Celebrating Canadian Picture Books
Last week saw the premier of a collaborative event between Picture Books, Eh! and CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors Illustrators and Performers).
Participants in the Canadian Read & Review Party had the chance to hear ten authors read their new picture books and later, if they wished, review them on Indigo, Goodreads, Amazon, and/or on their own blogs or social media. Readers and viewers attended from across the country on Zoom.
Able to attend only part of the event, I heard, pictured here, four well-crafted stories, illustrated in styles well-suited to the texts they accompanied, published by houses that clearly care about the quality of their books.
A two-minute interval between readings gave viewers a chance to jot down thoughts to guide their reviews. A visual featuring a charming beaver, moose, and fox (how Canadian can you get, eh?) filled the screen while music by Canadian artists played.
My reviews:
When A Tree Falls by Kirsten Pendreigh & Elke Boschinger - Lush illustrations accompany the beautifully spare text. Includes back matter about the forest life cycle that I'm keen to delve into.
Who’s Walking Dawg by Marie Prins & Leanne Branson - Readers who have known a mischievous dog or dreamed (isn’t that just about everyone?) will delight in Dawg’s adventures!
No Huddles for Heloise by Deborah Kerbel & Udayana Lugo - A good book for introverts and those who don’t understand them. Fun facts about penguins too.
Barnaby the Runaway Sheep by Maria Antonio & Sagani Mukherjee - For kids who don’t like haircuts or who have dreamt of running away from home. A satisfyingly structured story. The faces of the humans and animals are wonderfully expressive. (The illustrations of Barnaby with his overgrown wool is especially hilarious.) Anyone who enjoyed Amos's Sweater by Janet Lunn & Kim LaFave is bound to love this story too.
Having forgotten what a treat it is to listen to a picture book being read aloud, I’m already looking forward to the next Read & Review event!
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Kathy Stinson is the author of the classic Red Is Best and the award-winning The Man with the Violin. Her wide range of titles includes picture books, non-fiction, young adult fiction, historical fiction, horror, biography, series books, and short stories. She has met with her readers in every province and territory of Canada, in the United States, Britain, Liberia, and Korea. She lives in a small town in Ontario.
Terrific information and I’ll be ordering a few for sure.
Great! I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with any of them. 🙂