scholarly journals Simone in Australia by A. Cheng

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Pow
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Young Girl ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Australian Region ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The University ◽  
Reading To Children ◽  
Illustrated Book

Cheng, Ardis. Simone in Australia.  Paper Bear, 2016.Once in a while you find a book that your children will not stop asking you to read to them. Meet Simone in Australia.  This delightfully illustrated book by Ardis Cheng, a local Calgarian author currently residing in Melbourne Australia - leaves nothing out. On each of the pages of Simone’s adventure with Jack, there is a new visual delight.  The story takes us through the different flora and fauna of the Australian region Jack calls home; we meet spiders in Jack's house, adventure down to the beach and enjoy the tiny fairy penguins.  The illustrations of animals of Australia including the kookaburra, echidna and wombat are a favorite page in our house.  Simone, is a delightful young girl who is visiting her friend Jack. Throughout story Jack and Simone are given the challenge of explaining similarities and differences between Jack’s home and Simone’s.  The book does an amazing job of highlighting what travel is for.  To learn about new places and people.  Often in the story, Simone will mention what she used to and while Jack teaching her about his home.  This contrast is done very well, and makes sure to never state one is better -- just that they are different. Simone in Australia is also lovely way of explaining travel to children in a manner that allows them to understand how new and different can also be exciting, challenging and fun to share with a friend.  This is a beautifully illustrated book that is great to read to children and children just starting to read themselves. It would be great addition to any personal or elementary school library.Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Virginia PowVirginia is a Public Services Librarian at the Humanities and Social Science Library at the University of Alberta.  When not reading to children, she enjoys being outdoors, running and stand up paddle boarding.

scholarly journals I Like Vegetables: A Touch-and-Feel Board Book by L. Siminovich

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Frail
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
The Other ◽  
Learning Method ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Dinner Table ◽  
Wood Grain ◽  
The University

Siminovich, Lorena. I Like Vegetables: A Touch-and-Feel Board Book. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2011. Print.“I Like Vegetables” is a dream come true for any nutritionally conscience parent, children’s librarian or teacher. The brightly hued collage illustrations are intriguingly textured with patterns and “touch & feel” inlays. Silky peas and rough-skinned carrots invite young readers to learn about vegetables. The layout is quite clever as it leverages contrast and comparison as a learning method. On one side of the page vegetables are depicted as they would appear growing in the garden while on the other side they are in the home being prepared for the dinner table. In addition, the nature side of the page illustrates the concept of opposites. For example, there are “tall” and “short” cornstalks. Orange carrot roots are “below” the ground, while the feathery green tops are “above”. The indoor side of the page features close-ups of vegetables against a wood-grain background that evokes a cutting board. Here children get a different perspective on the harvested veggies. We see shelled peas, open cornhusks and a cross-section of a pumpkin. The concluding series of images features an “empty” gardener’s basket next to a basket “full” of colourful vegetables on a blue and white gingham picnic tablecloth inlay.  This is primarily a picture book with only the names of the vegetables and the two opposing concepts appearing on each page. The typeset is Helvetica and is large and easy to read.  It is a sturdy board book and the inlays could not be easily ripped out or damaged. It is therefore a welcome addition to any toddler’s library. Other titles in the “I Like” series by Siminovich include: “I Like Toys “, “I Like Bugs” and “I Like Fruit”. “I Like Vegetables” is sure to engage children from ages 1-3. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Kim FrailKim is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. Children’s literature is a big part of her world at work and at home. She also enjoys gardening, renovating and keeping up with her two-year old. 

Flip by M. Bedford

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The People ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Voice Calls ◽  
The University ◽  
Friday Night

Bedford, Martyn. Flip. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2011. Print. Martyn Bedford is a lecturer in creative writing at Leeds Trinity University College in the UK and is the award-winning author of five adult novels, including The Houdini Girl. Flip is his first foray into the genre of young adult fiction. Fourteen-year-old Alex Gray rushes home one December Friday night in an attempt to beat his curfew. Feeling a bit foggy upon waking the next morning, he realizes that not only is he in a strange bedroom but he does not recognize the clothes he is wearing. An unfamiliar voice calls for “Philip” to get ready for school, and when he descends the stairs to the breakfast table, he does not recognize the people seated, though they seem to recognize him. It’s now the middle of June. Upon looking into the mirror to wash his face, another boy stares back. Alex does not know if he has gone mad, or worse—if it is all real. Alex has no choice but to go through the day while trapped in another’s body, that of Philip Garamond. Nicknamed Flip, Philip is an athletic, sociable girl-magnet who goes to a posh school, and though he is Alex’s age, seems the complete opposite in every other way. For a while Alex even enjoys his new, fit body and the attention that comes with it. But where is Philip, and where is Alex’s body? Alex needs to figure out why his psyche has become trapped in Philip’s body and how he can get back into his own before it is too late. This is an excellent psychological thriller and not your average teen fare. The characters are realistic and the plot is action-packed, yet believable. Bedford dips into heavy topics like existentialism and concepts such as the soul and memory with adeptness. Body-swapping stories have no doubt been done before in teen fiction, but Bedford has given this tale a contemporary flair with a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Debbie Feisst Debbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.

scholarly journals Lesson for the Wolf by R. & S. Qitsualik-Tinsley

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Face Length ◽  
Good Starting Point ◽  
The University

Qitsualik-Tinsley, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley.  Lesson for the Wolf.  Illus. Alan Cook. Iqaluit, NU:  Inhabit Media, 2015. Print.The writing duo of Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley are back with a story about being comfortable in your own skin, literally.  The wolf in this story is not happy to be a wolf, so with the help of “the magic of the land”, he acquires owl’s feathers, the wolverine’s tail and the caribou’s antlers.  But he cannot fly like the owl or eat lichen like the caribou and he is too different from the wolves, so he becomes sad, lonely and starves.  Eventually he learns the beauty of being himself and the magic of the land restores him.  The story is a lovely Arctic fable on the lesson of being true to one’s self. Alan Cook’s paintings capture the wildness of the Arctic, with sweeping brush-strokes and suggestions of distant landscapes.  The animals are all cartoon-like creatures, sometimes verging on caricature.  Both the wolves and the caribou are drawn with over-accentuated face length and extreme thinness of the abdomen. Children who are struggling to be satisfied with and confident in their identities may be able to identify with the wolf.  This book would be a good starting point for discussion.  Highly recommended for elementary 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. 

scholarly journals The Mad Wolf’s Daughter by D. Magras

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arwen Thysse
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Young Girl ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Important Lesson ◽  
Medieval Studies ◽  
Her Family ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Bachelor Of Arts ◽  
The University

Magras, Diane. The Mad Wolf’s Daughter. Kathy Dawson Books, 2018. The Mad Wolf’s Daughter is a children’s novel set in thirteenth-century Scotland that tells the story of Drest, a young girl who goes on an adventure to save her father and brothers after they are captured by invading forces. Diane Magras tells an engaging adventure story that sweeps you along with Drest as she tries to navigate a frightening world without her family—learning whom she can and cannot trust, and coming into her own as a young girl who can best adults through both her strength and her intelligence. Written for children, particularly girls of around the same age as Drest (12 years old), this story provides many insights into life, family, and friendship that both children and adults might find extremely powerful. For example, over the course of the story, Drest comes to understand that “you can’t always control your legend”—an important lesson in our modern world where rumour can spread so fast. The story emphasizes that you have to be true to yourself despite what people may be saying around you, and that it is this belief in one’s own self that can guide you through the roughest of times. As details around the lives of Drest’s family and the families of Drest’s friends are revealed in the story, Magras builds another powerful message about how it is ok to differ from and, indeed, disagree with people you love. Magras, aware that certain aspects of the medieval world in which she places her story may be unfamiliar to her audience, includes a glossary of terms as well as an author’s note that discusses the historical setting in greater detail. In particular, Magras does a good job of indicating that gender roles were not as fixed in the Middle Ages as is often assumed, and introduces the reader to the great variety of roles and indeed agency that women could have in the medieval period. Despite these positive traits, Magras’ story does seem to lack some depth to its world and only scratches the surface of the medieval context that she researched for the story. However, the exciting plot and vivacious characters satisfactorily carry the novel’s interest. Overall, this is a good adventure book which also offers a point of departure for readers to explore the medieval world in more detail. Therefore, this book would be a good addition to school and public libraries. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer:  Arwen Thysse Arwen Thysse is a graduate of the University of Alberta Bachelor of Arts program and graduate of the University of Toronto’s Master of Medieval Studies program. She is also an avid musician, and enjoys children’s books.

scholarly journals Trip to the Moon by V. Evic

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
The Moon ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Language Retention ◽  
Early Elementary School ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

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.

scholarly journals Fifteen Dollars and Thirty-Five Cents: A Story About Choices by K. Cole

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

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

scholarly journals Mamaqtuq! by The Jerry Cans

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Throat Singing ◽  
The University ◽  
Early Reader ◽  
Good Presentation

The Jerry Cans. Mamaqtuq! Illustrated by Eric Kim. Inhabit Media, 2018.Mamaqtuq! means “delicious”.  This delightful Inuit board book tells a simple story of hunting all day for seal, running out of provisions and finally finding and catching a seal. It is written in Inuktitut and English, appropriately, at an early reader level. Erik Kim’s cartoon-like illustrations are bright, fun, and representative of the hunters, their clothing, and the environment. The book contains images of people using hunting rifles, but there are no images of seals being killed. As a stand-alone book it is a very good presentation of traditional hunting. However, the book is just one half of the story. The authors, The Jerry Cans, are a band from Iqualuit, whose music is a “unique mix of Inuktitut alt-country, throat singing and reggae.” The words in the Mamaqtuq! are the lyrics to a song. You can see the YouTube video at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DueVqYKWQxE. The piece looks like a skit, with a cardboard boat and people waving cloth to make waves. The seal is played by a young man, so the shooting part is a little more disturbing than in the book. There is also a realistic scene of lead vocalist, Andrew Morrison, eating raw, bloody meat. However, the production is exuberant, even festive, fun, and true to the culture. The book is highly recommended for elementary school libraries and public 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.  

scholarly journals The Never Weres by F. Smyth

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Polkinghorne
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Positive Message ◽  
Visual Style ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Better Than

Smyth, Fiona. The Never Weres. Toronto: Annick Press, 2011. Print. What would life be like for humanity’s final generation, those who would always be the youngest people on Earth, born just before a “barren virus” has rendered humans infertile? This question underpins the pre-teen sci-fi mystery The Never Weres, the first graphic novel from Toronto-based Fiona Smyth, veteran painter, cartoonist, and illustrator. Smyth’s exploration of the daily lives of teenagers Xian, Mia, and Jesse is a fresh extrapolation of the dystopian “world without children,” popularly identified with P.D. James’ Children of Men. Smyth interweaves her heroes’ world — from which parents are variously absent — with classic science fiction tropes such as robotics, genetics, and virtual online communities. Most pressingly, the ethical and practical implications of human cloning are central to the mystery as it unfolds. Smyth handles the issue evenly and rightly represents it as controversial. By focusing on a missing girl’s possible involvement with long-ago experiments, Smyth effectively provokes reflection about cloning’s impacts on human relationships. However, she has simplified the relevant ideas to the extent that readers may not be challenged much by them. The layouts of The Never Weres are at times confusing and may hinder readers’ progress. The book’s visual style conveys Smyth’s vision of a bleak, crowded, deteriorating Toronto somewhat better than it captures her spirited protagonists. Overall, despite some weaknesses, The Never Weres wraps a worthwhile science-positive message within an engaging mystery adventure. Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Sarah PolkinghorneSarah is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta. She enjoys all sorts of books. 

scholarly journals Monkey’s Friends by R. Brown

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

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

Rrralph by L. Ehlert

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Frail
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Tree Bark ◽  
Large Format ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Word Play ◽  
Story Time ◽  
The University ◽  
At Home

Ehlert, Lois. Rrralph. New York: Beach Lane Books, 2011. Print. “Would you like to meet a talking dog?” According to the author’s note, this book was based on jokes that her brother told his grandchildren. The humour translates well into the story as the narrator uses a series of onomatopoeic word-play to explain how Ralph the dog “talks”.  For example, when asked where he is, Ralph answers that he is on the “Roof” of the dog house. When asked what is on a tree, he replies “Bark, Bark, Bark”. The story even includes a somewhat scary encounter between Ralph and a “Wolf! Wolf!” This book will definitely be a story-time favourite for younger children. The large format and brightly coloured pages make it ideal for displaying to groups. The super-size font alternates on each page between black and white, creating high contrasts. The illustrations were created from: “zippers, wood, buttons, twine, metal, tree bark, screws, hand-painted and home-made papers, and textile fragments”. This creates layers of interesting textures and gives the book a “home-spun” appeal. It would also provide an interesting opportunity for educators or parents to talk about making art from found or recycled objects, or the benefits of recycling in general.  The highlight of the illustrations is Ralph’s multi-coloured textile collar and metal-heart shaped dog tag, which will remind readers of real beloved family pets. His zipper smile is pretty endearing as well. Other books by Lois Ehlert include: “Lots of Spots”, “Boo to You!” and “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”. According to the publisher Rrralph is recommended for ages 2-6. Highly recommended: four out of four starsReviewer: Kim FrailKim is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. Children’s literature is a big part of her world at work and at home. She also enjoys gardening, renovating and keeping up with her two-year old.

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