#WindowWednesday: We are incredibly fortunate to have stores create window features of our books. We want to highlight their amazing work here on our blog for you to see (and perhaps you’ll discover a new local bookstore).
Mabel’s Fables 662 Mt Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON M4S 2N3
Photos by: Vikki VanSickle
Inspired by:
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.
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. These titles are now available in stores and online!
Billy and the Epic Escape Written by Jamie Oliver Illustrated by Mónica Armiño 416 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774884195 | Tundra Books Billy and his best friends Anna, Jimmy, and Andy are looking forward to a summer exploring Waterfall Woods, discovering more about the magical creatures who live there and the Rhythm of nature that keeps their world, and ours, in balance. Then the woods come under attack from a mysterious red lady, forcing the sprites and brothers Wilfred and BiIfred into hiding, and the gang rush to the rescue! But what does the red lady really want Could she be connected to Bilfred’s disappearance all those years ago? And, if so, how is it possible she looks exactly the same decades later . . . Can Billy and his friends uncover the truth and stop the red lady’s plans, before the Rhythm is put in danger once again?
Billy and the Epic Escape is also available today in Audiobook!
Boy Here, Boy There By Chuck Groenink 56 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881064 | Tundra Books A prehistoric Neanderthal family arrives at their new home, a cave, after a long journey. But their young boy’s imagination is seized by the beauty and promise of the valley below, and he sets out to explore all that the valley has to offer along, with his place in it. This wild, prehistoric world is full of beauty and wonder, including big and little “hairies” (woolly mammoths). But across a river, the boy spots another boy, a Homo sapiens. He’s dressed differently, but so much else is the same. The two share a moment of recognition before the stranger and his family depart, leaving a lasting impression on the Neanderthal boy – one that will have effects reaching throughout history. This picture book, sparingly written and expansively illustrated, imagines an encounter between Homo sapiens and our Neanderthal cousins based on the expanding understanding of prehistoric peoples. It will inspire young readers to see the beauty in discovery and the natural wonders of the prehistoric world as well as our shared humanity.
Boy vs. Shark By Paul Gilligan 240 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781774880449 | Tundra Books In the summer of 1975, 10-year-old Paul Gilligan doesn’t have a whole lot to worry about other than keeping his comic books untarnished, getting tennis balls off roofs and keeping up with the increasingly bold stunts of his best friend, David. And then Jaws comes to town. Suddenly everyone is obsessing over this movie about a shark ripping people to pieces. And if you haven’t seen it, not only are you missing out, you’re also kind of a wimp. Needless to say, Jaws leaves young Paul a cowering mess, and underlines the growing gap between him and David as well as the distance between where he stands and the world’s expectations of a boy’s “manliness.” And when Jaws himself becomes a kind of macho Jiminy Cricket for Paul, what is a scared and overwhelmed boy to do?
Boy vs. Shark is also available today in Paperback!
New Deluxe Edition:
Murtagh: Deluxe Edition By Christopher Paolini 720 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781774887523 | Penguin Teen Canada A stunning deluxe edition of Christopher Paolini’s instant #1 New York Times bestseller set in the World of Eragon, featuring fan favorite Murtagh and his dragon – with exclusive features and new content: • A long-anticipated scene featuring Eragon and Murtagh • Stunning red decorative stained and stenciled edges • A gorgeous, embellished foil-stamped cover • Never-before-seen full-color maps of Alagaësia and, for the first time, the world beyond • A full-color painting of Mt. Arngor • A letter from Jeod • Two pieces of original black-and-white artwork by Christopher Paolini The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror. Now they are hated and alone, exiled to the outskirts of society. Throughout the land, hushed voices whisper of brittle ground and a faint scent of brimstone in the air – and Murtagh senses that something wicked lurks in the shadows of Alagaësia. So begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untraveled, where Murtagh and Thorn must use every weapon in their arsenal, from brains to brawn, to find and outwit a mysterious witch. A witch who is much more than she seems. In this gripping novel starring one of the most popular characters from Christopher Paolini’s blockbuster Inheritance Cycle, a Dragon Rider must discover what he stands for in a world that has abandoned him. Murtagh is the perfect book to enter the World of Eragon for the first time . . . or to joyfully return.
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.
Kids say the darndest things! So we asked our creators to tell us their favorite questions they’ve been asked by young readers.
Ben Clanton Author of Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth “A fifth grader once asked me if becoming an author took away from the experience of being a reader. Did I enjoy books as much as I used to? One of the best questions I’ve been asked by anyone of any age. I admitted that it does change the experience as often I find myself analyzing stories with an author’s lens. There is something enjoyable about appreciating the craft, but at the same time, it is harder to lose yourself in the story when you’re deconstructing the elements. It has made the experience of losing myself in a story rarer but also somehow sweeter. Another kid once asked me if I thought an actual real-life narwhal would eat a waffle if it came across one. A waffley good question IMO. My favorite questions are the ones I don’t have answers to . . . yet.”
Anna Humphrey Author of Buns Gone Bad “I love kid questions! So much so that’s it’s hard to pick a favourite, but I’ve narrowed it down to two. My second favourite is: “What’s your favourite monster truck?” after a presentation that had nothing to do with monster trucks. Questions that are wildly off topic are pretty standard at school visits, but this one especially delighted me because (and there’s no way this kid could have known) I happen to be a huge Monster Jam fan. And once you’ve seen Gravedigger do a double back-flip then burst into flames in the world finals freestyle competition, the answer’s just so obvious. But my all-time favourite question from a kid has got to be: “Are you a grown-up?” I burst out laughing, but I also took it as an extremely high compliment. Because either it meant I happen to look exceedingly youthful (which, hey, thanks) or that my books speak “kid” well enough that I can almost pass for one myself (and that means everything to me).”
Christina Uss Author of The Island Before No “Many of my author visits begin with me telling kids that my books usually have some true parts and some made-up parts all mixed together into a single wonderful, weird story. For The Island Before No, I asked a group of kids ranging from 2 years to 13 years old to guess which parts of the story could possibly be true. I told them I’d made up the part about a walrus being upset when someone took his toothbrush and used it to paint his cat. A kindergartener said, “How do you know it isn’t true, somewhere? I would be upset if someone took my toothbrush, don’t you think a walrus would be too?” I had to agree, and thank the kid for her imagination.”
Vikki VanSickle Author of Into the Goblin Market “Once, after a reading, a kid asked me which of my characters I would want to be friends with. This was such a great question and something I had never considered before. There is a little part of me in all of my characters, so there wasn’t one that came to mind immediately, but I’d love a calm, confident friend like Kala (from The Lightning Circle) and wouldn’t mind an adventurous friend like Into the Goblin Market‘s Mina- although I would definitely draw the line at attending spooky midnight goblin events.”
Deke Moulton Author of Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf “At the release/launch party for Benji Zeb, one of the kids asked me if I was actually a werewolf. It was really cute because he whispered it like he thought it was a secret. It was so sad to disappoint him!”
Rosemary Mosco Author of There Are No Ants in This Book “Unfortunately, I don’t do many school visits, so nothing comes immediately to mind. But my niece did ask me once if birds pee, and I sent her a very long video explanation, haha!”
Bruno Valasse Author of Shine “A kid once asked why some dogs on a page were so ugly, and if I could draw a ‘kawaii dog’. I had no idea what that meant then, and those were hyenas.”
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. This title is now available in stores and online!
An Anishinaabe Christmas Written by Wab Kinew Illustrated by Erin Hill 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774883570 | Tundra Books One winter solstice, Mommy says, “Baby, we’re going home to the Rez. We’re going to have an Anishinaabe Christmas.” But this is Baby’s first Christmas away from the city, and they’re worried! They have a lot of questions: How will Santa know where to find them? Why do we have presents on Christmas? How come they’re going home to the Rez but don’t live there? On the long trip to Mooshom’s and Kookom’s, Baby learns about animals being part of their family, about the North Star leading them home and even the meanings of some Anishinaabe words. Will this Anishinaabe Christmas be Baby’s best yet?
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.
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. These titles are now available in stores and online!
Frostfire By Elly MacKay 44 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735266988 | Tundra Books On a walk through a snow-covered garden, big sister Miriam claims to hear the sound of a snow dragon. Little sister Celeste has lots of questions: snow dragons are real? Where do they hide? What do they eat? And is that frost on the greenhouse windows or is it . . . frostfire? Miriam seems to have an answer for everything about snow dragons. But when Celeste wanders off, she has a magical encounter that changes everything she thought she knew. Told through gently playful dialogue and brought to life with spectacular works of paper diorama art, Elly Mackay’s newest picture book is an enchanting wintertime adventure destined to become a classic seasonal fairy tale that readers will enjoy for years to come.
The Kiss of the Nightingale By Adi Denner 384 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781774885253 | Tundra Books 1890, Lutèce:In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivaled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic. Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father’s Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she’s left with empty promises, a dress shop she can’t keep afloat, and her bedridden younger sister. But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent – a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched . . . There’s just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family. As Lutèce’s nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera’s galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected. Soon, the Vicomte’s teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia’s seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?
The Kiss of the Nightingale is also available today in audiobook!
New in Paperback:
Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive By Melanie Watt 84 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Paperback ISBN 9781774886434 | Tundra Books In his third NUTTY ADVENTURE, Scaredy is getting ready for Christmas ahead of time . . . WAY ahead of time (June). When December finally rolls around, Scaredy has everything in place: perfect red-and-green decorations, a perfect get-together planned (no parties!), perfectly personalized gifts for each of his friends, all the required permits for gingerbread-house construction (perfectly filled out) and, of course, a perfectly secured premises with a perfect spot for Santa. Yup, nothing can possibly go wrong . . . until friends Rash and Tim break the decorations! But Scaredy is filled with the spirit of the holiday and happy to help his friends finish their Christmas shopping. (Unless they’re shopping for Gary the germ?!) Prepare to get festive this Christmas with Scaredy and friends!
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.
