On Sunday as I write this, we are experiencing our second snowfall. It's divinely lovely and peaceful, but maybe a bit too soon? I guess it always feels too soon, but with hope it won't last long. I still don't have winter tires on my car...
Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
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PICTURE BOOKS
Lala, a wild kind of child, has her own kind of magic. Unfortunately, her mother doesn't see or appreciate this in her.
Against a black and grey city, Lala emits a golden hue as she goes about her daily activities full of joy and energy. Lala spends time in her garden in an empty lot nurturing the plants there. I was struck by the profound contrast between the mother's words to Lala, and Lala's words to plants. Where Lala's words are full of kindness, her mother's are harsh.
When her mother, in an attempt to tame her, refuses to let her go outdoors, Lala's garden magically grows huge and comes in search of her.
As much as I appreciate this book, I was also a bit distressed that it took such a magnitude of magic for Lala's mother to finally accept her as she was.
Alas, there is no magic for other wild children like her.
Gracey Zhang was born in Canada, but now lives in the USA. I hope she is still a Canadian.
There is much to gush about here.
This charming tale tells of two Chinese girls who overcome obstacles to get to know one another and become friends. Both have come from the country and are now living in a city. Because they don't have residency permits for this area, they are unable to attend public school, and their parents can't afford to pay for school for them.
Rebecca Evans artwork, rendered in pencil and watercolour, is stunning. I love the bright colours of the two girls against a gloomy backdrop of blue greys.
While the story is set in China, the issues of bullying, loneliness and finding a friend are universal themes that children from around the world can relate to.
I appreciated the glossary and pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book that helped me figure out both how to pronounce the Chinese words and to understand them. However, because it is situated on the copyright page, I suspect it might end up being overlooked.
I also appreciated the author's note at the end of this book explaining more about the social situation in China.
This charming tale tells of two Chinese girls who overcome obstacles to get to know one another and become friends. Both have come from the country and are now living in a city. Because they don't have residency permits for this area, they are unable to attend public school, and their parents can't afford to pay for school for them.
Rebecca Evans artwork, rendered in pencil and watercolour, is stunning. I love the bright colours of the two girls against a gloomy backdrop of blue greys.
While the story is set in China, the issues of bullying, loneliness and finding a friend are universal themes that children from around the world can relate to.
I appreciated the glossary and pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book that helped me figure out both how to pronounce the Chinese words and to understand them. However, because it is situated on the copyright page, I suspect it might end up being overlooked.
I also appreciated the author's note at the end of this book explaining more about the social situation in China.
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| 5 stars |
Beautiful You, Beautiful Me by Tasha Spillett-Sumner & Salini Perera (Illustrator) October 18, 2022 🍁
This story of a "multiracial child navigating identity and belonging draws from author Tasha Spillett-Sumner's own experience growing up as an Afro-Indigenous girl." It is a gorgeous book with a refrain that will be especially poignant for multiracial children, yet has an important message for all of us.
"You're part of meand I'm part of you.
I'm beautiful like meand you're beautiful like you."
You can read my full review here.
I Hope by Monique Gray Smith & Gabrielle Grimard (Illustrator) September 13 2022 🍁
If you are not already a hard core Gabrielle Grimard fan by now, this book will certainly turn you into one. Her soft dreamy artwork makes this book feel like a blessing.
This dual language book in both English and Plains Cree, is about adults wishing wonderful things for their children. It showcases multicultural groups of children from different parts of the world.
This is a wonderful book to get for graduates, but will work for students of any age. I will be purchasing copies of this for my grandchildren.
NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
Bellen Woodward, in grade 6 at the time of this book, is responsible for Crayola coming out with Crayola Colours of the World Crayons: crayons that reflect the many different skin colours of children around the world.
Bellen began by just changing the language around the one crayon called flesh. Instead of handing it over when someone asked for the skin colour crayon, she replied, "Which one? Skin can be any number of beautiful crayons." Soon this way of looking at crayons and skin colour was reflected across her school.
This part of the story was clear to me, but what happened afterwards to influence Crayola is not. Still I appreciate the section that sets out, in general terms, how anyone can bring change into the world.
Bellen began by just changing the language around the one crayon called flesh. Instead of handing it over when someone asked for the skin colour crayon, she replied, "Which one? Skin can be any number of beautiful crayons." Soon this way of looking at crayons and skin colour was reflected across her school.
This part of the story was clear to me, but what happened afterwards to influence Crayola is not. Still I appreciate the section that sets out, in general terms, how anyone can bring change into the world.
NON FICTION GRAPHIC
This is a great introduction to crows. As an adult reader I’m not the target audience, but I was charmed by both the goofy dog and the clever crow.
I’m kind of fascinated by crows and have read adult nonfiction about them. This meant that much of the research wasn’t new to me. But the graphic format certainly helped consolidate my understanding.
I plan to purchase a copy for an adult friend who is crow crazy and collects all things crow.
NON FICTION
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| 5 stars |
The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth byWade Hudson et al August 11, 2020
This collection of writings by diverse authors is an important template for how to make the world a better place for all of us.
I listened to it once, but no sooner finished it than I started it again.
You will too if you haven't already been introduced to it.
The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L Holm & Maxwell Glick (Narrator) January 5, 2021
MG NOVELS
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| 4 stars |
The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L Holm & Maxwell Glick (Narrator) January 5, 2021
I am always happy to read/listen to anything by Jennifer L Holm.
Bell has been raised on Mars in the American compound. They live in Lava tubes underground. It's a small loving community. However, they are estranged from the other colonies living nearby.
When illness strikes the adults in their home, Bell and another boy end up heading off to ask them for help. A new reality is opened up to them. By the time the book is done, Bell has changed relationships between the communities for the better.
When illness strikes the adults in their home, Bell and another boy end up heading off to ask them for help. A new reality is opened up to them. By the time the book is done, Bell has changed relationships between the communities for the better.
YA & ADULT FICTION
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| 3 stars |
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Jennifer Kim (Narrator) & Julian Cihi (Narrator) July 5, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. I read reviews that lauded it. The premise sounded fascinating. It follows a pair of video game designers from their first meeting as children on into their 40s. As fascinated as I was by the game designing, I didn’t like any of these characters very much. Quite regularly I wanted to smack them across the head and tell them to grow up and get over themselves!
CURRENTLY
Butt Sandwich & Tree by Wesley King 🍁
No Vacancy by Tziporah Cohen 🍁
A Green Velvet Secret by Vicki Grant 🍁
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam 🍁
UP NEXT - MAYBE
Death in a Darkening Mist (Lane Winslow #2) by Iona Whishaw 🍁
The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3) by N.K. Jemisin
Narwhalicorn and Jelly (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #7) by Ben Clanton
2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 7Canada Reads shortlist 5/5
READING GOALS
#MustReadFiction 23/24 one in progress
#MustReadNonFiction 16/18
Canadian Authors 69/100 four in progress
Indigenous Authors 18/25
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 257/250
Oh wow- snow! We haven't had any yet but it won't be long probably. I love the sound of Holm's book. Reminds me of a book I read about Mars in grade school (or maybe it's one they read to us)- can't recall the title.
ReplyDeleteThe first snow is spectacularly beautiful. After it's been around for a month or so, it's not so much anymore. I wonder what that book was. I loved the positive message in this one.
DeleteWe had a bit of snow last week, too, love the moisture & its beauty! But it's warming up again, until Thursday. It's the bouncing back & forth that I kind of like. I will certainly look for I Hope & Alone Like Me, have the crayon one on my list. There are so many to love & we're lucky with children, too, to have so much. I'm sorry to hear your words about the Zevin book. I loved The Storied Life... Have a great week coming up, Cheriee. Thanks for all you shared!
ReplyDeleteI was sad about Tomorrow. I too loved The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. We ended up with close to 6 inches. Usually our snow is dry and powdery. This stuff is like wet cement. It looks pretty, but is nasty to shovel and drive in!
DeleteThe Talk was a powerful read. A picture book with the same title just came out which I thought was an adaptation of one of the stories but it wasn't. Still a powerful read, though.
ReplyDeleteI've been listening to bits of it as I fall asleep at night. The writing is both beautiful and profound!
DeleteIt does seem too soon for snow. Your list of books look great. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Yvonne - and that white stuff continues to fall!
DeleteI don't even want to think about snow yet! It seems way too early! I loved The Lion of Mars! Jennifer L. Holm is such a great writer!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Jennifer L. Holm. Snow cam very early this year. Some trees still have green leaves on them!
DeleteHello, all those books sound wonderful. I wish I could have gotten the skin colors of the world for my son. (Not sure if they still sell those in Wal-mart) my son is multiracial (Eastern European Jewish mother/Chinese Hong Kong father) and when we went to Crayola land,he couldn't find a crayon that matched his skin tone and used brown one instead. Really got me thinking a lot though.
ReplyDeleteI love to see what others are reading. The picture books you read are all both lovely and intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI hadn’t heard of Gabrielle Grimard before your post, but you are right about her artwork. It’s wonderful.
ReplyDelete