Tag: Cary Fagan

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Tundra Books celebrates its 50th Anniversary

tundra-new-300x300Canada’s oldest publisher of children’s books, Tundra Books, is excited to announce plans to mark its 50th anniversary in 2017, including the launch of an award to honor debut illustrators, and a dynamic new logo designed by award-winning Canadian branding and design agency Viva & Co.

The Tundra Books Emerging Artist of the Year celebrates our mission to introduce children to art and artists. This annual honor will be given to a debut illustrator for his or her illustration work on a book published by Tundra. The book will receive an enhanced marketing plan, and the illustrator will be presented with a special edition. Tara Walker, Publisher, Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, and Vice President, Penguin Random House Canada, says, “The Tundra Books Emerging Artist of the Year acknowledges a new picture book illustrator who exemplifies all the things we value so dearly: artistic talent, a unique approach to picture book illustration and a passion for children’s literature.” The inaugural recipient of the award is Prince George, BC-based artist Madeline Kloepper for Little Blue Chair, a picture book written by Cary Fagan (available January 24, 2017).

little-blue-chairWalker says, “We’re so delighted to be presenting Madeline with this honor. We were immediately drawn to the sweet, winsome faces of her characters in Little Blue Chair, full of quiet emotion and subtle expression, and the way she captures intimate everyday scenes and vast landscapes with equal beauty and curiosity. Her art is so assured and has such a classic feel, and she’s brought Cary’s wonderful story to life in such a sensitive and poignant way that it’s remarkable to think this is her very first picture book.”

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, Tundra also unveils a new logo designed by Canadian design firm Viva & Co. and its founder and Managing Director, Frank Viva. The new logo marks the publisher’s first logo re-brand since its founding in 1967 and will first appear printed on books published in fall 2017.

Viva, who is also a distinguished author and illustrator of books for children and an artist known for his New Yorker covers, says, “We were really gratified that Tundra approached Viva & Co. to help them with a new identity system launching in time for their 50th anniversary (and Canada’s 150th). I have long admired this remarkable Canadian children’s book imprint. Our goal was to create a fresh but timeless logo that was unmistakably Canadian – one that would last for the next 50 years.”

Walker says, “To have a logo designed by our beloved author and friend Frank and his team is truly the best birthday present we can give ourselves. From the moment we first considered a new logo for Tundra, we thought of Frank and Viva & Co. Frank’s great love of books, his artistry and his innovative design sense made him and his agency the obvious choice. We are honored to publish Frank Viva and consider him to be one of our country’s great tastemakers.”

Kristin Cochrane, President and Publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, says, “Good publishers have a strong vision of the kind of books they want to send out into the world and great publishers have the strength and perseverance to see this come true. I am sure that she would be as proud as I am of what Tundra has become and for all the accomplishments of its team. Tundra’s new logo is, in part, an homage to May. It is distinctive, playful and is a wonderful nod to our northern heritage. It’s everything we had hoped for … and more.”

Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers is home to three imprints: Tundra, Puffin and Penguin Teen. In addition to our successful Canadian and U.S. publishing programs, we are recognized internationally for our beautiful, award-winning books. Our list boasts a stellar roster of bestselling Canadian and international authors and illustrators, including Kelley Armstrong, Isabelle Arsenault, Jonathan Auxier, Linda Bailey, Cary Fagan, the Fan Brothers, Chris Hadfield, Rachel Hartman, Marthe Jocelyn, Susan Juby, Sophie Kinsella, Kyo Maclear, Julie Morstad, Susin Nielsen, Shane Peacock, Caroline Pignat, Lemony Snicket, Ashley Spires, Teresa Toten, Frank Viva, Nicola Yoon, Moira Young, Eric Walters, Mélanie Watt.

For further information and high-resolution images, please contact:
Pamela Osti, Publicity & Marketing Manager
Tel: 647-788-3980
posti@penguinrandomhouse.com

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Today’s Parent 100 Best Canadian Kids’ Books of All Time

Today’s Parent surveyed experts from coast to coast to create this awesome list of titles. Here are their Tundra favourites:

01_Anne of Green GablesAnne of Green Gables
Written by L. M. Montgomery
Trade Paperback
384 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-731-3
eBook: 978-1-77049-860-0
“Melodramatic and relatable Anne-with-an-E is an 11-year-old orphan who finds love, loss and belongingin picturesque Prince Edward Island.” – Today’s Parent

The Hockey Sweater_30th AnniversaryThe Hockey Sweater, 30th Anniversary Edition
Written by Roch Carrier
Illustrated by Sheldon Cohen
Translated by Sheila Fischman
Hardcover
48 Pages | All Ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-762-7
“In a small Quebec town, life revolves around playing hockey and the Montreal Canadiens, but trouble brews when Roch outgrows his Habs sweater and receives a Toronto Maple Leafs one as a replacement.” – Today’s Parent

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded FangJacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
Written by Mordecai Richler
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
96 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-0-88776-925-2
“Misunderstood Jacob Two-Two finds himself at the mercy of the mean Hooded Fang after insulting a grown-up.” – Today’s Parent

A Child in Prison CampA Child in Prison Camp
Written by Shizuye Takashima
Trade Paperback
104 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-241-3
“The author reflects on how her family and thousands of other Japanese Canadians were forced to live in internment camps during the Second World War.”- Today’s Parent

Emily of New MoonEmily of New Moon
Written by L.M. Montgomery
Hardcover
448 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-746-7
“Emily Starr’s world is shattered with the death of her father. Now she’ll have to start fresh in a new place with her stern aunt and cruel classmates.” – Today’s Parent

The Olden Days CoatThe Olden Days Coat
Written by Margaret Laurence
Illustrated by Muriel Wood
Trade Paperback
32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-704-3
“While visiting her grandmother at Christmas, 10-year-old Sal is transported to the past when she tries on a coat she finds in a weathered trunk.” – Today’s Parent

Mr Zingers HatMr. Zinger’s Hat
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
32 Pages |Ages 4-6
ISBN: 978-1-77049-253-0
“A little boy knocks the town storyteller’s hat off his head, but together they come up with a new story to tell.” – Today’s Parent

DippersDippers
Written by Barbara Nichol
Illustrated by Barry Moser
Trade Paperback
32 Pages | Ages 7-9
ISBN: 978-0-88776-549-0
“Based on a letter written by a girl named Margaret and discovered in the Toronto archives, this book is her fantastical account of some strange happenings during the summer of 1912.” – Today’s Parent

The Night They Stole the Stanley CupThe Night They Stole the Stanley Cup
Written by Roy MacGregor
Trade Paperback
176 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-414-5
“Hockey’s greatest trophy is in danger. Will the Screech Owls hockey team be able to save it?” – Today’s Parent

Julia ChildJulia, Child
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Hardcover
32 Pages | All Ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-449-7
“Simca and Julia are best friends who love to cook. This delightful tale is based loosely on the relationship between real-life friends chef Julia Child and Simone (Simca) Beck.” – Today’s Parent

The Nose from JupiterThe Nose from Jupiter
Written by Richard Scrimger
Trade Paperback
160 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN: 978-0-88776-428-8
“Alan is bullied at school, until an alien from Jupiter lands in his nose and teaches him how to stick up for himself.” – Today’s Parent

Check out the full list of titles here on the Today’s Parent website! Thank you to the esteemed panelists for all their work. You can also enter to win all 100 books here (contest closes June 12, 2015).

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2014 Holiday Gift Guide: The Dreamers

Listed by age range:

If You Happen to Have a DinosaurIf You Happen to Have a Dinosaur
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Colin Jack
Hardcover | 40 Pages
For Ages: 3-7 years
ISBN: 978-1-77049-568-5
If you happen to have a dinosaur, lying around your living room, and you don’t know what to do with it … why don’t you use it as a can opener? It will make a terrific nutcracker too! There are oodles of uses for a dinosaur — from a fine umbrella to an excellent kite and a dandy pillow, not to mention a reliable burglar alarm and the perfect excuse to forget your homework. This delightfully absurd exploration of the domestic uses of dinosaurs — and the things dinos just aren’t good for at all — is guaranteed to tickle funny bones and spark imaginations.

Ella May and the Wishing StoneElla May and the Wishing Stone
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Geneviève Côté
Trade Paperback | 32 Pages
For Ages: 4-6
ISBN: 978-1-77049-410-7
When Ella May finds a smooth stone with a line going all-all-all the way around it, she is convinced it has magical powers. Surely such a stone will grant wishes, she thinks. But when her friends want to join in the fun, Ella May says that the stone is too special. Slowly she comes to realize that keeping the stone all to herself is a sure way to lose friends. By using her imagination, Ella May finds a way to make everyone’s wishes come true-including her own.

audreyAudrey (cow)
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss
Hardcover | 240 Pages
For Ages: 7-10 years
ISBN: 978-1-77049-602-6
Audrey is a cow with poetry in her blood, who yearns for the greener pastures beyond Bittersweet Farms. If you have no problem with stories about brave cows escaping their dark destiny and dodging hunters and vicious predators, then this book is for you. Over two dozen animals and humans tell the tale of Audrey’s great escape. Full of heart and humor, Audrey (cow) is ultimately a very human story about life and death, friendship, and holding on to one’s dreams – based more or less on a true story.

MillhouseMillhouse
Written by Natale Ghent
Hardcover | 192 Pages
For Ages: 7-10 years
ISBN: 978-1-77049-639-2
Millhouse is a faint-hearted, hairless guinea pig. A great lover of all things theatrical, most especially the work of William Shakespeare, Milly longs for the limelight and someone to love. However, after the death of his beloved owner, the great actor Sir Roderick Lord Kingswagger, Millhouse is abandoned to a neglected and dusty pet shop filled with other rodents — some rude, some odd, some cute and some downright frightening. Finding himself a reviled outcast and a target of the nasty Pepper Brown ferret, Millhouse sets about trying to find a way back to the theater and a happy home, and in doing so experiences more drama than he could ever have imagined.

The Green Man_paperbackThe Green Man
Written by Michael Bedard
Trade Paperback | 320 Pages
For Ages: 10 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-511-1
When Ophelia’s father heads off to Italy for the summer to finish work on his book on the poet Ezra Pound, O – as she prefers to be called – is sent by train to stay with her Aunt Emily, who runs a secondhand bookshop back east called The Green Man. Part mystery, part fantasy, this compelling and beautifully written novel slips between the real world, and that of the creative imagination. Cloaked in the simple story of a young woman taking over a bookstore from her aged aunt, The Green Man is an eerie story about finding voice and courage, and about suspending disbelief!

DinosaursReading

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14th Annual Writers’ Trust Awards

Last night, the 14th Annual Writers’ Trust Awards was held at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. The following award winners were announced:

  • Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize
  • Latner Writers’ Trust Poetry Prize
  • Writers’ Trust Engel/Findley Award
  • Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People
  • Matt Cohen Award: In Celebration of a Writing Life
  • Writers’ Trust / McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize

Cary FaganCongratulations to Cary Fagan on being this year’s recipient of the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People. This award honours a Canadian author of children’s literature whose body of work is judged to demonstrate the highest literary standards.

Cary Fagan is an award-winning author for children. His kids’ books include the popular Kaspar Snit novels and the picture book Mr. Zinger’s Hat, for which he won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has won the Jewish Book Award, and been shortlisted for the Silver Birch Award (five times), the Rocky Mountain Book Award (twice), the Hackmatack Award (twice), the Norma Fleck Award, the Shining Willow Award, and others. Fagan is also the author of six novels and three short story collections for adults. He was born and raised in Toronto, where he lives with his family.

Here are some of Cary Fagan’s publications with Tundra:
Mr. Zinger’s Hat (2012)
Ella May and the Wishing Stone (2011)
Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas (2009)
Thing-Thing (2008)
Ten Lessons for Kaspar Snit (2008)
Directed by Kaspar Snit (2007)
My New Shirt (2007)
Ten Old Men and a Mouse (2007)
The Fortress of Kaspar Snit (2004)
Beyond the Dance: A Ballerina’s Life (with Chan Hon Goh) (2002)
Daughter of the Great Zandini (2001)
The Market Wedding (2000)
Gogol’s Coat (1999)

Beyond the Dance Daughter of the Great Zandini Directed by Kaspar Snit Ella May and the Wishing Stone Gogol's Coat Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas Mr Zingers Hat My New Shirt Ten Lesson for Kaspar Snit Ten Old Men and a Mouse The Fortress of Kaspar Snit The Market Wedding Thing-Thing

“Organic prose and authentic dialogue are defining features of Cary Fagan’s prolific body of work, which covers the range of children’s genres from picture books to novels. With a kid’s eye-view Fagan navigates the ups and downs of life with genuine warmth and a wry sense of humour. His stories perambulate a landscape of small adventures, creating moments of epiphany for his characters that ultimately alter and shift their lens on the world. Magic animates his narratives and its transformative power is Fagan’s instrument for constructing a child’s imaginative space, allowing the reader to find themselves in the story. Nuanced and understated in both semantics and voice, Fagan’s stories are a perfect balance between the comic and the dramatic. Artfully rendered narratives and exquisite syntax make each of his tales pearls of meaningful simplicity. Fagan is a master storyteller.” – Jury Citation

The goal of the Metcalf Foundation is to enhance the effectiveness of people and organizations working together to help Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy and creative society. Vicky Metcalf created this award in 1963 to stimulate the writing of literature for Canadian children. She held a passion for storytelling and published several children’s books. The prize has been administered by the Writers’ Trust since 2002.

We would like to thank the jurors – Gwyneth Evans, Susan Perren, and Joanne Schwartz – for all their work. Thank you to everyone who attended the event and cheered for Cary Fagan. Finally, thank you to the Sponsors, Board of Directors, Authors’ Committee, and the staff at Writers’ Trust of Canada.

Tundra Book Group