#WindowWednesday: We are incredibly fortunate to have stores create window features of our books. We want to highlight their amazing work here on our blog for you to see (and perhaps you’ll discover a new local bookstore).
Broken By X. Fang 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774882009 | Tundra Books When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama’s favorite cup, she’s convinced it’s the end of the world. What if Ama is angry? What if she yells? What if she kicks Mei Mei out of her house? Mei Mei can’t face it. But when Mimi, the innocent cat who witnesses her crime, ends up being blamed, the guilt is too much! Mimi’s accusing eyes follow Mei Mei until she just can’t take it anymore, and the truth comes spilling out. With vibrant and moody cinematic illustrations and pitch-perfect pacing, X. Fang’s newest picture book is filled to the brim with comedic drama and the comforting sweetness of a grandparent’s forgiving hug.
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Claire Hatcher-Smith!
About the Author:
CLAIRE HATCHER-SMITH is a speech and language pathologist who has worked with children with Down Syndrome for 35 years. Originally from the UK, she now lives surrounded by sea on Vancouver Island, with her husband, their teenage son and a Korean rescue dog. As well as writing, Claire runs groups for neurodivergent tweens and teens, focusing on self/other awareness, self-esteem and self-advocacy skills.
Q&A with Claire Hatcher-Smith:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I think I’m living here! I backpacked across Canada in 1992 and fell in love with Vancouver Island. The air, the ocean, the forest. The people are pretty nice too. At least, I like the one I married.
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better? Walking the dog. Even when I wake up blurry, even when it’s raining, getting outside and moving around, not to mention watching her live her best life, always lifts my mood. And walking is usually the best way for me to get my ideas flowing and to work through any really tricky plot knots.
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? It has to be breakfast (though I will happily eat excessively buttered toast at any time of day).
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? Ooh, this is going back a bit but I was lucky enough to be in London in 1991 when Pavarotti gave a free concert in Hyde Park. It poured with rain, no one (including Princess Diana) could use an umbrella because it blocked the view of the stage and we were soaked to the skin, but the whole evening was completely magical.
What do you look for in a friendship? Kindness, empathy and acceptance. Plus a passion for books, coffee and wine.
Books by Claire Hatcher-Smith:
A Skeleton in the Closet By Claire Hatcher-Smith 240 Pages | Age 10+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781774885116 | Tundra Books Twelve-year-old Mizzy dreams of being a detective and she won’t let anything stand in her way — not her reputation for tall tales, or her embarrassing fear of escalators, and definitely not her Down syndrome. Dumped for the summer with cousins who’ve outgrown her, Mizzy feels even more sidelined than usual. But when she discovers Great Aunt Jane’s diaries in a locked wardrobe in their spare room, and realizes her aunt didn’t just die in her sleep but under suspicious circumstances, everything changes. What’s more . . . someone in the family appears to have been involved. Under the guise of a family tree project for school, and armed with a brand-new set of Pip-Squeaks markers, Mizzy grabs the chance to prove herself to her cousins — and the world.
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Stephanie Graegin!
About the Author:
STEPHANIE GRAEGIN makes books for hedgehogs and humans of all ages. She spends her days and nights observing, recording and drawing the adventures of her hedgehog friends and neighbors. Her picture books include Little Fox in the Forest, Fern and Otto and The Long Ride Home. Stephanie has also illustrated numerous other children’s books, such as the Heartwood Hotel series. She lives in New York.
Q&A with Stephanie Graegin:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I’m pretty happy with living in New York City. It has everything I like in one place: great art museums, tons of bookstores, great food, beautiful parks, and four seasons.
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better? Chocolate. Feeling like things are “working” while writing, or making a drawing that feels just right. And I always feel better after a run, because it feels like an accomplishment.
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Dinner, because it’s a time to unwind and relax. Especially if it’s Friday night sushi being eaten while watching a favorite show.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? Sufjan Stevens for a Celebrate Brooklyn concert. It was transcendent, he’s an unbelievable performer. The concert was outside in Prospect Park on a hot summer day. It started pouring buckets of rain which somehow made the whole experience more magical.
What do you look for in a friendship? Kindness. Bonus points if we can talk about books for hours.
Books by Stephanie Graegin:
Everyday Bean By Stephanie Graegin 56 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774886205 | Tundra Books Meet Bean, a very tiny hedgehog. She loves ghosts, swings and a stuffie called Clem. Meet Bean’s grandma. She loves strawberries, sweaters and tiny Bean burritos. And they both love stories. In ten tiny stories we follow Bean and her grandmother through adventures of the everyday. Bean loses her bad mood in a meadow and Grandma thinks she sees a ghost (don’t worry it’s just Bean!) — and there’s even a story with giant strawberries. This first volume in the Tiny Bean’s Big Adventures series by acclaimed author/illustrator and hedgehog friend/insider, Stephanie Graegin, is the perfect gift for little (and big) readers and hedgehog admirers everywhere.
Fern and Otto: A Picture Book Story About Two Best Friends By Stephanie Graegin 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback ISBN 9780593481325 | Dragonfly Books When best friends Fern, a bear, and Otto, a cat, go searching for an exciting story in the forest, they have different ideas about what that means. Fern thinks they should stop and watch a race between a tortoise and a hare, but Otto worries that a tortoise is too slow to be exciting. Fern thinks listening to the three brothers talking about how to build a house is incredibly interesting, but Otto isn’t convinced. Along the way, the two friends meet a little girl in red who is off to visit her grandmother (and a wolf headed the same way!), a cranky girl complaining that her porridge isn’t the right temperature, and many others. But it’s not until they run into a big scary witch that they can both agree: this is not the kind of excitement they had in mind. With irresistible illustrations and tons of charming details, this is a delightful fantasy that proves the best adventures are the ones you share.
Little Fox in the Forest By Stephanie Graegin 40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Paperback ISBN 9780553537895 | Random House Studio When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! The girl chases the fox into the woods, with her friend, the boy, following close behind, but soon the two children lose track of the fox. Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side? A marvelous village of miniature stone cottages, tiny treehouses, and, most extraordinary of all, woodland creatures of every shape and size living there. But where is the little fox? And how will they find him? Stephanie Graegin’s oh-so-charming illustrations are simply irresistible, and readers young and old will want to pore over the pages of this delightful fantasy adventure again and again.
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Shauntay Grant!
About the Author:
SHAUNTAY GRANT is an award-winning author, poet, playwright, interdisciplinary artist, and associate professor of creative writing at Dalhousie University. She is the author of a number of picture books, including My Fade is Fresh, which garnered multiple starred reviews, Sandy Toes: A Summer Adventure, Snowy Mittens: A Winter Adventure and When I Wrap My Hair. A former poet laureate for the City of Halifax, her picture book Africville won the 2019 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and was a finalist for the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Awards, the 2019 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards, and the 2019 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award.
Q&A with Shauntay Grant:
Bright Lights and Summer Nights takes readers on a luminous bedtime journey through a summery dreamworld. Can you share what inspired you to write this enchanting bedtime story and the themes you wanted to explore?
This story was inspired by the warmth, magic, and music of summer. Lullabies and laughter. Carnivals and moonlight. And the wonder of dreams.
Poetry often relies on musicality and rhythm. How do you ensure that your picture book’s text has a soothing, rhythmic quality that makes it perfect for bedtime reading?
I recite the poem out loud – to myself, to my children. It’s important to me that the words resonate both on and off the page.
Your previous works often reflect cultural and personal influences. How do your own experiences and background inform the stories you choose to tell, particularly in this new book?
Strangely, I wasn’t thinking about specific childhood or other influences. Though when I read the story, I do see that some of my favorite things ended up in the book – moonlight, starlight, carousels . . .
Do you have a favorite poetic form or style that you enjoy writing in, particularly for children’s literature? How do you decide which form best fits the story you want to tell?
It really depends on how the story or poem emerges at first. Usually a line or sequence of lines will come to mind. I’ll study the rhythm of those lines and if a form emerges, I may play around with that. With this book, the phrase “bright lights and summer nights” came to me as a possible book title. After a while I thought: What if the title became the first line? What if the second line began with the last word of the first line? And so on. The poem just seemed to grow from there.
What message or feeling do you hope parents and children will take away from reading your book together at bedtime? How do you hope it will impact their nightly routine and dreams?
The text is quite sparse leaving lots of room to imagine. Zach’s illustrations are warm and inviting. So I hope the book inspires warm thoughts at bedtime, and more magical dreams.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers, especially those interested in writing poetry and picture books for children? What are some key elements they should focus on to create engaging and memorable stories?
Poetry uses tools that speak to children like rhythm, rhyme, assonance and alliteration. Playing around with these and exploring the musicality of language can help strengthen your skills as far as poetry and writing for kids.
Books by Shauntay Grant:
Bright Lights and Summer Nights Written by Shauntay Grant Illustrated by Zach Manbeck 40 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774883662 | Tundra Books Fireflies and mystic moon Mystic moon and brilliant night filled with friends and firelight On a hot summer night, Mother Moon soothes a little star baby who won’t go to sleep. With her magic, she spins a warm, lyrical tale of friendship and fun: a dreamy summer evening set beneath a blanket of twinkling stars as children and forest friends with balloons enjoy a country fair with a carousel and caramel apples before taking a fantastical trolley ride to a marvelous, light-filled destination. A captivating book, sure to be picked up night after night, that will send all little star babies off to dreamland.
My Fade Is Fresh Written by Shauntay Grant Illustrated by Kitt Thomas 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780593387085 | Penguin Workshop When a little girl walks into her local barbershop, she knows she wants the flyest, freshest fade on the block! But there are so many beautiful hairstyles to choose from, and the clients and her mother suggest them all: parts, perms, frizzy fros, dye jobs, locs, and even cornrows! But this little girl stays true to herself and makes sure she leaves the shop feeling on top with the look she picks! Author Shauntay Grant’s sweet, rhyming story encourages young girls to be self-confident and celebrates the many shapes and forms Black hair can take. Through their stunning illustrations, Kitt Thomas is able to bring life and movement to the versatile styles featured in this book.
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Vikki VanSickle!
About the Author:
VIKKI VANSICKLE is the author of a number of acclaimed novels for children including The Lightning Circle, Words That Start With B; Summer Days, Starry Nights; the award-winning The Winnowing; and picture books How to Decorate a Christmas Tree, If I Had a Gryphon; Teddy Bear of the Year; and Anonymouse. Vikki started her career as an independent bookseller and worked in children’s publishing for twelve years. In addition to writing, she curates and presents regular book segments for CTV Your Morning. Currently, she lives and writes in Toronto.
Q&A with Vikki VanSickle:
Your book, Into the Goblin Market, is a tribute to Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market’ and classic fairy-tale villains. Can you share what inspired you to create this homage and how you approached reimagining such a beloved poem for a contemporary audience?
Sometimes, as a writing exercise, I will look at a genre or trend and determine what my interpretation of it would be. I really like fractured fairytales, so one day I started brainstorming what fairytales I would like to fracture or interpret, and I thought of Christina Rossetti’s poem, which was one of my favorites from university. It’s so lush and visual, stars two female characters, and there is no prince/romantic hero figure, all things that really appeal to me. I didn’t know of any picture book versions, so I thought I would write my own. As I was writing I liked the idea of turning the generic goblins into villains from fairytales and classic children’s stories, adding yet another fairytale layer for sharp-eyed readers.
Into the Goblin Market emphasizes themes of courage, intelligence, and resilience. How did you weave these themes into the narrative, and why do you think they are important for young readers today?
I think there are many ways to be brave and many kinds of intelligence. While Millie may not be classically brave, it is her knowledge of fairytales and book smarts that allows her to rescue her sister. Mina never gives up protecting and trying to warn her sister even when she is trapped in a not-so-human form. They are both heroes in their own way, which hopefully encourages readers to consider their own aptitudes and preferences as strengths, even if they are less traditional.
Into the Goblin Market features familiar fairy-tale villains and the intriguing Goblin Market. How did you balance the darker elements of these tales with the enchanting and beautiful aspects of your story to create a captivating experience for children?
I don’t think of Into the Goblin Market as particularly dark, probably because fairytales were never introduced to me as something dark or scary, they were just fairytales. One of the most consistent hallmarks of fairytales is that good triumphs over evil. I think there are enough markers of a fairytale in the opening of Into the Goblin Market that readers, on some level, believe that good will prevail, despite the scarier moments. I also think it is these tense moments that make the reward that much more satisfying. With greater stakes comes a greater reward.
For The Lightning Circle, what inspired you to write a coming-of-age novel set at a summer camp?
The Lightning Circle is inspired by own experiences as a counselor at a girls’ summer camp. Lots of books set at camp are full of pranks, humor, and romance, but very few captured the transformative magic that I personally experienced and wanted to celebrate. I wanted to capture the feeling of how a summer can transform you, especially at the crucial moment of picking yourself up after a heartbreak. I also wanted to demonstrate that you can heal a heart through friendship, personal reflection and growth instead of the more common trope of meeting another romantic interest who makes you forget about the one who broke your heart.
How did you decide to tell Nora’s story through verse? Can you describe the process of blending poetry with visual elements in The Lightning Circle?
Camp feels like a series of moments, or small realizations. To me, it made more sense to tell the story in a series of very intimate, very specific poems, which invite the reader to sit and live in that moment, than it did to write in prose, which is all about forward momentum. Nora herself is very reflective, which suits poetry better than prose.
Because Nora is an artist, her reflections also come in the form of sketches of daily life. For the most part, I didn’t indicate what images Laura K. Watson, the illustrator, should create. Instead, I let her read the book and decide what she thought Nora would draw in her sketchbook. The only image I really wanted to see was the image on page 120, of two girls holding hands in front of a campfire. The metaphor of the lightning circle—how holding hands/connection can dissipate a shock (literal or otherwise)-is central to the book (so much so that it became the title!), so I wanted to see a visual representation of that.
Books by Vikki VanSickle:
Into the Goblin Market Written by Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall 48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735268562 | Tundra Books Millie loves her quiet life on the farm, but Mina longs for adventure. When the Goblin Market comes to town, Millie knows it’s a bad idea. They’ve been told stories their whole lives about the dangers of the Goblin Market. But Mina just can’t resist . . . When Mina doesn’t come back, it’s Millie’s turn to brave the market to bring her home. She will use all her smarts and all her courage to try to outwit the goblins and save her sister . . . but will it be enough? This gorgeous and intriguing tribute to both “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti and classic fairy-tale villains is also a story about the bond between sisters and a celebration of courage, intelligence and resilience.
The Lightning Circle Written by Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Laura K. Watson 224 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781774882498 | Tundra Books After having her heart broken, seventeen-year-old Nora Nichols decides to escape her hometown and take a summer job as an arts and crafts counsellor at an all-girls’ camp in the mountains of West Virginia. There, she meets girls and women from all walks of life with their own heartaches and triumphs. Immersed in this new camp experience, trying to form bonds with her fellow counselors while learning to be a trusted adviser for her campers, Nora distracts herself from her feelings, even during the intimate conversations around the nightly campfires. But when a letter from home comes bearing unexpected news, Nora finds inner strength in her devastation with the healing power of female friendship. Presented as Nora’s camp journal, including Nora’s sketches of camp life, scraps of letters, and spare poems, The Lightning Circle is an intimate coming-of-age portrait.
How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Written by Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Miki Sato 40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735268586 | Tundra Books A little girl shares the steps for the perfect tree trimming – a holiday picture book for fans of Pick a Pine Tree and The Little Christmas Tree. In this charming Christmas tale, readers will follow along with the main character as she shares all the things that go into decorating a tree: Lights Ornaments Popcorn Hot chocolate Taffy the cat Memories And, most importantly, family! With stunning three-dimensional art by Miki Sato and a delightful story by wordsmith Vikki VanSickle, including a twist ending, this book will quickly become a Christmas tree decorating tradition of its own.
Anonymouse Written by Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Anna Pirolli 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735263949 | Tundra Books Art for the birds. Art for the ants. Art for the dogs, cats and raccoons. Art to make them laugh, make them think, make them feel at home. But who is creating it? Only Anonymouse knows for sure . . . This clever tale mixes street art, animals and gorgeous illustrations to create a meditation on how art can uplift any creature’s spirit – human or animal – when it speaks directly to them. Every page of Anna Pirolli’s stunning artwork is its own masterpiece with its bold pops of color and sly humor, elevating Vikki VanSickle’s subtle but evocative text.
Teddy Bear of the Year Written by Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Sydney Hanson 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735263925 | Tundra Books Ollie is a regular bear with a regular job. He listens to his girl’s stories about her days, he snuggles her to sleep and he is there waiting when she gets home from school. Just your typical teddy bear stuff. So when he is whisked away to the annual teddy bears’ picnic, he feels insignificant compared to the other bears who do daring and daunting things: sleepovers, hospital stays-even a night in the lost and found! Ollie feels even more small and unimportant but he soon learns that it’s not just the big things that matter, it’s the little things too.
If I Had a Gryphon Written by Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Cale Atkinson 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback ISBN 9781774880913 | Tundra Books Sam just got a hamster for a pet. But the hamster is kind of boring . . . he just eats and sleeps and gets his shavings wet. Inspired by her book of mythological creatures, Sam longs for a more exciting pet. But she soon realizes that taking care of these magical beasts might not be as wonderful as she thought. Sasquatches are messy, unicorns are shy, hippogriffs scare the dogs at the dog park, and having a fire extinguisher handy at all times makes dragons seem like an awful lot of work. In the end, Sam realizes that her hamster is a pretty sweet and safe pet . . . or is he? If I Had a Gryphon is a raucous rhyming read-aloud about fantastical beasts in everyday situations – and the increasingly beleaguered heroine who has to deal with them.
