Category: illustrator

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Waiting On Wednesday 8

It’s been a long time since we’ve done one of these! “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This event spotlights upcoming releases that readers are anticipating. We’re joining in on the fun to share an upcoming book we’re all excited about!

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-hold-and-read” selection is:

OokoOoko
Esmé Shapiro
Publication Date: July 5, 2016
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN 978-1-10191-844-9
Ooko has everything a fox could want: a stick, a leaf and a rock. Well, almost everything . . . Ooko wants someone to play with too! The foxes in town always seem to be playing with their two-legged friends, the Debbies. Maybe if he tries to look like the other foxes, one of the Debbies will play with him too. But when Ooko finally finds his very own Debbie, things don’t turn out quite as he had expected!

A quirky, funny, charmingly illustrated story about finding friendship and being true to yourself.

What others are saying:

“Playful, joyous, and hip.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Stories about wanting a friend abound, but newcomer Shapiro’s unfolds in a gloriously distinctive world. Ooko, an orange fox shaped a bit like a beanbag, lives in a forest full of prehistoric-looking foliage and anemone-tentacled flowers.” – Publishers Weekly

“Beautifully illustrated, sweet and funny, it will be my Debbie forever.” – The Little Book Collector

“As Ooko tries to change for the sake of finding a friend, she learns the best kind of playmate is one who loves you for you.” – Help! We’ve Got Kids

“A charming and funny story about being true to yourself.” – JLibrary

What are you “waiting on?” Want to participate? Grab the logo from Breaking the Spine, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave a link in the comments section on Jill’s blog or on her Linky!

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You’re Invited to the Launch of Sea Change

Sea Change
Please join Frank Viva in celebrating the launch of his newest book, Sea Change.

When: Sunday, May 29, 2016
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Where: Type Books (416-366-8973)
Address: 883 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M6J 1G3‎

Sea ChangeSea Change
Written by Frank Viva
Hardcover | 120 Pages | Ages 10 and up
ISBN 978-1-10191-852-4
“Frank Viva’s Sea Change is a magical book, a deft, understated chronicle of the moment a young boy passes from childhood into something altogether more mysterious – and terrifying – almost without being aware of it himself. Eliot is a skilfully drawn fictional creation: at times he is demanding and nearly unbearable, at others vulnerable and relatable, but always fundamentally human. The story is inspired by Viva’s own childhood summers in Point Aconi, and this intimate knowledge of and love for the area is reflected in the immersive quality of the storytelling.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

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You’re Invited to the Launch of Who Broke the Teapot?!

Bill Slavin_EviteYou’re cordially invited to find out Who Broke the Teapot?! with Bill Slavin.

Date: Saturday, June 4, 2016
Time: 2:00pm-4:oopm
Place: Bear Essentials
Address: 12 King Street East, Millbrook, ON L0A 1G0
Telephone: 705-932-2850

Praise for Who Broke the Teapot?!:

“Who Broke the Teapot?! is a cute new picture book that’ll keep the little ones guessing and make you laugh at yourself.” – Try Small Things

“What makes the book stand out are the illustrations: bold and vibrant, Bill Slavin doesn’t hold back when it comes to colour and even texture.” – Bellsie Books

“The narration in the story is a fun twist on the usual structure.” – Littlest Bookshelf

“The book made a wonderful read-aloud story and my kids asked to read it again a few times. It is a 5 stars to me.” – Reviews in Chalk

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2016 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award New Illustrator Winner

EJK Book Award Medalists and Honorees (from left to right): Julia Sarcone-Roach, Phoebe Wahl, Megan Dowd Lambert, Rowboat Watkins, Ryan T. Higgins, and Don Tate. Posted with permission by Megan Dowd Lambert. #GetBehindPictureBooks
EJK Book Award Medalists and Honorees (from left to right): Julia Sarcone-Roach, Phoebe Wahl, Megan Dowd Lambert, Rowboat Watkins, Ryan T. Higgins, and Don Tate. Posted with permission from Megan Dowd Lambert. #GetBehindPictureBooks

Known collectively as the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, the New Writer Award was established in 1985 and the New Illustrator Award in 2001 to recognize and encourage emerging talent in the field of children’s books. This year, we would like to congratulate Phoebe Wahl for winning the New Illustrator Award for Sonya’s Chickens! Check out her interview here.

Sonyas ChickensSonya’s Chickens
Written by Phoebe Wahl
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 4-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-789-4
“A father’s thoughtful explanation provides a helpful perspective for a child’s loss…. There’s an old-fashioned feel to this simple story and its timeless illustrations, created with watercolor, collage, and colored pencil and reminiscent of Goodnight Moon in mood, design, and palette…. Both words and illustrations emphasize comfort and the security a family can provide…. A reassuring story about death in the natural world, thoughtfully designed and illustrated.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

Congratulations to Don Tate for the New Writer Award and to all the Honor Book creators: Megan Dowd Lambert, Julia Sarcone-Roach, Ryan T. Higgins, and Rowboat Watkins!

The EJK Book Award is given annually to an outstanding new writer and new illustrator by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. A distinguished selection committee of early childhood education specialists, librarians, illustrators and experts in children’s literature reviews the entries, seeking books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Click here for an 11 x 17-inch EJK Book Award poster to display in your home, classroom, library, or store!

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2016 Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration Winner

The Lillian Shepherd award for excellence in illustration is given to an illustrator residing in or from Atlantic Canada, or who has illustrated a book written by an Atlantic Canadian or a book that is set in the region. This year, we have the pleasure of congratulation Ron Lightburn for winning the award for Frankenstink!

FrankenstinkFrankenstink!
Garbage Gone Bad
Written by Ron Lightburn
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 4-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-694-1
“This fantastic tale of what could happen if we don’t clean up our garbage…. The rhyming text, which should be read aloud to achieve the full effect of the story, provides an opportunity for early readers to have fun playing with juicy words … guaranteed to garner a giggle. Frankenstink! Garbage Gone Bad will appeal to children who hate to clean up as well as those who love all things disgusting. The comic book style illustrations do a good job at punctuating the horrific fun of the story, and a glow in the dark cover is a bonus available in the print version of the book.” – Recommended, CM Magazine

Lillian Shepherd, a long-time buyer for The Book Room in Halifax and life-long lover of books, died suddenly in 1997. Customers and authors visiting The Book Room were always put at ease by Lillian’s ready smile and laughter, but her love of life shone through most clearly when she spoke of her husband Fred and their two daughters, Lynn and Cynthia. In 2002, Lillian’s legion of friends and colleagues from Halifax, Lunenburg, and Bermuda created the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award to applaud the book that combines Lillian’s love for illustrated children’s books and her affinity for locally produced work. The prize is now funded by the Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and the Atlantic Provinces Publishers’ Representatives.

Tundra Book Group