bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dilly Dally All Day Long by L. White
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

White, Leanne.  Dilly Dally All Day Long.  Albany, Australia:  Wild Eyed Press, 2013.  Print.In Australian Aboriginal origin stories, the ancestors dreamed the world into existence. The stories explain how things came to be the way that they are today and often contain morals or lessons.  This “Dreamtime” is also frequently featured in Aboriginal art with the figures drawn with dotted, light-coloured outlines. While this book is about Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory and reminiscent of traditional works, it is the work of non-Aboriginal people. The whole book has a “dreamy” and idyllic feel to it.  The story is a simple one.  A brother and sister, Ollie and Rosie, head out towards a billabong, or water hole, and on the way they dawdle or “dilly dally”, encountering a variety of animals.  They see the brolgas, bee-eaters, cranes, finches, and a lizard, all the while watching out for dangerous crocodiles.  They and their friends jump into the billabong to swim, but suddenly someone spots the crocodile and everyone is frightened out.  They run home and as they retreat, they revisit all of the animals, in turn, giving the book a repetitive quality that children love. Irene King’s illustrations remind the reader of Dreamtime drawings.  The illustrations, she told me via e-mail, are all drawn first with white chalk outline and then filled in with colour.  As a result all the figures have the characteristic white outlines.  The similarity of illustration ends there, though.  King’s illustration style is more complex, capturing the movement as the children dance with the brolgas and duck and dive with the bee-eaters in arcs and splashes of colour both rich and bright.   The multicoloured text, which is printed over the full-page images, is simple and there are many words that appear in contrasting colours to make them stand out from the rest of the text.  While one might expect those words to be in a glossary, there isn’t one.  They may be part of a planned teaching package, which Wild Eyed Press sometimes creates to go along with books.  The front of the book refers the reader to wildeyed press.com.au for colouring books and activities, but at the time of writing this review, the publisher had not yet made them available for this book.  It is no matter, though, because the book stands on its own as a pleasant portrayal of Aboriginal children having fun in nature.  For even more fun, there is a delightful bit of a twist at the end of the book as well.This would be a good book to read to a young child or an engaging work for an early reader.  Highly recommended for public and school libraries. Highly recommended:  4 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.
No Fits, Nilson! by Z. OHora
Authors: Winther Connie
Published: April 2016

OHora, Zachariah. No Fits, Nilson! New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2013. Print.No Fits, Nilson! is a children’s story book written and illustrated by Zachariah OHora. Mr. OHora has written several other well received children’s books and is an accomplished illustrator.It is about Amelia and her best friend Nilson, a large blue gorilla. These two inseparable characters have such a strong friendship that they even share time-outs. Running errands with Amelia’s mother is a test of patience and Amelia provides support to her big blue friend with the encouraging words “no fits, Nilson” and promises of banana ice cream. Amelia herself gets tested when the banana ice cream runs short, but in the end Nilson is a true friend who lends a helping hand. This is a story of patience and fits, friendship and support, and is a reminder that sometimes life is challenging for children as they learn to navigate the world.No Fits, Nilson! is illustrated with beautiful flat drawings in a rich pallet of turquoise, pink, and mustard yellow. The simplicity of the illustrations together with the use of white space and a simple bold black font draws the reader’s attention to the facial expressions and emotion of the characters and this is the strength of the book.This book is recommended for preschool children as a read aloud story. While the story does not recommend ways to manage difficult behaviours, it will be sure to stimulate conversations between children and their caregivers about feelings and behaviour.Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer:  Connie WintherConnie is a Medical Librarian with Alberta Health Services. She has a broad interest in health care and medical librarianship. When not working, she enjoys all types of outdoor activities with her family.
Gustave by R. Simard
Authors: Deakin Andrea
Published: April 2016

Simard, Rémy . Gustave.  Illus. Pierre Pratt. Groundwood Books, 2014. Print.A young mouse has been playing with his friend, Gustav, just a little too far from home, and tragedy has struck. Pierre Pratt signals despair and disaster in the blackened pages and the first two words, “He’s gone.”  The grim grey streets echo a little mouse’s grief and fear, for it is a cat who has seized Gustav. “Run. Escape.” The mouse cries on his way home, worried about what his mother will say.Just a moment… black as the story seems, grim as the dark colours are that echo the mouse’s grief, look back. Look at the eyes of the two little mice as they cling. Are Gustav’s eyes those of a living mouse, or are they those of a toy?All is dark, only to become lighter as the mouse reaches home and tells his mother what has happened. She comforts him, and when he is calm, she takes him to a cupboard where there is another little stuffed mouse with Gustav’s button eyes. The little mouse looks, little mouse eyes to toy mouse’s button eyes. The young mouse finds that he can like his new toy.Rémy Simard’s tale expresses that deep affection for a toy that brings it alive in a special relationship -  think of Christopher Robin and Pooh. The loss of that toy may be devastating, but it can be relieved by an understanding adult and the coming of a new companion.A strong short tale completed by sensitive illustrations express first terror and then love and relief. That first childhood loss of a beloved companion, a teddy left on the bus, a doll abandoned at a picnic, whatever the scenario, here is the dark world of that loss and the warm comfort of a new companion.The tale may be seemingly too dark for many young children to read on their own. This is a book to share where re-assurance can make this expression of a first loss a story to appreciate.Recommended:   3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Andrea DeakinAndrea has been involved with books since she was class librarian in Primary School, Student Librarian in Grammar School, student librarian for the Education Faculty when she was a student, and school librarian in schools both in England and in Canada, except for the first two years in Canada where she arrived in 1959. When she retired from teaching ( English and History) she was invited to review in February 1971, and continued to review for press, radio, and finally on the Internet (Deakin Newsletter from Okanagan College) until she retired in 2011. Forty years seemed sufficient- although she still cannot keep her nose out of good children's and YA fare.
Sass and Serendipity by J. Ziegler
Authors: Moruzi Kristine
Published: April 2016

Ziegler, Jennifer. Sass and Serendipity. New York: Delacorte Press, 2011. Print. Based loosely on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, this book follows two very different sisters, the serious and sensible Gabriella (Gabby) and the younger, more romantic, Daphne. Both girls are reeling from their parents’ divorce and reduced financial circumstances and both deal with these problems in different ways. Gabby, firmly allied with her mother, blames her father for abandoning the family and rejects all notions of romantic love. Daphne idolises her father and believes that the boy of her dreams is waiting for her. When a crisis leaves the girls and their mother homeless, help comes from an unexpected source and both girls begin to see new possibilities in the people around them, especially two new suitors. This is a light, somewhat entertaining read, but both Gabby and Daphne are so self-centered and one-dimensional that the story quickly becomes tedious. Gabby is angry and mean to almost everyone around her, although her one friend Mule amazingly continues to tolerate her appalling behaviour. Daphne is so obsessed with romance that she is oblivious to the family concerns. Somehow, however, the girls find suitable boyfriends and this, more than anything else, causes them to become better sisters, daughters and friends. Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 starsReviewer: Kristine MoruziKristine Moruzi is a Grant Notley Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta, where she is examining representations of girlhood in Canadian children's literature between 1840 and 1940.
I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! by L. Davick
Authors: Feisst Debbie
Published: April 2016

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.
Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice, and Destructive Properties of Deception by G. Paulsen
Authors: Storie Dale
Published: April 2016

Paulsen, Gary. Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice, and Destructive Properties of Deception. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2011. Print. Kevin Spencer, the fourteen year-old protagonist of Gary Paulsen’s latest novel, is a consummate and unashamed liar.  He considers lying to be second nature, “a way of life”; even going so far to proclaim that it is his duty to lie for the greater good because it makes things easier for everyone.  In his words, the secret to successful lying is that “people only listen for what they want to hear, so I only tell them that.”  Possessing this particular skill also means he’s never been caught in a lie. This novel chronicles a week in Kevin’s life, the week in which his lying gets out of control and his life goes from “zero to crap”.  He lies to his classmate about a medical illness to get out of working on an assignment, lies to his teachers so he can get skip class and spend more time trying to impress a girl, and lies to his parents to get his siblings in trouble.  Along the way, he explains the rules behind “good” lying as he rationalizes and justifies his actions, until finally he is forced to face the fact that his lying has consequences. Liar, Liar is full of Paulsen touchstones, including a bright, self-aware teenage protagonist, a cast of quirky supporting characters, and witty and fast-paced dialogue. Ultimately, the novel is stronger on character development and dialogue than on plot.  Although the story moves along briskly enough to keep most readers interested, it is not as satisfying or cohesive as those in Paulsen’s other novels.  The series of events that precipitate Kevin’s eventual realization about the negative effects of his lying are less dramatic than expected, resulting in a rather understated story overall.  Similarly, the romantic interest that drove many of his lies was also left resolved (likely to be continued in the next novel in the series). Nevertheless, anyone who is a fan of Paulsen’s later novels such as Lawn Boy will still find Liar Liar to be an enjoyable read.  Even if it’s not always clear where Kevin is going with his consistent lying, his inner monologue keeps the journey entertaining.   Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Dale StorieDale is Public Services Librarian at the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. He has a BA in English, and has also worked in a public library as a children's programming coordinator, where he was involved with story times, puppet shows, and book talks.
The Swazi People by R. Van der Wiel
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Van der Wiel, Renée.  The Swazi People.  Gallo Manor, South Africa: Awareness Publishing Group, 2012. Print.South Africa describes itself as “one rainbow nation going forward”, but within that rainbow there are eleven indigenous South African peoples.  The Swazi People is one of eleven volumes in the African Cultures of South Africa series, which presents the cultures for readers at the upper elementary level.  The other volumes include the cultures of The Khoikhoi, The Ndebele, The North Sotho, The San, The South Sotho, The Tsonga-Shangaan, The Tswana, The Venda, The Xhosa, and The Zulu.In The Swazi People, Renée Van der Wiel describes their arts and crafts, beliefs, clothes, history, houses, language, leaders, marriage, music and dance, recipes, and way of life.  The book incorporates many Swazi words, which are listed in the glossary at the back of the book.  For example, mahiya (cotton cloth), gogo (grandmother) and lobola (marriage gift, usually cattle) are all listed in the glossary.This volume is attractively produced and brightly coloured.  It opens with a full-page map of South Africa that shows the historical movements of the Swazi people and highlights their homelands.  Text and images are presented on alternate pages.  The professional quality images are usually full-page and are either historical black and white photos or modern colour photos of Swazi people engaged in traditional activities.  There is also an index, which improves the book's usefulness as an elementary research text.The text is written in age-appropriate language and deals with the subjects in sufficient detail that as an adult, I was able to learn from it.  In general, the tone is objective and non-judgemental.  For example, "[i]n 1973, King Sobhuzall and the Imbokoduo National Movement stopped all other political parties from taking part in elections in Swaziland. (…) After only five years of being a democracy, Swaziland became a country ruled by a king."  Where there is bias present, it is more in the form of presenting the Swazi point of view: "But the Boers did not care about looking after the Swazi people – all they wanted was to get through to the sea without having to travel through British territory.".This sturdily bound volume is an excellent work and is highly recommended for public 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.
The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan by M. Eaton III
Authors: Roche Matilda
Published: April 2016

Eaton, Maxwell, III. The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan is a new contribution to the tremendously popular genre of comics for developing readers (Captain Underpants, Wimpy Kid and their ilk).Eaton's artwork is very clean with little line variation, giving the pages a very open and spacious quality, which enables visual navigation. The simple colour scheme - clear, bright blues and gray tones - is a welcome variation on the standard black and white comic and this restrained palette supports the clean, cartoon-y style, further facilitating ease of reading by avoiding complexity and over-design.The Beaver Brothers' training for a beaver community surfing competition is interrupted when they stumble upon a secretive penguin community. The penguins have hatched a scheme to alter the natural wilderness the beavers call home to their own penguin specifications. The bumbling and mildly dysfunctional beavers must thwart their plan before it is too late.The narrative in The Flying Beaver Brothers is almost completely conveyed through imagery and dialogue – no lengthy, wordy asides impede the plot - and this gives the story a rewardingly quick pace and congenial accessibility. The beaver brothers are likeable doofuses and the penguins, though diabolical, are very cute (as penguins can be expected to be).Compared to other early reader comics, The Flying Beaver Brothers lacks the slightly outré humour and scatological content that seems intrinsic to this genre's appeal. It’s nice to think that readers would appreciate an occasional break from the diaper and underpants jokes and narratives that hinge on public humiliation to enjoy this easy going and earnestly environmentally conscious beaver brother’s adventure.Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Matilda RocheMatilda spends her days lavishing attention on the University of Alberta’s metadata but children’s illustrated books, literature for young adults and graphic novels also make her heart sing. Her reviews benefit from the critical influence of a four year old daughter and a one year old son – both geniuses. Matilda’s super power is the ability to read comic books aloud.
Martin est en colère by J. Theobald & K. Viala
Authors: Pesant Vanessa
Published: April 2016

Theobald, Joeseph and Kévin Viala.  Martin est en colère. Toronto: Éditions Scholastic, 2014. Print.This picture book tells a humorous story about a sheep that gets angry very easily when he does not get what he wants. His anger turns him into a nasty and ferocious monster. In the end, he becomes stranded and realizes that it’s not so fun to get mad.I really enjoyed this silly and funny book. I found the pictures to be amusing, colourful and very expressive.   The visuals were large and really demonstrated what was happening in the book, to the point where words were not necessarily required to understand the story. The pictures made the story funny, especially when the main character becomes a monster.I loved the fact that all the characters in this book were animals.  Animal books are often a great fit for younger students since the character is more easily relatable and does not imply any cultural or ethnic barriers.When it came to the writing, the author used language that was not too complicated or wordy. I especially like this for those students in French Immersion programs since the vocabulary is not too advanced for native English speakers learning French.  The text and the images make this a great read for younger students at an intermediate level in the French language.What struck me the most about this book is the open ending.  This ending leaves the reader wondering if Martin will make a change in his action this time or whether he will fall back on old habits.  Overall this was a feel good, easy to understand and humorous picture book that displays a great message about looking for solutions instead of losing your cool.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Vanessa PesantVanessa Pesant is a grade 2 French immersion teacher in Beaumont. She is currently working on completing her master's degree in Elementary Education.
Louis the Tiger Who Came from the Sea by M. Kozlowski
Authors: Sulz David
Published: April 2016

Kozlowski, Michal. Louis the Tiger Who Came from the Sea. Illus. Sholto Walker. Toronto: Annick Press, 2011. Print. If you are a logical thinker, as many adults are, this book just does not make sense. How could a tiger be mistaken for a carrot or a pumpkin? What do white chin-patches and nose-tickling whiskers have to do with the name Louis? Why would you put on swimsuits and snorkeling gear to nudge a bucket of breakfast cereal into a sleeping tiger’s belly with a push-broom? And, above all, what self-respecting parents would parade their family dressed up as a narwhal, dolphin, blowfish, and 6-tentacled octopus to lure a tiger back to the ocean so it can swim into the orange sunset? On the other hand, if you can appreciate whacky logic and enjoy engaging illustrations with thoughtful background details and telling facial expressions, you will find yourself reading this story over and over until it eventually almost makes sense. If you figure out why 24 words are printed in larger type and bright colours, let me know!  Recommended age from press release: 4-7 years. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: David Sulz David is a librarian at the University of Alberta working mostly with scholars in Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. His university studies included: Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics. On the education front, he taught various grades and subjects for several years in schools as well as museums. His interest in Japan and things Japanese stands above his other diverse interests.
Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City by H. Dyer
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Dyer, Hadley.  Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City.  Toronto:  Annick Press, 2012. Print. With the increased public interest in urban agriculture, this is a timely book.  While the publishers present it as being for grades 4-7, the content and reading level is much higher,  scoring at the Tenth Grade on the Coleman-Liau Index and 9.2 on the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test. The design looks like a children’s book, with backgrounds composed of bright colour blocks, small monochrome drawings and many irregularly shaped photographs with overlapping captions that look as if they are hand-printed.   The text is often informal, using contractions and questions to engage the reader.  “What’s a city dweller to do if she doesn’t want to pay a king’s ransom for an egg?” (p. 18). However, the content is dense and covers urban agriculture almost like a text book.  It begins with a substantial introductory section on the state of food and the need for urban agriculture then moves through examples of small scale urban agriculture, larger scale urban agriculture and ends up with some of the larger social and political movements and philosophies.  There is also a glossary, resource list and index. While the author is from Toronto and this book received Ontario Arts Council Funding, there is little Canadian content.  While the author does cite a number of international examples including some from Africa, Japan and Scotland, it is clear that the market for this book is the United States.  There are a few Toronto projects mentioned and the Inuvik Community Greenhouse, which is an old arena, but there is little said about the practicalities of urban gardening in Canada.  Climate is a major factor in successful gardening anywhere and the growing conditions of most American locations are quite different from those in most of Canada.  It is a lot easier to be an urban gardener in Florida than it is in Edmonton. This book is a good introduction to the concepts of urban gardening but will be most useful to teen and adult readers.  Recommended for high school and public libraries. Recommendation:  3 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.
Slither and Slide: What’s Outside by N. Hilb
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Hilb, Nora, Simon Shapiro and Sheryl Shapiro. Slither and Slide: What’s Outside. Toronto:  Annick Press, 2012. Print. Nora Hilb, who is listed as lead author on this book, is a prolific illustrator living in Argentina.  The text is by Toronto authors Simon and Sheryl Shapiro. Together, this team of three has produced an entertaining and educational book which progresses through the seasons from spring to winter. Each two page spread has four integrated parts. On the left page is a photograph of something outside. The first is of a fruit tree in blossom. On the facing page is an image of children outside, doing something that mirrors what is in the photograph.  In the first case, to mirror the tree, they are watering a plant. The accompanying text is in the form of a three line rhyme about what the children are doing. The rhyme is followed by one word in large capital letters. For example, one of the winter photographs shows a row of wind turbines and is matched with a drawing of a child with a pinwheel. The accompanying text reads, “The blustery wind/that blows in from the west/ for windmills and pinwheels, it’s really the best/ WHIRR!” One can easily imagine reading the rhyme to a child and then spelling the word out at the end as a learning activity. Many children will learn to recite the rhymes. The high-quality photographic images are the work of a variety of people. Hilb’s drawings are whimsical, with lots of bright colours and action. The page pairs are fun. The image of a waterfall is paired with an image of children at the beach dumping water from one bucket to another. The rainbow image is paired with children colouring with a rainbow of crayons. The picture of the black bear is paired with an image of a child in a bear-costume pretending to scare his Dad. Overall this is an attractive book that incorporates a little learning and lots of ways to engage and amuse small children. Highly recommended. 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.
The Great Sheep Shenanigans by P. Bently
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Bently, Peter.  The Great Sheep Shenanigans.  Illus. M. Matsuoka. London:  Andersen Press, 2011. Print. In this tale, it is really the wolf, Lou Pine (hear the French loup and Lupin, the werewolf from Harry Potter), who gets up to shenanigans, rather than the sheep.  The text is a clever and funny rhyme that tells the story of the wolf trying to catch a lamb to eat.  Along the way, we hear sheep-related cultural and literary references from, “the wolf in sheep’s clothing,” to Red Riding Hood. “I’m just in the mood for a Gran-flavoured snack,” the wolf tells us. The wolf makes many attempts to catch a lamb, but is always thwarted, if not by his own silliness, then by the water-gun toting Ma Watson, by bees, by Red Riding Hood’s Granny, and finally, by Rambo the Ram, who butts him into “a big pile of poo!”  While the intended audience is pre-school, the author sprinkles in some big words, such as “derrière”, “kersplat”, “skedaddling” and “vindaloo”, that children will enjoy and repeat, but adults will need to explain and pronounce on the first reading. The text is often printed over the illustrations, sometimes in extra-large font to emphasize a point.  Sometimes it is part of the illustration.  When “Lou found a thicket of blossoming trees,” the words from the phrase “Down came the blossom” float down the page with the blossoms.  The illustrations are as much fun as the text. The sheep are most often depicted as balls of white with heads, ears and four small pegs for legs.  Lou Pine is a two-dimensional creature, while Rambo the Ram blows steam out his nose and wears boxing gloves. The sheep occasionally have glasses, bow-ties or hair-bows. Because the rhyme is jaunty and the illustrations are fun and inventive, this will be a book that small children will want to have read to them over and over.  Highly recommended for public and elementary school libraries. 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.
The Orphan and the Polar Bear by S. Qaunaq
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Qaunaq, Sakiasi.  The Orphan and the Polar Bear.  Iqaluit:  Inhabit Media, Inc., 2011. Print.One of the common themes in Inuit stories is that of the orphan child alone on the land.  In this version, told by Arctic Bay elder Sakiasi Qalinaq, who learned his stories from his grandmother, the orphan is abandoned by hunters from his village and adopted by a village of polar bears.  The bears teach him to hunt and survive on the land and, when he is grown, return him to his people.  The image on the cover of the book showing the child riding the polar bear is an iconic one. This mythological relationship between child and polar bear is also found in non-Inuit literature, most notably in Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. In the bears’ village the orphan is trained to hunt and survive on the land.  The bears also teach him their traditional wisdom.   For example, when one of the bears wants to go “push down” some humans because they “look so silly standing on their skinny legs”, a wiser elder bear says, “Never talk that way…don’t make humans our enemy.  Stay clear of them and their camps.” The book is primarily a picture-book. Unlike many of the other books of Inuit legends published by Inhabit Media, the pictures are not scary.  Rather they are quite beautiful.   The extra width of the landscape format gives artist, Eva Widermann, the opportunity to spread her illustrations across two pages reflecting the wide expanses of the Arctic.  Text usually takes up one corner or a few lines of a page.  Widermann’s images are realistic.  However, because this story is from a time when animals could shape-shift into human form, she sometimes gives the bears human postures and gestures.  For example, in the image on page 15, the polar bear is standing with a harpoon grasped in its front paws, handing it to the orphan.  Bears are also shown in their human form in three images. In the image on page 20, depicting the inside of an igloo in the bears’ village, a woman with human form is tending the fire.Overall this is a lovely rendition of the story.  While designed for an elementary school audience, anyone with an interest in traditional Arctic tales will enjoy it.  Recommended for elementary schools and public libraries. Recommendation:  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.
Off to Class by S. Hughes
Authors: Feisst Debbie
Published: April 2016

Hughes, Susan. Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World. Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2011. Print.The United Nations may have declared education a basic human right, but that does not mean it is accessible to all.  Across the world over 100 million kids are not receiving a basic education. This photographic account will open the eyes and minds of both children and adults who will be amazed and inspired by stories of real children facing challenges in their quests to get an education in some very unconventional situations.Toronto-based author Susan Hughes has penned a very readable, interesting, and sometimes alarming collection of first-hand accounts.  Divided into 3 sections (‘Working with the Environment’, ‘No School?  No Way!’ and ‘One Size Doesn’t Fit All’) Hughes’ book details 23 schools in 14 different countries.  Each school is presented in a 2 page spread with colour photographs alongside regional facts, imagery and often with an interview of a student or adult who has committed to make a difference in these children’s lives. A small colour map indicates where the school is which corresponds to a larger map of the world showing the locations of all schools highlighted.Many environmental issues are investigated, from schooling after a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, USA and creating a ‘boat school’ in monsoon regions such as Bangladesh.  Schools in refugee camps, caves, tree houses and portable schools made of bamboo are fascinating but tough educational issues are also discussed; poverty, homelessness, gender inequality and the impact of HIV/AIDS.  Many Canadian students will be humbled to read about their peers around the globe.A section of follow-up resources and a brief index are included. This book is appropriate for school libraries and students in the upper elementary and middle school years.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.
Book of Play! With Northwest Coast Native Art
Authors: Vanness Lisa
Published: April 2016

LaFortune, Doug et al. (2012). Book of Play! With Northwest Coast Native Art. Vancouver: Native Northwest. Print board book. This attractive children’s board book from publisher Native Northwest features the work of nine Northwest Coast Native artists. Bright colours appear throughout and a matte finish compels the reader’s eye to look, and look again. While a traditional Northwest Coastal art colour palette would include two to four colours, this board book incorporates more than fourteen colours for its attractive design. Natural animal forms such as ravens, turtles, fish, and more are illustrated using form lines and the characteristic U forms, S forms, and ovoids that distinguish Northwest Coastal art. The fantastic art is reason enough to purchase this book, but the fun activities are engaging as well. Each page turn is interesting as every page uses a different layout for text and images, and many of the pages ask the reader to interact in some way with the book. Readers are encouraged to count numbered toes on a foot, point to various coloured hummingbirds, find facial features on a totem, categorize animals based on how they travel, match stylized fish, and navigate a simple graphic maze. Due to the very simplistic text, Book of Play! is most appropriate for toddlers, pre-K, and early primary students. It stands out as a board book for having high-interest pictures, introducing young learners to Northwest Coastal art, and emphasizing the natural world. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Lisa Vanness Lisa Vanness is an elementary Fine Arts teacher in British Columbia and a Teacher-Librarian in training. She can tap dance, play the piano, and eat pickles - all at the same time.
A Walk on the Tundra by R. Hainnu & A. Ziegler
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Hainnu, Rebecca and Anna Ziegler.  A Walk on the Tundra. Iqaluit:  Inhabit Media, 2011.  Print. This volume is a cross between a picture book, a story and a field guide to edible plants.  Inuujaq is a little girl who wants to play with her friends, but they are still asleep.  Her grandmother, Silaaq, takes her out on the land to collect plants.  While Inuujaq is more concerned about her friends and snacks, her grandmother patiently passes on the traditional knowledge that her grandmother had taught her.  As Silaaq teaches the reader learns about the plants as well.  For example, when they pick qijuktaat, we are told that “Its long green fingers and white bell blossoms flutter in the wind.  Inuujaq touches the little branches.  They feel prickly on her palms.  And they smell fresh, like the summer wind when it comes from the hills.” Authors, Rebecca Hainnu and Anna Ziegler, have worked on several educational publications. That background is apparent in this book.  There are eighteen Inuktitut words, including 6 plant names, introduced in the text.  They are explained and italicized when they are first introduced, for example “Nirilikkit – eat them”. The next time the word is used, it is assumed that the reader knows what it means. Because there are several Inuktitut words on each page, I was not able to remember them as I read and had to use the glossary or look back to the first use of the word, which is distracting.  However, as a tool for building vocabulary, or as a story book for students who have some familiarity with Inuktitut, this work would be excellent. The pictures that accompany the story are cartoon-like with lots of bright colours.  Artist, Qin Leng, has given the land a lot of colour.  The ground is covered with green grass and bright flowers, reflecting the Arctic summer.  Silaaq and Inuujaq wear pinks and purples and blues with green boots and pink shoes.  The plant glossary, or field guide, is illustrated with photographs for accurate identification. There are very few children’s books about Inuit plant use.  The content is valuable, but because of the incorporation of Inuktitut words, it is more challenging to read.   A Walk on the Tundra will find most of its readers at the upper elementary level rather than the age 6 to 8 group which is its defined audience.  Recommended for elementary school and public libraries. 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.
The First Flute: Whowhoahyahzo Tohkohya by D. Bouchard
Authors: Cardinal Trudy , Driedger-Enns Lynne
Published: April 2016

Bouchard, David. The First Flute: Whowhoahyahzo Tohkohya. Markham: Red Deer Press, 2015. Print.With poetic words, Métis author, David Bouchard, encourages his readers to find a quiet place to share the telling of his hardcover book The First Flute.  Specifically, in order to honour the teachings of storyteller Standing Elk, Bouchard invites readers to “hear and dream it without interruptions” and this invitation immediately invokes a feeling of ceremony and spirituality; it attends deeply to protocol.David Bouchard, Jan Michael Looking Wolf, and Don Oelze collaborate in the retelling of a traditional story about a young man who had many skills appreciated by his village – hunting, fishing and tracking – but whose real passion, dancing, was not recognized until Grandfather Cedar gifted him with a flute. This, the first flute, helped the young man prove his worth to his village and to the woman he loved.The many different art forms that find voice in this book, such as storytelling, visual art, and music awaken spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental faculties and make space for thinking in new ways. The words, melodies, and gift of visual images that it shares serve to lighten the heart and invite the reader to hear and dream the story of Konhe Waci, Dancing Raven, but also to hear and dream their own stories of who they are in their own families and communities.The First Flute is a resource essential to any K-8 arts education classes to open conversations about identity, and how identity is shaped in relationship with other people and places.Highly recommended:  4 out of 4 starsReviewer:  Lynne Driedger-Enns & Trudy CardinalDr. Lynne Driedger-Enns is the 2015 Horowitz Scholar with the Centre for Research for Teacher Education and Development at the University of Alberta. Dr. Trudy Cardinal is a Cree/Métis scholar from the University of Alberta whose research interests center on the experiences of Indigenous children and families on and off school landscapes. They share an interest in stories and storytelling.
Really and Truly by E. Rivard and A. C. Delisle
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

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.
Monkey’s Friends by R. Brown
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

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.
Good-bye, Fish by J. Koppens
Authors: Wojcichowsky Catherine
Published: April 2016

Koppens, Judith . Good-bye, Fish. Trans. Clavis Publishing  Inc.  Illus. Eline Van Lindenhuizen.  New York: Clavis Publishing Inc., 2013. PrintGood-bye, Fish is another book from the Animal Square series.  The series was originally published in Dutch and follows six animals: kitty, mouse, monkey, giraffe, rabbit, and dog.  The front cover displays the six animals with a caption describing their personalities.  These animal characters take care of each other, mimicking family or friends. This shows children that everyone helps each other, even if there are differences.  This specific book, however, only focuses on three of the six Animal Square animals.The content of Good-bye, Fish is a wonderful resource for teaching young children about the death of a pet.  When Kitty sees her fish not swimming, she worries.  Dog tries to help Kitty with ideas to get the fish swimming again.  Giraffe, in a matter of fact style, states that the fish has died.  This book does a brilliant job tackling feelings of loss; by stating it is “hard to lose someone you love”.  Dog and Giraffe help Kitty bury the fish in the garden explaining that the grave can be a special place to remember fish everyday.  This book helps children identify their feelings of sadness when dealing with death, as the story ends with hope.Good-bye Fish is for preschool aged children; the pages are sturdy making it a perfect book for kids to read and re-read.  The illustrations are done with softness and are colourful.  You can see Kitty’s sadness through her tears.  This is an excellent book for anyone who is dealing with grief.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Catherine WojcichowskyCatherine Wojcichowsky is a teacher with Edmonton Catholic Schools and is currently completing her master’s degree in Elementary Education.  She loves children’s literature, which she has the pleasure of enjoying it with her three year old son, Benjamin.