Information Book Award

Six of Tundra’s titles have made it onto the Preliminary List for the 2013 Information Book Award! Congratulations to our authors and illustrators!

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

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-240-0
eBook: 978-1-77049-367-4
“…Kulling gives lesser-known inventor Elisha Otis a lift in this latest entry into the Great Idea series…. [T]his picture-book biography gives a lively account of Otis’ world-changing invention. Caricatured expressions set against detailed backdrops add playfulness to the informative text.” — Booklist

Who Needs a Jungle? Who Needs a Swamp? Who Needs an Iceberg
Ecosystem Series
Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages Each | Ages 7-10
Who Needs a Jungle? ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
Who Needs a Swamp? ISBN: 978-0-88776-991-7
Who Needs an Iceberg? ISBN: 978-0-88776-993-1

Oscar PetersonOscar Peterson
The Man and His Jazz

Written by Jack Batten
Hardcover | 192 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-269-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-362-9
“If you are looking for a solid biography for middle schoolers of the man who was arguably the top jazz pianist for over twenty years and among the best for the rest of his life, then look no further than this book…. Batten makes the reader unfamiliar with songs run to the web to listen for the first time….” – VOYA Magazine

Rescuing the ChildrenRescuing the Children
The Story of the Kindertransport

Written by Deborah Hodge
Hardcover | 64 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-256-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-366-7
“…Neither melodramatic nor sentimental, the simple, accessible prose reveals the historical realities of how ‘non-Jewish children [were] taught to love Hitler and to hate Jews,’ along with the heartbreak of saying good-bye and the fact that most of the rescued would never see their parents again…. Even with all the books out there about the Kindertransport, readers will grab this exemplary title for historical research and for personal reading.” — Starred Review, Booklist

The Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award is given to a book that arouses interest, stimulates curiosity, captures the imagination, and fosters concern for the world around us. The award’s aim is to recognize excellence in Canadian publishing of non-fiction for children. The criteria include accuracy, clarity, imaginative approach, appropriateness of organization and format, and sensitivity to ethnocentric and gender biases.

Earth Day 2012

Today is Earth Day! Here are some beautiful books that celebrate our planet’s environment and creatures:

Cube Book
By Jessica Bruin
Board Books | 48 pages | Ages 4-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-325-4
“The Cube Book by Jessica Bruin is a fun way to learn about endangered animals. Striking photos fill six board books designed for little hands, each with information about four animals, ranging from the giant panda to a clown fish. You can join the books together to form a puzzle panel, or create a cube….” – The Calgary Sun

Who Will Save My Planet?
By Cristina Urrutia
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-281-3
“Each double-page spread in this thought-provoking book pairs photos of similar subjects, letting viewers study the differences and draw their own conclusions…. Apart from the title, the book is wordless, but the environmental message is abundantly clear … the book has potential for classroom units on the environment.” – Booklist

Going Ape!
By Eduardo Bustos
Illustrated by Lucho Rodriguez
Hardcover | 24 pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-282-0
There are more than 200 species of primates in the world. Going Ape! is a wonderful introduction to some of the most fascinating ones for children just discovering the world of animals. From Japan’s macaques to Africa’s gorillas, brilliant images and brief, informative text will capture the imagination of young children.

Creatures Great and Small
By Karen Patkau
Paperback | 32 pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-309-4
Creatures Great and Small is a book that uses every possible surface to inform and impress the reader. While author/illustrator Karen Patkau writes in short, simple sentences, her vocabulary is often rich an descriptive. Given that making comparisons is part of school curriculum and proper pedagogy, this book is a good resource to support both.” – Quill & Quire

Creatures Yesterday and Today
By Karen Patkau
Paperback | 32 pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-310-0
“…the amazing science will engage dinosaur fans with the wonder of evolution and the evidence of fossils. A time chart and a world map showing the distribution of the prehistoric creatures and fossils wrap up the text, which will be wonderful for beginning classroom science discussions.” – Booklist

Who Needs a Swamp?
By Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-991-7
“Karen Patkau provides ‘just enough’ clear information on each double page spread to keep her readers interested and moving forward. She fills her collages with intense color and abundance to show a coherent view of this ecosystem and its many inhabitants. We become aware of the wildlife in her vivid descriptions of the sounds and sights in the swamp and through her carefully constructed artwork. The constantly changing page designs encourage her audience to search carefully through the text for clues to what is happening in the art, and the art is filled with details that have the child’s eyes searching for each new and delightful discovery.” – Sal’s Fiction Addiction

Who Needs an Iceberg?
By Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-993-1
“Nonfiction picture books are not nearly as common as they once were, but author and illustrator Karen Patkau proves that the genre is not dead. Her beautiful illustrations and maps present information in an easy to understand format for young readers…. Each book includes simple text for beginning nonfiction readers supported by detailed illustrations of the plant and animal life in each ecosystem…. All of the books in this series contain valuable information supported with illustrations that help young readers understand the content. The message in each is clear. We need to care about these different ecosystems.” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

Who Needs a Jungle?
By Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
“…Patkau offers a series of vibrant scenes … striking illustrations. The text both interprets the visual content … and offers paragraphs of diverse facts.” – Booklist

Tuesdays with Tundra 17

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online! Do you see the environmental theme this month? It’s all about the love for our planet this Valentine’s Day:

Creatures Great and Small
By Karen Patkau
Paperback | 32 pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-309-4
A glossary, map endpapers, and handy charts – introducing the concepts of scale and proportion by comparing measurements of animals that are “Big” and “Really Big” to “Small” and “Really Small” – make this book a must-have for parents, schools, and libraries alike.

Creatures Yesterday and Today
By Karen Patkau
Paperback | 32 pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-310-0
Captivating text in the voices of the animals themselves is complemented by the vibrant illustrations, map endpapers, glossary, geological time line, and chart of the history of life, making this fact-filled book a welcome addition to any home or school library, where a budding scientist can happily explore.

Who Needs a Jungle?
By Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
Jungles are treasures for all of us, regardless of where we live. In Who Needs a Jungle? we learn about its vital role in providing us with oxygen, food, medicinal ingredients, and raw materials we use every day.

Who Needs a Swamp?
By Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-991-7
Swamps are often seen as a dangerous and useless. They are often drained to create farmland or to reduce diseases. But such measures can be disastrous. Who Needs a Swamp? explores wetlands and their importance in the food chain and in preserving our soil and clean water.

Who Needs an Iceberg?
By Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-993-1
Who Needs an Iceberg? The Arctic ecosystem is changing rapidly. The Arctic Ice Cap is melting, the habitat for the creatures that live in the north is shrinking, and the earth is warming up. The impact is enormous for all of us.

Who Will Save My Planet?
By Cristina Urrutia
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-281-3
This unique and powerful wordless book uses striking photos to show the impact of humans on the environment. Each provocative image speaks volumes. On every spread we are shown a treasure that nature has given us beside a picture of how we’ve abused that treasure. It would take thousands of words to express the important environmental message presented by Cristina Urrutia.

Pub Date Giveaway: Tell us which new releases you would love to read in the comments below and one lucky reader will receive their requested book! You can either request for the set of two Creatures books, the set of three books in the Ecosystem Series, or Who Will Save My Planet?

One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Thursday, February 16, 2012!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Eleanor Q! You will be getting a copy of Creatures Great and Small and Creatures Yesterday and Today.

PS: Our next Pub Date Giveaway will be on March 13, 2012.

Reading for the Love of It 2012


Tundra Books will be exhibiting at booth #618 at Reading for the Love of It, which starts tomorrow! Teachers will be gathering at the Sheraton Centre Hotel and visiting the exhibits from February 9th to the 10th.

Please come by to learn about our new and upcoming books. You can also pick up catalogs, posters, and bookmarks for your classrooms.

We will also have author signings! Be sure to line-up early, the complimentary books will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Author signings on Thursday, February 9:

Michael Bedard will be signing ARCs of The Green Man at 10:30 AM
Hardcover | 320 page | Ages 10-14
ISBN: 978-1-77049-285-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-293-6
Teenaged O – never call her Ophelia – is about to spend the summer with her aunt Emily. Emily is a poet and the owner of an antiquarian book store, The Green Man. At once an exploration of poetry, a story of family relationships, and an intriguing mystery, The Green Man is Michael Bedard at his finest.

Nan Forler will be signing Winterberries and Apple Blossoms at 12:30 PM
Illustrated by Peter Etril Snyder
Hardcover | 40 pages | All ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-254-7
The poems and recipes are perfectly complemented by Peter Etril Snyder’s lovely paintings. Winterberries and Apple Blossoms is a beautifully produced book, perfect for gift-giving, or sharing with anyone who appreciates simple, enduring values.

Author signings on Friday, February 10:

Karen Patkau will be signing Who Needs a Jungle?, Who Needs a Swamp?, and Who Needs an Iceberg? at 1:00 PM
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
In Who Needs a Jungle? we learn about its vital role in providing us with oxygen, food, medicinal ingredients, and raw materials we use every day. Who Needs a Swamp? explores wetlands and their importance in the food chain and in preserving our soil and clean water. Who Needs an Iceberg? talks about the shrinking Arctic Ice Cap.

Rina Singh and Farida Zaman will be signing Nearly Nonsense: Hoja Tales from Turkey at 2:15 PM
Hardcover | 48 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-0-88776-974-0
Though the ten Hoja stories presented by Rina Singh and richly illustrated by Farida Zaman are funny, each one contains such insight into human nature that Sufi teachers use them to illustrate their teachings. Traditional Turkish Hoja stories are much-loved throughout Asia, and Nearly Nonsense brings them to a North American readership sure to enjoy them and, through laughter, to learn from them.

Follow Tundra Books on twitter for signing reminders!

OLA’s Super Conference 2012

The Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference starts next week! Librarians will be gathering at the Metro Toronto Convention Center and visiting the exhibits from February 2nd to the 3rd.

Tundra Books will be at booth #720 to tell you about our new and upcoming books. You can come by to pick up catalogs, posters, and bookmarks!

We will also have author signings! Be sure to line-up early, the complimentary books will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Author signings on Thursday, February 2:

Michael Bedard will be signing ARCs of The Green Man at 10:30 AM
Hardcover | 320 page | Ages 10-14
ISBN: 978-1-77049-285-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-293-6
Teenaged O – never call her Ophelia – is about to spend the summer with her aunt Emily. Emily is a poet and the owner of an antiquarian book store, The Green Man. At once an exploration of poetry, a story of family relationships, and an intriguing mystery, The Green Man is Michael Bedard at his finest.

Nan Forler will be signing Winterberries and Apple Blossoms at 12:30 PM
Illustrated by Peter Etril Snyder
Hardcover | 40 pages | All ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-254-7
The poems and recipes are perfectly complemented by Peter Etril Snyder’s lovely paintings. Winterberries and Apple Blossoms is a beautifully produced book, perfect for gift-giving, or sharing with anyone who appreciates simple, enduring values.

Heather Hartt-Sussman will be signing Here Comes Hortense! at 1:45 PM

Illustrated by Georgia Graham
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 4-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-221-9
The feisty, irrepressible Nana we met in Nana’s Getting Married is back. And what could be more fun for a six-year-old than having your nana and her new husband take you to a theme park? But the fun is spoiled when Nana and Bob announce that they’ve planned a surprise: they are going to be joined by Bob’s granddaughter, Hortense. A perceptive and hilarious exploration of rivalry, there’s a gentle lesson for readers, young and old.

Karen Patkau will be signing Who Needs a Jungle?, Who Needs a Swamp?, and Who Needs an Iceberg? at 2:45 PM
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
In Who Needs a Jungle? we learn about its vital role in providing us with oxygen, food, medicinal ingredients, and raw materials we use every day. Who Needs a Swamp? explores wetlands and their importance in the food chain and in preserving our soil and clean water. Who Needs an Iceberg? talks about the shrinking Arctic Ice Cap.

Author signings on Friday, February 3:

Pam Withers will be signing First Descent at 10:30 AM
Hardcover | 272 Pages | Ages 12+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
Montana-born Rex loves nothing more than to take his kayak out on a river, the faster and more powerful the better. When he gets the opportunity to tackle the well-named El Furioso in southwest Colombia, he is thrilled. He anticipates the river’s challenges, but finds himself in a situation where the real danger is human.

Curtis Parkinson will be signing Man Overboard! at 11:30 AM
Paperback | 160 pages | Ages 10-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-298-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-299-8
During World War II, a German agent landed in Canada from a U-boat. Curtis Parkinson has used this true historical event to tell a fast-paced, exciting story. Sixteen-year-old Scott and his friend Adam find summer jobs as deckhands on the Rapids Prince, a ship that plies the waters between the town of Prescott, on the St. Lawrence River, and Montreal. Scott overhears convincing information that a German agent is actually on board the boat!

Marthe Jocelyn will be signing “Scribbling Women” at 12:30 PM
Hardcover | 208 Pages | Ages 14+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-230-1
In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, complaining about the irritating fad of “scribbling women.” Whether they were written by professionals, by women who simply wanted to connect with others, or by those who wanted to leave a record of their lives, those “scribbles” are fascinating, informative, and instructive.

Follow the tag #SC12 on twitter! We’ll be sending out reminders for our author signings. See you there!