Tag: Monica Kulling

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Celebrating the Year’s Best

In the December 2009 issue (Volume 15, Number 2) of Resource Links, they included their annual The Year’s Best. These titles have been designated as Excellent by their reviewers.  Here are the Tundra titles that made the 2009 list, organized by author’s last names in their categories:

PICTURE BOOKS

Bird Child
By Nan Forler
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-894-1
“… As a thematic book dealing with the issue of bullying, this story excels. It is not preachy or didactic…. illustrations are also a standout…. A final word of praise has to go out to the author for the use of language in this story. Word choices approach the finely tuned standard of poetry…. Highly recommended.” – Resource Links

A Wizard in Love
By Mireille Levert
Illustrated by Marie Lafrance
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-901-6
“Although we don’t see it happen, I am positive Hector’s heart grows in this book… The colours used in the book A Wizard in Love reflect Hector’s shifting moods… Marie Lafrance’s illustrations are not typical of your average love story, but this is not your average love story!” – Resource Links

Timmerman Was Here
By Colleen Sydor
Illustrated by Nicolas Debon
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-890-3
“… Nicolas Debon’s gouache and wax pencil illustrations are dark and mysterious…. The atmosphere is nostalgic, from the 1940s setting to the reflective nature of the narrator. This is a quiet gem for all school and public libraries.” – Resource Links

FICTION: GRADES 3-6

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Carroll
Illustrated by Oleg Lipchenko
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-932-0
“… a beautiful book that stands up to careful scrutiny in appreciating the playful complexity of his unique interpretation and rich imagination…. Lipchenko’s sophisticated version is obviously driven by a commitment to faithfully represent his personal joy in a story that continues to enchant, amuse, and provoke delight and discussion among readers of all ages.” – Resource Links

Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas
By Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-895-8
“A delightful, imaginative tale…. a wonderfully silly, child-like adventure of ridiculous characters…. This story is a great yarn and hooks the child-like imagination in every reader….” – Resource Links

Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur
By Mordecai Richler
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-926-9
“This book would be a great addition to a unit on dinosaurs. Highly recommended for public and school libraries.” – Resource Links

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
By Mordecai Richler
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-925-2
“… DuÅ¡an Petričić’s new illustrations complement the tone of the story and bring Richler’s characters to life, especially the Hooded Fang. This book would be a fabulous read aloud.” – Resource Links

Jacob Two-Two’s First Spy Case
By Mordecai Richler
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-927-6
“…kids will delight in the hilarious downfall of adults who take advantage of their authority…. The story’s suspense is fun…. Highly recommended….” – Resource Links

NON-FICTION: GRADES K-6

Brigadier: Gentle Hero
By Judy Andrekson
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-904-7
“… fascinating detail of the rigorous training and wide variety of skills these animals must master, while keeping the plot moving at a quick pace…. Andrekson excels at vividly recreating the lives of horses she writes about for her readers…. This book is highly recommended.” – Resource Links

Wild Animals!
By Eduardo Bustos
Illustrated by Lucho Rodriguez
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-946-7
“… the animals seem to burst off the page…. encourage independent thinking and interaction with the storyteller. …a great non-fiction picture book for toddlers and preschoolers. Dramatic colours, attention-grabbing use of graphics and shapes and short interactive passages will keep young readers interested…” – Resource Links

Getting There
By Marla Stewart Konrad
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-867-5
“…stunning photographic essays …a book about various and sundry forms of transportations. … Konrad’s interest and concern for children is evident in both these books. I hope to see many more books from her, and additional titles in this series that is ideal for schools and libraries, wherever diversity is celebrated.” – Resource Links

Mom and Me
By Marla Stewart Konrad
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-866-8
“… small children will be fascinated by the scenes and people revealed by Konrad’s pictures. And older ones may begin to learn empathy for children who on the surface might seem quite different from them, but who all share a common humanity….” – Resource Links

It’s a Snap!
George Eastman’s First Photograph
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-881-1
“…accessible picture book biography… The strong narrative is peppered with snappy dialogue. Bill Slavin’s pen, ink and watercolour illustrations are equally engaging. …This first book in the Great Idea Series is a picture-perfect introduction to biographies for beginning readers.” – Resource Links

What Came First?
By Sandro Natalini
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-901-8
“… This book presents the theory of evolution in language that is easily accessible to young readers…. Natalini skillfully touches the important points in current evolutionary theory…. highly recommend….” – Resource Links

FICTION: GRADES 7-12

Tyranny
By Lesley Fairfield
Paperback
ISBN 978-0-88776-903-0
“… The illustrations also show the reader the devastation to her body that Anna cannot see. Fairfield aptly shows the insidious nature of eating disorders as well as the control of the disorder…. Clearly portrays how difficult recovery can be…. Highly recommended.” – Resource Links

Brothers
By Michael Mazo
Illustrated by Michael Soloviov
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-922-1
“…a visually appealing book – Soloviov’s illustrations are humorous and lively, and one cannot help but laugh at the situations in which the two dogs find themselves….” – Resource Links

Puppet
By Eva Wiseman
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-88776-828-6
“…a tale of shocking prejudice and a kind of petty corruption that chills one to the bone… Wiseman’s unflinching descriptions of the conducts of officials, the trial itself, and subtext of Julie’s life mixed with her reactions to and participation in the events around her are compelling and believable….” – Resource Links

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A Roundup of Ten Questions with…

Open Book Toronto logoOnce again, the wonderful team at Open Book: Toronto interviewed some of our Fall 2009 authors and illustrators. Many thanks to Clelia and Amy for their hard work! Click on the links below to read Open Book: Toronto’s Ten Questions with:

You can take a look at the Spring 2009 Ten Question interviews here. Stay tuned for interviews from our Spring 2010 authors and illustrators!

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Guest Post: Monica Kulling

Tundra author, Monica Kulling, shares with us in this guest post about her event on Wednesday, November 18, 2009:

Monica Kulling: I had the distinct pleasure last week of participating in my first-ever Canadian Children’s Book Week event. I read my first Canadian book, It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph, to a group of grade fours and fives at the Black Creek Branch of the Toronto Public Library.

Clip art credit: www.arthursclipart.org

Since publishing my first picture book, in the U.K. and the U.S. in 1992, I have looked longingly (each November) at the Canada Book Week poster and felt a like the poor match-girl in the fairy tale, uninvited because she has never published a book in Canada. A sad state of affairs. But sad no longer!

Enter TUNDRA BOOKS and Kathy Lowinger and all the talented people who work so hard to produce the beautiful books that Tundra is famous for. And a huge thanks to Bill Slavin, the illustrious Canadian illustrator, whose work is so well-known that doors open for me when I mention his name! Thank you for putting me on the Canadian map! I am tickled pink to be a Canadian author and to have the opportunity to share my books with kids across our great country.

So … with my symbolic invitation in hand, I drove to the Black Creek library located in the North York Sheridan Mall. Driving up Black Creek Drive, I passed the perfectly named, “Photography Drive,” which indicates the street that leads to the old Kodak plant. In 2005 Kodak became a casualty of the digital age and was forced to close down its plant. Until then it had employed hundreds of people for nearly 100 years. All the Kodak film and photography paper used in Canada were manufactured at the place that was called, “Kodak Heights.” Now one solitary building remains-building number 9:

Photo from: "The End of Kodachrome and the Death of Kodak Heights" by Rick McGinnis (July 3, 2009 on www.blogto.com)

The Black Creek Library is on the lower level of the Sheridan Mall, tucked behind an escalator. But the strategy of arriving early, allowed me to get lost, at least once. Anne-Marie Di Lello, the librarian who contacted me, greeted me warmly. She is proud of the library. “This library is a pearl in the mall,” Anne-Marie tells me. “Most people don’t know it’s here. But when they discover it, they keep coming back.” And as I entered its cozy and quiet domain, I can see why.

I was shown the room where the reading was going to be. Nancy Velez, another Black Creek librarian, had gone to great lengths to search the Toronto system for every book of mine she could get. The table at the front of the room, made me feel right at home.

The group was a little late, but worth waiting for. I began my presentation by taking a panoramic photograph of the entire group. So see for yourself what a grand bunch of kids I had in front of me.

And did they have questions? They did indeed! For that Kirkus reviewer who thought that “a few phrases may confuse young readers (“George had a brain wave”),” you can rest easy. Not only did my young listeners understand the term “brainwave,” one astute young man answered my query this way, “It’s when you have a wave of an idea in your brain and then a lightbulb comes on over your head!” Sounds about right to me.

Thank you Black Creek for a wonderful visit!

Note from Tundra: We hope people are happy to see pictures of themselves on Talking with Tundra, but if you would like your photo removed, please contact us at tundra@mcclelland.com. Thank you.

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Cybils: 2009 Nominations

cybils-logo-thumbThe Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards are back! Here’s a little background information about the Cybils Awards from their website:

 

 

  • Reward the children’s and young adult authors (and illustrators, let’s not forget them) whose books combine the highest literary merit and “kid appeal.” What’s that mean? If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we’re thinking more like organic chicken nuggets. We’re yummy and nutritious.
  • Foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children’s and YA literature, highlight our best reviewers (and shamelessly promote their blogs) and provide a forum for the similarly obsessed.

This year, Tundra has two nominations and we would like to congratulate Monica Kulling, Bill Slavin, and Gena K. Gorrell!

CATEGORY: Non-Fiction – middle/teen
Say WhatSay What? The Weird and Mysterious Journey of the English Language
Written by Gena K. Gorrell
ISBN 978-0-88776-878-1
This innovative book takes us on a journey through time to unravel and demystify the story of English. Word games, intriguing facts, and tricky quizzes add an element of fun while enriching readers’ knowledge and understanding. Thank you to Erin W. for nominating Say What?

CATEGORY: Non-fiction/Information Picture Books
It's a Snap!It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photo (Great Idea Series)
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
ISBN 978-0-88776-881-1
Monica Kulling’s spunky, playful text is beautifully complemented by the stunning pen-and-ink with watercolor illustrations of artist Bill Slavin. It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photo introduces a new series for Tundra – the Great Idea Series – a must-have for schools, libraries, and parents alike. Thank you to Cristiana C. for the nominating It’s a Snap!

The finalists will be announced on Jaunary 1st and the winners will be announced on February 14th. More good reasons to look forward to New Years and Valentine’s Day!

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Launch of: It’s a Snap!

Last night, Monica Kulling and Bill Slavin celebrated the launch of It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph at the Stephen Bulger Gallery and Camera Bar. This was Monica’s first book launch in all her years of being published! There was a tremendous amount of support from family (especially Nancy and Esperança) and friends. Thank you to everyone that came out to congratulate Monica and Bill!

Camera SignWelcome! Come join the fun!

Signing StartsThe rush of signings start just as Monica and Bill sit down!

CakesMonica bakes a mean lemon cake! I wanted all four loaves to myself… Thank you to Monica’s cousin for baking and decorating her famous date cake. The rest of the snacks and nibbles were catered from Amazing Food.

Bill and MonicaBill Slavin and Monica Kulling!

Busy signingBusy, busy signing! Poor Monica and Bill, they don’t even have time for a bite of their cake yet!

Bill SlavinBill Slavin and two of his original artwork from It’s a Snap!

Monica signingMonica signing It’s a Snap!

Thank you to Stephen, Samantha, Natalie, and the wonderful staff at the Stephen Bulger Gallery and Camera Bar! They did such a wonderful job preparing for the book launch. If you were unable to come last night and would like signed copies, please stop by the Stephen Bulger Gallery to inquire.

Tundra Book Group