Q&A with the PRHC Young Readers team

This is the last week for which the Penguin Shop will feature the Tundra takeover for our 50th anniversary. We hope you get a chance to visit (we’re giving away lots of goodies and hosting a contest in-store). Don’t forget, we have story time and crafts on Thursday, June 8, 2017 at 1:00 pm.

While we wait for Thursday to arrive, we thought you’d like this little Q&A we did with some of our team members!

TARA, VP AND PUBLISHER, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA YOUNG READERS
Tara WalkerInstagram: @tarawalker19

1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
Reading stories, looking at art and working with incredibly talented and devoted writers and illustrators.

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books with all my heart. I read and reread them all. I drew pictures of the characters: the clothes they wore, the food they ate, their meager belongings. I pretended my Barbies were Laura and her family. There was something so comforting and appealing to me about the little world they occupied, the simplicity of their lives and their close family ties, especially Laura’s relationship with her Pa. And Garth Williams drawings … perfection.

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
Winifred Liszt: because she makes lists of her favorite cheeses and favorite Bowie songs.
Narwhal: because he has great banter and loves a good waffle.
Ooko: because I think he’d be my best Debbie.

LYNNE, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR, FICTION, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA YOUNG READERS
Lynne MissenTwitter: @LynneMissen1

1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
Working with people who love books as much as I do, especially children’s books.

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
One that I remember vividly is A Fish Out of Water, which (I’ve just discovered) was written by Helen Palmer, a children’s book author and editor, whose husband was Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr Seuss). For some reason this story of a boy who fed a goldfish too much and it kept growing and growing, moving from a bathtub to a pool until help arrives and it goes back to a normal size remains vividly in my mind. I had a series of goldfish around then but they didn’t get bigger, they just died.

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
I would love to have Annie Magruder and her dog Carson (Carson Crosses Canada) over — as long as they brought some delicious food from their travels across Canada! I want to drive across Canada myself and would love to hear more about their adventures.

LIZ, SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR

Elizabeth Kribs1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
Working with a great group of people who love kids books; reading them, talking about them, creating them.

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends was a wonderfully silly book and seemed to be written just for me!

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
I think Narwhal from Narwhal and Jelly would be the life of the party (and he would be more than alright with waffles served for dinner). The Dixie Chicks from Count Your Chickens would be great to have around for musical entertainment. And I’d love to see what Pepper from A Pattern for Pepper would wear to a dinner party!

SAMANTHA, EDITOR
Samantha SwensonInstagram: @Twinkiethekidd
Twitter: @Twinkiethekidd
Tumblr: @Twinkiethekidd

1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
Getting to work with writers and illustrators is such a wonderful thing! I love being able to help creators shape and perfect their work, whether it’s working with an artist on a composition for a picture book or a novelist on a particularly tricky plot point. It’s also nice to know that the work I’m doing helps get books into the hands of children. I loved reading as a kid, and so many books really stuck with me – I’m glad I get to help create that experience for kids reading today.

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
My favourite was definitely Ferdinand the Bull. The black and white illustrations are so fantastic, and the writing is funny and kind of weird. I was also really fond of The Olden Days Coat by Margaret Laurence and The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier.

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
Arlo the Armadillo, so that he could tell me about his travels. The bed from The Pirate’s Bed because he seems like a nice guy and I could take a nap at dinner that way. And the dinosaur from Adventures with Barefoot Critters because I think we have a lot in common (we are both very clumsy).

JESSICA, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jessica Burgess1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
The hope that a book I’ve worked on will help a kid out there feel less alone, find out something they needed to know about themselves or the world, or just make them laugh a little.

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
One of my favourite books was The Man Who Didn’t Wash His Dishes – there was something delicious about how he really didn’t learn his lesson (the rain cleaned the dishes so he didn’t have to) and that he drank out of a flower vase and an ashtray rather than wash any dishes!

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
I think I’d like to have dinner with the Fitzgerald-Trouts and Mr. Knuckles. Maybe we could have a picnic at his laundromat (and shake down the vending machine for dessert).

LIZA, SALES DIRECTOR
Liza MorrisonInstagram: @Lizamo67
Twitter: @Lizamo67

1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
Talking about kids books all day!

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
Miss Moon so we could talk about our dogs!
Lydia Blankenship from The Serpent King so she could take me shopping and we’d hang out and talk about our lives.
Miss Petitfour – we would have a picnic dinner of pastries and cheese surrounded by adorable cats!

PAMELA, PUBLICITY & MARKETING MANAGER
Pamela OstiInstagram: @pamelaosti
Twitter: @pamelaosti

1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
Meeting our readers and seeing their faces when they meet their favourite author. It’s incredibly moving and rewarding.

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
Bread and Jam for Frances.

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
Miss Mousie because she rocks, Sadie because she is my childhood spirit animal.

SYLVIA, MARKETING & PUBLICITY COORDINATOR
Sylvia ChanInstagram: @sincerely.syl
Twitter: @sincerelysyl

1. What is your favourite thing about your job?
The rare chance I get to see sketches or final art when it comes in. We have so many talented illustrators!

2. Tell us about your favourite book as a child.
A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban, I wanted my own tea set so badly! I showed signs of wanting to host dinner parties at a very early age.

3. Which Tundra character(s) would you want to have dinner with and why?
Colette because she would tell me fabulous stories about the Mile End. Narwhal and Jelly because they also love to eat waffles for dinner.

2017 ALA Midwinter

Hello!

Tundra Books is exhibiting at ALA Midwinter this year with a very special anniversary in mind.

Please say hello to our wonderful marketing and publicity managers, Pamela and Vikki; our esteemed publisher, Tara; and our amazing sales director, Liza at booth #1926. They will be happy to tell you about our new and upcoming books or to answer any questions you may have.

While you’re there, you can also pick up a Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt lanyard, Little Blue Chair art cards, postcards for Carson Crosses Canada and The Fog, posters for Sam Sorts and Can You Find My Robot’s Arm?, Father’s Day cards for It’s Great Being a Dad, bookmarks for Jay Versus the Saxophone of Doom, and bookmarks for Maud. We’ll have ARCs for The Bonaventure AdventuresJay Versus the Saxophone of Doomand Maud available too.

If you’ve got your aisle-by-aisle coupon filled out, you can exchange it for our Tundra 50th Anniversary tote bag (while supplies last)! And don’t forget our 2017 catalog featuring Pepper from A Pattern for Pepper as our cover girl. That’s not all, come by the booth on Saturday, January 21 at 2:00 pm for some celebratory cupcakes and milk.

tundra50_alamw

On Saturday, January 21 at 10:00 am, Cary Fagan will be at our booth signing Little Blue ChairBe sure to line up early, as these complimentary copies will be given out on a first come, first serve basis.

Wait, there’s more! On Sunday, January 22 at 10:30 am, Publisher Tara Walker will be presenting at the Book Buzz Theater. Tara will be looking back at Tundra’s most innovative titles from the past fifty years and introducing our new books for 2017.

Follow @TundraBooks on twitter or instagram. You can also follow #alamw17 for the latest news and updates! We’ll be posting reminders using the ALA hashtag for everything mentioned here on twitter.

2016 ALA Annual Conference

ALAMy how time flies! For those of you planning your ALA Annual schedule already, we wanted to let you know that Tundra Books will be exhibiting at the conference. Please visit Pamela and Vikki in the exhibit hall at booth #2331 to learn about our new and upcoming books – and to pick up notepads, dry-erase calendars, buttons, educators’ guides, posters, art cards, recipe cards, ARCs, and more!

Here are some events you should make note of to attend:

  • At the Book Buzz Theater on Saturday, June 25, 2016 from 12:30 – 1:15 pm, Ben Clanton will be presenting Narwhal.
  • Ben Clanton will be signing Narwhal on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 2:00 pm at booth 2331.
  • Vikki VanSickle will be signing If I Had a Gryphon on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 11:30 am at booth 2331.

If I Had a GryphonFor the author and illustrator signings at our booth, we will be handing out complimentary copies of the books at a first come, first serve basis. So don’t forget, there’s a limited number of signed books.

NarwhalAnd if you picked up your 2016 Aisle-by-Aisle coupon book, make sure you drop off your entry to win a podtastic Narwhal gift package! The prize includes a copy of Narwhal, a tusk headband, a Narwhal button, a Jelly button, a Narwhal poster and activity guide, a “I don’t think you’re ready for this Jelly” T-shirt, and a “Narwhals: they’re real and they’re spectacular” T-shirt.

Or if you ever fancied yourself with a tusk, we’ll have a photo booth with lots of fun props. #PodGoals right?

Follow @TundraBooks, @Clantoons, and @VikkiVanSickle on twitter or instagram. You can also follow #alaac16 for the latest news and updates! We’ll be posting reminders using the ALA hashtag.

BookExpo America 2013

BEA LogoWill you be going to New York for BookExpo America? Tundra will be there! Visit us at booth #2856. Alison Morgan, Tara Walker, and Pamela Osti will be there to let you know about our new and upcoming books. If you’re shy, come browse and pick up our Advance Reader Copies (ARCs), posters, mini catalogues, imprint cards, bookmarks, and tote bags. Follow us on twitter @TundraBooks and we’ll be using the hashtag #BEA13

AVAILABLE ARCs:

Little Red LiesLittle Red Lies
Written by Julie Johnston
Hardcover | 352 Pages | Ages 10+
Pub Date: September 2013
ISBN: 978-1-77049-313-1
The war is over, but for thirteen-year-old Rachel, the battle has just begun. Putting childhood behind her, she knows what she wants – to prove she has acting talent worthy of the school drama club, and what she doesn’t want – to romantically fall for someone completely inappropriate. The lies she tells herself hoping to reach solutions to the problems complicating her life merely function to make matters worse. Ultimately, she finds a way to come to terms with life as it reaches an end and life as it begins.

ShadowsShadows
Written by Paula Weston
Hardcover | 400 Pages | Ages 14+
Pub Date: September 2013
ISBN: 978-1-77049-547-0
It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters watched her twin brother die. In the sunshine of a new town her body has healed, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she fights and kills hell-beasts. And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams, he tells her things about her brother and her life that cannot be true, things that are dangerous. Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And who is Gaby? The truth lies in the shadows of her nightmares.

AUTHOR EVENTS:

BEA_LegendsDowntown Author Stage
Saturday, June 1, 2013
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Music legend ROBBIE ROBERTSON and his son, composer SEBASTIAN ROBERTSON, will be interviewed by ALAN LIGHT, former Editor-in-Chief of Vibe and Spin magazines about their forthcoming book Legends, Icons & Rebels (October 8, 2013). The interview will be followed by a short Q&A with the audience.

Booth 2856
Saturday, June 1, 2013
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Music legend ROBBIE ROBERTSON and his son, composer SEBASTIAN ROBERTSON, will be signing at the Tundra Books booth.

BEA AT HOME

MoAre you sitting at home? Are you sad that you’re not in New York City browsing the exhibits with a bunch of book lovers? Well, we didn’t forget about you! In the comments below, tell us why you love New York and you could win:

  • an ARC of Little Red Lies by Julie Johnston
  • an ARC of Shadows by Paula Weston
  • and a Mo’s Mustache tote bag for all your books!

This giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday, June 2, 2013. Review our rules here.

UPDATE: Giveaway has ended, Congratulations to A.J.!

The Word on the Street: Toronto

Sunday, September 25th was The Word on the Street held coast to coast in Vancouver, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Kitchener, Toronto, and Halifax.

In Toronto, Tundra had eight authors participating, which included Helaine Becker, Cary Fagan, Nan Forler, Liza Fromer, Francine Gerstein, Monica Kulling, Shane Peacock and Heather Hartt-Sussman. We also had a booth on Kidstreet, which was well stocked with backlist titles for sale. Hardcovers were $10 and paperbacks were $5. It was a gorgeous day (sorry, Vancouver) and thousands of Torontonians flocked to Queen’s Park for this ever-growing festival.

Here are some of the highlights of the day:

First up, Shane Peacock participated in a Mastering the Mystery panel with Norah McClintock and Evan Munday, and moderated by Toronto Life’s Nathan Whitlock at the This Is Not The Shakespeare Stage.

At the Children’s Activity Tent, Nan Forler demonstrated a quilting craft then signed copies of her new book, Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year.

Heather Hartt-Sussman signs Noni Says No. Check out this CTV clip of her reading in the Children’s Reading Tent!

Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD answer kids’ medical questions, interestingly many were about farts and burps, and then sign copies of their series, Body Works.

Shane Peacock reads from the 5th book in The Boy Sherlock Holmes series, The Dragon Turn, at the Bestsellers of Tomorrow event with authors Brian Francis and Ian Hamilton. The event was hosted by Mary Ito.

Monica Kulling reads from Merci Mister Dash! in the Children’s Reading Tent and signs book for her fans.

Helaine Becker reads from Juba This, Juba That. She also led the audience in a spirited hand-clapping routine.

Many thanks to our authors who participated and to the staff and volunteers of The Word on the Street. A special thanks goes to Festival Director, Nicola Dufficy for working so tirelessly on programming a fantastic day and for her incredible support of our authors and illustrators!