Young boy, gargoyle become fast friends
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/02/2022 (1675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Paris is a place of endless fascination — especially when you focus on the statues that perch on its historic buildings.
Anthony and the Gargoyle (Groundwood, 48 pages, $20, hardcover), by Guelph author Jo Ellen Bogart with pictures by Maja Kastelic, is a beautifully illustrated tribute to a magical friendship between a little boy and a baby gargoyle. This is a wordless picture book that introduces children of all ages to this magical city.
Bogart, who first became fascinated by the gargoyles of Notre-Dame while visiting Paris, has written several picture books including The White Cat and the Monk, while Kastelic, who lives in Trebnje, Slovenia, has won acclaim for another wordless picture book, A Boy and His House.
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Could a wounded bird help heal a wounded child?
In Wounded Falcons by Mexican author Jairo Buitrago, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng (Groundwood, 40 pages, $20, hardcover), a wounded creature arouses feelings of compassion in a lonely child’s heart.
Adrian and Santiago live in a poor village in a South American country. While Adrian is always in trouble, Santiago gets along with everybody. But when they discover a wounded falcon that needs to be nursed back to health, it’s Adrian’s turn to show the caring side of his nature that he keeps hidden.
Yockteng, who lives in Bogota, Colombia, has added large and bright digital pictures which focus on Adrian’s feelings. He has collaborated with Buitrago on a number of acclaimed picture books including Jimmy the Greatest and Walk with Me. Ages 5-8.
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When does a dog go to school? When he’s a service dog.
Harley the Hero, by Ontario writer Peggy Collins (Pajama Press, 32 pages, $23, hardcover) is about an exceptional dog in an elementary classroom.
Collins shows how Harley becomes a beloved member of the class as he helps keep their teacher feeling safe and calm. His only bad habit? He loves to lick bare feet. But when a fire breaks out down the hall and Harley has to bring a frightened child to safety, he shows his true colours.
Collins has based her story on a real classroom she visited where the teacher suffered from PTSD, but was assisted by a lovable service dog. Her digital artwork is bright and full of life, making Harley’s world one that children will want to visit. Ages 6-9.
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Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen is a well-loved fairy tale. Briana Corr Scott has written a modern version in Wildflower (Nimbus, 32 pages, $23, hardcover).
Here, a tiny girl is born in the bud of a wildflower, making the childless mother’s heart fill with joy. However, when the child grows older she insists on living out of doors, where wildflowers bloom.
One of the best things about this picture book is the many and meticulously drawn pictures of wildflowers, also by Scott, mirroring flora from Nova Scotia, her home province. It also celebrates the love between mothers and daughters and makes a plea to preserve natural environments. Ages 3-7.
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It takes an exceptional book to be selected for an anniversary edition, but There’s a Dragon in my Closet (Peanut Butter Press, picture book, $20, hardcover), by John F. Green with artwork by Linda Hendry, fits that criteria.
This humorous tale of a boy who finds a dragon in his bedroom but has trouble convincing anyone of its existence has had children smiling for 35 years. We watch as he finds innovative ways to prove his new friend’s existence, aided by the hilarious watercolour illustrations of his family sliding down rain spouts or stampeding down stairs when he does the big reveal. Fun for ages 5-9.
Helen Norrie is a former teacher/librarian who would be delighted to find a dragon in her closet.
