Who will save my planet? by M. C. Urrutia

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Canadian Market ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University

Urrutia, Maria. Who will save my planet? Toronto: Tundra Books, 2012.  Print.This volume appears to be a republication of a 2007 imprint from the author’s own publishing house, Tecolate Books, in Mexico.  Although Tundra recognizes support from the Canada Council for the Arts, there appears to be no specific Canadian content in this book.  There is no text and the images are the work of several different photographers.  Urrutia’s contribution to the work appears to be the title and the selection and pairing of the images. The book is designed for children ages 7+ and consists of 14 pairs of unadorned, borderless photographs. Each spread of two images shows something environmentally negative on the left and a corresponding positive image on the right.  However, without text, the viewer is left to draw their own conclusions about what message is intended. Many of the images have several potential interpretations, particularly for viewers coming from a different environment. For example, the opening pair of images shows fire in the canopy of a tropical forest, presumably implying that people are burning the forest. However in Canada, lightning is naturally one of the primary causes of forest fires which is a natural part of the forest’s life cycle.   In the second set of images, someone is cutting down a tree, but it is the only one being felled.  The rest of the forest appears to be undisturbed.  An image of a clear-cut would have conveyed a much more obvious message.  The second last pair show garbage strewn along a path and the images are a garbage can overflowing with garbage, with a plastic water bottle prominently placed on top.  Bottled water is one of the least environmentally friendly things on the planet.  Is the message that producing huge volumes of unnecessary garbage is fine as long as you put it in the garbage can? Many of the images are high quality.  An image of a seal with the rope embedded in the flesh around its shoulders is particularly effective.  However, the selection and combination of images, as a whole, reminds me of posters at a fourth grade science fair.  The difference is that the fourth graders usually add captions and introductory paragraphs so that their messages are clear. While environmental damage anywhere is important, this book would have been more effective for the Canadian market had it incorporated images of environmental problems found in the Canadian environment. Recommended with reservation:  2 stars out of 4 Reviewer:  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 Fifteen Dollars and Thirty-Five Cents: A Story About Choices by K. Cole

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patti Sherbaniuk
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Young Children ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Youth Advocacy ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University ◽  
School Yard

Cole, Kathryn.  Fifteen Dollars and Thirty-Five Cents: A Story About Choices. Illus. Qin Leng. Second Story Press: Toronto, 2015. Print.Fifteen Dollars and Thirty-Five Cents. A Story About Choices is part of the I am a Great Little Kid Series by Second Story Press, published in conjunction with Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre.Fifteen Dollars and Thirty-Five Cents tells a simple story, yet successfully brings across some bigger themes. It takes place at an elementary school. Joseph, who is with his friend Devon, finds some money in the school yard- fifteen dollars and thirty-five cents. He is very excited and wants to keep it, but Devon has second thoughts and thinks that someone they know might have lost it and that they should turn it in. Joseph says “finders’ keepers” and offers Devon five of the dollars not to tell. Devon is very tempted but then sees his classmate Lin crying and has the feeling that it is her money they have found. His suspicion is confirmed when they are back in the classroom and the teacher, Ms. Crosby, asks sad Lin what is wrong. Lin’s friend Claire says it was money for her mother’s birthday present that she has been saving for weeks. Devon is increasingly uncomfortable but Joseph pressures him to stay quiet because they are friends and because he is also worried that people will think he stole it. The teacher suspects something and gives Devon a chance to explain what has happened. He doesn’t tell on his friend but lets his teacher know her suspicions are correct. Ms. Claire comes up with a way for Devon and Joseph to give the money back without them getting in trouble and everyone is happy with the outcome.The story is simple but gets the point across about making the right choices, about friendship, honesty, and “doing the right thing”, without being too preachy. The cast of characters are diverse and the issues dealt with in the story are ones that kids can relate to.The illustrations by Qin Leng are vibrant and colourful and enhance the telling of the story. I would recommend this book for young children from ages 5-8 years of age.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Patti SherbaniukPatti is a Liaison Librarian at the Winspear School of Business at the University of Alberta. She holds a BA in English and an MLIS, both from the University of Alberta. She is passionate about food, travel, the arts and reading books of all shapes and sizes.

LACTATION PERFORMANCE OF RANGE BEEF AND DAIRY-BEEF COWS

1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
SARAH BUTSON ◽  
R. T. BERG
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Significant Decline ◽  
Lactation Performance ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Brown Swiss ◽  
Percent Protein ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The University ◽  
Better Than

A milking experiment with range, single-suckled beef cows was conducted over two lactations in 1976 and 1977 at the University of Alberta Research Ranch. A total of 428 cows were milked, ranging from 2 to 10 yr of age and representing four breed groups of Herefords and crossbreds of traditional beef and dairy breeds. Measurements of milk were taken in June and September each year. Milk was extracted following an intrajugular injection of 20 IU of oxytocin. Samples were analyzed for butterfat percent, protein percent and lactose percent. Age and breed of dam differences in milk yields, constituent percentages and yields were assessed. Least squares means of yields pooled over the two periods each year indicated that dams with Holstein and Brown Swiss breeding (DS) yielded more milk than beef crossbreds and purebred Herefords. Average milk yields estimated over 24 h ranged from 5.7 kg/day for Herefords to 7.8 kg/day for DS dams. Compared to 2-yr olds at 100%, 3-yr olds produced 125%, 4-yr olds 136% and mature cows 139% greater yield. The difference between June and September yields was evident between breed groups. Hereford milk production exhibited the greatest decline over 87 days compared to all other crossbreds and DS were the most persistent. Mature cows maintained milk yields better than younger cows, and 2-yr old milk yields declined most noticeably. All crossbred groups produced less butterfat percent and lactose percent content than the Herefords, yet yielded more total energy. All constituent percentages were higher than those reported for commercial dairy cattle. All constituent percentages increased significantly from June to September at approximately 130 days in lactation. A significant decline was noted for all constituent yields in September. Dairy crossbreds demonstrated the highest persistency for all constituent yields. Beef Synthetic dams were intermediate in yield persistency. Average milk yields had negative (P < 0.05) correlations with average constituent percentages. Inter-correlations among constituent percentages were variable and generally small and negative. Key words: Lactation, range cows

scholarly journals Tales from the Tundra: A Collection of Inuit Stories by I. Kaslik

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Publishing House ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Publishing Company ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Traditional Technique ◽  
Internal Dialogue ◽  
The University

Kaslik, Ibi. Tales from the Tundra: A Collection of Inuit Stories. Illus. Anthony Brennan. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, 2010. Print. Inhabit Media is an Inuit-owned, independent publishing company that “aims to promote and preserve the stories, knowledge, and talent of northern Canada.”  This collection of five traditional Inuit stories from different regions in Nunavut is one of their most recent offerings.  Three of the stories tell of how specific animals came into being.  One tells how the raven and loon came to look the way they do and the fifth, The Owl and the Siksik, is a typical story of outwitting the enemy. Anthony Brennan’s illustrations have a two-dimensional fantasy quality to them that is more reminiscent of cartoons or Japanese anime than of traditional Inuit art.  Many of the creatures are outlined in black and then filled with solid colour.  While the backgrounds are usually ice-blue, and there are pastel colours in the images, many of the main parts of the drawings are black, giving the book an overall ominous look. While these stories are described in the forward as “contemporary retellings”, Kaslik’s voice is similar to that of an elder telling stories and her style is traditional.  The language is simple and direct, occasionally incorporating Inuit words.  Animals are anthropomorphized.  They do the same sorts of things that humans do and have human emotions and foibles.  For example, in “The Raven and The Loon”, the two birds sew clothes for each other.   When Raven thinks that Loon is sewing too slowly, she reacts impatiently: “Please, sew faster!” impatient Raven pleaded.” Kaslik also uses internal dialogue, another traditional technique, to allow the reader to listen to the characters reasoning out their actions. For example, “Siksiks often go in and out of their dens,” thought the owl, believing himself to be very clever.  “Today I will find a siksik den and wait there until I see one.” There are few children’s books of Inuit mythology available, and fewer that have the authenticity of being published by an Inuit publishing house.  Overall, this volume is a small, but welcome addition to the field, through which many children will be able to learn about the mythology of the Inuit.  For public and school libraries everywhere. Highly recommended:  4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Sandy Campbell Sandy 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. 

More than just a pretty interface: three recent projects at the Visual Arts Data Service

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Arts ◽  
Data Service ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
National Image ◽  
The Arts ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Copy And Paste ◽  
Image Repository ◽  
The Look ◽  
The University

The establishment of the national image repository hosted by the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) at the University for the Creative Arts was an early pioneering effort in the 1990s to provide shared online access and preservation for digitised visual arts collections. Over the 15 years since the VADS image repository was first launched, and as the internet has rapidly expanded and transformed, the VADS team has also sought project funding to explore and address new themes and issues that have emerged within the arts education sector. Three of these recent collaborative endeavours are detailed in this article: the Kultur II Group which is supporting the development of institutional repositories in the arts; the Spot the Difference project which is researching the emergence and extent of a perceived ‘copy and paste’ culture; and the Look-Here! project, which has worked with ten partners to foster digitisation skills and strategies in the arts.

scholarly journals On the Shoulder of a Giant: an Inuit Folktale by N. Christopher

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Quality Work ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Christopher, Neil.  On the Shoulder of a Giant:  an Inuit Folktale. Iqualuit:  Inhabit Media, 2015. Print.This is another in a series of works designed by Neil Christopher, one of the founders of Inhabit Media, to preserve traditional Inuit stories.  In this book he retells a story, which is known in various forms all across the Arctic, of a giant who adopts a hunter as his son.  This giant, named Inukpak,  is one of the inukpasugjuit or “great giants” of Inuit stories.  Inukpak is so big that he can walk across the Arctic in “just a few days” and when he stands in the sea the water "never come[s] up past his knees". He is so big that he thinks that the hunter is a lost child, so he adopts him and carries him on his shoulder.This is a simple retelling, designed to teach about the mythical giants and to explain why the story is found in many cultures across the Canadian Arctic.  However, it also models a big person/small person relationship in which small people do not correct or talk back to big people.  Children will relate to the hunter, who is treated as a child and because the story is told from the hunter's perspective.  The giant sometimes doesn't recognize the impact of his own actions.  For example when he runs back to shore, he creates waves that swamp the hunter, but the giant thinks the hunter has been playing in the water.  "The hunter wanted to tell the giant that he had not been playing in the water.  He also wanted to explain to Inukpak that he had caught a bowhead whale, not a sculpin.  But, once again, the little hunter did not want to argue with a giant, so he just said, 'Okay.' "This is mainly a picture book. The illustrations run over two-page spreads with text over-printed on them.  Jim Nelson does a good job of presenting the difference in size between the giant and the human.  Inukpak is presented as a happy fellow, with black shaggy hair and a full beard.  Children will be amused by the giant picking up a polar bear by the scruff of its neck, like a kitten. The images are realistic and the backgrounds are lovely representations of Arctic landscapes. Overall, this is an enjoyable and high-quality work that should be included in elementary school libraries, public libraries and libraries specializing in Arctic children’s books.Highly Recommended:  4 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 Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party by M. McDonald

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Aitken
Keyword(s):  
School Children ◽  
Tea Party ◽  
Young Brother ◽  
Elizabeth I ◽  
National Unity ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Queen Victoria ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University

McDonald, Megan.  Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party. Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Candlewick Press, 2018. The multi-volume Judy Moody series continues here as Judy attempts to complete a grade three assignment: create a family tree. Learning that one of her British ancestors was “Mudeye” Moody, rescuer of a prisoner from the Tower of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Judy embellishes: the rescuer was a young prince; the prisoner was a princess; she, herself, is akin to royalty, a future Queen. There is, however, a rival for her title, her schoolmate, Jessica Finch. Jessica, too, has British roots. She, too, claims kinship with Mudeye Moody. Jessica’s Mudeye, however, was a rat catcher who rescued his lady from the Tower in the time of Queen Victoria. Unaware that more than two centuries elapsed between the reigns of Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, the two girls decide that Mudeye Moody, the one-and-the-same, is their mutual ancestor. They ally; they are “step sisters.” They will keep secret Judy’s relationship to the rat catcher, but, together, they will stage a “Right Royal Tea Party.”  Judy Moody is a domineering child. No constitutional monarch is she; she is a despot, her younger brother the target of her bullying. In both conversational and narrative passages, scatology is the norm. Judy and her friends belong to the “Toad Pee Club.” They meet in the “Toad Pee Tent.” Her younger brother’s Siamese Fighting  Fish is named “Prince Redmond the Farter.” It communicates, of course, by ”farting.” Throughout the book, the young brother is referred to as “Stink.” (There is never any adult censure of this talk.) Dubious diction continues in Judy’s letter to the current Queen Elizabeth. She asks: “...Did you ever ride a hinny? (That’s a cross between a horse and a donkey, not a hiney?) … P.S. Sorry if I’m not supposed to say hiney in a letter to the Queen.” (Among its various uses, “hiney” is slang for “buttocks.” It is, as well, a derogatory 20th-century term for a German soldier.) Questions spring to mind as one reads this book: does the writing merely reflect the anal obsessions of children, or does it encourage them? The same could be asked about bullying behaviours. It is also curious that the historical dates of Elizabeth I (who died in 1603) and Queen Victoria (who came to the throne in 1837) are never given. There are natural opportunities within the story to do so: Peter Reynold’s illustration of “Famous Women Rulers” is one such opportunity; the Moody family’s trip to Wolff Castle is another. Of course, if Judy and Jessica discover the dates, they must give up their assumptions about Mudeye; he would have to have lived for more than two centuries to perform his dual acts of gallantry. Are the presumed readers (upper primary, lower elementary school children) thought to be too immature to appreciate this absurdity? Or must they be kept in ignorance lest the contrivance of the plot be revealed?    In Canada, school children are taught that the Queen is a constitutional monarch, a symbol of national unity, not a ruler. Because she lives in England, she has a Canadian representative who performs her ceremonial duties. A Canadian Judy Moody might dream differently—perhaps pretending that she is an astronaut like Governor General Julie Payette. While much imagination went into the premise of this book, it lacks thoughtful, well considered composition.  However popular the Judy Moody books, this entry in the series is weak. Not recommended: 1 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Leslie Aitken Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship included selection of children’s literature for school, public, special and academic libraries. She is a former Curriculum Librarian of the University of Alberta.

scholarly journals Starfields by C. Marsden

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The People ◽  
First Choice ◽  
History Of ◽  
Depth And Complexity ◽  
The University

Marsden, Carolyn.  Starfields.  Sommerville, MA.:  Candlewick Press, 2011. Print. This book makes me sad, not for the content, but for the unrealized potential.  The central premise, parallel stories of a modern-day girl in rural Mexico and an ancient Mayan boy-priest, is an interesting one. However, there are several problems with the execution of this work.  When writers fictionalize the culture, religion and history of a group of people, they have a duty to know that group well enough to speak for them.  In addition to thinking carefully about ethical issues that surround cultural appropriation and telling stories that are not theirs to tell, writers must respect their subjects by representing the depth and complexity of their world. California writer Marsden states in her notes that she “gathered information from the photographs and accounts of those who’ve spent time among the contemporary Mayans.”  She also indicates that she has “spent time in Mexico and Belize and … also called upon [her] own personal experience of Mayan culture”. However, many passages read as though they are descriptions of photographs.  The presentation of the people and their relationships also lacks depth. The crisis in this story is the rather clichéd building of a road to the remote village, which is causing environmental damage and threatening traditional ways of life.  It seems absurd, in a land-based society, that a young girl is the only person who could notice that there is an environmental crisis going on. Further she only knows this because a new friend, Alicia, visiting from the city with a research team, points it out to her.  Rosalba is too frightened to speak to the elders until an ancestral boy-priest tells her in a dream to weave images of dead corn fields into her work.  This causes the elders to recognize that there is something wrong with her and then, she has the courage and opportunity to alert them to the crisis. One expects less reality of the story of the boy-priest, because it must, of course, be imaginary.  However, when Rosalba thinks that he has made physical contact with her, and he confirms this in his story line, the plot unexpectedly moves temporarily out of modern day reality into fantasy. There are undeveloped themes throughout the book.  For example Rosalba’s parents were Zapatista revolutionaries, but we learn very little about them. We just know that they would fight for their land.  The title, “Starfields”, refers to the night sky, which both the boy-priest and Rosalba can see.  The starfields are important in Mayan mythology and religion, however, the theme is not developed.  These, combined with the presence of a number of Mayan and Spanish words, which have to be looked up in a glossary and the parallel stories, which do not intersect until close to the end of the book, make for a choppy, disconnected and frustrating read. While sophisticated young adult readers may make their way through it, it would not be a first choice for libraries with limited budgets.Recommended with reservations: 2 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 V is for Vegan: The ABCs of Being Kind by R. Roth

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorden Smith
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Animal Rights ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Vegan Diet ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The University

Roth, Ruby. V is for Vegan: The ABCs of Being Kind. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2013. Print.With adorable illustrations, bright colours, and brief, engaging text, this book would be a welcome addition to any library collection. Roth’s newest book, V is for Vegan, is a quirky and entertaining guide to human-animal relations and the vegan lifestyle.  This book is a gentle and informative introduction to the vegan lifestyle, incorporating important vocabulary all vegans should know. It introduces the reader to major food groups in a vegan diet: legumes, grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables; as well as touching on animal rights. This book is a brilliant resource to help children learn about their or their classmate’s dietary needs. The illustrations, also done by Roth, and rhymes garnered lots of laughs. My 4-year old niece’s favorite page: “Ee is for eggs-- from a chicken’s butt?! Wow.” For vegan and vegetarian parents, this book is a must have.This book was sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, an educational nonprofit corporation established to “develop an educational and cross-cultural perspective that links scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature.” Their publishing house, North Atlantic Books, publishes many books on alternative health.Recommended: 3 of out 4 starsReviewer: Jorden SmithJorden is a Public Services Librarian in Rutherford Humanities and Social Sciences Library at the University of Alberta.  She is an avid fiction reader and subscribes to Hemingway’s belief that “there is no friend as loyal as a book.”

scholarly journals Follow Your Money: Who Gets it, Who Spends It, Where Does it Go? by M. Hlinka

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patti Sherbaniuk
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Upper Elementary ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Spider Web ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
The Arts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
The University

Hlinka, Michael.  Follow Your Money: Who Gets it, Who Spends It, Where Does it Go?  Illus. Kevin Sylvester. Annick Press, New York, 2013. Print.Follow Your Money is a fairly basic yet informative examination of the economy and its complexities, aimed at older kids and teens. The book starts off with a quick synopsis of the “spider web” of the economy and a brief rundown of the history of money and the concept of profit.  The author then breaks down the costs of various activities (a bus ride for example) and objects (baseball caps, sneakers), from raw materials to manufacturing costs, labour, transport, store markups, profits, etc. The author (a CBC commentator on business) is clever in what he has chosen, selecting objects and activities that are of interest to older kids and teens (computers, designer jeans, chocolate, cell phones, music, etc.).  There are also a couple of pages on fuel and its importance to the economy. The book then takes a brief look at banking and the pros and cons of credit and debit cards, and then finishes with resource suggestions for additional information and an index.The cost breakdowns may be too numerous and a little dry for some readers (depending on their interest and attention level), but they are a very effective method of getting the reader to think about where things come from, how various economic factors affect prices, and who gets the profits. The author includes interesting sidebars of historical facts and trivia about particular subjects- tea, for example, or disposable bags-adding a bit of humour in the process.  The illustrations are colourful and quirky and help clarify the points the author is making.Ideal for upper elementary and teen readers.Highly recommended:  4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Patti SherbaniukPatti is a Liaison Librarian at the Winspear School of Business at the University of Alberta. She holds a BA in English and an MLIS, both from the University of Alberta. She is passionate about food, travel, the arts and reading books of all shapes and sizes.

Sir Seth Thistlewaite and the Kingdom of the Caves by R. Thake

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Huck
Keyword(s):  
English Literature ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Hooking Up ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Animated Cartoon ◽  
Everyday World ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University ◽  
Better Than

Thake, Richard.  Illus. Vince Chul. Sir Seth Thistlewaite and the Kingdom of the Caves. Owlkids, 2011. Print. Sir Seth Thistlewaite and the Kingdom of the Caves is the second book in a series detailing the adventures of the eponymous protagonist, his dog Shasta and his friend Sir Ollie Everghettz. Together, the two friends are the Mighty Knights of Right and Honour, knights errant who look for wrongs to right in fantastical lands inhabited by strange creatures ruled by kings and queens. Like the Narnia adventures, these domains lie just beyond our everyday world, but unlike those books, these stories are meant to be comic and fun. More than forty illustrations are incorporated into the text. Together, the text and illustrations suggest the pace and style of an animated cartoon. The story in this book takes place in the Queendom of Claire, a secret land underneath Puddlewater Pond, a feature of the world of Thatchwych from the first book that Sir Seth enters when he dons his homemade armor fashioned from hockey gear. The water is being drained from Puddlewater pond and the King commissions Sir Seth and Sir Ollie to find out why and stop the leak. In fact, the water is being siphoned out of the pond into the Queendom of Claire below because of a water shortage caused by a malicious elf Ooz (who looks like an ogre). Ooz has blocked Claire’s primary river because his pet dinosaur Grak has eaten most of the trees in the queendom, leaving deserts in his wake, and Ooz wants the queen to let Grak graze in the royal gardens. Sir Seth and Sir Ollie are commissioned (anew) by the Queen of Claire to unblock the river, and so they set out across the desert, called the Sadlands, in search of Ooz, hooking up with feisty princess Sundra Neeth and the dubiously helpful family of Fibbs along the way. When Ooz captures the search party, he hatches a new plan to hold the princess for ransom until the queen gives him possession of the entire land of Claire. Ooz leaves our heroes in his cave with Grak and sets off to meet the queen, but the prisoners escape and rush back to the castle to try to prevent him from executing his plan. Thake aims for an outsized, slightly absurdist style to convey a sense of adventure and fun: alliterations, rhymes, and puns are sprinkled throughout; two or three adjectives are usually thought better than one; and characteristics tend to be exaggerated, meaning that big is gigant-o-normous, and small is tinier than the teensiest speck of dust on the underside of a mitochondria. Similarly, events in the plot don’t transpire, rather, they tend to happen all of a sudden and cause widespread dumbstruck-edness. This hyperbolic style is tough to maintain and it is successful in some places more than others; at a certain point, constant surprise ceases to be surprising and characters are weakened when they share the same reactions. Chui’s clean illustrations hit all the right notes and add a lot to the book. While the book is mainly plot driven, it does convey other messages worth mentioning. The knights enter each unknown situation without bias, demonstrate tolerance when encountering strange creatures, and encourage others to explore untapped potential. Also, the plot is a kind of lesson in environmental activism. When Princess Sundra Neeth discovers that the Sadlands are not barren after all, but populated by many desert creatures, she promises that, as queen, she will “make sure these Sadlands become glad again.” Age K-6. Recommended with reservations:  2 stars out of 4Reviewer: John HuckJohn Huck is a metadata and cataloguing librarian at the University of Alberta. He holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and maintains a special interest in the spoken word. He is also a classical musician and has sung semi-professionally for many years.

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