Category: illustrator

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Tuesdays with Tundra 10

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

“Scribbling Women” True Tales from Astonishing Lives
By Marthe Jocelyn
Hardcover | Ages 14 and up
ISBN 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook 978-1-77049-230-1
“…a wonderful example of a book that will break down any negative stereotypes about biographies. [Jocelyn]… creates lively, sometimes humorous pieces that blend straight biographic detail and anecdotal accounts about some lesser known women writers in history….  Each of these remarkable women shed light on a place, time and experience that would have otherwise been lost. Not only does Jocelyn share extraordinary stories about these women, but her piece also celebrates writers of all kinds, inspiring young adults, particularly girls, to value their own voices and experiences by writing through whatever means they choose. Although many of the women in Scribbling Women led extraordinary lives, the everyday is often filled with exciting, humorous tales….” – ForeWord Reviews

From Then to Now: A Short History of the World
By Christopher Moore
Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski
Hardcover | Ages 10 and up
ISBN 978-0-88776-540-7
“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

Stones for My Father
By Trilby Kent
Hardcover | Ages 11 and up
ISBN 978-1-77049-252-3
eBook 978-1-77049-260-8
Corlie Roux’s farm life in South Africa is not easy: the Transvaal is beautiful, but it is also a harsh place where the heat can be so intense that the very raindrops sizzle. When her beloved father dies, she is left with a mother who is as devoted to her sons as she is cruel to her daughter. Despite this, Corlie finds solace in her friend, Sipho, and in Africa itself and in the stories she conjures for her brothers.

But Corlie’s world is about to vanish: the British are invading and driving Boer families like hers from their farms. Some escape into the bush to fight the enemy. The unlucky ones are rounded up and sent to internment camps.

Will Corlie’s resilience and devotion to her country sustain her through the suffering and squalor she finds in the camp at Kroonstad? That may depend on a soldier from faraway Canada and on inner resources Corlie never dreamed she had….

Merci Mister Dash!
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Esperanca Melo
Hardcover | Ages 3-6
ISBN 978-0-88776-964-1
“…Brightly colored acrylic paintings show Mr. Dash at his best…. Generously sprinkled with easily understood French phrases, this well-paced portrait of patience and toleration ends with a satisfying nap by the fire and the promise of a quiet, Daphne-free day. Children will empathize with Daphne and Mr. Dash and perhaps gain an understanding of both positions. A good choice to generate discussion, this will appeal to energetic youngsters and dog lovers alike.” – Kirkus Reviews

Pub Date Giveaway: Start your spring with a new book! Which book would you love to read? Leave us a comment below and one lucky reader will receive a copy of their requested book, courtesy of Tundra! One request per person and please review our rules. This offer ends at midnight on Thursday, April 14, 2011!

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Keep Toronto Reading 2011

Keep Toronto Reading starts tomorrow! Start celebrating books and reading! The festival is a month long, April 1-April 30, with events in many of the library branches. You can view the full schedule of  programs on the Toronto Public Library’s website. Here are some events featuring Tundra authors and illustrators from the KTR page:

Meet Author Robin Muller
Friday, April 01, 2011 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
At Albert Campbell (496 Birchmount Road, Toronto, ON M1K 1N8)
How did author and illustrator Robin Muller become a children’s book star? Come find out! For more information, contact the branch at 416-396-8890.

Get Creative with Robin Muller
Saturday, April 09, 2011 from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
At Fairview (35 Fairview Mall Dr., Toronto, ON M2J 4S4)
Wanna be an author or illustrator? Get the ins and outs of the creative process from a pro. Ages 6 to 12.

BOOK BASH!! Children’s Literature Festival

Writing Workshop with Marthe Jocelyn
Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
At Northern District, Program Room (40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, ON M4R 1B9)
Meet Marthe Jocelyn, winner of the first TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, and get creative in this hands-on writing workshop. Ages 10 and up. Space is limited.

Meet Author Richard Scrimger
Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
At Northern District, Urban Living Room (40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, ON M4R 1B9)
Richard Scrimger is the winner of the Mr. Christie Book Award for The Nose from Jupiter, a book about a wise-cracking alien who inhabits a little boy’s nose. Many of his other books have also been nominated for awards. He wrote a series of picture books starring baby Bun Bun, and also writes novels for young adults. Ages 8 and up.

Meet Author Cary Fagan
Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
At Northern District, Urban Living Room (40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, ON M4R 1B9)
Cary Fagan is an award-winning children’s author, a writer of adult novels, an editor and a contributor to a number of magazines and newspapers. Cary has written several picture books, including Gogol’s Coat and The Market Wedding. Daughter of the Great Zandini, winner of a Mr. Christie Silver Medal, was Cary’s first novel for children and The Fortress of Kaspar Snit was his second. Ages 8 and up.

Meet Author Shane Peacock
Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
At Northern District, Urban Living Room (40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, ON M4R 1B9)
Shane Peacock’s books are peopled with high-wire walkers, sumo wrestlers, the world’s most dangerous man and literature’s most famous detective. To research his books, he learned the art of tight-rope walking and sumo eating. His latest novel is The Secret Fiend: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 4th Case. The Boy Sherlock series has garnered multiple awards. Ages 9 and up.

Tundra is having fun transforming into books too:

Let books transform you this April! Take your photo and share it with the Toronto Public Library on twitter or facebook.

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Give us a Match!

We feel like having some fun this Friday, so let’s play a simple matching game! Pamela had the wonderful idea of creating matching cards (a fond childhood memory for her) for Marthe Jocelyn and Nell Jocelyn’s Ones and Twos.

There’s more to this set, but to keep it easier for us, I’ve picked 8 pairs to play with. Here are the cards:

I’ve given each card a coordinate so you can tell me which ones to flip!

To play:

  1. Leave a comment below with your 2 card coordinates.
  2. I will flip them, snap a photo, and update this page.
  3. You can only guess 3 times, so strategize and wait for someone to reveal some of the cards. However, if someone beats you to the punch to a winning match, it won’t count as a guess for you.
  4. The first eight people to find a matching pair will win a copy of Ones and Twos, a set of the matching card game, and the book’s poster. Have fun and good luck!

We’re doing this old school, without flash or any other fancy program!

Here is A1 and D4:

Here is B1 and C2:

Here is B3 and C3:

A match! Congratulations to My Bits and Bleeps!

Here is C1 and B4 (PS: I’m keeping all the matches open in all future photos):

Here is D1 and C4:

Here is B4 and D4:

A match! Congratulations to Christinabean!

Here is B1 and D1:

A match! Congratulations to Teresa!

Here is A1 and D3:

Here is C2 and A4:

Here is C2 and D3:

Congrats Emily H!

Here is A4 and D3:

Here is B2 and C4:

Here is A4 and C4:

Another match! Congrats Krystal!

Here is A3 and D2:

Pizza! Yum! Congratulations to bermudaonion!

Oops! My bad, I just realized my brain was on pizza and I posted the wrong reveal for A3 and D2, is should have been:

Nonetheless, still a winner! (I must admit, it got confusing trying to keep up, please forgive me!)

Here is B2 and A3, get ready to REFRESH this page:

Here is A1 and A3:

Laura Welser takes the prize!

Here is A2 and B2:

Finally! Congratulations to Jennifer O! 😉

– GAME OVER –

If you’re curious, here are the rest of the cards from this set:

Thank you for playing and I hope you had fun!!

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2010 Book of the Year Award Finalists

ForeWord Reviews announced the finalists in the 2010 Book of the Year Awards. We would like to congratulate the following authors and illustrators on their nominations!

Children’s Picture Book Category

Humpty Dumpty and Friends: Nursery Rhymes for the Young at Heart
Illustrated by Oleg Lipchenko
ISBN 978-1-77049-205-9
24 Pages | Hardcover
“…inventive, sophisticated artwork…. Lipchenko’s style is a mix of textured retro with fancifully baroque illusions … this one will have illustration mavens intrigued.” – Kirkus Reviews

Which Way?
By Marthe Jocelyn
Art by Tom Slaughter
ISBN 978-0-88776-970-2
24 Pages | Hardcover
“Although aimed at the very young, this new picture book from Marthe Jocelyn and Tom Slaughter is not simplistic. …While the image seems simple enough, there is obviously a highly sophisticated design and colour sense behind its creation….” – Quill & Quire

Juvenile Fiction Category

Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures
By J. Torres
Illustrated by J. Bones
ISBN 978-0-88776-935-1
96 Pages | Trade Paperback
“Normal just isn’t her thing. The 12-year-old daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and masked hero the Blue Scarab, Alison has a craving for danger, and it has ways of finding her…. Be it magic genies, angry mummies, or a baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare is ready to take them on! … kids will love reading about her and her wacky adventures.” – Good Comics for Kids, School Library Journal

Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom
By Susin Nielsen
ISBN 978-0-88776-977-1
eBook 978-0-88776-978-8
240 Pages | Hardcover
“Nielsen (Word Nerd) has created a narrator as sassy and candid as this memorable novel’s title…. Nielsen skillfully balances her story’s keen humor … with poignancy. Especially affecting are Violet’s struggles to accept her father’s new family….” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

Mrs. Katpuniks Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium
By Rona Arato
ISBN 978-0-88776-967-2
eBook 978-1-77049-211-0
192 Pages | Trade Paperback
“With fantasy, farce, and also a strong sense of realism…. The kvetching and quarrels, the wry Yiddish idiom, and the search for the father will bring the coming-to-America story to young grade-schoolers, who will also enjoy the little dragon’s defeat of the crooks….” – Booklist

No Moon
By Irene N. Watts
ISBN 978-0-88776-9719
eBook 978-0-88776-972-6
240 Pages | Trade Paperback
“…Watts provides a fascinating account of what the great unsinkable ship was like. The catastrophe is rendered in a heartbreakingly graceful style, and Lou performs heroically in shepherding her two little girls to safety on a lifeboat in this uniquely engaging and satisfying coming-of-age historical adventure tale.” – Starred Review, Booklist

Rude Stories
By Jan Andrews
Illustrated by Francis Blake
ISBN 978-0-88776-921-4
88 Pages | Hardcover
“…they are rude stories of the highest order: wonderfully inventive, delightfully told, and charmingly illustrated…. They are tailor-made for reading aloud, and Andrews does a masterful job of linking disparate yarns…. Part of Andrew’s gift is making young readers feel as though she’s in cahoots with them … these stories will no doubt be the starting point for countless thought-provoking and entertaining discussions. Francis Blake’s lively illustrations just add to the sense of fun.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

Juvenile Nonfiction Category

All Aboard! Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
ISBN 978-0-88776-945-0
32 Pages | Hardcover
“An engaging biography of the African-American inventor…. The narrative includes fictionalized dialogue and clear explanations about how the machinery works and concludes with an inspiring message…. Expressive watercolors, some full page and some full spread, capture the time period, allowing readers to imagine what life was like in this era, and add energy and touches of humor.” – School Library Journal and Black History Month 2011: SLJ‘s Picks

Cyclist BikeList: The Book for Every Rider
By Laura Robinson
Illustrated by Ramón K. Pérez
ISBN 978-0-88776-784-5
64 Pages | Trade Paperback
“… The book is packed with information and fun facts, covers everything from the history of bicycles, to choosing a bike and fueling yourself up for long rides. The illustrations are lively and the writing informative and engaging, communicating a deep knowledge and passion for the sport….” – Momentum Magazine

Hudson
By Janice Weaver
Illustrated by David Craig
ISBN 978-0-88776-814-9
48 Pages | Hardcover
“Failure is not usually at the heart of an exciting adventure story, but this dramatic picture-book biography about Henry Hudson … makes the explorer’s lack of success a gripping read…. Craig’s glowing period portraits, landscapes, and watercolors of the ship in dangerous seas intensify the drama….” – Starred Review, Booklist

Talking Tails: The Incredible Connection Between People and Their Pets
By Ann Love and Jane Drake
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
ISBN 978-0-88776-884-2
80 Pages | Hardcover
“…These factoids, fictional or otherwise, about the intersection of animal and human lives provide the structure upon which sisters Ann Love and Jane Drake build another of their interesting and informative books…. Written in what might be described as an infectiously friendly fashion … and plentifully illustrated with witty watercolours by the irrepressible Bill Slavin, Talking Tails will appeal to those who are contemplating have a pet in their lives….” – The Globe and Mail

Young Adult Nonfiction Category

Yes You Can! Your Guide to Becoming an Activist
By Jane Drake and Ann Love
ISBN 978-0-88776-942-9
eBook 978-1-77049-235-6
144 Pages | Trade Paperback
“Young people who want to effect change are guided by a sequence of nine steps and inspirational examples of grassroots activism…. The style is conversational and the tone offers realistic encouragement to teens looking to solve problems. Teachers will approve of the focus on the importance of developing writing and speaking skills, being mindful of one’s online reputation, and learning how to evaluate project efforts. This title will primarily serve as a how-to, although the time lines, an accessible index, and factual information about anti-smoking campaigns, recycling, and children’s rights make it a useful historical perspective of activism.” – School Library Journal

The winners will be determined by a panel of librarians and booksellers selected from our readership. Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, as well as Editor’s Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced at a special program at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans this June.

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March Pub Date Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered our third Pub Date Giveaway of the year! We used trusty random.org to generate the winning number:

Number 15, so…

Congratulations to Michael Provost! You will be receiving a copy of Margriet Ruurs and W. Allan Hancock‘s Amazing Animals. We’re happy to hear that your wife will be extremely happy! Please check your inbox for an e-mail from us.

Our next Pub Date Giveaway will be on April 12, 2011. Stay tuned!

Tundra Book Group