Toy bunny’s overseas adventure a delight

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2024 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bill Pechet and former Winnipegger Bill Richardson (now both in Vancouver) have been amusing adults for years with their clever dialogue and quirky artwork. Since turning to children’s books, they have produced Lola Flies Alone and Hare B&B, to much acclaim. They now offer My Bunny Lies Over the Ocean (Running the Goat, 36 pages, $22, hardcover).

Written as a song to the old ballad My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, this story tells how a toy bunny gets left behind at the seaside, where it is washed out to sea and picked up by a starfish. As sea creatures keep handing it on, it eventually lands in Australia. It’s only after a full year has passed that Bunny is shipped home again.

Young readers will want to sing along with Bunny and his helpers in this musical adventure. Richardson and Pechet include a QR code to help readers listen to the Barbershop Bunnies belt out the tune. For ages 3-6.

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For a mid-level book that will cause readers to laugh out loud, even as you cringe at some of the misadventures that happen to the main character, try Mortified by Kristy Jackson, with graphics by Rhael McGregor (HarperCollins, 320 pages, $22, hardcover).

Belinda Houle is a student in grade 8 who suffers from a lack of self esteem. Though she does well in classes, she never signs up for any activities. Her friend Sally dabbles in fortune-telling, and when she gives Belinda a spell to enhance her self-confidence, it backfires.

A series of unfortunate events — including the loss of her hair due to a hair-straightening accident, an encounter with a skunk and a bathroom disaster — are only some of the “mortifying” results. Finally, Belinda realizes that standing up for herself can also cause people to admire her. Perhaps the lead in the school’s musical is even a possibility.

Jackson is of Cree and German background, which has given inspiration for this debut novel, with illustrations by Winnipeg Métis artist Rhael McGregor. Jackson’s introduction to each chapter, with intriguing graphics, helps readers anticipate action that follows. For ages 8-12.

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A unique occupation for teens (caving) plus an unusual setting (a mining town in Northern British Columbia) help make Cave-In (Great Plains Press, 240 pages, $19, paperback), by Vancouver author Pam Withers, a sure winner for mid-level readers.

Hudson Greer is a caver, exploring underground caverns and tunnels under the mining town of Tass. He and his caving partner, Jeff, have hopes of discovering a unique subterranean area that could attract tourists to their town.

Despite a horrific collapse which swallowed their entire church a generation ago, TT, the mining company that owns the town, is intent on digging in a possibly unsafe area.

With plenty of anxious moments, such as Hudson being caught underground with escape routes blocked, readers are kept in a state of suspense and fear. With meticulous details about safety procedures and caving protocol, as well as a romantic sub-plot as Hudson becomes interested in the boss’s daughter, this is a story that will have wide appeal. For ages 8-12.

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When his dad announces they’re going to spend the summer with no TV in a remote cabin, a young Grant Lawrence and his sister are devastated.

But as Lawrence, a Vancouver writer and broadcaster, points out in Adventures in Desolation Sound (Harbour Publishing, 32 pages, hardcover, $25) the kids find there are plenty of things to do and discover in their new environment.

As Lawrence recounts episodes from his own childhood, the well-known radio personality also reveals the beauty of the West Coast, aided by artist Ginger Ngo. For ages 4-7.

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Helen Norrie thinks Desolation Sound sounds like a great place to spend the summer.