Category: illustrator

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Good Nutrition Month


November is Good Nutrition Month! Eat well and learn about your growing body with books from the Body Works series:

My Achy Body
By Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD
Illustrated by Joe Weissmann
Hardcover | 24 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-204-2

“…informative, straightforward and, most of all, entertaining…. The fun and frank approach isn’t, however, just for kids. It’s meant to be appealing to parents and caregivers, too, and wit and warmth – along with solid information about the intricacies of the human body – are in no short supply.” – The Medical Post

My Messy Body
By Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD
Illustrated by Joe Weissmann
Hardcover | 24 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-202-8

“Using amusing, cartoon-y watercolor illustrations and a couple of paragraphs of text per page, the book provides correct terminology for the kid-familiar terms.”– Kirkus Reviews

My Noisy Body
By Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD
Illustrated by Joe Weissmann
Hardcover | 24 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-201-1

“Helping launch the Body Works series, this informative guide explores the facts behind ‘burps, hiccups, stomach growls, and farts.’ Weissmann’s cartoons depict wafting fumes and awkward glances as Fromer and Gerstein discuss what causes these sounds” – Publishers Weekly

My Stretchy Body
By Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD
Illustrated by Joe Weissmann
Hardcover | 24 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-203-5

“…the books keep things simple, straightforward, and almost entirely squirm-free…. Fun facts are offered, as are true-or-false questions and health tips…. You couldn’t really ask for a more straightforward and snicker-free handling of body-related topics. These books would work very well in a classroom or as a health primer.” – Quill & Quire

EXTRA! EXTRA!

  • Co-author, Liza Fromer, has written a piece about how the series came to be on the Yummy Mummy Club.
  • Win 1 of 10 Body Works Prize Packs from the Yummy Mummy Club!
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2011 Aesop Accolades

The Aesop Award Committee of the Children’s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society have announced the 2011 Aesop Awards. It’s Not About the Apple, It’s Not About the Crumbs, It’s Not About the Hunter, It’s Not About the Pumpkin, and It’s Not About the Rose have received 2011 Aesop Accolades! Congratulations to Veronika Martenova Charles and David Parkins!

This is what the Award Committee had to say about the Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales:
By learning that the same stories have been told throughout history across many cultures, children can begin to feel a connection to the people of different nations. This is a message that rings true in this series of easy reader books that feature cross-cultural versions of folk and fairy tales familiar to all children. Each volume presents three different versions of a story told by three culturally diverse characters, Jake, Ben, and Lily. In It’s Not About the Rose!, Jake tells the European story of “Beauty and the Beast.” Ben is then reminded of the Indonesian version of this story he knows as “The Lizard.” Lily finally tells her story, based on the Norwegian folktale, “East of the Sun and West of the Moon.” In It’s Not About the Crumbs!, the three friends compare three different versions of Hansel and Gretel tales. It’s Not About the Pumpkin! features Cinderella stories from Europe, India, and China. The children compare versions of Little Red Riding Hood in It’s Not About the Hunter!, and Snow White stories from Greece, Armenia, and Italy are the subjects in It’s Not About the Apple!

These beginning-level books are presented in a format inviting to young readers, including the comic style illustrations of David Parkins. Each book cover shows the three main characters expressively sharing their stories, inviting the reader to join the group. The children compare the stories in familiar venues such as the park or at school, demonstrating how folklore can be part of a child’s everyday life.

Perhaps the best aspect of the series is that it includes folklore in the repertoire of first literature available to young readers. As children grow and mature they will find that folk and fairy tales form the base of much of the body of literature they will be reading. The committee would like to commend the publisher and author for this project that brings folklore into the realm of early reading literature and at the same time works in support of cultural consciousness.

For more information, please visit the American Folklore Society’s website. The Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales are also available as e-books.

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Words Worth Eating with Nan Forler and Peter Etril Snyder


Last week, on October 12, Words Worth Books and Uptown 21 hosted Words Worth Eating with Peter Etril Snyder and Nan Forler. This was in celebration of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms, a newly released book filled with poems and recipes.

Here’s a look at the wonderful dinner Uptown 21 prepared:


The first course was an apple, cauliflower, and pickled bean salad in a maple mustard vinaigrette and extra old cheddar.


For the mid course, a roasted pumpkin soup with “off the shelf” relish and caraway oil.


Just look at that main course! Smoked and slow braised pork shanks over a warm sour cream potato salad and Nick’s famous sauerkraut.


For dessert, a strawberry-rhubarb custard crisp and Dutch apple pie. The recipe for this dish is in the book!


Mandy from Words Worth Books takes the mic!


Uptown 21 owners, Nick and Nat. Compliments to the Head Chef, Nick, the food was fabulous!

Missed it? Wished you were there? You’re in luck! Words Worth Books and Nick and Nat’s UPTOWN 21 will be hosting a second evening of Words Worth Eating on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 from 6:00pm-9:30pm.

Please call 519-883-1100 to reserve your seat, your ticket includes a 4-course meal inspired by the story and a copy of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms. $80 for a single ticket or $125 for a couple. Tickets do not include beverages, taxes, or gratuities.

For more photos from this event, please visit our facebook album.

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The 2012 OLA Forest of Reading® Nominees

Today, the Ontario Library Association revealed the nominated titles for the 2012 Forest of Reading® program.

Tundra would like to congratulate Heather Hartt-Sussman, Geneviève Côté, Monica Kulling, Bill Slavin, and Susin Nielsen!

Blue Spruce™ Nominee:
Noni Says No
Written by Heather Hartt-Sussman
Illustrated by Geneviève Côté
Hardcover | 24 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-233-2
“In this picture book, Noni, a bright-eyed little girl, undergoes a course in assertiveness training and the management of overbearing personalities. If this burden makes the book sound dull and didactic, be assured that it is anything but. Côté’s illustrations, spiky and sparkling, ensure that the eye is captivated, and Hartt-Sussman’s perfectly paced and pitched text carries the story forward in a most engaging fashion….” – The Globe and Mail

Silver Birch® Express Nominee:
All Aboard! Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Hardcover | 32 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-945-0
“All aboard! is a fitting rallying cry for the new year, all the more so when it comes in an excellent nonfiction book for young readers…. Kulling’s breezy, clear prose gives this the brisk momentum of a short train journey. Slavin’s ink and watercolour illustrations provide engaging character and perspective, playfully evoking 19th century North America. Together they make All Aboard! a lively character study, history lesson and celebration of mechanical engineering — a satisfying read for children between Grades 1 and 3 who are beginning to read on their own.” – The Toronto Star

Red Maple™ Fiction Nominee:
Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom
Written by Susin Nielsen
Hardcover | 240 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-977-1
“…In Violet, Vancouver author Susin Nielsen has created a delightful main character and an often hilarious book…. This book offers a delightful reading experience that will be especially of interest to girls whose parents have separated or divorced. It gently explores many of the feelings that children experience in such circumstances and does so in a humorous manner.” – The Waterloo Region Record

The Festival of Trees™ will be taking place on May 15-16, 2012 at the Harbourfront Centre. We will be there to cheer on our authors and illustrators!

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2011 Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist


The Canada Council for the Arts announced the 68 finalists for the 2011 Governor General’s Literary Awards today! The Governor General’s celebrate the excellence of Canadian writers, illustrators, and translators. The English and French awards are in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation.

Tundra is happy to announce that From Then to Now by Christopher Moore is a finalist for the 2011 Governor General’s Literary Awards in Children’s Text.

From Then to Now
A Short History of the World
Written by Christopher Moore
Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski
Hardcover | 192 Pages
Ages 10+
ISBN 978-0-88776-540-7

Praise:
“Capably told and uniquely illustrated, From Then to Now explains how imaginative human cultures have produced an intellectually and socially dynamic world…. Far from a history of conquerors, this exceptional history of humanity is a breath of fresh air” – School Library Journal

“Moore does an admirable job not only getting so much history in, but displaying how it can be cyclical, a constant succession of societies rising and falling. That premise will prompt much discussion among curious young minds.” – Quill & Quire

“…this picture of our last 50,000 years covers well-scouted ground….” – Booklist

“…this book offers a wonderful read that has a uniquely Canadian perspective scattered throughout…. Moore skillfully weaves his information with locations throughout the globe…. Moore takes a huge amount of information and distills it into a cohesive read… a useful addition as both a reference source and a thoughtful read for those interested in social history.” – Resource Links

“In this ambitious work, Moore … sets out to tell the story of humanity…. Moore does a marvelous job in telling the story of civilization in diverse parts of the world…. Highly recommended.” – CM Magazine

“…in fewer than 200 pages, Moore takes on the history of the whole world with wonderful resorts…. A polished storyteller, Moore communicates simply, adding drama and laughter as he relates human actions and interactions from around the globe…. Andrej Krystoforski has created bright watercolours to begin each chapter…. From the first to the last page, the words invite solid readers to explore From Then to Now: A Short History of the World and enjoy a story told in a timeless fashion.” – Canadian Children’s Book News