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

Taniton, Raymond and Mindy Willett. At the Heart of It: Dene dzó t’áré. Markham, On: Fifth House, 2011. Print. Indigenous author Raymond Taniton is a member of The Sahtugot’ine, or the “people of Great Bear Lake”. In At the Heart of It, Taniton invites readers into his world. We meet his family, see the Sahtu Region where he lives, meet the elders in the community, learn how to make a traditional hand drum, learn some games and read some of the stories. The stories are particularly important. This book is the most recent in Fifth House’s “The Land is Our Story Book” series, all co-authored by writer Mindy Willett. Taniton concludes this volume by saying, “The land is our storybook. It is our school, our library, our church. It is where we learn our stories and where we discover who we are as true Dene people. The land is at the heart of it all”. And in this book Taniton and Willett do succeed in helping us to understand “the land”. This is a picture book, an educational book and a celebration of what it means to be Satugot’ine. Tessa Macintosh’s photographs are used throughout. The top of each page has a border image of the beaded toes of twenty-one moccasins. Often a large image will form the background of a page with text and other images superimposed. For example, for the story “The Lake is the Boss”, the background is an image which looks out through the mouth of a cave. The story is about a giant wolf that lived in the cave. The text, along with smaller images of the island that the wolf became when he turned to stone, is superimposed on the cave photograph. The images and text, taken together, form many lessons for young people. The stories provide metaphorical and philosophical lessons, but the book also provides practical lessons, such as the illustrated steps to making a drum. As a whole, the book celebrates Raymond Taniton’s family, the Sahtugot’ine people and their way of life. Highly recommended for elementary school and public libraries. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

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Finding Granny: We never really lose the people we love by K. Simpson

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/dr29400 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Art Therapy ◽

Picture Book ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Doctor Who ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

The People ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Long Time ◽

The University

Simpson, Kate. Finding Granny: We Never Really Lose the People We Love. EK Books, 2018. This is an uplifting picture book about a child, Edie, whose beloved grandmother has a stroke and spends a long time recovering in hospital. At first, Edie does not accept that the woman in the bed, whose words do not make sense, is her grandmother. Through art therapy classes that Edie shares with her grandmother, she slowly rebuilds and reaffirms their close relationship. Edie comes to understand that while the colours in Granny’s painting are “all running into each other”, the painting is still beautiful. Gwyenneth Jones’ artwork is bright, exuberant and makes a sad and frightening subject engaging and entertaining. When the doctor, who has bright red glasses and a giant nose, explains that Granny’s “brain isn’t working the way it used to,” she points to a huge picture of a brain that has tiny eyes, a downturned mouth and huge adhesive bandages in an X across it. This book celebrates intergenerational love and the effectiveness of art therapy in healing both relationships and illness. It also offers a lesson of patience and hope for those whose loved ones are recovering from stroke. Finding Granny would be a good addition to public, school, and hospital libraries. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

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Grandmother Ptarmigan by Q. Mikkigak & J. Schwartz

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/g2pk7c ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Picture Book ◽

Adult Child ◽

Health Sciences ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

Origin Stories ◽

The University ◽

Traditional Stories

Mikkigak, Qaunaq and Joanne Schwartz. Grandmother Ptarmigan. Illus. Qin Leng. Iqualuit: Inhabit Media, 2013. Print.Inhabit Media Inc. has as one of its goals: the collection and publication of Inuit traditional stories. This picture book is another of their unique products. Many Inuit stories have recurring themes, including kind and caring treatment of children and origin stories, which tell us why things are they way they are. This collaboration between Inuit elder, Qaunaq Mikkigak and writer, Joanne Schwartz, includes both. In this story a baby ptarmigan wants his grandmother to tell him a bedtime story. She insists, instead, that he go to sleep. When she finally relents and tells him a story, he is frightened by it and flies away. The book ends with his grandmother searching for him, uttering the familiar call, “nauk, nauk”. In the story, ptarmigan play the roles of people. They live in igloos, sleep under furs and have "armpits". Illustrator Qin Leng shows the birds with human-like expressions and emotions. Leng's illustrations match the story in their simplicity. Most of the pictures are drawings of the ptarmigan on white or blue-green backgrounds, with no ornamentation.There are several lessons about adult-child relationships that often appear in traditional Inuit stories. The two that appear in this story are that young people should respect their elders, listen to them and do as they are told and that adults should be kind and caring towards children. In this story, we expect the baby ptarmigan to get into trouble for not going to sleep, but because the grandmother frightens him with the story, it is the grandmother who is left is a worried state, searching for him.Grandmother Ptarmigan would be a good addition to school and public libraries and those libraries with Canadian Indigenous folktale collections.Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

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On the Shoulder of a Giant: an Inuit Folktale by N. Christopher

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/g2kk62 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Public Libraries ◽

Picture Book ◽

Bowhead Whale ◽

The Arctic ◽

Quality Work ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

The Difference ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

Christopher, Neil. On the Shoulder of a Giant: an Inuit Folktale. Iqualuit: Inhabit Media, 2015. Print.This is another in a series of works designed by Neil Christopher, one of the founders of Inhabit Media, to preserve traditional Inuit stories. In this book he retells a story, which is known in various forms all across the Arctic, of a giant who adopts a hunter as his son. This giant, named Inukpak, is one of the inukpasugjuit or “great giants” of Inuit stories. Inukpak is so big that he can walk across the Arctic in “just a few days” and when he stands in the sea the water "never come[s] up past his knees". He is so big that he thinks that the hunter is a lost child, so he adopts him and carries him on his shoulder.This is a simple retelling, designed to teach about the mythical giants and to explain why the story is found in many cultures across the Canadian Arctic. However, it also models a big person/small person relationship in which small people do not correct or talk back to big people. Children will relate to the hunter, who is treated as a child and because the story is told from the hunter's perspective. The giant sometimes doesn't recognize the impact of his own actions. For example when he runs back to shore, he creates waves that swamp the hunter, but the giant thinks the hunter has been playing in the water. "The hunter wanted to tell the giant that he had not been playing in the water. He also wanted to explain to Inukpak that he had caught a bowhead whale, not a sculpin. But, once again, the little hunter did not want to argue with a giant, so he just said, 'Okay.' "This is mainly a picture book. The illustrations run over two-page spreads with text over-printed on them. Jim Nelson does a good job of presenting the difference in size between the giant and the human. Inukpak is presented as a happy fellow, with black shaggy hair and a full beard. Children will be amused by the giant picking up a polar bear by the scruff of its neck, like a kitten. The images are realistic and the backgrounds are lovely representations of Arctic landscapes. Overall, this is an enjoyable and high-quality work that should be included in elementary school libraries, public libraries and libraries specializing in Arctic children’s books.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

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Down by the River: A Family Fly Fishing Story by A. Weiner

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/dr29412 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Public Libraries ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Reading Level ◽

Fishing Trip ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

Fly Fishing ◽

Young Readers ◽

The University ◽

Riverine Landscapes

Weiner, Andrew. Down by the River: A Family Fly Fishing Story. Harry N. Abrams, 2018. This is a beautifully illustrated book that tells a simple story about a boy, Art, who goes on a fly-fishing trip with his mother and grandfather. The story recalls a time when Art’s grandfather taught his mother to fish. April Chu has used a subdued palette for her two-page riverine landscapes, with lots of green and rich autumn colours in the environment. The book has a calm and peaceful feel about it that mirrors the contemplative nature of fly-fishing. The text is simple and descriptive of a day spent on the river. The reading level is too difficult for the intended Kindergarten to Grade 2 audience, so an adult will need to read the book aloud, especially those sentences that could confuse young readers with difficult concepts or complicated jargon: “The line arced forward and the fly landed softly a few feet above the rock. It drifted with the current past the rock. There was a splash and the line went tight.” The last three pages contain information about fly fishing, the clothing worn by fly fishers and where to get more information about the sport. The end pages are decorated with images of intricate flys with such fun and mysterious names as: “Ian’s Crunch Caddis,” “Black Fur Ant,” and “Purple Parachute Adams.” This book is a good introduction to fly fishing for younger children that also tells a charming story. Highly recommended for school and public libraries. Highly Recommended: 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.

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Saila & Betty by C. Rooney

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/g2hc84 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Public Libraries ◽

Picture Book ◽

Learning Tools ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

Reading Materials ◽

Reading Text ◽

Level I ◽

Upper Level ◽

The University

Rooney, Christina. Saila & Betty, illustrated by Ali Hinch. Inhabit Education, 2016.Inhabit Education has launched a series of text levelled readers, called the Nunavummi Reading Series. Saila and Betty has been levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient Level: I, which makes it appropriate for upper level Grade 1. It is a picture book with two to three sentences per page including simple dialog. The sentences get progressively more difficult through the book. Ali Hinch’s comic-like artwork is black-line with bright colours for infill. The animals all show animation and emotions. While this is primarily a reading text, it contains a wellness message, as well. The story is a simple one about birds, who fly very well and seals, who swim very well discovering that while their strengths are different, and they are not very good at each other’s strengths at all, they can still be friends and have fun together. It is great to see curriculum materials being developed with Arctic themes. These will be very valuable learning tools in Arctic classrooms and as supplementary reading materials in southern classrooms. 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.

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Siuluk: The Last Tuniq by N. Sammurtok

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/dr29346 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Children's Literature ◽

Picture Book ◽

Children’S Literature ◽

Health Sciences ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

Inuit People ◽

The University

Sammurtok, Nadia. Siuluk: The Last Tuniq. Illustrated by Rob Nix. Inhabit Media, 2018.This picture book, published in both English and Inuktitut syllabic script, tells the story of the last of the Tuniit, or the giants of the Eastern Arctic. The story is connected to a large rock, near Chesterfied Inlet in Nunavut, which is called Siuluk’s Rock. Nadia Sammurtok who is from Rankin Inlet and heard the story from her father, recounts that people were unkind to Siuluk and teased him because he was different. Through a show of strength by lifting the very large rock, Siuluk convinced the Inuit people that he really was the strongest man and gained their respect.Both the language and the artwork in the book are simple. The clothing pictured is unadorned. Vegetation is suggested, but not detailed. Rob Nix has taken some liberties with the appearance of the individuals. Artwork left by the Tuniit (also known as the Dorset Culture), typically show rounded faces, similar to modern Inuit. Siuluk’s face is depicted as long and angular, with a prominent and high-bridged, convex nose, more common in some European people.Overall this is a good retelling of the traditional story and conveys the message of tolerance of difference. Libraries with children’s collections, and particularly those that collect polar children’s literature will want to include these volumes. 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.

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The Walrus Who Escaped by R. & S. Qitsualik-Tinsley

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/g2v59j ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Elementary Education ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Special Kind ◽

Health Sciences ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

Important Concept ◽

Human Emotions ◽

The Many ◽

The University

Qitsualik-Tinsley, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley. The Walrus Who Escaped. Illus. Anthony Brennan. Iqualuit, NU: Inhabit Media Inc., 2014. Print.In this book, Rachael and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley retell another of the many Inuit legends that explain why things are the way they are. According to this story, walruses used to have spiral tusks. Raven, who is always a bit of a trouble maker and looking for a free meal, imprisons the walrus in ice because she wants his clams. Imprisoning the walrus doesn’t get the raven any clams, but when the walrus gets free, the force straightens his tusks.The most interesting theme in this story is that of the “Strength in the Land”, which the authors explain variously as something that would be ill-described as “magic” and could be thought of as a “special kind of dream”. Even in today’s Inuit culture, land strength is an important concept that is implied in many works, but is rarely directly addressed. Qitsualik-Tinsleys deserve kudos for attempting to capture it in a children’s book.The text is overprinted on Anthony Brennan’s cartoon-like images which show the animals demonstrating human emotions such as contentment, frustration, anger and fear. The colours are generally bright, with the light blues of the sea and the ice predominating. Highly recommended for public libraries, elementary education libraries and libraries that collect Canadian Indigenous Children’s works.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.

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Northern Dancer: King of the Racetrack by G. Joyce

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/g2xc7g ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Junior High School ◽

Public Libraries ◽

School Libraries ◽

Health Sciences ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

The World ◽

The University ◽

Thoroughbred Racing

Joyce, Gare. Northern Dancer: King of the Racetrack. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012. Print.It is not often that you find a biography of an animal, but in this case, the animal was a national icon. According to Gare Joyce, Northern Dancer, the great racehorse “made more money as an accomplished racehorse and sire than any Canadian athlete in history – even more than Wayne Gretzky ”. The book begins with a genealogical chart that shows that of the 19 horses starting in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, 18 were descended from Northern Dancer.This book chronicles Northern Dancer from his birth through to his wins and standing at stud until his death at age 29. Through his story, the reader also learns about the world of North American thoroughbred racing. We meet the great jockeys: Ron Turcotte, Willie Shoemaker and Bill Hardtack who all rode Northern Dancer to victories. We learn about the development of racehorses and the major races: The Preakness, The Belmont, The Kentucky Derby and the Queen’s Plate. Joyce writes informally and conversationally, as though he is telling one long story. For example, he tells us that Northern Dancer “became unruly around his stall…At least once he ripped the shirt off his trainer.” Later we are told that a trainer inadvertently let Northern Dancer run hard the day before a race and people thought that no thoroughbred could “run the equivalent of two races on two consecutive days. As it turned out, the only ones hurting after the Florida Derby were those who hadn’t bet on the heavily favoured Northern Dancer.” The text is accompanied by many photos of Northern Dancer, including archival images of horse and jockey in races, at the wire and in the winners’ circle. Overall, this is an enjoyable story of a remarkable horse. Northern Dancer: King of the Racetrack is highly recommended for junior high school libraries and public libraries everywhere. Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

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The People of the Sea by D. Uluadluak

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/g2s68w ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Public Libraries ◽

School Libraries ◽

Reading Level ◽

Upper Elementary ◽

Elementary Children ◽

Intended Audience ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

The People ◽

The University

Uluadluak, Donald. The People of the Sea, illustrated by Mike Motz, Inhabit Media, 2017The People of the Sea is a recollection by the late Inuit elder, Donald Uluadluak, of seeing an arnajuinnaq or a sea person, while he and his friends played on the beach near Arviat. The story is a simple retelling of the adventure which highlights the presence of sea-people in Inuit culture. Unlike the vicious mermaids or tuutaliit of books such as Kiviuq and the Mermaids, who have frightening appearances and want to destroy kayaks and kill hunters, the sea-people in this story seem benign and simply curious. Mike Motz has drawn them as almost-expressionless creatures who look like fair-skinned women with long dark hair and facial tattoos – just as Uluadluak describes them. The two-page images are multi-coloured and do a good job of reflecting the sea and tundra environments. Text is overprinted on the images. The text is simple and comprehensible to the intended audience of 5 to 7 year-olds, but is above their reading level, so an adult would need to read this book aloud. The People of the Sea would also be appropriate for upper elementary children who are interested in traditional myths and legends. Highly recommended for school libraries and public libraries. Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

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Catch That Baby! by N. Coffelt

The Deakin Review of Children s Literature ◽

10.20361/g2v886 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sandy Campbell

Keyword(s):

Picture Book ◽

Public Library ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Read Aloud ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

Visual Detail ◽

Award Winning ◽

Book Award ◽

The University

Coffelt, Nancy. Catch That Baby! Toronto: Aladdin, 2011. Print. There comes a point in every toddler’s life when he or she just needs to make a break for it and run away from Mom; if naked, after a bath, so much the better. Nancy Coffelt captures that moment in this delightful book. Rudy tosses his towel at the dog, shouts, “No dressed” and the romp begins. Mom chases, clothing in hand, and is joined in successive panels by other family members all of whom try, but not too hard, to “catch that naked baby”. This is primarily a picture book. Award-winning illustrator Scott Nash has drawn cartoon style illustrations, with large blocks of bright colour, little visual detail and speech bubbles. The simple presentation is perfect for toddlers, who will be able to completely relate to “Nudie Rudy” pelting around the house in the buff, although most pre-readers will not end up swinging from vines in the conservatory. Young children will enjoy the repetition in the little bit of text on each page and will love finding Rudy on each page, particularly on pages where those silly adults cannot see him, even though he is so obviously in plain sight that a baby could find him. Catch That Baby! is a gem that will become a favourite read aloud book in many families. It would make an excellent gift for a toddler and belongs in every public library collection. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars 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.

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