Books

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Terrific times for tots to teens /4-6

Children's book reviewer Helen Norrie has recommendations for kids of all ages

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 12/14/2008 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

For youngest readers (ages 1-5)

A Moose in a Maple Tree:
The All-Canadian 12 Days of Christmas
By Troy Townsin, illustrated by Jennifer Harrington Polyglot Publishing, 32 pages, $20 paperback

WHAT are quintessential Canadian symbols?

How about "7 beavers building, 6 whales breaching, 5 hockey sticks, 4 totem poles, 3 snowmen, 2 polar bears and a moose in a maple tree"?

With big type, full-page lively illustrations and an all-Canadian theme, this will have youngest readers entranced and their parents chuckling.

Small
By Jessica Meserve
Andersen Press/Random House, 32 pages, $25 hardcover

EDMONTON'S Jessica Meserve perfectly catches the frustration of a younger, smaller sister who can never outrun, outjump or outscare her older sister.

But when Big's pet parrot gets stuck in the top branches of a tree, Small realizes she can do something Big can't and she no longer has to live in Big's shadow.

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
By Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond
Laura Geringer/HarperCollins, 32 pages, $18.50 hardcover.

WITH the same winning formula as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and its sequels, this innovative team tickles tiny funnybones with preposterous consequences of an innocently simple act.

Just One Goal
By Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Scholastic, 32 pages, $7 paperback

THE ever-popular Ontario author is back with another humorous, incredible tale, this one about a hockey rink built on the river where Ciara is determined to score a goal, even if the river is breaking up under her skates.

The Pet Dragon
By Christoph Niemann
Greenwillow, 32 pages, $18.50 hardcover

BASED on a Chinese myth, with Chinese characters incorporated into the illustrations, this is an unusual picture book about a little girl who searches for her pet dragon, with surprising results.

For beginning readers (6-8)

The Nutcracker - a Pop-Up Book
By Patricia Fry
HarperCollins, $27 hardcover

THE text (an abridged version of the well-known ballet) takes second place to the illustrations in this intricately constructed paper fantasy. Something to wonder at and to treat with care.

The Canadian Shield Alphabet
By Myrna Guymer, illustrated by RoseMarie Condon
Your Nickel's Worth Publishing, $25 hardcover

WRITTEN by a Saskatchewan author living in a cabin in the Canadian Shield, this is a unique ABC book full of little-known facts about this vast geographic area.

Besides the alphabetical text ("A Dene dad drives dogs near a diamond mine"), each page has a sidebar of more detailed information. (Who are the Dene? Do they still use dogs? Where were diamonds discovered?) Lavish illustrations by Condon.

Granny's Giant Bannock
By Brenda Isabel Wastasecoot, illustrated by Kimberley McKay-Fleming
Pemmican, 32 pages, $11 paperback

A new twist on the old tale of the bottomless porridge pot, this story involves a Cree grandmother making bannock, only her modern grandson gets confused in purchasing one of the ingredients. When bannock engulfs the town everyone gets to sample this tasty treat.

Don't Touch That and Don't Eat That
By Veronika Martenova Charles, illustrated by David Parkins
Tundra Books, 56 pages each, $8 each, paperback

IN these two of Tundra's "Easy-to-Read Spooky Tales" Charles incorporates stories from different countries into cautionary tales for Leon, Marcus and "I."

With big type and plenty of black-and-white illustrations, these are perfect for beginning readers. The stories have just enough weird characters and bizarre events to qualify as "ghost stories" that will especially appeal to boys.

Wendel and the Great One
By Mike Leonetti, illustrated by Greg Banning
Scholastic, 30 pages, $20 hardcover

DAVID is surprised to be chosen as captain of his local hockey team as they get set to watch the 1993 Stanley Cup series.

He learns valuable lessons from his two favourite players, Wendell Clark of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings. For junior hockey lovers.

For juvenile readers (ages 8-12)

The Royal Collection
By Bob King
Armchair Enterprises, 134 pages, $15

PRAIRIE-based children's songwriter and performing artist Bob King has gathered together 19 of his favourite songs and had them illustrated by schoolchildren from across Western Canada.

King's songs tell stories: the teacher who turned into a fish, the greedy bumblebee who overloaded on pollen, the advantages of mosquito pie in Manitoba.

Kids will chuckle with King and perhaps sing along as well.

Jolted
By Arthur Slade
HarperTrophy, 203 pages, $15 paperback

NEWTON Starker belongs to a family where every member for the last 20 years has been struck by lightning and died, except for Newton and his great-grandmother Enid.

Newton is enrolled in the Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival in Moose Jaw, Sask., in hopes of learning survival skills. Written through Newton's eyes, this is a humorous, well-plotted story that will engage readers.

Teenage readers (13 and up)

Getting the Girl
By Susan Juby
HarperTrophy Canada, 341 pages, $15 paperback

THIS young-adult novel confirms the B.C. author's reputation as an amusing and entertaining writer. Sherman Mack is in Grade 9, loves to cook and likes the girls.

But when his friend Dini is threatened with being "defiled" (the equivalent of shunned), he determines to find out who is behind this campaign. Juby's previous books, Miss Smithers, Alice I Think, etc., have been bestsellers, and this novel will likely join them.

How to Make a Wave
By Lisa Hurst-Archer
Red Deer Press, 223 pages,$13 paperback

THE Banff author tells the story of a Grade 8 misfit whose mother disappeared after a tragic car accident, leaving her with a disfiguring scar.

Gradually, with the help of art classes, Delia unlocks the family secret and comes to recognize her own worth.

Archipelago
By David Ward
Red Deer Press, 143 pages, $13 paperback

LOVERS of time travel will enjoy this book set in B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands.

Jonah is accompanying his artist mother to the islands when an accident transports him back 14,000 years to a time that is strikingly different. Yet his attraction to a stone-age Aboriginal girl is surprisingly modern.

101 Things Canadians Should Know About Canada
By the Dominion Institute
Key Porter Books, 155 pages, $20 hardcover

FOR the trivia buff, here is a book written by a variety of well-known Canadians (Tomson Highway, Rick Mercer, Christopher Moore and others, giving all you need to know about such diverse subjects as the Avro Arrow and Anne Murray, the Salk Vaccine and the CN Tower.

Helen Norrie is a former teacher/librarian who has taught at the University of Manitoba.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 14, 2008 A1

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More Books

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.