National Post: 2014’s Best Books for Kids

NationalPost
We’re feeling warm and fuzzy with all the love for our books this year! Here’s two more recommended titles from the National Post:

Nancy KnowsNancy Knows
Written by Cybèle Young
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-482-4
“Hours can be spent poring over the illustrations for Cybèle Young’s Nancy Knows, a gorgeous little story in which a forgetful elephant racks her memory, trying to remember what it is she was supposed to do. Nancy’s memories are expressed through dozens of miniature, elaborate paper sculptures, each one handcrafted by Young herself. New details spring up on the page with each repeat reading, making it a book parents won’t quickly tire of during story time.” – Anna Fitzpatrick, National Post

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
“2014 was also a notable year for anniversaries and re-releases. Roch Carrier’s Canadian classic The Hockey Sweater turned 30, which Tundra celebrated with a hardcover special edition.” – Anna Fitzpatrick, National Post

Mabel’s Fables: Our Favourite Picture Books of 2014

The staff at Mabel’s Fables Bookstore picked their best books of the year, Nancy Knows and Hope Springs is on their list! Congratulations to Cybèle Young, Eric Walters, and Eugenie Fernandes!

Nancy KnowsNancy Knows
Written by Cybèle Young
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-482-4
“This book is just beautiful, from the artwork right down to the message. Nancy’s plight to remember is something that resonates with me and feel it is perfect for any child who has someone suffering from memory loss in their family. It’s a quick, lovely read and, I admit, I got a bit teary at the end.” – Karla

Hope SpringsHope Springs
Written by Eric Walters
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-530-2
“The first time I read this book, I was in tears in the store – in front of customers. I should have read this at my desk, instead! Hope Springs is an incredibly touching story about kindness, understanding, charity and point of view. It’s about a whole lot more than just water. This type of picture book is what I like to refer to as a ‘dialogue opener’ one that starts important discussions with kids.” – Erin

2014 Holiday Gift Guide: The Thinkers

Listed by age range:

Nancy KnowsNancy Knows
Written by Cybèle Young
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-482-4
Nancy knows she’s forgotten something. Something important. When she tries to remember, she thinks of all kinds of other things instead. She remembers things she knows and things she doesn’t quite know. She remembers things one way, then another. Sometimes she remembers with her ears or her stomach or even her heart. But Nancy knows she’s still forgetting something. It’s only when Nancy stops thinking altogether that she finally remembers the very important thing she’s forgotten. Nancy Knows is the charming story of an elephant who remember lots of things, except the very thing she is trying to remember.

Going Up - Elisha Otis Trip to the TopGoing Up!
Elisha Otis’s Trip to the Top

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Trade Paperback | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-516-6
In 1818, seven-year-old Elisha was fascinated by farm machinery. As a young man, he tried a variety of ways to make a living, but nothing fired his imagination more than the job he found in a bed-frame factory. Soon he invented a machine that made frames four times faster than ever before. In 1852, while overseeing the construction of a new factory, he had to find a way to move heavy machinery to the second floor. He didn’t trust the hoisting platform, so he invented a safety brake. It was so successful that rather than lift machine parts, Elisha decided to build “people-hoisting machines.” In 1857, Elisha Otis installed his first successful passenger elevator in a five-storey department store in New York City. Before Elisha’s invention, buildings were never higher than six stories. At last it was possible to build skyscrapers!

Spic-and-SpanSpic-and-Span!
Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-380-3
Born into a life of privilege in 1878, Lillian Moller Gilbreth put her pampered life aside for one of adventure and challenge. She and her husband, Frank, became efficiency experts by studying the actions of factory workers. They ran their home efficiently, too. When Frank suddenly died, Lillian was left to her own devices to raise their eleven children. Eventually, she was hired by the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company to improve kitchen design, which was only the beginning. Lillian Gilbreth was the subject of two movies (Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes), the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and the first female psychologist to have a U.S. postage stamp issued in her honor. A leading efficiency expert, she was also an industrial engineer, a psycologist, an author, a professor, and an inventor.

Nine Words MaxNine Words Max
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by David Huyck
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-562-3
Maximilian is a prince who loves to talk: No topic is too small, no story too boring. Max’s brothers are the opposite–the less said the better. When the king and queen go on a trip and leave the brothers alone, the three princes put a spell on Max that limits him to speaking only nine words at a time. The brothers are delighted: peace and quiet at last! But when a fearsome dignitary arrives, they realize the true value of their brother’s insatiable need for information.

Who Needs a DesertWho Needs a Desert?
A Desert Ecosystem

Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-386-5
Although deserts are harsh, dry places, they teem with fascinating plants and wildlife. Author and illustrator Karen Patkau takes us on a magical journey through one of the earth’s most important ecosystems. In Who Needs a Desert? A Desert Ecosystem, we discover, in breathtaking art and lyrical text, the plants and animals that have adapted to its severe conditions – from grasses, cacti, shrubs, and trees to Gila monsters, roadrunners, scorpions, and kangaroo rats.

Who Needs a PrairieWho Needs a Prairie?
A Grassland Ecosystem

Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-388-9
Prairies are wild and rugged grasslands, whose inhabitants depend on each other and their surroundings. Author and illustrator Karen Patkau takes us on a magical journey through one of the earth’s most important ecosystems. In Who Needs a Prairie? A Grassland Ecosystem, we discover, in breathtaking art and lyrical text, the plants and animals that thrive in its unique conditions – from buttercups, pincushion cacti, prairie crocuses, and sagebrush to burrowing owls, dung beetles, yellow-bellied racers, and voles.

Who Needs a ReefWho Needs a Reef?
A Coral Ecosystem

Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-390-2
Colorful coral reefs, astonishing in their beauty, bustle and teem with life. Author and illustrator Karen Patkau takes us on a magical journey through one of the earth’s most important ecosystems. In Who Needs a Reef ? A Coral Reef Ecosystem, we discover, in breathtaking art and lyrical text, the plants and animals that flourish in its tropical conditions – from coralline algae, phytoplankton, and sea grasses to hermit crabs, moon jellies, whale sharks, and porcupinefish.

Every BreathEvery Breath
Written by Ellie Marney
Hardcover | 352 Pages | Ages 14 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-772-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-774-0
Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be. James Mycroft is her neighbor, an intriguing and troubled seventeen-year-old genius with a passion for forensics. When Mycroft asks Watts to help investigate a murder, she knows it’s probably a very bad idea. But Mycroft’s hard to resist when he’s up close and personal—and before she knows it, Watts has joined him on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer. But what happens when this brilliant bad boy becomes murder suspect number one?

Nancy Dreams

Kirkus Reviews: Best Children’s Books of 2014

best_of_2014-CHILDRENS-BADGEKirkus Reviews compiles a great list of the best children’s and teen books annually. Congratulations to all of the amazing authors and illustrators for their achievement and for being included in the categories as well! We’re happy to share that two of our titles made the list this year!

Congratulations to Cybèle Young, Nancy Knows was selected as one of the Best Picture Books of 2014 to Start a Conversation:

Kirkus_Nancy Nancy KnowsNancy Knows
Written by Cybèle Young
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-482-4
“…the vehicle for a truly beautiful and unique visual tour de force. Young creates delicately worked, detailed illustrations of the things Nancy does remember and sorts them into a wide variety of categories shown within graphite-pencil outlines of Nancy’s elephantine body in front, back, overhead and sideways perspectives. She appears standing or rearing, sleeping or sitting. Things are remembered neatly or jumbled up; sights, sounds and smells are recalled, as well as places and objects, all in interesting juxtapositions. Each item is a tiny, intricate sculpture made with Japanese papers. Colorful shapes in abstract design and amazingly detailed, seemingly three-dimensional objects demand intense, close examination, and fingers will tingle with the wish to lift them off the page. It’s a work to be shared in wonderment and delight. Pure fascination.” – Starred Review, Kirkus

Congratulations to Dan Bar-el and Tatjana Mai-Wyss, Audrey (cow) was selected as one of the Best Middle-Grade Science Fiction, Fantasy & Adventure of 2014 AND Best Middle-Grade Books of 2014 for Readers Who Like Quirky:

Kirkus_Audrey2audreyAudrey (cow)
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss
Hardcover | 240 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-602-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-604-0
“Move aside Wilbur and Babe. There’s a new farmyard hero in town, and she has no desire to end up hamburger. Audrey isn’t like the other cows … the feisty Charolais concocts an elaborate escape for herself using the expertise and help of her barnyard friends…. In a multiple-perspective, documentary-like format, each animal tells its part of the story with terrific humor and personality … the many voices make the book an ideal read-aloud for a classroom and ideal fodder for readers’ theater…. Part Great Escape, part Hatchet, part Charlotte’s Web, all wonderful.” – Starred Review, Kirkus

Kirkus_Audrey

Memory Game

We feel like having some fun this Friday, so let’s play a simple memory game to celebrate Nancy Knows by Cybèle Young. An exquisite book about an elephant you’ll never forget!
Nancy Knows_memory game
To play:

  1. Leave a comment below with your memory card coordinates (example: A1 and B2). OR enter on twitter by tweeting: @TundraBooks A1 and B2 #NancyKnows
  2. I will flip the cards you guess and update this page. So you’ll need to hit the refresh button!
  3. You can only guess once, so strategize!
  4. The first six people to find a matching pair will win a copy of Nancy Knows and the book’s beautiful poster. Open to residents of Canada and the United States only. Please take a look at our rules. Have fun and good luck!

HERE WE GO!!

NancyKnows1
Entry2

NancyKnows2

NancyKnows3
That was our first match! Beautiful dress made from paper by Cybèle. Congratulations to Suzanne!

Entry4

NancyKnows4

Entry5

NancyKnows5

NancyKnows6

NancyKnows7

Entry8

NancyKnows8
The leaves are our second match! Congratulations to Cheryl!

Entry9

NancyKnows9
The carrots are our third match! Congratulations to Laura!

Entry10

NancyKnows10
Ice cream! That was our fourth match! Congratulations to Heather!

Entry11

NancyKnows11
Brave Carol, your risk paid off! Match of toys, congratulations!

@TundraBooks 3b 1b #nancyknows

— Kayla Henderson (@KaylaHenderson) August 22, 2014

NancyKnows12
Final match! Congratulations to Kayla!

GOOD GAME! THANKS FOR PLAYING!