Taste of Tundra 2021

Here at Tundra, we love books and food and books about food! We’ve rounded up some of our most delicious titles to satisfy anyone’s craving!

Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster
By Rachelle Delaney
256 Pages | Ages 10-14 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735269279 | 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.

Carol and the Pickle-Toad
By Esmé Shapiro
48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735263987 | Tundra Books
In the big city, people wear all kinds of hats. Not everyone wears a toad as a hat, but some people do . . . and some of those toad hats can be VERY bossy! Carol has always followed the orders of her demanding toad hat at the expense of her own inner voice. But when her toad hat is plucked away by a pigeon, how will Carol know what to do? After spending so long being told what to eat and do and paint, Carol’s not sure what SHE wants, and nothing feels quite right. Feeling lost, she creates a new hat – a toad made out of pickles and eggs – to help guide her. Even though her new pickle-toad doesn’t make a sound, Carol can hear it loud and clear! But when a pigeon takes away THAT hat too, Carol begins to understand that there is a big, booming voice that lives inside herself . . . and that it’s well worth listening to! For any reader who’s doubted their own voice and talents, or felt like a bossy friend or family member is always drowning them out, Carol and the Pickle-Toad is an inspiring invitation to listen to your own heart and stand on your own two feet – even better if you’re wearing very tall boots.

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 StreetIt 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.

Mister Dash and the Cupcake Calamity
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Esperança Melo
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770493964 | Tundra Books
Mr. Dash may not have a pedigree (he can count five different breeds of dogs as family), but from his furry head to his wagging tail, he is a gentleman. His fine manners make him a perfect companion to Madame Croissant. Their life together is graceful and civilized, what with walks in the park, stamp-collecting, and a passion for flowers. Mr. Dash is also in charge of delivering Madame Croissant’s world-famous cupcakes. All is well until Daphne, Madame Croissant’s rather lively niece, arrives to turn the cupcake world upside down. Filled with humour, this delectable story will appeal to dog-lovers AND cupcake-lovers the world over.

Mya’s Strategy to Save the World
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
200 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9780735265264 | Puffin Canada
Mya Parsons runs her school’s social justice club with her best friend, Cleo. Her lifelong desire is to work for the United Nations and change the world, and then bask in all the ensuing adulation. Her more immediate desire is to get a phone, preferably one like Cleo’s, with a leopard-print case to match. When her distracted dad and her long-distance mom (temporarily in Myanmar taking care of Mya’s grandmother) both say no, no way, and possibly never, Mya launches a campaign to prove herself reliable and deserving. She advertises her babysitting services, takes on more responsibility around the house, and attempts to supervise her sister’s skateboarding lessons. Her efforts leave her ego bruised and the kitchen slightly scorched. She’s no closer to touch-screen victory, let alone the Nobel Peace Prize she deserves. But all that changes after an accident leaves Mya to take charge–an experience which helps her realize how much she’s grown, with or without access to proper communications.

The Case of the Missing Deed
By Ellen Schwartz
200 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780887769597 | Tundra Books
Take a dash of colorful characters, a pinch of danger, and generous scoops of adventure and you have a terrific culinary mystery for young readers. Five cousins are looking forward to their annual vacation at their grandmother’s cottage. None of them knows that this may be their last such summer. A mining company has set its sights on the land and is determined to seize it. Grandma must produce the deed to prove that the property is really hers, but her memory is not what it used to be, and she can’t find it. The children suspect there may be clues to the deed’s whereabouts somewhere in the family’s cherished trove of recipes. But can they solve the mystery in time? Adult mystery buffs have had many culinary mysteries to choose from. Ellen Schwartz introduces her young readers to a delicious genre. She even provides easy-to-follow and yummy to eat recipes.

Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year
By Nan Forler
Illustrated by Peter Ertil Snyder
40 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770492547 | Tundra Books
With an evocative poem for every month of the year, young Naomi introduces us to her family and hosts a journey through the seasonal rhythms of her rural Mennonite community. In the winter there’s a quilting bee with chattering, friendly women to warm the frigid night, visits to a general store with all its treasures, and the awakening of the sap in the sugar bush. Spring months bring the hard work of clearing the fields and the sweet reward of shoofly pies. Under the hot summer sun there’s home-made ice cream, baseball to play, and a horse-drawn buggy to drive. Then it’s autumn when the shy narrator must help sell produce at the road-ide stand, while she thinks of the snows to come. And all year long there are delicious, child-friendly recipes to make and sample. The poems and recipes are perfectly complemented by Peter Etril Snyder’s lovely paintings. Winterberries and Apple Blossomsis a beautifully produced book, perfect for gift-giving, or sharing with anyone who appreciates simple, enduring values.

2012 Nautilus Award Winners

We are happy to announce that the following Tundra titles have won a 2012 Nautilus Award:

Gold Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Fiction
Stones for My Father
Written by Trilby Kent
Hardcover | Ages 11+ | 176 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-252-3
eBook: 978-1-77049-260-8
“This meticulously researched novel about a white Afrikaner girl caught up in the Boer War at the turn of the 19th century brings to light a hitherto overlooked aspect of South African history.” – School Library Journal

Gold Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Non-Fiction
Five Thousand Years of Slavery
Written by Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen
Hardcover | Ages 11+ | 176 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-914-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-151-9
Five Thousand Years of Slavery is a balanced masterpiece of information and motivational text. This in-dept text is rich yet reads like a story…. The authors are to be complimented both for their attention to detail and tone. This book handles the controversial topic of slavery with honesty … this text is an invaluable resource. Designed to inform, it provides accurate and balanced information allowing the reader to both understand and identify the issue. This text would be well-suited for any project in the Social Sciences and History curriculum.” – Resource Links

Silver Winner in Children’s Illustration
The White Ballets
Retold by Rajka Kupesic
Illustrated by Rajka Kupesic
Hardcover | All Ages | 40 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-923-8
“In The White Ballets, Rajka Kupesic retells the stories of the best-loved of all ballets – Giselle, La Bayadère, and Swan Lake. Known as the White Ballets, they each tell stories of ethereal maidens costumed in floating white, who seem to be lovely creatures suspended somewhere between heaven and earth….” – The Calgary Sun

Silver Winner in Children’s Illustration
Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year
Written by Nan Forler
Illustrated by Peter Ertil Snyder
Hardcover | All Ages | 40 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-254-7
“The rhythms of the Old Order Mennonite way of life are inextricably tied to faith, the land and the changing seasons. You don’t have to drive too far beyond the outskirts of Waterloo to see it in practice. This ‘simple’ country life is what author Nan Forler and artist Peter Etril Snyder, both of Waterloo, capture so well in this book…. Together, Forler and Snyder offer readers of all ages a glimpse into Naomi’s world – by way of a poem and painting for each month of the calendar year…” – The Waterloo Region Record

Silver Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Fiction
First Descent
Written by Pam Withers
Hardcover | Ages 12+ | 272 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
Paperback: 978-1-77049-412-1
“…From the first page, when Rex hears a crack of river ice, sees an eight-year-old in peril, and enacts a dramatic rescue in which he must out-paddle an advancing mountain of ice, Withers flings the reader from one perilous adventure to another….” – Booklist

Silver Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Fiction
The Dragon Turn: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | Ages 10-14 | 240 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-231-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-273-8
Paperback: 978-1-77049-411-4
“…Shane Peacock delivers another intriguing novel exploring the boy detective…. In The Dragon Turn, he attempts to unravel the mystery of a magician’s illusion, which has apparently caused the death of a rival magician … the Canadian-made Sherlock has a real feeling for Victorian London.” – Winnipeg Free Press

Silver Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Non-Fiction
“Scribbling Women”
True Tales from Astonishing Lives
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Hardcover | Ages 14+ | 208 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-230-1
“…eye-opening work…. Jocelyn does a masterful job of putting each writer in context and uses excerpts from their writing to carry the pieces… it is the words that resonate here.” – Booklist

The Nautilus Awards recognizes Books and Audio Books with distinguished literary and heartfelt contributions to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, green values, responsible leadership, and positive social change as well as to the worlds of art, creativity, and inspirational reading for children, teens and young adults. For more information, please visit http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/.

Launch of: Winterberries and Apple Blossoms


Last weekend, the amazing creators of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year, Peter Etril Snyder and Nan Forler, launched their book at Conrad Grebel University College.


Along the stage, the original artwork by Peter Etril Snyder was on display.


Words Worth Books was on hand to help! Thank you so much for your constant support of our local authors and illustrators!


Nan Forler had activity stations for all the kids that attended. Here, you could make your own quilt square.


Amish paper dolls and Mennonite colouring sheets.


Perhaps the favourite among all the guests, the whoopie pie station! You could fill it with frosting and dip the edges with sprinkles. To find out how to make your own, click here.


Nan Forler did a reading from the book – with the help of her family!


Just look at all the guests that came out to support Nan and Peter! For more photos from this book launch, please click here.

Whoopie Pies

The cool crisp air in November makes visiting a bakery or baking in your own home feel really nice and cozy. This weekend, turn on your oven and treat yourself to some chocolate and marshmallow whoopie pies:

Whoopie Pies
Recipe reprinted from Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year by Nan Forler, paintings by Peter Etril Snyder

Ingredients:
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cups cocoa
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon milk
2 cups marshmallow cream

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. Gradually melt the chocolate. Let it cool slightly.
  3. Using a wooden spoon, cream butter and brown sugar together.
  4. Add egg, vanilla extract, cooled chocolate, and buttermilk. Beat well, scraping sides and bottom of bowl.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients.
  6. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture gradually, mixing well.
  7. Using a small scoop, drop batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the pies.
  8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tops crack slightly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  9. Let the pies cool completely before adding filling.
  10. Using a wooden spoon or mixer, cream butter and sugar together.
  11. Add vanilla extract and milk, blend in.
  12. Add marshmallow cream and beat well.
  13. Spread filling generously on the flat side of a whoopie pie. Place another half on top and gently press together.


Recipe excerpted from Winterberries and Apple Blossoms by Nan Forler. Copyright © 2011 by Nan Forler. Photographs Copyright © 2011 by Sylvia Chan. Excerpted by permission of Tundra Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Words Worth Eating with Nan Forler and Peter Etril Snyder


Last week, on October 12, Words Worth Books and Uptown 21 hosted Words Worth Eating with Peter Etril Snyder and Nan Forler. This was in celebration of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms, a newly released book filled with poems and recipes.

Here’s a look at the wonderful dinner Uptown 21 prepared:


The first course was an apple, cauliflower, and pickled bean salad in a maple mustard vinaigrette and extra old cheddar.


For the mid course, a roasted pumpkin soup with “off the shelf” relish and caraway oil.


Just look at that main course! Smoked and slow braised pork shanks over a warm sour cream potato salad and Nick’s famous sauerkraut.


For dessert, a strawberry-rhubarb custard crisp and Dutch apple pie. The recipe for this dish is in the book!


Mandy from Words Worth Books takes the mic!


Uptown 21 owners, Nick and Nat. Compliments to the Head Chef, Nick, the food was fabulous!

Missed it? Wished you were there? You’re in luck! Words Worth Books and Nick and Nat’s UPTOWN 21 will be hosting a second evening of Words Worth Eating on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 from 6:00pm-9:30pm.

Please call 519-883-1100 to reserve your seat, your ticket includes a 4-course meal inspired by the story and a copy of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms. $80 for a single ticket or $125 for a couple. Tickets do not include beverages, taxes, or gratuities.

For more photos from this event, please visit our facebook album.

Tundra Book Group