scholarly journals Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa by A. Dewdney

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Separation Anxiety ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Good Book ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The University

Dewdney, Anna. Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa.  New York, NY:  Viking, 2015.  PrintThis is one of a series of Llama Llama books by author/illustrator Anna Dewdney.   In this volume, Llama Llama is staying away from home for the first night.  The rhymed story takes him from packing at home to being left at his grandparents and unpacking.  It is there that he discovers that his “fuzzy llama” is missing.  At bedtime he has a meltdown where “Llama’s lips begin to quiver./ Llama starts to shake and shiver./ Llama needs Fuzzy near,/but FUZZY LLAMA ISN’T HERE!”.  Grandpa Llama produces his own childhood toy and all is well.  The text works well as a read-aloud for the age 3-5 intended audience. While all of the creatures in the book are llamas, they are fully anthropomorphized.  The llamas drive cars, eat at a table with cutlery and grow carrots in a garden.  They are essentially people who look like llamas.  As a result young children will easily identify with the little llama missing his “fuzzy”.  Dewdney’s artwork is excellent.  The colours are bright and the characters engaging.  In addition to the very human facial expressions, Dewdney uses the llama’s ears to show emotion – up and perky when happy or excited, droopy when sad or lonely.This would be a good book to read with a child who is anxious about staying away from home.  It provides a starting point for talking with children about separation anxiety, though distress that Llama Llama feels is more related to his missing toy than about being away from his mother.   This book is highly recommended for public libraries, elementary schools and day cares.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 I Want My Mommy! by T. Corderoy

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Separation Anxiety ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Picket Fence ◽  
Age Appropriate ◽  
The University

Corderoy,Tracey. I Want My Mommy!  Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales, 2013. Print.This charming picture book addresses separation anxiety, which is common among young children being left with occasional caregivers.  The story is depicted with mice playing the roles of people.  Arthur is a small mouse, who is staying with his grandmother while his mother goes out for the day.  Arthur has "never been apart from Mommy for the whole day before".  He misses her a lot.  Although his grandmother distracts him with dragons, sword fights and lunch, Arthur is still sometimes sad and thinks that his mom has returned every time the doorbell rings.  Allison Edgson's illustrations are bright, attractive and somewhat romantic.  Grandma's garden has a white picket fence with an arched trellis, hollyhocks and climbing roses.  Throughout, Arthur is dressed in a green dragon suit.   The images are sometimes two-page spreads with text over-printed or smaller round pictures with in text the white spaces around them. The text is a large font, with a few words bolded or capitalized for effect.  The text is age appropriate for pre-kindergarten to grade three, but intended to be read aloud by an adult.I Want My Mommy! allows children to see their own situation depicted in a story.  Children can  empathize with Arthur and see that he does cope with being away from his mother and that his mother does return. This is an excellent book for public libraries and elementary school libraries and pediatric health collections. 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 The People of the Sea by D. Uluadluak

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Upper Elementary ◽  
Elementary Children ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The People ◽  
The University

Uluadluak, Donald.  The People of the Sea, illustrated by Mike Motz, Inhabit Media, 2017The People of the Sea is a recollection by the late Inuit elder, Donald Uluadluak, of seeing an arnajuinnaq or a sea person, while he and his friends played on the beach near Arviat. The story is a simple retelling of the adventure which highlights the presence of sea-people in Inuit culture.  Unlike the vicious mermaids or tuutaliit of books such as Kiviuq and the Mermaids, who have frightening appearances and want to destroy kayaks and kill hunters, the sea-people in this story seem benign and simply curious. Mike Motz has drawn them as almost-expressionless creatures who look like fair-skinned women with long dark hair and facial tattoos – just as Uluadluak describes them. The two-page images are multi-coloured and do a good job of reflecting the sea and tundra environments. Text is overprinted on the images. The text is simple and comprehensible to the intended audience of 5 to 7 year-olds, but is above their reading level, so an adult would need to read this book aloud. The People of the Sea would also be appropriate for upper elementary children who are interested in traditional myths and legends.  Highly recommended for school libraries and public 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.  

Oddfellow's Orphanage by E.W. Martin

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Dalmer
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Fairy Tales ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Discrete Event ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
School Year ◽  
New Family ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University

Martin, Emily Winfield. Oddfellow's Orphanage. New York: Random House Children’s Books, 2012. Print. Emily Winfield Martin crafts a whimsical, imaginative read in her debut novel, Oddfellow’s Orphanage, that is sure to delight readers of all ages. As Delia, the newest member of the Oddfellow’s Orphanage quickly discovers, the members living at the orphanage are anything but ordinary. Under the guidance of Headmaster Oddfellow Bluebeard, her new family includes an onion-headed boy, a blue tattooed girl, a child-sized hedgehog, and a family of three dancing bears. While Delia is unable to speak and must instead write to communicate, she is immediately accepted into her new family. The oddities and peculiarities of each of the children residing at the orphanage are matched in the school classes they take, including Professor Flockheart’s F. T. Studies (fairy tales and folktales) and Professor Silas’ cryptozoology class. In this rather unorthodox orphanage, the school year passes with one quirky adventure after another. Each bizarre yet entertaining escapade allows the author to develop each character’s personality as well as friendships between the children, endearing the reader to each of the orphans. With Haircut Day, a grand picnic, a fieldtrip to see the Great Comet and an expedition to locate lake M.O.N.S.T.E.R.S. (Mysterious or Nonexistent Subjects Thoroughly Examined Really Scientifically), nothing is ever ordinary at Oddfellow’s Orphanage. While comical and curious, the story, at times, appears to unfold in isolated vignettes, with each chapter a discrete event, making for less-than-smooth plot continuity. Quite impressively, the author manages to pepper the story with an appropriate amount of bizarre and peculiar elements, never once does the plot appear to be overly outlandish. While the writing itself is sweet and simple with perfectly proportioned chapters, lending itself to a fantastic first reader or a read-aloud story, it is Martin’s illustrations that accentuate the writing and highlight the whimsy found within the pages. The soft, sepia-coloured pencil drawings that appear on nearly every page give off a vintage aesthetic and confer just the right amount of detail to the story, allowing the reader to invent and imagine the rest. With overarching themes of acceptance and perseverance, both girls and boys will fall in love with the charming and unique characters and the impressive illustrations. Highly recommended for elementary school libraries as well as public libraries. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Nicole Dalmer Nicole Dalmer is a Public Services Librarian at H.T. Coutts Education & Physical Education Library at the University of Alberta. She is interested in health literacy, pinball, and finding the perfect cup of coffee to accompany a good read.

scholarly journals The Spirit of the Sea by R. Hainnu

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Upper Elementary ◽  
Human Form ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Non Fiction ◽  
Underwater Image ◽  
The University

Hainnu, Rebecca.  The Spirit of the Sea. Illus. Hwei Lim. Iqualuit, NU:  Inhabit Media, Inc., 2014.  Print.This volume is another of Inhabit Media’s fine productions of Inuit legends.  It tells an old story, which exists in many variations. This version comes from Rebecca Hainnu, who lives in Clyde River, Nunavut.  While Hainnu’s previous works have been non-fiction including children’s books on mathematics and tundra plants, she does a fine job of storytelling, as well.   Arnaq is a beautiful young woman who is tricked into marrying a fulmar (a kind of bird) when he appears in human form.  When her father tries to rescue her, he ends up sacrificing her to the fulmars to save his own life. She sinks to the bottom and becomes the Spirit of the Sea.  As Nuliajuq, she controls the sea animals and hunters must appease her to have good hunting and calm seas.Throughout the volume, text appears on one page and an image on the facing page.  The text, which is appropriate for upper elementary readers and above, is meant to be read aloud and generally has the sound of a traditional storyteller’s voice.  However, there are occasional modern phrases that are incongruous and break the flow.   “Eventually, Arnaq succumbed to complete depression”.  The text contains some Inuktitut words, which are italicized and listed in the pronunciation guide at the end of the volume.The watercolours by Hwei Lim are beautiful and ethereal.  The colours are mainly blues and browns, reflecting the marine environment.  The underwater image of Arnaq looking up at the bottom of a boat is particularly effective.The Spirit of the Sea is highly recommended for elementary school libraries, public libraries and libraries specializing in Canadian Indigenous materials. 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 Dream Away by J. Durango and K. Belle Trupiano

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
The Moon ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Iambic Pentameter ◽  
The University

Durango, Julia, and Katie Belle Trupiano.  Dream Away.  New York:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011.  Print. This is a delightful picture book with a gentle rhyme designed to lull children to sleep.  Reminiscent of “Moonbeam on a Cat’s Ear”, the father and child dream of sailing through the cosmos in an “old paper boat”.  They have a magical crew of a knight, a winged horse, two winged cats (pixies) and a dog.  As they wander through the heavens they are chased by the animals of the constellations.  Eventually, even the clouds and the moon fall asleep.  The rhymes are predictable - moon/balloon, seas/breeze, float/boat – the iambic pentameter rhythm is strong and regular, so pre-readers will quickly memorize the story and want to “read” along. While the colours in the illustrations are strong, all of the figures are soft-edged and rounded, giving everything a cuddly appearance.  The images often add content to the story.  For example, when the text reads, “We played with a bear, an archer, a hare.  A dragon gave chase, but the crew won the race”, the images show us a constellation bear throwing a ball of light and the boy on the edge of the boat, ready to swing at it with his baseball bat.  As they “glide down a glimmering slide”, we see the boy holding on to the winged horse’s tail, while the horse tows the boat down the Milky Way.  The moon is a balloon tied to the back of the boat.  In the final pages of the book, we see that most of the things in the story, the planets, cats, dog, winged horse and baseball bat are all objects in the boy’s room and he is wearing a paper hat shaped like the boat. This is a lovely, peaceful lullaby that is highly recommended for public libraries and small children’s rooms everywhere. 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 Sweetest Kulu by C. Kalluk

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Character Trait ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Small Children ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Arctic Hare ◽  
The University

Kalluk, Celina.  Sweetest Kulu. Illus. Alexandria Neonakis.  Iqaluit, NU:  Inhabit Media Inc., 2014.  Print.“Kulu” is an Inuktitut term of endearment for babies and small children.  In this work, traditional throat singer and author, Celina Kalluk, shows all of the gifts that nature brings to a newborn baby.  The images show the baby cradled and adored by many creatures.  Each creature brings a character trait as a gift for the baby.  “Caribou chose patience for you, cutest Kulu.  He gave you the ability to look to the stars, so that you will always know where you are and may gently lead the way”.  With each gift, Kalluk uses a different adjective to describe the baby – happy Kulu, admired Kulu, beloved Kulu. Illustrator, Alexandria Neonakis has created an image for each animal in rich and deep colours.  The images spread over two facing pages with text over-printed. Each image is gentle and tender.  The baby is shown nestled between the front hooves of a musk-ox, curled up against a polar bear or snuggled up in the paws of an Arctic hare.  The baby is reflected in the water when the Arctic char brings a gift of tenderness.This book is a beautiful representation of a mother’s love for her baby reflected in the traditional Inuit connection to the land and nature.  It is a calming and peaceful book, which will become a bedtime read-aloud favourite. Highly recommended for elementary school libraries, public libraries and babies’ rooms everywhere.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 50 Below Zero by R. Munsch

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
Warm Up ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Book Format ◽  
The University

Munsch, Robert.  50 Below Zero.  Illus. Michael Martchenko.  Richmond Hill, ON:  Annick Press, 2013. Print.Originally published in a larger format in 1986, 50 Below Zero has been republished as a board book.  The story is a northern and cold climate one, created while Munsch was making a book tour stop in Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory.  However, while the setting is cold, the story is really about sleepwalking.The text of the board book is much abbreviated from the original.  Much of the repetition, for example Jason’s “What’s that? What’s that? What’s that?” and the father’s running three times around something whenever he is wakened have been removed, as well as a segment where Jason finds his father in the bathtub.    However, the story still contains enough repetition to amuse the intended audience of 2 to 5 year-olds. Like many of Munsch’s books, the story presents a child who takes control of a problem and solves it.  Jason repeatedly gets up to find his father in a new location to which he has sleep walked.  Most importantly, he locates him out in the forest when it is “50 Below Zero”, asleep against a tree.  Had Jason not found him and brought him back to warm up in the bathtub, he surely would have died.   So Jason saves the day and even figures out how to keep his father out of danger while sleepwalking.Most of Michael Martchenko’s illustrations are in an icy blue, reflecting the cold winter landscape.  All of the images are fun and will elicit a smile from both child and adult readers.This book has stood the test of time and does well in the board book format.  It would be a good addition to school libraries, public libraries and libraries with polar children’s collections.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 Sometimes I Feel Angry / Sometimes I Feel Nervous / Sometimes I Feel Jealous / Sometimes I Feel Lonely / Sometimes I Feel Sad Illus. A. Sandland.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Small Children ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The North ◽  
The University

Sometimes I Feel Angry /   Sometimes I Feel Nervous / Sometimes I Feel Jealous /   Sometimes I Feel Lonely /   Sometimes I Feel Sad. Illus. Amanda Sandland. Iqaluit: Inhabit Education, 2017. The Nunavummi Reading Series from Inhabit Education situates emotional literacy learning in the Canadian Arctic. These books are part of a leveled reading series and are graded at Fountas & Pinnell Text Level J (books designed to be read aloud to young children). Amanda Sandland’s illustrations are spare and uncluttered.  Backgrounds are plain or contain simple landscapes. The characters developed by Ali Hinch are anthropomorphized animals representing small children.  The nervous caribou has a hat and satchel and Aqi, the sometimes sad and lonely bird, has boots. Some of the characters appear in several books. One of the most helpful things about these books is that the resolutions are realistic. The characters display real emotions and reactions. These situations are resolved through talking with friends and recognizing which responses are healthy and which are not. There are none of the trite “quick-fixes” that so often appear in children’s books related to emotions. There are many children’s series that address emotions, but because these books are set in the Arctic and use Arctic animals, children in the North will be more comfortable with the content. The characters do things that Northern children would do: playing one-foot high kick, looking for fossils, picking berries, ice-fishing and going sliding. Children who do not live in Northern environments will be able to learn more about the North, as well as about emotions. This is a high-quality, relatively inexpensive series that is highly recommended for elementary school libraries and public libraries.  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. 

scholarly journals The Best Birthday Party Ever by J. LaRue Huget

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Elementary Grades ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Birthday Party ◽  
Layer Cake ◽  
The University

Huget, Jennifer LaRue. The Best Birthday Party Ever. Illus. LeUyen Pham. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011. Print. “My birthday is 5 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, and 8 hours away.  Today I started to plan my party.” And so the planning begins for the 5-year-old soon-to-be birthday girl in this charming picture book.  She has to start planning early if she wants the best birthday party ever.  She is going to invite all 57 of her friends including the mailman and the invitations will be sprinkled with fairy dust.  She will have 9 thousand balloons, streamers and napkins: all in pink.  On the menu is a 17-layer cake, each layer a different flavour, with 6 zillion candles on top.  Not only will there be: a magician, camel rides and a Ferris wheel, but each lucky guest will receive a hamster as a party favour. In a kid-friendly countdown style towards the big day, our sweet party planner gets more and more excited as her birthday approaches and the plans get more and more grandiose.  Only after her mother comments that this birthday party is “getting out of hand” does she agree to skip the sparkly necklaces.  The day finally arrives and while it may not be the party she dreamed of, she is appreciative and enjoys her day so much that she immediately begins plans for her next birthday. This beautifully illustrated read-aloud captures the excitement of a child as she looks forward to her special day and will appeal to lower elementary grades as well as preschoolers.  The whimsical mostly-pink drawings may be initially off-putting to boys but they are certain to relate and enjoy the story. Highly recommended: 4 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. 

At the Heart of It: Dene dzó t’áré by R. Taniton & M. Willett

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Book Series ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Bear Lake ◽  
The People ◽  
The University

Taniton, Raymond and Mindy Willett.  At the Heart of It: Dene dzó t’áré.  Markham, On:  Fifth   House, 2011.  Print. Indigenous author Raymond Taniton is a member of The Sahtugot’ine, or the “people of Great Bear Lake”.  In At the Heart of It, Taniton invites readers into his world.  We meet his family, see the Sahtu Region where he lives, meet the elders in the community, learn how to make a traditional hand drum, learn some games and read some of the stories.  The stories are particularly important. This book is the most recent in Fifth House’s “The Land is Our Story Book” series, all co-authored by writer Mindy Willett. Taniton concludes this volume by saying, “The land is our storybook. It is our school, our library, our church. It is where we learn our stories and where we discover who we are as true Dene people. The land is at the heart of it all”.  And in this book Taniton and Willett do succeed in helping us to understand “the land”. This is a picture book, an educational book and a celebration of what it means to be Satugot’ine. Tessa Macintosh’s photographs are used throughout. The top of each page has a border image of the beaded toes of twenty-one moccasins. Often a large image will form the background of a page with text and other images superimposed.  For example, for the story “The Lake is the Boss”, the background is an image which looks out through the mouth of a cave.  The story is about a giant wolf that lived in the cave. The text, along with smaller images of the island that the wolf became when he turned to stone, is superimposed on the cave photograph.  The images and text, taken together, form many lessons for young people.  The stories provide metaphorical and philosophical lessons, but the book also provides practical lessons, such as the illustrated steps to making a drum.  As a whole, the book celebrates Raymond Taniton’s family, the Sahtugot’ine people and their way of life.   Highly recommended for elementary school and public libraries. 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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document