended:  4 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give. 

scholarly journals Gerbil, Uncurled by A. Hughes

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
Picture Book ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Children's Book ◽  
Hard Time ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The University

Hughes, Alison. Gerbil, Uncurled. Illus. Suzanne Del Rizzo. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2015. Print.Gerbil, Uncurled is the latest in Fitzhenry & Whiteside’s ‘Tell-Me-More! Storybook’ series and the 2nd title to use award-winning children’s book illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo’s unique plasticine dimensional illustrations, the 1st being Skink on the Brink. The ‘Tell-Me-More! Storybook’ series is a set of fictional picture books that tell a tale about our natural world and include additional activities and brief informational text.This is award-winning writer Alison Hughes’ first foray into picture book territory, and she succeeds.  The storyline is sweet: Little Gerbil is trying her very best to fit in with her gerbil family by following the Gerbil Mottos. The Gerbil Mottos are the basic life rules that her extended family follow daily, and include keeping one’s whiskers clean and ‘celery tops come to those who wait,’ among others.  Little Gerbil is having a hard time with a specific motto, though; ‘curl up nose to toes’ while sleeping, as she finds it too restrictive and enjoys sleeping stretched out. Little Gerbil confides in wise Grandpa Gerbil who is ‘five whole years old’ and while he is sensitive to her predicament, she still can’t sleep curled up nose to toes though she certainly tries.  But our Little Gerbil is brave, and in her willingness to stand up for herself and question the world, others are able to question the mottos, too.This delightful and visually appealing book encourages young readers to be themselves, ask questions and respond positively to suggestions if it can make you happier.  The factual information about gerbils and other rodents as well as the instructions on making a clay gerbil are great endings to the book.Recommended: 3 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Debbie FeisstDebbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.

scholarly journals A Bedtime Yarn by N. Winstanley

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Kung
Keyword(s):  
Public Services ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
The Other ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Children's Book ◽  
Good Book ◽  
Falling Asleep ◽  
Unique Experience ◽  
The University

Winstanley, Nicola. A Bedtime Yarn, illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller, Tundra Books, 2017.This picture book explores the dreams of Frankie, a little bear who has trouble falling asleep at night. To help him sleep, his mother provides a ball of yarn for him to hold while she works on the other end, knitting a special surprise for Frankie. Each ball of yarn is a different colour with its own story that takes the young bear on incredible adventures. For instance, a sea-green yarn invokes a dream that takes him deep into underwater caverns and a brown yarn reminds him of cake as a result of his upcoming birthday celebrations. Every colour depicts a new dream and unique experience. The story concludes with Frankie’s mother surprising him with a multi-coloured blanket that was made from all the different colours of yarn that he held.   Beautiful artwork illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller accompanies the story, including strands of coloured yarn that surround the images. The author creatively used colour as the starting off point for representing the wide variety of dreams that the little bear encounters. This children’s book teaches readers about different colours and the imaginative element of dreams. This book is suitable for children from Kindergarten to Grade 2.     Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Janice KungJanice Kung is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta, John W. Scott Health Sciences Library. She obtained her undergraduate degree in commerce and completed her MLIS degree in 2013. She believes that the best thing to beat the winter blues is to cuddle up on a couch and lose oneself in a good book.

scholarly journals Really and Truly by E. Rivard and A. C. Delisle

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Picture Book ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Adult Readers ◽  
Loved One ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
Children's Book ◽  
The University ◽  
Small Parts

Rivard, Emilie and Anne-Claire Delisle. Really and Truly. Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2011. Print. Really and Truly is a book that really and truly needed to be written. It is about a boy named Charlie, whose grandfather used to entertain him with wild stories. Now an “awful disease has eaten up his [grandfather’s] memory and his words.  It has even swallowed up his smile”. The book is about Charlie’s antics as he tries to connect with the small parts that are left of his grandfather’s memory to get him to eat or laugh or even just smile. Anyone who has cared for a loved one who has suffered a memory loss disorder such as Alzheimer’s will identify with this book.  The most valuable thing about this book is the fact that it is accepting of the disease. Charlie’s grandfather just is the way he is. Charlie is upbeat and positive about coping with his grandfather’s memory loss. He is determined to connect with his grandfather, so for each visit he thinks up wild stories like his grandfather used to tell him. Sometimes he’s a ninja, a great African hunter or a magician – whatever it takes to get a reaction. Charlie knows that his grandfather probably won’t know who he is the next time he sees him, but he knows that he can make him smile. It is painful to watch a loved one suffer progressive memory loss, and exhausting to try to provide care for them. Really and Truly affirms the value of working at communicating with elderly people who have lost their memories, even to the point where a smile is a victory and a reply is cause for celebration. It is about focusing not on what is lost, but on what remains. This is primarily a picture book, with small amounts of text appropriate for the age 4 and older target audience. The colour drawings usually take up the whole page with text printed on the facing page or overlaying background images. On almost every page, there are also small line drawings that represent the stories that Charlie tells. The drawings are of gazelles that leap across the pages, pirates that steal cookies and little bugs in top hats that sit on Charlie’s head or insert themselves into pictures. Children will enjoy looking for where they appear next. While this is designed as a children’s book, adult readers will also be uplifted by it. Really and Truly should be included in public and school libraries and should be read by anyone who has a family member who is suffering memory loss. Recommendation:  4 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

scholarly journals Red Wagon by R. Liwska

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The University ◽  
Real Places

Liwska, Renata. Red Wagon. New York: Philomel Books, 2011. Print. This picture book is designed to be read by an adult to young children. Somewhat reminiscent of Peter Rabbit stories, the characters in this book are woodland animals.  The plot is simple.  Lucy is a young fox who has just got a red wagon.  She wants to play with it, but her mother sends her to the market for vegetables, so on the way, she imagines great adventures. Lucy’s companions on the journey are a bear, a rabbit, a hedgehog and a raccoon.  Liwska’s illustrations are endearing.  The illustrations are two-page spreads with the animals in various imaginary and “real” places.  With each new imaginary scene, the red wagon morphs into something different.  First it is a boat on the high seas, then a covered wagon, then a gypsy caravan at the market, then a train car, a space ship, and a piece of construction equipment.  In each scene the animals have props or clothing to match the theme.  In the space ship scene, the raccoon acquires a third eye to look alien.  All of the illustrations are done with fine pencil strokes that make the animals look like cuddly stuffed toys. Strangely, the text is generic and could be divorced from this work and applied to a completely different set of illustrations.  There is no mention of Lucy being a fox and no references to her companions or the wild changes in scenery.  For example, the text that accompanies the elaborate covered wagon scene, in which the animals have cowboy hats and bandanas and Lucy has a boots and a sheriff’s badge reads: “Soon the rain stopped and the sun came out.  She continued on her way.”  Lucy could have been an elephant, a robot, a child or an ant, as long as she had a red wagon.  While this will make no difference to a young child’s enjoyment of the book, the text could have been so much more engaging if the animals had been given names and the text reflected the content of the illustration, or for example, “Rabbit pushed, while Lucy pulled.” Similarly, the European look and feel of the book will make it more difficult for Canadian children to identify with the story. There are no wild hedgehogs in Canada and most Canadian children do not go to a market for vegetables – they go to a supermarket.  Even if they did go to a farmers’ market they would not find tents with flags, gypsy caravans, stilt walkers, jugglers and trapeze artists. However, oddities aside, this is a book that pre-readers and new readers will love. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

scholarly journals Snail & Worm: Three Stories about Two Friends by T. Kügler

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Jin
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Children's Picture Books ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Master's Thesis ◽  
Inner Child ◽  
The University

Kügler, Tina. Snail & Worm: Three Stories about Two Friends. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.Author, illustrator, and perhaps the friend of snails and worms in her backyard, Tina Kügler introduces readers to this hilarious book with three little stories of two best friends—a lovely Snail with a droll sense of humor and imagination, and a friendly Worm with a generous heart. In the first story, when Snail joyously plays with the rock, Bob, and the stick, Ann, we can see our lovely and naïve toddlers, and even our inner child. In the next story, when Worm warmly encourages Snail to climb to the top of a tall flower, we can recall how our families, teachers, and friends firmly support us even when we do silly things. And finally, when Snail and Worm have the interesting conversation about their pets, no one can refuse but smile sentimentally. They are not invertebrates anymore, but are as lively as our children, our friends, and ourselves.The dialogic text as well as the storyboard-style illustration adds a flavour of children’s comic-strip to this picture book. The fresh yet soft colour of the drawings creates a snug feeling like spring for readers. Its funny plot, vivid illustrations, and simple vocabulary will definitely be loved by pre-school and kindergarten children. The text and the illustrations are perfectly married with each other. The hilarious dialogues can be easily memorized by young students and even pre-readers, but would also fit well for a drama performance in the classroom.This book will make you giggle with your toddlers or even with your adult family and friends; I can’t wait to read more Snail & Worm adventures!Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Jing JinJing Jin is a doctoral student at University of Alberta, studying and working in the fields of language and literacy in elementary education. She received her M.A. degree in children’s literature from Ocean University of China, and her M.Ed. degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Her master’s thesis is a comparative study of selected award-winning Canadian and Chinese children’s picture books.

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