bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Without You by G. Côté
Authors: Roche Matilda 
Published: April 2016

Côté, Geneviève. Without You. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2011. Print. Written and illustrated by Geneviève Côté, Without You revisits the friendship between the lop-eared Bunny and rosy Pig first encountered in Côté's Me and You (2009). As a counterpoint to the first book’s ode to friendship, Without You gently explores the point where the intensity of childhood bonhomie devolves into stubborn hostility. Côté's watercolour illustrations and sense of aesthetic equilibrium are consistently lovely. Light, vivid, effortlessly bright, and expressive, the illustrations alone recommend the book. The text has a pleasing cadence and is appropriate for preschoolers and early readers. If anything, Without You seems perhaps too effervescent given the subject matter. Côté had successfully captured very complex and nuanced perspectives on friendship in her other work—the excellent What Elephant? springs immediately to mind. Any intensity generated by Bunny and Pig’s antipathy seems undermined by the buoyancy of the illustrations and the protagonists’ unfailing adorableness. Even in the grip of irritation, Bunny and Pig are obviously sweeter than sweet, clearly made for each other, and even the youngest of readers would never doubt that they are destined to resolve their conflict. There is certainly an important place for this sort of reassuring, friendship narrative in children’s literature, but Without You fails to mirror back to children the heavy, cloudy, and confusing intensity of conflict between childhood friends. This slight reservation aside, Without You is a very lovely, warm, and well-executed book by an exceedingly talented writer and illustrator; it makes a happy complement to the sunny Me and You. Better still, Côté writes all her books in both French and English, so French editions of her books are always readily available. (This review is based on the English edition.) Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: 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.
Better Together by Sh. & S. Shapiro
Authors: Oliphant Tami 
Published: April 2016

Shapiro, Sheryl, and Simon Shapiro. Better Together. Illus. Dušan Petričić. Toronto: Annick Press, 2011. Print. This concept book is infused with a cheerful, slightly mischievous spirit as the authors and illustrator explore a wide variety of, and a broad notion of, mixes. Kids might be familiar with many of the mixes—mixing cinnamon and sugar to spread on toast, mixing water and dirt to create mud, mixing blue and yellow to make green or mixing water and flour to create glue. Other mixes are more abstract—mixing up each team member’s different skills to make a great soccer team or mixing up musical instruments to make raucous music. Each mix is explained by a playful, rhyming poem that is easy-to-read and delightful to read aloud. The writers themselves decided to mix things up—the book is this husband-and-wife’s first collaborative effort and their obvious pleasure in wordplay is apparent. For example, the first poem, which explains what mixes are, contains the line “You stir and squoosh them, squish and moosh them” to create a brand new thing. The lively text is supported by the equally zippy illustrations. The first illustration is a highlight as Petričić shows how mixing the separate ingredients of ideas, paper, and drawings can produce a wonderful new thing: a picture book. The mix of vivid illustrations and energetic text has created a fun book that both kids and parents will enjoy. The book is recommended for children ages 4-7. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Tami Oliphant Tami works as a research librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries and for the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta and her doctorate from the University of Western Ontario. She has worked in academic libraries, public libraries, communications and planning, and as a sessional lecturer and researcher at the University of Alberta and the University of Western Ontario.
Good Little Wolf by N. Shireen
Authors: Feisst Debbie 
Published: April 2016

Shireen, Nadia. Good Little Wolf. New York: Alfred A Knopf. 2011. Print. Good Little Wolf is British illustrator Nadia Shireen’s picture book debut, and a successful one at that. Shireen, who earned an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Angela Ruskin University in Cambridge, originally planned a career in law but thankfully pursued her passion for illustration and now, authorship. The story begins with the narrator ensuring a group of youngsters, including a red-hooded girl and a (soother) suckling pig are all comfortable. Rolf is a good little wolf. He is helpful to his friends, the elderly Mrs. Boggins and Little Pig, eats his vegetables and enjoys baking. One day Rolf meets a Big Bad Wolf, who is clearly surprised by Rolf’s goodness; young children will delight at the Big Bad Wolf sniffing Rolf’s butt to confirm that he is, indeed, a wolf. A few tests are in order to determine his wolf-ness and Rolf fails miserably – until the Big Bad Wolf shows up with Mrs. Boggins and a fork. Suddenly Rolf shows his fierce side and the Big Bad Wolf is going to reform – or so it seems. The quirky illustrations and fresh take on a traditional tale will delight the 4-8 crowd, though parents may need to do some explaining after the final twist when we learn the identity of the narrator . I look forward to Shireen’s next book and won’t have to wait long – “Hey, Presto!” is due out this summer. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Debbie FeisstDebbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.
Treasure by M. K. Doman
Authors: Hammond Anita 
Published: April 2016

Doman, Mary Kate. Treasure. Costa Mesa: Saddleback, 2013. Print.Treasure, one installment from The Heights series, is the story of Todd Bardo Jr., a junior at Penn State and his adventure diving for treasure off the shore of Ecuador. As a thank you for his work with the poor in that country, Todd’s father, a prominent and respected doctor, was awarded salvage rights to five miles of the reef by the Ecuadorian government. Todd inherits the salvage rights at his father’s death, and needs to complete the dive before his rights expire. With the help of a diving team headed by his best friend’s father, he and his team attempt the impossible – to find and claim treasure from a sunken ship. With her audience in mind, Doman has woven an adventure story driven by plot, dialogue, and simple language. This high-interest low-vocabulary book introduces readers to the country of Ecuador and its colourful history. Through Todd’s eyes we experience the excitement of organizing a treasure dive and some of its challenges. Will Todd find enough money to fund the expedition? Will his ship be targeted by thieves? Will his team be attacked by sharks? Ultimately, will he succeed and find a treasure?Students who appreciate simpler text and an exciting plot will enjoy this read. The resolution of some conflicts seems a bit convenient, but certainly keeps the story moving. The interest level is grade 5 to 8; the reading level is grade 1 to 2. This book is available at Saddleback Educational Publishing.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Anita HammondAnita Hammond taught English Language Arts and music with Regina Catholic Schools for eleven years. Currently, as a full-time mother, she has returned to Education studies at the University of Alberta in the Masters of Education program specializing in teacher-librarian studies. She has enjoyed the opportunity to read numerous high-interest low-vocabulary titles, and hopes to share these titles and others with colleagues and students to support literacy goals.
Peanut by A. Halliday
Authors: Tan Maria 
Published: April 2016

Halliday, Ayun. Peanut. Illus. Paul Hoppe. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012. Print.In the graphic novel Peanut, Ayun Halliday, a graduate of Northwestern University, and author and illustrator of the parenting zine East Village Inky, brings attention to the fact that some people live with life-threatening allergies to a common food item as she tells the story of a teenage girl trying to make her mark at school.When Sadie asks a girl about her “wicked cool” ID bracelet, she is introduced to the concept of severe food allergies. Sadie learns that the girl has a lethal allergy to peanuts and has to wear a medical bracelet. After moving to a new neighbourhood, Sadie is desperate to find a way to fit in at her new high school. She orders a medical bracelet and pretends to have a peanut allergy. This has the desired effect of gaining the attention of kids at school. Sadie builds friendships around the lie and finds it increasingly difficult and stressful to maintain the charade with her friends and with school staff, but cannot bring herself to tell the truth.Over the course of events, Sadie and other characters in the novel increase their awareness, to a limited degree only, about a severe peanut allergy and its potential consequences. It was a bit disappointing that Sadie’s character matured very little over the course of the story, both in her interactions with others as well as in her health knowledge. The story ends a little abruptly so the reader does not find out the longer term consequences of pretending to have a medical condition, co-opting the challenges of living with a severe allergy to gain popularity and eventually being found out, or whether or not these experiences change Sadie’s outlook.New York based illustrator and Visual Arts instructor Paul Hoppe uses colour sparingly in Peanut. Readers will be drawn to the book cover, with its rich blue monochromatic background featuring a lone peanut shell. Illustrations within the graphic novel are all in blue-black, white, and grey; the only exception is Sadie who stands out in her salmon-coloured top. Aerial views lend an interesting perspective to the scenes.Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria TanMaria is a library intern at the University of Alberta’s John W. Scott Health Sciences Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. Maria firmly believes that children's literature is an essential component in the fountain of youth.
Trip to the Moon by V. Evic
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

Evic, Vera. Trip to the Moon. Iqaluit, NV: Inhabit Media, 2013. Print.This simple story manages to be simultaneously local and universal. Most children can relate to dreaming about flying to the moon, having the sensation of falling while they are dreaming and actually falling out of bed during a dream. That’s what happens in this story. However, the characters in this story live in Pangnirtung on Baffin Island in Nunavut, and the story reflects things local to that place. In many “flying to the moon” stories, children fly on a magic carpet, boat or a rocket, but these children find a dented and dirty oil drum rusting on the beach and that becomes their enchanted conveyance. This book is the result of a contest, designed to encourage literacy in the community. Vera Evic’s story was selected from those submitted. The illustrations are done by five youths who are members of the Pangnirtung-Uqqurmiut Inuit Artist Organization. Every other page is a full-page brightly-coloured illustration, each showing the individual illustrator’s style. All of the illustrations depict local things – kids on bikes, houses on stilts, tundra landscape. Even the little people they meet on the moon are dressed in Inuit style clothing. While the level of skill varies among the illustrators the differences are charming rather than jarring.The text is printed in English and Inuktitut syllabics. The story is easy to read and appropriate for the intended pre-school and early elementary school audience. This book deserves stars for the creative involvement of community, the support of literacy and Indigenous language retention in young children and also for the quality of the end product. Highly recommended for public and elementary 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.
The Human Body: Lift the Flap and Learn by P. Hédelin
Authors: Chatterley Trish 
Published: April 2016

Hédelin, Pascale, Robert Barborini, and Katherine Dearlove. The Human Body: Lift the Flap and Learn. Toronto: Owlkids, 2010. Print. This book provides an introduction to the human body and its functions. It is one book in the (so far) three part “Lift the Flap and Learn” series published by Owl Kids. Intended for children aged four and up, the flaps, pull tabs, rotating wheels, and sliding pieces make for an interactive reading experience. Beginning readers will definitely need help with some of the terminology. Some of the tabs were a bit sticky at first, especially the ones manipulating multiple slats, but overall the tabs seem fairly sturdy. The book begins with a simple explanation of how babies are created and born. It then progresses through descriptions and visuals of the muscular, skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems. The two-page section about the nervous system provides an overview of the brain, but provides limited reference to nerves in the rest of the body. The book also covers the five senses, dental health and sickness. There are messages scattered throughout about how to stay healthy; these messages encourage brushing your teeth, eating well, and getting a good night’s sleep. The cartoon-like illustrations would appeal to children, as the simplified images will not overwhelm them with anatomical detail. There is a good text to image ratio. The text is in a sufficiently large font size, and most images are quite colourful. Some true anatomical names are used. Several have pronunciations indicated in parentheses but others (such as the term bronchial) do not. These terms may pose problems for early readers. In general, this book provides a simple and accurate introduction to the human body. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: 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.
Unspeakable by C. Pignat
Authors: Kung Janice 
Published: April 2016

Pignat, Caroline. Unspeakable. Toronto: Razorbill, 2014. Print. Ellie Ryan is an eighteen-year-old girl who has suffered an insurmountable number of personal tragedies that have taught her the importance of perseverance. After her mother’s death, she finds herself unwanted by her father and is forced to move in with her aunt Geraldine. Due to Ellie’s inability to cope with her circumstances, her aunt sends her aboard the Empress of Ireland where she learns to embrace her new position as a stewardess with the help of her most trusted friend, Meg.On the second crossing of the Empress, Ellie meets Jim, a lonely fire stoker who has experienced his share of grief and tragedy, something Ellie is all too familiar with. After many chance encounters late at night along the ship's rail, she finds Jim writing in a journal. He is a quiet and secretive young man who doesn’t share much of his life, which intrigues and compels her to discover more about him. When the ship docks at Quebec City, they explore the city together, a memorable experience for her. However, tragedy strikes on their next voyage when the ship collides into another ship. Ellie appears to be the one of the few remaining crew members to survive the disaster and has no word of Jim’s whereabouts; it seems unlikely that Jim would have survived the frigid ocean. Wyatt Steele, a journalist with The New York Times, later asks Ellie for her story. She refuses at first, but unwittingly gives into him when he appears one day with Jim’s journal. Wyatt represents the last remaining hope she has to learn more about the man she had fallen in love with and to possibly discover what happened to him. In exchange for her story, he agrees to provide Jim’s journal as payment, one page at a time. This young adult novel follows Ellie’s journey aboard the Empress of Ireland in 1914 and offers a realistic context for Canada’s worst maritime disaster. It explores themes of depression from the loss of family and friends, survivor’s guilt, and redemption. The story weaves an intricate plot that alternates the timeline before and after the ship’s sinking, in order for the reader to actively live through Ellie’s recollections in the present. Overall, the author intricately writes a romantic story in the backdrop of a historical Canadian event that is well suited to young adult audiences.Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Janice KungJanice Kung is an Academic Library Intern at the University of Alberta’s John W. Scott Health Sciences Library. She obtained her undergraduate degree in commerce and completed her MLIS in 2013. She believes that the best thing to beat the winter blues is to cuddle up on a couch and lose oneself in a good book.
Whatever After: Fairest of All by S. Mlynowski
Authors: Chatterley Trish 
Published: April 2016

Mlynowski, Sarah. Whatever After: Fairest of All. New York: Scholastic Press, 2012. Print Ten-year-old Abby has just moved to Smithville with her parents and younger brother Jonah, and life just isn’t the same. One night, the two siblings knock on the creepy mirror in the basement and are instantly sucked into a fairytale land. They need to get home, but don’t know how to get there. They find themselves at the cottage where Snow White is living with the Seven Dwarfs, just as the evil stepmother in disguise is offering up a red apple to eat. They intervene and save Snow White from being poisoned! Initially they are pleased about this, but soon realize that they have interfered with Snow’s future and she won’t meet her Prince Charming. They decide to stay with Snow until they can set things right and ensure she lives happily ever after, enjoying many adventures along the way. This is the first story in a new series of modern fairy tale retellings (the second book will recount what happens to Cinderella when Abby shows up!). It’s an amusing and easy read with lots of action. Abby and Jonah have a pretty typical relationship, with a bossy older sister ordering around her rambunctious younger brother, and so they behave as you would expect. Abby is practical, but funny, and will always accomplish what she sets out to do. She therefore presents a strong female character with whom young girls can connect. The tale ends in such a way that the reader can be sure of more humorous exploits to come.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.
Nala's Magical Mitsiaq by J. Noah
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

Noah, Jennifer. Nala's Magical Mitsiaq. Iqualuit, NV: Inhabit Media, 2013. Print.Adoption of children is common among Inuit families and "custom adoption" is a legal term for this age-old tradition which was a part of Inuit survival. Jennifer Noah wrote this children's book so that she could read a story to which her daughter could relate.The mitsiaq is the umbilical cord. In Nala's story, her adoptive mother dreams of Nala before she is born and dreams of "a magical mitsiaq connecting [their] hearts". In the rest of the story, Nala's mother explains how one of her daughters grew in her belly, while the other grew in her heart and both are equally loved. The text is above the reading level of the age 5 to 8 target audience, but there is an assumption that an adult will be reading with the child. Inuktitut words are used often in the text and appear in the glossary at the back of the book. This book presents adoption as a positive, loving traditional practice. For a non-Inuit child trying to understand adoption, this book shows adoption as a normal part of community and family life, at least in Inuit culture.In the back of the book there are six quotations from Inuit women who have experienced custom adoption. Some have adopted, some were adopted and some have siblings who were adopted in or adopted out. All of their stories speak of the adoption process as an act of love both by the birth parents and the adoptive parents.The illustrations by Toronto artist, Qin Leng are comic-book like, with all objects and features outlined in black and filled with colour. The illustrations are bright and attractive. The people in the book appear more Asian than they do Inuit, but because of the informality of the drawings, this does not detract from the story. This is another excellent book from Inhabit Media and should be included in public and elementary school library collectionsHighly 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.