Hello everyone. It's #IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
You would be forgiven for thinking, after chuckling at the end papers, that this would be a humorous book. After all, humans are identified like some kind of bird species.
When you actually get into the book, it becomes a fable with a profound lesson about environmental stewardship and climate change.
A little yellow warbler lives on an icy island in the far north. He enjoys watching the human visitors who come to the island. Then a fog settles over the land and stays. While the warbler continues to worry about it, he notices that other animals either don't notice it, adapt, or rationalize it away. Eventually Warbler connects with a little red-hooded human. The two of them send out messages into the rest of the world and when they start to get replies back, the fog begins to lift.
Kenard Pak's watercolour illustrations are the perfect complement to Kyo Maclear's text.
5 stars |
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena & Christian Robinson (Illustrations) February 2, 2021
Whether it's a picture book or a novel, Matt de la Pena writes important books: books that make you think and challenge you to see the world through new eyes.
Milo and his sister are taking a long subway ride. He looks at the different people, imagines their stories and illustrates them in his notebook. When they reach their destination and one of the other riders is going to the same place as they are, he comes to realize that, "Maybe you can't really know anyone just by looking at their face."
I liked the contrast Christian Robinson shows between the people on the train and Milo's imagination. Milo reminded me of the characters from Ezra Jack Keats books.
5 stars |
Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball by Jen Bryant & Frank Morrison (Illustrator) October 6, 2020
Like the title explains, it's the story of Elgin Baylor's influence on basketball. It's set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement. Baylor, by sitting out of games when they played in cities where blacks could stay in hotels or eat in restaurants, played his part in that movement. His actions led to the NBA commissioner asserting that no team would stay anywhere that practised segregation.
Frank Morrison's artwork is just stunning.
4 stars |
If Bees Disappeared by Lily Williams March 16, 2021
This provides a simplified look at the role bees play as a global keystone species. The back matter includes a glossary, additional information about honeybee in trouble, an author's note, and a bibliography. I especially appreciate the page, How You Can Help Save Bees. It's full of things ordinary people can do.
4 stars |
Louis Riel Day: The Fur Trade Project by Deborah L Delaronde & Sheldon Dawson (Illustrations) August 18, 2020 🍁
A young Metis boy works with his grandfather to research and write a report on Louis Riel and the fur trade. This book and the rich paintings by Sheldon Dawson provide information about the Metis people and this famous Canadian.
I'm not a fan of poetry in picture books. They are hard to do well. Deborah L Delaronde's poem kind of works here, but it interrupted the flow of the story for me.
4 stars |
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
This was a sweet story about baking, falling in love, and figuring out who you are. I ended up stopping reading to search for recipes. I liked that it had a recipe for sourdough buns at the end, but what I really wanted was the ravani! I liked the details in the art a lot, but the blue palette didn't work for me.
I became so emotionally engaged in the different story lines that I ended up with leaking eyes.
My partner and some of our friends rave about Ruth Reichl. They argue over which book is best. I decided that this year I would read one. They told me to start with this.
I loved it. I loved the hilarity of the disguises, the ensuing retrospection, and the friendships. I loved learning what life as like as a food critic. I appreciated that what she shares with us here is about much more than food and restaurants. It’s about who we are and how we are with others.
I am also inspired by the recipes and trying to figure out what to try first. Cheesecake is calling me.
#MustReadIn2021 16/25 one on the go
#MustReadNFIn2021 6/12
#MustReadPBIn2021 33/100
Big Book Summer Challenge one in progress
Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 17/25
Books by Canadian Authors: 56/100
Canada Reads 2021 4/5
Discworld Series 40/41 one on the go
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 206/333