August 15th is National Back-to-School Prep Day. Get ready for the upcoming school year with our collection of activity sheets and discussion guides to start your year off right!
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. This title is now available in stores and online!
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.
We can’t wait to see you reading this title! If you share this book online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our authors 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 Chris Baker!
About the Author:
CHRIS BAKER is an author, professional mushroom lover, and founder of Chicory Naturalist, a nature shop and community space rooted in Kingston, New York. Baker is also a certified forager and enthusiastic guide to the realm of fungi, leading forays in the Hudson Valley bioregion. Running through all of Baker’s professional endeavors is a passion for reconnecting broken chains of generational knowledge about the natural world. She lives a few blocks from the Hudson River with her spouse, child and two calico cats.
Fast Five with Chris Baker:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I would rather live here in the Hudson Valley than anywhere in the world. I’m in a deep, committed love with this ecosystem and community and plan to live here for the rest of my life. That said, if my family could house swap with someone in France or Italy, I wouldn’t mind spending a year hunting ceps . . .
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Paying attention to nature always does the trick. Of course going for a walk in the woods is wonderful, but even just taking five minutes to listen to the birds chit-chat and watch leaves dance can really turn my mood around.
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Dinner is my favorite meal because it’s when I get to reconnect with loved ones at the end of the day. In the summertime, we try to eat dinner outside as much as we can, which makes even boring meals feel special.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
Patti Smith’s 25th anniversary tour for Horses was a pretty transcendent concert experience! But honestly, the best shows were probably the ones I got to see in bars and little venues when I lived in New Orleans. Little Freddie King, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and King Khan come to mind.
What is your favorite mushroom?
So hard to pick just one! But the first mushroom I really imprinted on was the golden chanterelle. I don’t think there’s a better smell in the world, and my heart always seizes up with excitement when I find them.
Books by Chris Baker:
On a Mushroom Day Written by Chris Baker Illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774882580 | Tundra Books A mushroom day is a day of exploring together and discovering some of the most incredible lifeforms on earth: fungi. In this lyrical, informational picture book structured around a walk through a summertime wood, a child and their caregiver share the sights, sounds and smells of the forest as they observe and identify different varieties of mushrooms. On a Mushroom Day encourages curiosity and a love of fungi in young children and normalizes safe, chaperoned joyful exploration of the fungal queendom all around us. Filled with fun, fascinating fungi facts and a visual catalogue of mushroom species so that kids can enjoy their very own mushroom day in the pages of this book!
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our authors 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 Deke Moulton!
About the Author:
DEKE MOULTON is a writer currently living in the US Pacific Northwest. They are a former US Army drill sergeant and trained as an Arabic linguist during their time in service.
Fast Five with Deke Moulton:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I would give anything to live on a kibbutz again! This is how I lived up until I was 6, and I just loved the closeness of everyone and the way that everyone contributes. And maybe that’s why both of my books are actually about collaborative living? In Don’t Want To Be Your Monster, we have two moms who operate what’s essentially a half-way house for young vampires trying to leave bad situations and start a new life, and in Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf, we’ve got a werewolf extended family living together on a wolf sanctuary / kibbutz!
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Sitting down in a comfy chair, wrapped up in a blanket, a warm drink in one hand (coffee in the morning, green tea in the afternoon) and a great book in the other, with my dog curled up in my lap. Oh my gosh, it’s small and simple but it’s just pure contentment.
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
I actually don’t eat breakfast but I do drink a big cup of coffee (on an empty stomach, ugh, I know it’s bad!). So between lunch and dinner, I honestly love lunch so much more! It’s usually my biggest meal of the day, and I get really creative with it because often it’s the one meal I only make for myself! I love vegetarian cooking, so I will do lots of rice / bean / lentil type meals. I try out new recipes. I make up my own. It’s just a wonderful meal!
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
I would say my very first punk show was probably the best one I’d ever been to. It was in 1997, I think, Anti-Flag at the Metro in Chicago. The show was sold out and I just walked up to the security guard and asked if we could come in anyways. I guess my chutzpah paid off because he let me and my friends in! I loved it. I’d been listening to punk for a while just at home on CDs so being in a big venue with so many other people, all screaming along to the songs and moshing – it will always hold a special place in my heart!
Who would win in a fight: vampires or werewolves?
Okay, I am so sorry to all my werewolf fans, but I am definitely going with vampires here! Unless the werewolf calls for a fight at high noon (but then that would be a forfeit on the vampire’s part so not really winning the fight). Werewolves are awesome and I think if I had to choose which one I would be, it would be a werewolf, but vampires have super-healing powers and are pretty much immortal (just avoid the sun, wooden-stakes-to-the-heart and really dedicated vampire hunters). So if it came down to physical battles, vampires are going to win. At the very least, if things got close, our vampire could jump up into a tree or something and taunt their werewolf opponent!
Books by Deke Moulton:
Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf By Deke Moulton 304 Pages | Ages 10-14 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774880524 | Tundra Books Benji Zeb has a lot going on. He has a lot of studying to do, not only for school but also for his upcoming bar mitzvah. He’s nervous about Mr. Rutherford, the aggressive local rancher who hates Benji’s family’s kibbutz and wolf sanctuary. And he hasn’t figured out what to do about Caleb, Mr. Rutherford’s stepson, who has been bullying Benji pretty hard at school, despite Benji wanting to be friends (and maybe something more). And all of this is made more complicated by the fact that, secretly, Benji and his entire family are werewolves who are using the wolf sanctuary as cover for their true identities! Things come to a head when Caleb shows up at the kibbutz one night . . . in wolf form! He’s a werewolf too, unable to control his shifting, and he needs Benji’s help. Can anxious Benji juggle all of these things along with his growing feelings toward Caleb?
Don’t Want to Be Your Monster By Deke Moulton 304 Pages | Ages 10-14 | Paperback ISBN 9781774880517 | Tundra Books Adam and Victor are brothers who have the usual fights over the remote, which movie to watch and whether or not it’s morally acceptable to eat people. Well, not so much eat . . . just drink a little blood. They’re vampires, hiding in plain sight with their eclectic yet loving family. Ten-year-old Adam knows he has a better purpose in his life (well, immortal life) than just drinking blood, but fourteen-year-old Victor wants to accept his own self-image of vampirism. Everything changes when bodies start to appear all over town, and it becomes clear that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for the family. Can Adam and Victor reconcile their differences and work together to stop the killer before it’s too late?
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. These titles are now available in stores and online!
On a Mushroom Day Written by Chris Baker Illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774882580 | Tundra Books A mushroom day is a day of exploring together and discovering some of the most incredible lifeforms on earth: fungi. In this lyrical, informational picture book structured around a walk through a summertime wood, a child and their caregiver share the sights, sounds and smells of the forest as they observe and identify different varieties of mushrooms. On a Mushroom Day encourages curiosity and a love of fungi in young children and normalizes safe, chaperoned joyful exploration of the fungal queendom all around us. Filled with fun, fascinating fungi facts and a visual catalogue of mushroom species so that kids can enjoy their very own mushroom day in the pages of this book!
The Island Before No Written by Christina Uss Illustrated by Hudson Christie 56 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735272415 | Tundra Books When you’re a walrus living on an island where the answer to every question is YES, life is pretty simple, especially when that’s all you’ve ever known. It’s great when you want a slice of birthday cake for breakfast . . . and not so great when someone asks you to wear an itchy shirt. But one day, a kid shows up, brandishing an entirely new word: NO. NO is heavy like a bookcase, solid as a boulder. It’s not shaped like YES, but somehow, it’s still an answer. The kid calls his friends to come visit the island too, and it’s not long before they’ve eaten up all of the yummiest food without sharing. What’s worse, none of them bring their own toothbrushes . . . It becomes clear that what the walruses all need is to find their own NO . . . not only to hold back the rampaging horde of children – but for their own sakes as well. The Island Before No is a hilarious new picture book that blends its zany fun with an important message about respecting and setting boundaries.
There Are No Ants in This Book Written by Rosemary Mosco Illustrated by Anna Pirolli 40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881163 | Tundra Books Nothing can ruin a picnic faster than a bunch of ants. It’s a good thing there are no ants in this book . . . well, maybe there’s only one. Or two. . . . Or ten?? Maybe it’s not so bad. Ants are kind of cool, after all – especially the ones with amazing butts, like the Acrobat Ant that waves its back end around to scare off enemies. Or the Slender Leaf Ant that can glide through the air. Or the Dinosaur Ant, which is the biggest ant in the world! Okay, so a picnic with ants is actually lots of fun! But what if an anteater also wants to join the picnic?
We can’t wait to see you reading these titles! If you share these books online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.
