Bevy of bellies beautifully beguiling
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/04/2025 (342 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
To mark my debut column as the children’s book reviewer for the Free Press, I must first recognize and thank Helen Norrie, who for decades kept children’s book lovers informed about the latest and greatest in kid’s lit. She set a standard I hope to meet.
This month, I’ll review board books and picture books, two of my favourite genres. Watching a toddler modelling reading, fascinated by beautiful illustrations, or knowing that a child is absorbing advanced vocabulary and grown-up ideas as they listen to an adult reading a story — these are thrills money can’t buy.
Toronto’s Thao Lam writes and illustrates Everybelly (Groundwood, 40 pages, hardcover, $22), a jolly, belly-jiggling analysis of the different kinds of stomachs, as seen from a child’s point of view on a visit to the community pool with her mom. Bellies are works of art, they are useful, loud and incredibly expandable.
There are lessons to be learned from the diversity of bellies, and Lam’s clever paper collage illustrations celebrate the different ways we look. Children aged 3-5 will be checking everyone’s bellies after reading this, but be proud — every belly is okay.
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Chicka Chika I Love Mom and Chicka Chicka I Love Dad (Simon & Schuster, 40 pages each, hardcover, $13 each) are alphabet books based on the 1989 classic, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by American writers Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault.
Children aged two and up will absorb adult puns and expressions along with their letters, motivated to turn the sturdy, kid-resistant pages by Montreal artist Julien Chung’s pleasing, colourful drawings.
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An ordinary rock becomes a determined protagonist in The Rock (Groundwood, 44 pages, hardcover, $23), a beautiful book for children aged 3-6 by frequent collaborators Laurel Croza and Matt James.
Seagulls flying high above try to undermine the confidence of a big mass of minerals sitting on a wind-swept beach. But the rock knows it’s unique. As in all picture books, a child’s intervention proves who is right.
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Racism can raise its ugly head even at the elementary level, as Vancouver writer Norma Charles and her daughter Andrea Charles noted when Andrea’s son experienced it at school. Their The One and Only Question (Groundwood, 32 pages, hardcover, $22) teaches kids how to deal with demeaning remarks and bullying, because everyone deserves to feel safe and respected. (There are tips for the adults too.) Kids will see themselves in Ken Daley’s realistic drawings of a contemporary Canadian school.
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Kingston poet and novelist Y.S. Lee has turned her attention to readers aged 3-6 with Mrs. Nobody (Groundwood, 32 pages, hardcover, $22), a sophisticated look at navigating even the closest relationships.
Alice realizes she’s being overwhelmed by her bestie, and takes a drastic step to save their friendship. It turns out bossy people can appreciate being made aware of their faults. The imaginative, unconventional illustrations by award-winner Marie LaFrance capture the child within us all.
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My Book of Frogs and Toads (Groundwood, 48 pages, hardcover, $25) by Brazilian-born Torontonian Geraldo Valério, has created a gorgeous collection about these important amphibians from all over the world.
The large-format book has accurate, colourful drawings of frog and toad species, with interesting, sometimes quirky details.
As children advance from age three until they turn eight, they’ll re-read this book and build their knowledge base. Unfortunately, creatures’ place of origin can only be discerned if part of the animal’s name, but otherwise, this book will make an excellent gift or addition to a library collection.
Harriet Zaidman is an award-winning children’s writer and reviewer. Her novel, What Friends Are For, will be released in the fall.