At Tundra Book Group (Tundra Books, Puffin Canada, and Penguin Teen Canada), we think all our books are brilliant, and it’s nice when others think so too! Congratulations to our authors and illustrators; these are our starred books of 2023!
FOUR STARS:
The Little Books of the Little Brontës By Sara O’Leary Illustrated by Briony May Smith 40 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735263697 | Tundra Books “This charming celebration of reading and writing is one for the books.” – Starred Review, Booklist “Mixed-media spreads in muted, autumnal shades visually contrast themes of inner creative fire and outer quiet, as in one spread that reveals dramatic shadows behind the nightgowned children playacting by lamplight.” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly “Exquisitely crafted text and illustrations convey an emotionally resonant tale of resilient family bonds and the lasting joy of stories.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal “A sublime blend of tender and thoughtfully playful writing by O’Leary, and bucolic, rosy-cheeked mixed media illustrations by Smith, this is an exceptional picture book.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire
THREE STARS:
I’m From By Gary R. Gray, Jr. Illustrated by Oge Mora 40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774886168 | Puffin Canada Available March 5, 2024 “Poet Gray, making a picture book debut, models the process of, and the power in, learning that “I come from/ somewhere.” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly “A beautiful, simple look into one child’s typical experience that all readers can learn from and relate to.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal “This beautifully rendered picture book serves as a reminder of the importance of familial and cultural identity and the grounding that it offers in the wider world.” – Starred Review, The Horn Book
TWO STARS:
Don’t Want to Be Your Monster By Deke Moulton 304 Pages | Ages 10-14 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774880494 | Tundra Books “Members of persecuted minorities unite to fight crime: icky, impish, and thematically rich.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews “Readers will root for these two bantering brothers as they fight to defeat the evil lurking in their town and, after the last page is turned, will long to spend more time in their world.” – Starred Review, Booklist Reviews
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls By Cherie Dimaline 280 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover ISBN 9780735265639 | Tundra Books “Atmospheric, intimate, and melodic; the rich storytelling sings.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews “Dimaline has created a rich world of complex characters with a narrative that oscillates from love story to suspense-thriller – sometimes within the same chapter – without any tonal whiplash.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire
The Only Way to Make Bread By Cristina Quintero Illustrated by Sarah Gonzales 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735271760 | Tundra Books “With a palette of golden brown and ochre and frequent close-up and birds-eye perspectives, the digitally edited, colored-pencil artwork perfectly suits the text.” – Starred Review, Booklist “The art, combined with Quintero’s graceful text, results in a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the ordinary, love-filled lives of individuals from various cultures.” – Starred Review, Shelf Awareness
ONE STAR
Dim Sum Palace By X. Fang 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books “Full of fine-lined crosshatching and a saturated color palette, Fang’s artwork is deliciously off-kilter, with flattened and blocky figure designs and a fanciful sense of scale underscoring the charming imagination of Liddy’s dream.” – Starred Review, Booklist
Someone Is Always Watching By Kelley Armstrong 368 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover ISBN 9780735270923 | Tundra Books “With a plot filled with remarkable twists and mystery galore, the characters remain less developed, with hints of diversity in the cast based on character descriptions.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal
The Big Bang and Other Farts By Daisy Bird Illustrated by Marianna Coppo 48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735268012 | Tundra Books “The returning collaborators deliver not only unremitting humor but also something to think about between laughs.” – Starred Review, Shelf Awareness
The Song That Called Them Home By David A. Robertson Illustrated by Maya McKibbin 52 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735266704 | Tundra Books “A gorgeous story inspired by Indigenous legends that will lead intrepid readers on a watery adventure.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
The Three Little Mittens By Linda Bailey Illustrated by Natalia Shaloshvili 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774880111 | Tundra Books “A funny, yet thought-provoking picture book that is highly recommended for reading aloud.” – Starred Review, Booklist
Here at Penguin Random House Canada, we’re lucky to work with so many different imprints and children’s book lists. This holiday season, we’ll be highlighting each one with a dedicated post to help you find the perfect gift (or your next read). Today’s post is all about picture books from Tundra Books, our very own Canadian publisher!
Dim Sum Palace By X. Fang 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .
How to Decorate a Christmas Tree By Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Miki Sato 40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735268586 | Tundra Books A little girl shares the steps for the perfect tree trimming – a holiday picture book for fans of Pick a Pine Tree and The Little Christmas Tree. In this charming Christmas tale, readers will follow along with the main character as she shares all the things that go into decorating a tree: Lights Ornaments Popcorn Hot chocolate Taffy the cat Memories And, most importantly, family! With stunning three-dimensional art by Miki Sato and a delightful story by wordsmith Vikki VanSickle, including a twist ending, this book will quickly become a Christmas tree decorating tradition of its own.
Ploof By Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser 56 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881927 | Tundra Books Ploof is a puffy cloud who’s a little lonely – but now you’re here, and the fun can begin! Can you help Ploof overcome their shyness? Play pretend? Make Ploof laugh with your funny faces, find their hiding spot, give them a high five! Full of imaginative and interactive fun, each page of this perfect book for preschoolers offers a chance to play. By following cues to say hello, clap, blow, shake, wave or make a funny face, young readers will be delighted to see the effects of their actions on Ploof. They’ll learn social-emotional skills like empathy, encouragement and kindness through Ploof’s emotional journey – and, along the way, they’ll learn how to be a fantastic friend! Join Ploof’s adventures in a brand-new series co-written and co-illustrated by Narwhal and Jelly creator Ben Clanton and up-and-coming picture book maker Andy Chou Musser.
Mama’s Sleeping Scarf By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writing as Nwa Grace-James Illustrated by Joelle Avelino 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774882696 | Puffin Canada Chino loves the scarf that her mama ties around her hair at night. But when Mama leaves for the day, what happens to her scarf? Chino takes it on endless adventures! Peeking through the colorful haze of the silky scarf, Chino and her toy bunny can look at her whole family as they go through their routines. With stunning illustrations from Joelle Avelino, Mama’s Sleeping Scarf is a celebration of family, and a touching story about the everyday objects that remind us of the ones we love.
The Hidden World of Gnomes By Lauren Soloy 96 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735271043 | Tundra Books This book is an introduction to the hidden folk called gnomes, who live in a happy place they call The Pocket. Where is The Pocket, you ask? Well, it’s all around you, all the time. Gnomes are curious little creatures, and they’re very shy. But after reading this book, you will learn to spot the telltale signs that gnomes are around . . . and maybe even meet one! Lauren Soloy has been studying gnomes her whole life, and she has created this book to share her knowledge with you. For example, what jobs do gnomes do? Babysitting robin’s eggs, squirrel-tail fluffing, storytelling. Where do they live? In gardens, forests and any place with plants, birds and bugs. What are their names? Hotchi-Mossy, Able Potter, Cob Tiggy and Puckle Swift, to name a few. With charming details and surprising facts, this celebration of all things gnome will enchant readers of all ages.
The Little Books of the Little Brontës By Sara O’Leary Illustrated by Briony May Smith 40 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735263697 | Tundra Books Many years ago, the four motherless children of the Brontë family – Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne – lived in a windswept house by the moors with their father. Although their lives were often filled with sadness and their world was only as large as the distance they could walk, their INNER worlds were bound only by their imaginations. Hungry for stories, these children devoured novels and poetry, history and fables. And with the gift of a group of toy soldiers, they were inspired to make their own stories, and their own tiny books . . . a passion that would last them a lifetime. A moving and atmospheric story about the power of imagination, the joy of storytelling and the love of books, The Little Books of the Little Brontës will enchant both those who love these literary sisters and those who are learning about them for the first time. Includes an author’s note, timeline of the Brontës’ lives and a fun craft with instructions on creating your own little book.
The Only Way to Make Bread By Cristina Quintero Illustrated by Sarah Gonzales 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735271760 | Tundra Books A delicious exploration of all kinds of breads, from sourdough to bannock to bao, that will tickle your taste buds and warm your heart. What’s the only way to make bread? You might use white flour in your bread, or whole wheat flour or corn flour. You might use water or milk, maybe an egg or two. You’ll use a handful of this, a dash of that, a bit of this and a splash of that. Some dough will rise, some dough will bubble. Sometimes it will be sticky, sometimes it will be shaggy. What’s the only way to make bread? Your way! This tasty celebration of all kinds of bread will tempt bread lovers big and small. No matter what kind of bread YOU like to make, this book is for you!
The Song That Called Them Home By David A. Robertson Illustrated by Maya McKibbin 52 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735266704 | Tundra Books One summer day, Lauren and her little brother, James, go on a trip to the land with their Moshom (grandfather). After they’ve arrived, the children decide to fish for dinner while Moshom naps. They are in their canoe in the middle of the lake when the water around them begins to swirl and crash. They are thrown overboard and when Lauren surfaces she sees her brother being pulled away by the Memekwesewak – creatures who live in and around water and like to interfere with humans. Lauren must follow the Memekwesewak through a portal and along a watery path to find and bring back James. But when she finally comes upon her brother, she too feels the lure of the Memekwesewak’s song. Something even stronger must pull them back home.
The Three Little Mittens By Linda Bailey Illustrated by Natalia Shaloshvili 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774880111 | Tundra Books Dotty and Other Dotty are a matching set of mittens. When another mitten, Stripes, loses her partner and becomes a single mitten, they don’t feel the need to include her. She doesn’t “match” them, so she is banished to the dark, lonely pocket of the Little Girl who owns them. Before long, however, Dotty loses her partner, and now she doesn’t match the reunited pair of Stripes and Other Stripes, who in turn banish her to the pocket. “YOU don’t match!” they tell her. When the Little Girl, who has been listening to their conversations, weighs in with a huge question (“Why do you have to match?”), the mittens are shocked. Then comes their realization that “matching” often means leaving someone out. This prompts the Little Girl to break a fundamental rule of fashion so that individual mittens (and maybe even socks! or shoes!) can be themselves – and everyone can belong. A warm and fuzzy story with lots of laughs, this latest picture book from Linda Bailey explores what it feels like to be excluded and included and celebrates one-of-a-kindness!
The Tragically Hip ABC By The Tragically Hip With Drew Macklin Illustrated by Clayton Hanmer, Julia Breckenreid, Monika Melnychuk and Bridget George 32 Pages | Ages 5-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881248 | Tundra Books A love letter to The Tragically Hip, one of Canada’s most beloved bands, this ABC picture book features illustrations from four renowned Canadian illustrators. The Tragically Hip, fronted by the late Gord Downie, is a legendary, bestselling Canadian band. And now, almost forty years of music can be appreciated in a brand-new way: an ABC picture book! From “A is for Ahead by a Century” to “N is for New Orleans is Sinking” all the way to “Z is for Frozen in My Tracks,” this illustrated ode to the band will be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Featuring art from Canadian illustrators Clayton Hanmer, Julia Breckenreid, Bridget George and Monika Melnychuk, this is the perfect gift for Hip fans old and new!
Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. These titles are now available in stores and online!
Dim Sum Palace By X. Fang 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .
New in Paperback:
Princesses Versus Dinosaurs By Linda Bailey Illustrated by Joy Ang 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback ISBN 9781774883655 | Tundra Books This is a princess book! No, it’s a dinosaur book! No, it’s . . . a T. rex book? A dragon book? A rubber ducky book?! From Linda Bailey, award-winning and critically acclaimed author, and Joy Ang, Adventure Time-artist and illustrator of the Mustache Baby series, comes an irresistibly irreverent picture book in which plucky princesses and determined dinosaurs have a battle royale over whose book this is. When they start calling in the big guns – or rather, the big carnivores – and decide to build a wall to resolve their differences, princesses and dinosaurs alike learn a thing or two about open-mindedness and sharing.
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.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, this year it falls on September 29. Similar mid-autumn holidays are celebrated in Japan and Vietnam. Here are some books to read with kids to celebrate the festival.
Picture Books
Angel in Beijing By Belle Yang 32 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780763692704 | Candlewick In a lost-and-found tale that soars far beyond just a happy ending, Taiwanese fine artist Belle Yang pays affectionate homage to the city of Beijing. In busy Beijing, New Year’s Eve firecrackers scare a stray white cat into the courtyard of a young girl. The two become fast friends, riding the girl’s bike through the city and seeing all kinds of people and things. Trrrring-trrrring! the girl chimes with her bicycle bell. Niaow-niaow! answers Kitty. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the girl and the cat watch the kites soaring above crowded, chaotic Tiananmen Square. Kitty is enthralled by the enormous, colorful dragon kite, and she leaps to catch it as it sails up into the sky – taking Kitty with it and carrying her out of sight! The girl searches the city, visiting all their favorite spots and ringing her bell along the way, but Kitty is nowhere to be found. Will the two ever be reunited? Or could another unexpected friendship be in store – for both of them?
Dim Sum Palace By X. Fang 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .
Night Market Rescue By Charlotte Cheng Illustrated by Amber Ren 32 Pages | Ages 4-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780593531723 | Rocky Pond Books A stray dog stumbles upon the gift of friendship – and maybe even the promise of home – while wandering the delight-filled night market in Taipei. While resting on a stoop, GoGo smells something sweet and spicy on the breeze. It leads him to a place he’s never been – a bustling night market where vendors sell delicious treats. As he wanders, sniffing for scraps, GoGo discovers something else as well: a little girl who has gotten separated from her parents. He knows he can help and guides her through the market . . . to where her worried parents wait for her – with open arms for their daughter and GoGo, their new pet!
Ten Little Dumplings By Larissa Fan Illustrated by Cindy Wume 48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735266193 | Puffin Canada In the city of Tainan, there lives a very special family – special because they have ten sons who do everything together. Their parents call them their ten little dumplings, as both sons and dumplings are auspicious. But if you look closely, you’ll see that someone else is there, listening, studying, learning and discovering her own talent – a sister. As this little girl grows up in the shadow of her brothers, her determination and persistence help her to create her own path in the world . . . and becomes the wisdom she passes on to her own daughter, her own little dumpling. Based on a short film made by the author, inspired by her father’s family in Taiwan, Ten Little Dumplings looks at some unhappy truths about the place of girls in our world in an accessible, inspiring and hopeful way.
Middle Grade
Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind By Misa Sugiura 384 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover ISBN 9780593564066 | Labyrinth Road All Momo wants for her twelfth birthday is an ordinary life – like everyone else’s. At home, she has to take care of her absentminded widowed mother. At school, kids ridicule her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her. But then Momo’s mother falls gravely ill, and a death hag straight out of those childhood stories attacks Momo at the mall, where she’s rescued by a talking fox . . . and “ordinary” goes out the window. It turns out that Momo’s mother is a banished Shinto goddess who used to protect a long-forgotten passageway to Yomi – a.k.a. the land of the dead. That passageway is now under attack, and countless evil spirits threaten to escape and wreak havoc across the earth. Joined by Niko the fox and Danny – her former best friend turned popular jerk, whom she never planned to speak to again, much less save the world with – Momo must embrace her (definitely not “ordinary”) identity as half human, half goddess to unlock her divine powers, save her mother’s life, and force the demons back to Yomi.
Tiger Daughter By Rebecca Lim 192 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover ISBN 9780593648971 | Delacorte Press Wen Zhou is a first-generation daughter of Chinese migrant parents. She has high expectations from her parents to succeed in school, especially her father whose strict rules leave her feeling trapped. She dreams of creating a future for herself more satisfying than the one her parents expect her to lead. Then she befriends a boy named Henry who is also a first generation immigrant. He is the smartest boy at school despite struggling with his English and understands her in a way nobody has lately. Both of them dream of escaping and together they come up with a plan to take an entrance exam for a selective school far from home. But when tragedy strikes, it will take all of Wen’s resilience and tiger strength to get herself and Henry through the storm that follows. Tiger Daughter is a coming-of-age novel that will grab hold of you and not let go.
Young Adult
Fake Dates and Mooncakes By Sher Lee 272 Pages | Ages 12+ | Paperback ISBN 9780593569955 | Underlined Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs – in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons. In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors – but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems. Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart – or will he fail to do both?
My Father, The Panda Killer By Jamie Jo Hoang 384 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover ISBN 9780593642962 | Crown BFYR San Jose, 1999. Jane knows her Vietnamese dad can’t control his temper. Lost in a stupid daydream, she forgot to pick up her seven-year-old brother, Paul, from school. Inside their home, she hands her dad the stick he hits her with. This is how it’s always been. She deserves this. Not because she forgot to pick up Paul, but because at the end of the summer she’s going to leave him when she goes away to college. As Paul retreats inward, Jane realizes she must explain where their dad’s anger comes from. The problem is, she doesn’t quite understand it herself. Äà Nẵng, 1975. Phúc (pronounced /foÍžok/, rhymes with duke) is eleven the first time his mother walks him through a field of mines he’s always been warned never to enter. Guided by cracks of moonlight, Phúc moves past fallen airplanes and battle debris to a refugee boat. But before the sun even has a chance to rise, more than half the people aboard will perish. This is only the beginning of Phúc’s perilous journey across the Pacific, which will be fraught with Thai pirates, an unrelenting ocean, starvation, hallucination, and the unfortunate murder of a panda. Told in the alternating voices of Jane and Phúc, My Father, The Panda Killer is an unflinching story about war and its impact across multiple generations, and how one American teenager forges a path toward accepting her heritage and herself.
Here at Tundra, we have many books to delight the senses and tingle your tastebuds! Check out our list of new and upcoming titles for foodies of all ages!
Picture Books
Almost a Full Moon By Hawksley Workman Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781770498716 | Tundra Books Almost a Full Moon is a warm-hearted story of family, community, food and home. A boy and his grandmother host a gathering in their small cabin in the middle of winter. Friends travel from near and far, and some new friends even turn up. The walls of the cabin are elastic and the soup pot bottomless; all are welcome. Based on the lyrics of Hawksley Workman’s song from his holiday album Almost a Full Moon, this book evokes both the cold and the coziness of a winter’s night: crisp clean air, sparkling snow, the light of the moon, welcoming windows, glowing candles, family and friends. The spare text is beautifully complemented with the rich illustrations of Jensine Eckwall, a new talent to Tundra. She brings beauty and a hint of magic to Workman’s evocative lyrics; together, they create a world and a night that will enchant readers of all ages.
Banana By Zoey Abbott 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735271418 | Tundra Books My dad is the best. We love hanging out together. Recently, he got this banana. At first, we had a great time with the banana – it does cool stuff and it’s really fun. But lately he’s spending too much time with the banana. He’s distracted, and he’s not enjoying the things he used to enjoy, like hanging out with me. I don’t think this banana is good for him. It’s time to take action. Zoey Abbott tackles parental distraction in a quirky and hilarious way in this parable about too much of a good thing. With her trademark wit and engaging illustrations, she introduces a very wise kid and a not-so-wise parent who eventually see eye to eye in a story that will delight readers of all ages.
Crocodile Hungry By Eija Sumner Illustrated by John Martz 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735267879 | Tundra Books Crocodile hungry. What can crocodile eat? Canned ham? Too hard to open. Beef jerky? Gets stuck in teeth. Eggs? Bite shell, get toothache. Crocodile must find food. But where? Though Crocodile is surrounded by food, he doesn’t know it. He’s used to food coming in packages and boxes and in handy tins. Will the hungry crocodile figure it out? Readers big and little will laugh out loud at the simple but hysterical text and illustrations by debut author Eija Sumner and cartoonist (and now resident crocodile expert) John Martz.
Dim Sum Palace By X. Fang 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774881989 | Tundra Books Available September 12, 2023 Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress – a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .
Frankie’s Favorite Food By Kelsey Garrity-Riley 36 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735264311 | Tundra Books Frankie has a problem: he has too many favorite foods. He can’t bring himself to choose just one to be for the school play, so on the day of the performance, he’s still without a costume. His teacher comes up with a delicious idea: what if Frankie becomes the Costume Manager? That way, he can parlay his love of all things culinary into the whole production. From adding some last-minute garnishes to helping the rice and beans into their costumes, Frankie shines backstage until he has a brilliant idea and decides to make his debut on the menu as something that combines his love for all his favorite foods . . . In this funny and scrumptiously adorable story, readers will delight in the variety of foods represented and the clever performances full of silly word play and sweet camaraderie. In Kelsey Garrity-Riley’s author-illustrator debut, she shows the joy of food and revels in celebrating the way food can bring people together and inspire creativity.
It Happened on Sweet Street By Caroline Adderson Illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch 44 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9781101918852 | Tundra Books Cakes, cookies or pie? A rivalry among local bakers is the basis for this deliciously sweet, off-the-wall picture book. Monsieur Oliphant’s cake shop, the only bakery game in town, has long had customers lining up outside its door for Oliphant’s delicious jelly rolls and marvelous wedding cakes . . . until the day cookie concocter Mademoiselle Fée takes over the old shoemaker’s shop. And it isn’t long before the divine piemaker Madame Clotilde soon moves into the old bric-a-brac shop. Three different bakers all trying to outclass one another means their little cul-de-sac is packed with customers every day and night, so, one morning, when everyone is bumpling and jostling each other with their cakes, cookies and pies, a food disaster – a massacre of cream, a devastation of crumbs – is inevitable! Only one little girl has the drive (or appetite?) to find a solution, but can it last? This madcap tale of frenzied cooks and zany eats (and one very lucky town) will delight readers with a sweet tooth of any age!
Julia, Child By Kyo Maclear Illustrated by Julie Morstad 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback ISBN 9780735264014 | Tundra Books Julia and Simca are two young friends who agree that you can never use too much butter – and that it is best to be a child forever. Sharing a love of cooking and having no wish to turn into big, busy people who worry too much and dawdle too little, they decide to create a feast for growing and staying young. A playful, scrumptious celebration of the joy of eating, the importance of never completely growing up and mastering the art of having a good time, Julia, Child is a fictional tale loosely inspired by the life and spirit of the very real Julia Child – a story that should be taken with a grain of salt and a generous pat of butter.
Night Lunch By Eric Fan Illustrated by Dena Seiferling 48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735270572 | Tundra Books Noses sniff the air as mouthwatering smells waft down city streets, luring growling bellies to the Night Owl. Inside this elegant, horse-drawn establishment, a feathery cook works the grill, serving up tasty dishes for shift-workers and operagoers alike: a mince pie for Fox, a ham sandwich for Badger and puddings for little Possums. Mouse, a poor street sweeper, watches as the line of customers swells, ever hopeful that someone will drop a morsel of food – but Owl’s cooking is far too delicious for more than a crumb to be found. As the evening’s service winds down, weary Owl spots trembling Mouse. Has he found his own night lunch, or will he invite this small sweeper inside for a midnight feast for two? From the imagination of two acclaimed picture book creators, together for the first time, this dreamlike picture book is a magical ode to Victorian lunch wagons. Evoking the sounds, sights, smells and tastes of the city at night, Night Lunch reveals how empathy and kindness as well as dignity and gratitude can be found – and savored – in the most unexpected places.
Ten Little Dumplings By Larissa Fan Illustrated by Cindy Wume 48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735266193 | Tundra Books In the city of Tainan, there lives a very special family – special because they have ten sons who do everything together. Their parents call them their ten little dumplings, as both sons and dumplings are auspicious. But if you look closely, you’ll see that someone else is there, listening, studying, learning and discovering her own talent – a sister. As this little girl grows up in the shadow of her brothers, her determination and persistence help her to create her own path in the world . . . and becomes the wisdom she passes on to her own daughter, her own little dumpling. Based on a short film made by the author, inspired by her father’s family in Taiwan, Ten Little Dumplings looks at some unhappy truths about the place of girls in our world in an accessible, inspiring and hopeful way.
The Only Way to Make Bread By Cristina Quintero Illustrated by Sarah Gonzales 40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735271760 | Tundra Books Available October 3, 2023 A delicious exploration of all kinds of breads, from sourdough to bannock to bao, that will tickle your taste buds and warm your heart. What’s the only way to make bread? You might use white flour in your bread, or whole wheat flour or corn flour. You might use water or milk, maybe an egg or two. You’ll use a handful of this, a dash of that, a bit of this and a splash of that. Some dough will rise, some dough will bubble. Sometimes it will be sticky, sometimes it will be shaggy. What’s the only way to make bread? Your way! This tasty celebration of all kinds of bread will tempt bread lovers big and small. No matter what kind of bread YOU like to make, this book is for you!
Middle Grade
Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster By Rachelle Delaney 256 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Paperback ISBN 9780735269293 | Puffin Canada Alice Fleck’s father is a culinary historian, and for as long as she can remember, she’s been helping him recreate meals from the past – a hobby she prefers to keep secret from kids her age. But when her father’s new girlfriend enters them into a cooking competition at a Victorian festival, Alice finds herself and her hobby thrust into the spotlight. And that’s just the first of many surprises awaiting her. On arriving at the festival, Alice learns that she and her father are actually contestants on Culinary Combat, a new reality TV show hosted by Tom Truffleman, the most famous and fierce judge on TV! And to make matters worse, she begins to suspect that someone is at work behind the scenes, sabotaging the competition. It’s up to Alice, with the help of a few new friends, to find the saboteur before the entire competition is ruined, all the while tackling some of the hardest cooking challenges of her life . . . for the whole world to see.
Billy and the Giant Adventure By Jamie Oliver Illustrated by Mónica Armiño 336 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover ISBN 9781774884140 | Tundra Books Available November 14, 2023 One pinch of adventure, a dash of friendship, a sprinkle of mystery and a HUGE spoonful of magic . . . Jamie Oliver, bestselling author and internationally renowned chef, delivers the perfect recipe for a page-turning children’s fiction debut! Billy and his friends know that Waterfall Woods is out of bounds; strange things are rumored to have happened there and no one in their village has ventured past its walls for decades . . . But when they discover a secret way in, Billy and his best friends, Anna, Jimmy and Andy, can’t resist the temptation to explore! Only to quickly discover that the woods are brimming with magic and inhabited by all sorts of unusual creatures, including a whole community of sprites who need the children’s help! With magical battles, a long-lost mythical city, fantastical flying machines, epic feasts and one GIANT rescue – not to mention some mouth-watering recipes at the back – get ready for an adventure you’ll never forget!
