Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. I'm also connecting up with the Sunday Salon. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.
We probably read more picture books than the one's I'm sharing here, but I can't remember them if we did.
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
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| 5 stars |
Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise (October 15, 2024)
Early Bird might not be able to guard the castle during the night, but that doesn't mean, they don't have many other talents.
This book is a celebration of individual differences and strengths. At the same time, in the end, it's also about the power of many.
Be warned that this tale can get pretty scary. My seven year old granddaughter was terrified, even though I reminded her it would have a happy ending.
This is an alphabet book showing creatures that are a combination of two different animals. The illustrations are delightfully imaginative. It is, ultimately, a book that highlights and celebrates mixed race identity. The author is of European and Japanese descent.
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| 3.5 stars |
Nori and His Delicious Dreams by Jeff Chiba Stearns March 1, 2020 🍁
Nori goes to bed each night dreaming of sleeping with food. What I liked most about this book is that it takes the reader on a multicultural culinary journey. A double page spread in the back of the book explains where all the dishes come from.
My grandkids brought these Jeff Chiba Stearns books with them last weekend. They were excited to share them with me. It's a testimony to the power of having author visits. Ada, the eldest of the girls, arranged to have these two signed for her younger sister.
Jeff Chiba Stearns is an animator as well as an author. I hope you make time for, and enjoy his animated memoir here.
Elise Gravel is a Canadian treasure. She writes fabulous books, both fiction and nonfiction, for the younger crowd. This is one of them. In here, her charming little little monsters explain quite brilliantly the basics of how our brains work.
This is a book that would work well as an introduction to a more in depth conversation about gender expectations, stereotypes, and social justice.
YA/ADULT FICTION
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching, #4) by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs (Narrator) September 2, 2010
This book won the Andre Norton Award in 2011.
Amid a climate of suspicion and prejudice, Tiffany, now fifteen, is fully immersed in her role as witch of the chalk. It turns out that the Cunning Man, a demonic spirit, is spreading hatred of witches in general, and is coming for Tiffany in particular. Even when she identifies who is responsible, and learns how it all began, it doesn't stop the monster. In the end, Tiffany, like many witches before her, has to figure out how to deal with him herself.
I loved that Eskarina Smith, the witch/wizard from Equal Rites, shows up to offer her guidance.
I appreciate that Pratchett shows us how rumour, hatred, racism and bigotry work in our world. While I value the importance of an individual speaking up, I wish that he had shown a group of individuals working together to overcome this evil, instead of the trope of the lone heroine saving the day. Tiffany might have had only one Cunning Man to deal with, but there are many Cunning Men stoking hatred and division among us today. It is going to take a massive amount of collective effort to defeat it.
I appreciate that Pratchett shows us how rumour, hatred, racism and bigotry work in our world. While I value the importance of an individual speaking up, I wish that he had shown a group of individuals working together to overcome this evil, instead of the trope of the lone heroine saving the day. Tiffany might have had only one Cunning Man to deal with, but there are many Cunning Men stoking hatred and division among us today. It is going to take a massive amount of collective effort to defeat it.
It's a book about relationships, connections and love. It begins with the ill fated romance and marriage of teens, Kismet Poe and Gary Geist, and Kismet's relationship with the brilliant Hugo. We see what love looks like over time through both their parent's partnerships. Because it is also about connections, it's less about romantic love than it is about mother and daughter love, love for family, love for community and love for the land. I suppose it might sound strange given that it seems to focus on the ill fated marriage, yet the marriage feels like a kind of catalyst. It's through that union that we come to understand and connect with the other characters and their motivations.
It's also a book about tragedy and trauma and how all these people cope with it.
Like Medicine Wheel for the Planet by Jennifer Grenz, a book I talked about a few weeks ago, this book is all about forging a new kind of relationship with the natural world.
It's also a book about tragedy and trauma and how all these people cope with it.
YA NON FICTION
Like Medicine Wheel for the Planet by Jennifer Grenz, a book I talked about a few weeks ago, this book is all about forging a new kind of relationship with the natural world.
Our world needs this kind of perspective now more than ever.
CURRENTLY
Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test: How Behavior Evolves and Why It Matters by Marlene Zuk August 9, 2022
UP NEXT (MAYBE)
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew 🍁
2025 READING GOALS
NonFiction 11/30
Poetry 1/12
Canadian Authors 19/50
Indigenous Authors 6/25
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 38/200
Canadian Authors 19/50
Indigenous Authors 6/25
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 38/200
I need to check out some picture books for the upcoming visit of our grandchildren next weekend. I should look for the new Knight Owl book.
ReplyDeleteRobin Wall Kimmerer is a treasure.
My 6-year-old loves capybaras. She'd be obsessed with a pink capybara.
ReplyDeleteNice looking assortment of books. I miss reading picture books. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
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