Sweetest Day

Today is the Sweetest Day! While we don’t have treats for you to eat, we do recommend Sweet! for you to read!

SweetSweet!
The Delicious Story of Candy

Written by Ann Love and Jane Drake
Illustrated by Claudia Dávila
ISBN 978-88776-962-7
Paperback | 64 Pages
Ages 9-12

Through time and across continents, stories of sweets and their inventors intrigue and entertain us. Learn about primal sweets – from honey, sweet milk, and nuts to sugar candy, chocolate, and “sweet” stories of success.

From cravings to the scoop on ice cream, Ann Love and Jane Drake present a comprehensive and irresistible story of candy through the ages, complemented by a detailed timeline and playful illustrations from artist Claudia Dávila.

  • Winner of the 2009 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award for Non-fiction
  • Short-listed for the 2009 Rocky Mountain Book Award

“…delightful. In fact, reading their new book is a little like dipping into a grab bag from the candy store: the experience is fun, varied, and relatively cheap, considering the pleasure it gives. The difference is that you can take in the whole book at a single sitting and feel the better for it. Underneath its whimsical exterior – the humorous cartoon illustrations, the fun bits of trivia – there’s a centre of solid research. The writing is clear and engaging…. This thoughtfully constructed book is a treat to read.” – Starred review, Quill & Quire

2009 Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist

On Wednesday, October 14, The Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the 2009 Governor General’s Literary Awards. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, November 17 at 10am.

Tundra would like to congratulate Rachel Berman for being a finalist in the Children’s Literature – Illustration category!

Bradley McGoggBradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog
Written by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Rachel Berman
ISBN 978-0-88776-864-4
Bradley McGogg makes his home in the bog where there are plenty of yummy bugs for a frog to feed on. Upon finding his pantry bare one day, Bradley decides to meet his neighbors, in the hopes that they will share some of their favorite meals with him. But this “bog frog” soon finds that not all animals eat alike…

“Beautifully drawn and painted, this is a tale in which a frog’s quest for a meal leads him to discover that not everyone finds bugs and slugs the ideal feast. Rachel Berman brings to life Bradley McGogg, an expressive character children will fall in love with.” – The Canada Council for the Arts

World Animal Day

October 4th is World Animal Day! Celebrate by spreading the word, volunteering, or by teaching a little one about the importance of animals. Please click on the following link to learn more about World Animal Day.

Wild AnimalsWild Animals!
Written by Eduardo Bustos
Illustrated by Lucho Rodriguez
ISBN 978-0-88776-946-7
Ages 2-5 | 24 Pages | Hardcover

Meet some of the most exotic, colorful creatures in the world. From Australia’s koala to South America’s spectacled bear and Africa’s lion. Illustrated in brilliant colors, each image evokes the power of these wonderful animals, and brief informative text will capture the imagination of young children.

Brigadier Gentle HeroBrigadier: Gentle Hero
Written by Judy Andrekson
Illustrated by David Parkins
ISBN 978-0-88776-904-7
Ages 8-11 | 96 Pages | Paperback

The true story of a gentle hero who won hearts and affection for his commitment to “serve and protect.” Brig was a Belgian draft cross, or grade horse, with just the right temperament to earn his place on the Mounted Unit of the Toronto Police Department. Brigadier was a golden chestnut with four white socks, and his size alone was imposing. But that wasn’t why Sergeant Graham Acott chose this horse above all the others with such certainty. The animal’s large, intelligent, and gentle eyes were what struck him. This was a horse, and a partner, perfectly suited to the job for which he’d been bred.

La PrimeraLa Primera: The Story of Wild Mustangs
Written by Ian Tyson
Illustrated by Adeline Halvorson
ISBN 978-0-88776-863-7
Ages 7-10 | 32 Pages | Hardcover

The story of the wild mustang in North America is the subject of “La Primera,” a song written and performed by Canadian folk singer and horse afficionado, Ian Tyson. And it is the subject of this handsome picture book with paintings by equine artist Adeline Halvorson. The rugged wild mustangs still exist, and their bloodlines are traceable all the way back to those first horses and the careful records the Spaniards kept. That the animals have survived for five hundred years, while the world around them changed, is a tribute to their endurance and fiery spirit.

EatsEats
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Illustrated by Tom Slaughter
ISBN 978-0-88776-820-0
Ages 2-5 | 24 Pages | Hardcover

With a fresh cast of animal characters – and what they eat – the creative team of Marthe Jocelyn and Tom Slaughter has produced another work in their award-winning series for very young book and art lovers. Marthe Jocelyn’s simple concept of matching creatures – familiar and unusual – with their favorite foods is brought to life by the sparkling colors and masterfully cut paper shapes of Tom Slaughter’s illustrations; a first taste of modern art. And the surprise final picture makes a satisfying dessert.

The BirdmanThe Birdman
Written by Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daigle
ISBN 978-0-88776-740-1
Ages 5-8 | 32 Pages | Hardcover

Author Veronika Martenova Charles read a short newspaper article about the “Birdman” of Calcutta and her imagination took flight. She traveled to India, found Noor Nobi, and witnessed the freeing of the birds for herself. The Birdman is a touching, true story, tenderly illustrated by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daigle. It is accompanied by an afterword, diary entries, and photographs of the author’s experience.

Creatures Great and SmallCreatures Great and Small
Written and illustrated by Karen Patkau
ISBN 978-0-88776-754-8
Ages 6-9 | 32 Pages | Hardcover

Join Toronto author and illustrator Karen Patkau as she explores the world of insects, mammals, sea jellies, reptiles, amphibians, birds, crustaceans, arachnids, and mollusks. From extremely large creatures, such as the blue whale, Chinese giant salamander, and goliath tarantula, to extremely small ones, such as the bumblebee bat, dwarf gecko, and fairy shrimp, embark on this informative, beautifully illustrated voyage of discovery. Even the simple fact-filled text is enchantingly presented in the voices of the animals themselves.

In My BackyardIn My Backyard
Written by Margriet Ruurs
Illustrated by Ron Broda
ISBN 978-0-88776-775-3
Ages 4-8 | 32 Pages | Hardcover

Find the ladybug in each illustration, along with a hidden animal, which becomes featured on the next page. A detailed legend and helpful hints on how to turn your own backyard into an inviting place for animals to live make this book a must-have for wildlife and nature lovers alike.

As Long As There Are WhalesAs Long as There Are Whales
Written by Evelyne Daigle
Illustrated by Daniel Grenier
Translated by Geneviève Wright
ISBN 978-0-88776-692-3
Ages 9+ | 48 Pages | Hardcover

Did you know?

  • Whales descend from a hairy doglike land mammal?
  • More than a dozen different species of whale migrate to the St. Lawrence each year?
  • In the early 1900s, there were over 5,000 beluga whales in the St. Lawrence? Today they number between 700 and 1,200 and are on the endangered species list.

The World of PenguinsThe World of Penguins
Written by Evelyne Daigle
Illustrated by Daniel Grenier
Translated by Geneviève Wright
ISBN 978-0-88776-799-9
Ages 9+ | 48 Pages | Hardcover

Did you know?

  • A penguin colony becomes a source of heat in cold weather
  • The colony provides protection from predators
  • The young in a penguin colony form a nursery, or crèches, leaving both parents free to fish together

The Word on the Street 2009

Sunday, September 27, 2009 was the Word on the Street‘s 20th year! The weather held up and the festival was quite the success! Here are a few of our photos from the day:

Tundra booth - Kathy and HoriaTundra was at booth #245 this year with lots of great book deals and giveaways!

Laura Beingessner and Joanne SchwartzLaura Beingessner and Joanne Schwartz reading from Our Corner Grocery Store at the Children’s Reading Tent. After, Laura drew a broccoli for the kids!

Cary FaganCary Fagan reading from Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas. (You can see Laura Beingessner’s broccoli drawing on the left!)

From Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas, Cary Fagan teaches the audience the chorus of the Pirate Song: “It’s the pirate life for us, hey ho! The pirate life for us! Aaarrrgh!”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9L6LAGjg3s]

Kent Price and Theo HerasAt 1:30pm in the Little Readers Tent, Theo Heras sang songs from What Will We Do with the Baby-O? Click here to watch the video.

Lesley Fairfield2:00pm at the Comics and Graphic Novels Tent was Graphic Memoirs: Three New Works. Tundra’s Lesley Fairfield (Tyranny) presented with Canadian graphic memoirists, Tory Woolcott (Mirror Mind) and Adam Bourret (I’m Crazy). Thank you to Christopher Butcher and Peter Birkemoe from The Beguiling for organizing this program.

Tim BeiserTim Beiser read from Bradley McGogg The Very Fine Frog at the Children’s Reading Tent.

In the Word On The Street in Kitchener, Shane Peacock and Marla Stewart Konrad read from their latest books!

Thank you to the Word on the Street team and all the volunteers! We look forward to the next festival on Sunday, September 26, 2010.

Telling Tales – A Family Festival of Stories

Sunday, September 20, 2009 was the first annual Telling Tales Festival. The festival was held in the beautiful Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton, Ontario. Tundra authors and illustrators that presented were Cary Fagan, Janet Wilson, Ken Setterington, Richard Scrimger, and Shane Peacock. Here are some of our photos from the day, courtesy of Lauren from Tundra!

Richard ScrimgerQ&As with Richard Scrimger!

Janet Wilson and Richard ScrimgerJanet Wilson and Richard Scrimger.

Into the RavineA fan of Into the Ravine by Richard Scimger.

Shane Peacock readingShane Peacock reading at the Jerseyville Railway.

Eye of the CrowFans of Eye of the Crow: The Boy Sherlock Holmes by Shane Peacock.

Thank you to everyone who attended and to the team of organizers. A big, huge round of applause to Susan Jasper for all her hard work! Next year’s Festival will be held on Sunday, September 19, 2010!

Tundra Book Group