scholarly journals The White Ballets by R. Kupesic

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trish Chatterley
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Gold Leaf ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Swan Lake ◽  
Simple Language ◽  
History Of ◽  
Personal Library ◽  
The University ◽  
Intended Effect

Kupesic, Rajka. The White Ballets. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2011. PrintMany classical ballets choreographed in the 1800s are considered “white ballets,” since during at least one scene, the prima ballerina and the dancers in the corps de ballet are all costumed in traditional long white tutus. This work by former ballerina Rajka Kupesic retells the storylines for three of these ballets: Swan Lake, Giselle, and La Bayadère. Each story is illustrated with reproductions of four of Kupesic’s paintings. The book’s introduction explains a bit about this background and gives Kupesic’s reasons for choosing these ballets. It would have been helpful if she had mentioned other “ballets blancs” such as “Les Sylphides” so interested readers could seek information about them as well. Each story is followed by an “About the ballet” page. This page includes a brief history of the ballet’s early performances, identifies the choreographer and musical composer, and provides a commentary about each illustration and its meaning. The dust cover displays one of the images from “Swan Lake” while the image on the front cover depicts a scene from “Giselle.” The work is labeled as being for all ages and indeed there is something for everyone. The stories are told using simple language that young girls could read, while the commentaries would be appreciated by an older audience. Despite the explanations, young children may not understand the nuances of the artwork. The paintings are intended to portray the atmosphere of the performance, though younger readers may have preferred a more literal interpretation of the story. I fear the reprinting of the paintings may have led to some loss of their intended effect. I would not have noticed the application of gold leaf had it not been mentioned, and in the two page “Swan Lake” illustration, although the eye is supposed to be drawn to the image of Odette in the back window, the page fold interferes. Art is subjective, and many readers may find the illustrations breathtaking. While there are many beautiful elements to the illustrations such as the costuming and backgrounds, there are certain features that are not to my personal liking. Several dancers assume poses from the actual choreography, but in several cases the postures look awkward with overly inclined heads and weirdly proportioned and angled legs. One always thinks of ballerinas as beautiful young maidens but these dancers seem to have very prominent noses and oddly spaced eyes. The faces all seem to have the same emotionless expression, and the poses all seem quite static with little allusion to movement. Despite my comments about the illustrations, many people will appreciate the artwork. The “About” pages will be beneficial for aspiring ballerinas as they learn some dance history and something of the choreographers and composers of the major classical ballets. Because the stories themselves stay true to the ballets and can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, this work would make a nice addition to any ballet lover’s personal library. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Trish ChatterleyTrish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.

scholarly journals Monkey’s Friends by R. Brown

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Young Children ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The University

Brown, Ruth. Monkey’s Friends.  [London, England], Andersen Press Ltd, 2012. Print. Prolific English children’s author/illustrator Ruth Brown has created a delightful book in Monkey’s Friends. It is a simple rhymed text telling the story of monkey going through the forest, meeting different animals and greeting them. Each two page spread shows monkey greeting an animal whom we can see peeking out of the bushes. Every facing page is covered by a half-page flap. When the half-page is turned, the hidden animal is revealed and the animal’s name is printed on the flap. Brown’s acrylic paintings are fun. Monkey is doing something different in each image.  Sometimes he hangs by his tail. Other times he is sitting on a branch or a rock or peering through grass. Each time his expression is alive. Brown also does an excellent job of communicating motion in her paintings. When you lift the flap to see crocodile, he seems to explode out of the water and you see water flying in all directions. While Brown’s animals are realistic, her vegetation is quite unusual. The leaves are highly-textured and look like they might have been done with block prints. The vegetation seems to be simultaneously dense and see-through. The result is a bright and colourful environment for Monkey and his friends. Young children will enjoy looking for the hidden animals and finding them when the flap is turned. Highly recommended for public and elementary school libraries. Recommendation:  4 stars out of 4 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.

scholarly journals 50 Underwear Questions: a Bare-All History by T. L. Kyi

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trish Chatterley
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
North America ◽  
Social History ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Parental Supervision ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
The University

Kyi, Tanya L. 50 Underwear Questions: a Bare-All History. Toronto: Annick Press, 2011. Have you ever wondered where long johns and jock straps got their names? Or where the phrase ‘going commando’ came from? Then this is the book for you! This book, framed as a series of 50 questions and responses, takes the reader through a social history of underwear from the ancient times of the Egyptian pharaohs through to the present day. While much of the focus is on Western Europe and North America, the reader also learns briefly about undergarments in India, Japan, and a few other regions. The book consists of seven chapters replete with fun-filled facts and humorous cartoon images. Throughout are so-called ‘private parts,’ which are quick trivia bits printed on underwear labels. There are also several recommended activities called ‘garment games’ for readers to pursue, such as how to tie your own subligaculum (i.e. gladiator underwear) or tie-dye a pair of boxer shorts (with parental supervision, of course). This well-researched book informs the reader not just about what was worn, but why. Fads and fashions of the various times were influenced by the need for protection from the elements, the wearer’s social class, the onset of war, or in more recent times, the apparel of models and actors in commercials and movies. This entertaining and educational read is intended for children ages nine and up, but is fun and fast for adults to read as well. There are two previous books in the 50 questions series which are about poisons and fire. If they are anything like the underwear book, they will be enjoyable books to read as well! Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Trish ChatterleyTrish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.  

scholarly journals Mine! by S. Crum

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Very Young Children ◽  
Children And Parents ◽  
Dust Jacket ◽  
Picture Story ◽  
The University

Crum, Shutta. Mine! Illus. Patrice Barton. New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.  Print. The dust jacket notes for Mine! tells us that it is about “two very young children and an adorable dog navigating the trials and triumphs of sharing.” In keeping with this theme, apart from a single “Woof?” barked by the dog, the only text is the word “mine” repeated ten times. However, when the pictures are left to tell the story, the text is really superfluous. Artist Patrice Barton has captured the chaos that happens when you put a baby, a toddler, a pile of toys, a dog, and a dog dish full of water all together in the same space without parental interference. The result is soaked children, water and wet toys thrown everywhere, and of course, a dripping dog. Children will love trying to find where all the different toys have gone from picture to picture. While the images are done in soft pastels, rather than the bright and bold colours we might expect to find in books for very young children, they are nonetheless engaging. Throughout, Barton manages to communicate movement in the images. Swoosh lines follow flying feet, jiggle lines show us the baby’s unsteady movement, and dashed lines show us where the balls or toys have flown or bounced. Over the course of the chaos, there is a delightful four page sequence where the baby stands up, totters across two pages and, overleaf, takes a flying leap, flattening the toddler, and sending the wet toys flying everywhere. That, of course, is the point where the adults reappear and begin picking up wet children and clothing. Because of all the wet and wild action in the book, the theme of sharing, or rather, not sharing, gets lost. So as a book with a message, Mine! does not work particularly well.  However, both children and parents will enjoy the entertaining picture story. Recommendation:  3 stars out of 4 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.  

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 The Dreaded Ogress of the Tundra by N. Christopher

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Small Children ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Cautionary Tales ◽  
The University

Christopher, Neil.  The Dreaded Ogress of the Tundra.  Iqaluit:  Inhabit Media, 2015. PrintAmautaliit are giant ogresses who eat small children.  They roam the Arctic tundra looking for unsupervised children such as orphans or those who have wandered away from camp.  They sneak up on the children, capture and carry them away in their disgusting baskets containing rotting seaweed and giant bugs.  These stories have two themes.  First, they are cautionary tales designed to keep children from wandering away from camps and villages. Second, they usually show the children using their ingenuity or ancient magic to escape the not-too-smart amautaliit.This is an updated and revised version of Christopher’s 2009 volume, Stories of the Amautalik, which contains versions of the two stories presented in this work.  However, this edition of the book is more like a junior handbook to amautaliit (plural of amautalik). While this book has many illustrations which are appropriately dark, scary and creepy, there is much more text than one usually finds in an Inhabit Media book.  At least half of the pages are full text and like Stories of the Amautalik, the reading level is high for young children. The book includes a seven-page introduction to amautaliit, which describes who these creatures are, their clothing, their baskets, their caves and how they hunt small children.  At the end of the book there is an “Other Ogres and Ogresses” section, which gives single page, illustrated descriptions of similar creatures, including a giant spider that assumes a human-like form. Even though this is a revision of an earlier work that many libraries will have, the expanded content would make it a useful addition to libraries with children’s collections, and particularly to academic libraries that collect works on Arctic myths and legends.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 This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by K. Oppel

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trish Chatterley
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Harry Potter ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University ◽  
Key Substances

Oppel, Kenneth. This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. Toronto: Harper Collins, 2011. Print. Victor has always felt less than worthy compared to his twin brother, Konrad, who is the better swordsman, the more gracious gentleman, and the beloved of their cousin Elizabeth, whom they both love dearly. Yet when Konrad falls mysteriously and deathly ill, Victor’s love for his brother encourages him to follow a dangerous quest. Victor is a passionate, if somewhat arrogant, protagonist, who is at times unlikeable, yet strangely alluring. Victor has recently stumbled upon the hidden Dark Library in the family’s chateau, a library filled with ancient scientific works by such legendary alchemists as Paracelsus and Agrippa. In direct violation of his father’s orders, Victor wishes to create the Elixir of Life that he believes will save his brother. He, Elizabeth, and their family friend, Henry, seek the help of local alchemist and outcast, Julius Polidori, whose apothecary shop is coincidentally located in Wollstonecraft Alley. Polidori promises to translate the ancient texts and instruct Victor on how to collect the three necessary ingredients for the elixir. The recovery of each of the key substances frequently puts the characters in life-threatening situations while testing their bravery and dedication to their quest. This dark tale ends in such a foreboding way, promising future adventures for Victor. This is an absorbing gothic tale that serves as a prequel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Aimed at teens, it will hopefully serve as a unique way to get young adults interested in both classic literature and the history of science and magic. This book will likely appeal to those who enjoyed the later darker novels in the Harry Potter series, as it too explores the interconnections between faith, science, and magic. Paracelsus and Agrippa were mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in which alchemy was also a prevalent theme. Readers will find the adventure captivating, and may want to watch for the movie version, which is expected to be released in 2013. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Trish ChatterleyTrish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.  

scholarly journals I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! by L. Davick

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Children ◽  
New York Times ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Series Books ◽  
Words And Images ◽  
The University

Davick, Linda. I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! New York: Simon & Schuster-Beach Lane Books, 2013. Print.Graphic artist, illustrator and animator Linda Davick, whose colourful images have appeared in several seasonal counting series books such as the New York Times bestselling 10 Trick-or-Treaters, has penned her first book for children aimed at celebrating the unique qualities we all have. Starting from our head right down to our toes, the simply drawn children, with fun disproportionately-scaled features and descriptions to portray many kids, show off their various body parts. The book is essentially a whimsical love poem to our bodies that children will find entertaining, both in the prose and the illustrations.  Take this stanza as an example:I love you, nose, though there’s no doubt that when you sneeze some stuff comes out.The images are great, too: a little girl covering her nose to the smell of her baby sibling’s diaper, a child thinking about smelling pepper (spoiler alert: she sneezes), a stinky sock and fragrant flowers; young children will enjoy the interplay of words and images, especially about body parts and functions that are generally not discussed:I love the parts my friends don’t see: the parts that poop, the parts that pee.Ending with a sleepy boy drifting off to sleep, this would be a fun book to read with young children at night as part of a bedtime routine or even as part of an early-years story time, though the latter would certainly create a memorable experience for the students! Highly recommended: 4 stars of out 4 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 Work: An Occupational ABC by K. Hatanaka

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Short Description ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Full Page ◽  
Coffee Table ◽  
The Many ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time

Hatanaka, Kellen. Work: An Occupational ABC. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2014. Print.At first glance, you may look at this book and think it just like the myriad of other ABC books for young children and preschoolers, but you would be delightfully wrong!  Yes, of course, each letter from A to Z is represented and indeed each letter is accompanied by an image that characterizes the letter.  But that is where the similarities end. Toronto-based designer, illustrator and artist Kellen Hatanaka, who can now also call himself a first time author, has created a beautiful and unexpected piece of art for the youngest readers and it is as much a delight to read as it is to behold.  With creamy paper and softly-coloured images, created digitally after first creating ‘hand-drawn patterns and images’, it is reminiscent of a small person’s version of a coffee table book, if said coffee table were in a nursery.It starts out simple enough, with A for Aviator and a full page spread with a boldly-coloured A as well as mountain tops that echo the A’s shape.  The next page, however, alerts the reader to the fun in store – B is for Butcher, shown chasing after a group of raccoons who have absconded with a string of sausages. Yes, there are occupations like Grocer and Tailor but there are also the Ice Cream Vendor, K-9 Officer and the Wedding Singer! What’s wonderful to note are the many alternative occupations, some that you may have not have heard of, and that there is a nice mix of women, men, and cultures taking part. For the curious reader, there is a section of funny ‘Want Ads’ which provides a short description of the occupation.This would make a wonderful new baby gift and is an excellent addition to a home or public library.Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4 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 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. 

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