That One Spooky Night is a collection of tales about a Halloween evening filled with haunted happenings and creepy characters. These linked stories are vibrant in their comic book style of illustration and scary in the way that thrills and delights young readers.

Dan Bar-el is known for playing with traditional rhymes and stories as in his recent picture book Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been? and his earlier middle grade books such as Things are Looking Grimm, Jill. He continues to cleverly twist classic tropes to create something witty and unexpected in That One Spooky Night.

Broom with a View introduces a witch who, with her distasteful-sounding potions, ministers to the aches and complaints of all the land’s ghouls. The Fang Gang features a cabal of vampires that invites four friends into its creepy mansion, as long as they have permission for a play date. And, when the trick-or-treating is done, the “Aqua-Hero” twins meet the monster behind the 10 000 Tentacles Under the Tub.

First time children’s book illustrator, David Huyck, matches the mood of these spooky stories with a palette of blacks, oranges and murky greens. In true graphic style, the story is developed through the progression of the illustrated panels and much of the nuance is carried by the visual image, a true collaboration between author and illustrator to narrate the silences.

On any spooky night, 7-10 year old readers cuddled up under the covers with their flashlights, will find That One Spooky Night is the perfect book to devour.

Review originally published in Canadian Children’s Book News, Winter 2013

Martin spends a lot of time in his own little world – a world where he attempts to catch butterfly giggles with his camera and where his mother’s smile is a big, wide river. But not today. Today is the first day of school and he will listen to his teacher – his teacher whose hair is the colour of his cat and whose face reminds him of his mother’s smile, which reminds him of the river, which reminds him of the rain…

Martine Audet, translated by Sarah Quinn, leads us through the poetry in Martin’s mind until the teacher calls, “Where are you, Martin? On the moon?” Martin learns that sharing his imagination is an important way of reaching out and an exciting way to make new friends.

Nominated for the 2011 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award (French language), Audet’s story is beautifully matched with Luc Melanson’s dream-like illustrations. Both prose and visuals flow from page to page, mirroring Martin’s stream of consciousness and Melanson’s watercolours fittingly provide the ethereal landscape through which Martin’s story drifts.

In reading Martin on the Moon, young readers aged 4-8 will experience first-hand how poetry can “paint pictures in your mind and make music in your heart” and how imagination can bring new friends together.

Review originally published in Canadian Children’s Book News, Fall 2012

The fascination of young children for stones has long been a governing aspect of life around our house.  My husband and I have grown to respect this even if we don’t always understand it the way Sarah Tsiang and Qin Leng obviously do.

Their respect for the way Abby sees the “two heavy eggs” she has found is a significant part of what makes this book so valuable. It is obvious that Abby has to bring the eggs inside, make them a nest out of sweaters and sit on that nest until the little birds hatch. They are never described as imaginary and are only ever referred to as stones by those who may not share Abby’s understanding – certainly never by the narrator.

Neither is Abby’s perspective ever minimized by Qin Leng’s illustrations. Instead, the light sketches in marker shed light on Abby’s wondrous reality as the stone hatchlings follow her around the house or sing on her windowsill.

Refreshingly, Abby’s whimsical view of the world doesn’t change over the course of the story. Instead, her growth occurs when she realizes that, of course, even stone hatchlings must be set free.

This book will appeal to all 4- to 8-year-old stone loving children and will speak to the hearts of their parents. As Abby’s mother and father watched her sit on her nest during dinner, I’m so glad we’ve been known go back home and get that special stone that just had to join us up at the cottage.

Review originally published in Canadian Children’s Book News, Fall 2012

A true mystery of my favourite sort, this story kept me guessing until the very last minute. Is Charlie Castle in fact dead and, if so, who killed him? To answer these questions, Jessica has to revisit the events of the summer her family moved from Victoria, the summer she played with Charlie and her other friends on Bone Tree Hill – the summer she contracted meningitis and about which she can remember very little.

But Jessica is haunted by dreams that are becoming rapidly more horrific as they begin to include details of Charlie’s rage, a bloodied shovel and Jessica looking down over Charlie’s lifeless body. She determines she has no choice but to return to Bone Tree Hill to discover for herself what role she played in Charlie’s disappearance.

Jessica is a skilfully layered character. Although she has possibly been responsible for the violent death of a friend, her unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth and to revealing frightening details about her past offer her depth and render her a sympathetic protagonist.

Butcher’s story is woven around Jessica’s hazy understanding of reality and it is this uncertainty that assures the mystery’s success. The clues are not hard facts to be uncovered but they are a turning over of events in Jessica’s mind as she struggles to make sense of them and to understand why her subconscious refuses to let her remember.

Return to Bone Tree Hill is a true page-turner and a highly recommended Young Adult read.

Larf enjoys his quiet life in the woods, alone but for his pet bunny, Eric. He jogs, observes nature and, on Wednesdays, he does laundry. If he were ever discovered, people would never leave him alone, for Larf is a sasquatch, you see.

While he enjoys his solitary existence, Larf is drawn to the spectacle of a sasquatch appearing in nearby Hunderfitz. Sadly, Larf discovers that the small-footed character is nothing but a big fake. But what if Larf weren’t the only sasquatch drawn to Hunderfitz by the appearance? And what if Larf discovers that he’s not the only sasquatch after all?

In Larf, Ashley Spires has created another fun and engaging character. Kids will love the bright hand-painted illustrations and the ludicrous idea of a sasquatch who loves cheesy movies and eats vegetables with a knife and fork. As always, it is in the visual details that Spires’ humour is strongest – Eric, the bunny, being toted in a baby carrier, Larf’s mug that reads #1 Sasquatch, when he is supposed to be the only sasquatch in the world, and red Mary Jane shoes adapted for enormous sasquatch feet.

As an illustrator and a writer, Spires allows her stories to grow organically from sketches of the characters. In Larf, as you would expect, this results in a fun, character-driven story that more than makes up for any minor narrative flaws with an incredible amount of humour. And who doesn’t enjoy a couple of Larfs from time to time?

Review originally published in Canadian Children’s Book News, Summer 2012

Charmingly appropriate is the idea that a board book, or in this case two, would be created around one of the first words that toddlers learn – up.

Up Dog follows Dog through a straight-forward, yet eventful, kind of day. Hazel Hutchins uses 40 words to describe how Dog digs up a bone in the yard and then manages to muddy up the entire house. The dog is penned up while the owner cleans up, wipes up and hangs up the washing to dry. At this point, Dog is then free to race up and back into the house. After Dog too is cleaned, the story ends with it enfolded in its owner’s loving arms. Eyes closed, Dog snuggles up soundly.

While Hutchins has accomplished the almost impossible task of laying out a complete story in such few words, Quebec illustrator, Fanny has also performed the impressive task of creating a pictorial foundation that allows the story to flow smoothly without seeming to jump or jar. Her illustrations pair perfectly with the text, appealing to young readers with bright but simple backgrounds and also ensuring that key elements pop directly into focus.

In both Up Cat and Up Dog, the expressions on the animals’ faces contribute much to the story. In one particularly evocative illustration, Dog perks up, displaying puppy-dog eyes and a wagging tail that foreshadow the happy ending that is certain to follow. In a similar manner, Cat’s expressions reveal the further meanings behind its actions, such as when Cat is being haughty or sneakily “up to no good.” Dog even makes a brief appearance in the pictures for Up Cat, sneaking up on Cat as it is washing up and prompting Cat to “puff up” with an arched back and wide eyes.

Up Cat may not involve as much drama as Dog’s story, but perhaps this is in keeping with the protagonist’s character. Cat moves through its day, lapping up milk, leaping up on furniture and curling up in the sun. It does get into trouble, ripping up a ball of yarn, and accidentally finding itself scrunched up in a box, and is eventually lifted up onto a window sill and out of harm’s way, but the same story arc or connection between cause and effect doesn’t feel as apparent in this book.

While these books are simple enough to engage audiences as young as 2, they are also appropriate for beginning readers in Kindergarten. Up is one of the first words young children say and it is also an appropriate first word for them to read. These companion books are sure to appeal to both “cat people” and “dog people” alike.

Review originally published in Canadian Children’s Book News, Summer 2012

In the Bag: Margaret Knight Wraps It Up is the newest release in Tundra’s Great Idea Series. It is the biography of Margaret (Mattie) Knight who in 1873 became the first woman awarded a patent in the US.

As in All Aboard! Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine and It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph, Monica Kulling engages young readers by introducing them to the titular character as a child. Mattie is twelve when she designs her first invention, a safety feature later installed on all looms.

While the books in this series may have historically relevant stories to impart, they hold a greater significance too. Knight, McCoy and Eastman each had many hardships to overcome before their work was completed and recognized. Of course, a woman in Knight’s time was not expected to know anything about machines and, confident in this belief, Charles Annon registered Knight’s original design for a flat-bottomed bag machine as his own. Knight stood up, fought him in court and won, proving herself not only an ingenious inventor, but a worthy role model as well.

In the illustrations for this book, David Parkins finds a terrific balance, picking up on the atmosphere Bill Slavin brought to the earlier books, but infusing this volume with his own touches. A full-colour Knight, with her wild and wiry red hair, leaps off backgrounds of muted factory workers.

With its subtle humour and depth of content, In the Bag! has much to offer to kids in Grades 1 through 3.

Elizabeth loves her name. She loves that it’s nine letters long. She loves the neat things her mouth does when she says it. She loves that there is a queen named after her. But, most of all, she loves that it’s her name to use however she chooses. And she does NOT choose to be called Lizzy, Liz, Beth or Betsy.

In 130 simple words, My Name Is Elizabeth shows Elizabeth standing up and telling the world politely, but straight-forwardly, exactly what her name means to her and what we may call her. As she’s explaining, she is independently dressing for school, flossing, leashing up her pet duck and growing increasingly frustrated as well-meaning people greet her with various nicknames. Elizabeth eventually plants herself atop a hill and announces “My NAME is ELIZABETH Alfreda Roxanne Carmelita Bluebell Jones!! But you may call me Elizabeth.” She speaks and is heard. Her wishes are respected so that, by the time she returns home, Elizabeth is happy to make an exception for the little brother who approaches her, questioning ‘Wizabef?’

Forsythe’s illustrations are wonderfully distilled down to integral elements and pair beautifully with Dunklee’s text. They convey action, message and a full range of emotion in deceptively simple two-toned drawings. The entire book takes a perfect approach to issues of negotiating one’s own identity and self-esteem. It is highly recommended as an addition to any library or classroom bookshelf – as long as an extra copy is also kept at home.

Review originally published in Canadian Children’s Book News, Winter 2012

Pitched perfectly at boys aged 10-14, Cairo Kelly and the Mann tells the story of two kids who love and respect their favourite umpire almost as much as they love baseball.  When “the Mann” is removed from the Umpires’ Association after his refusal to write a test proving the skills he has honed over 20 years of umping, Midge and Kelly struggle with issues of fairness, pride and standing one’s ground.

From the opening lines, Butcher’s prose rings true as the words of a 7^th grade boy:

“I swear on my baseball glove – Kelly and I had nothing to do with that fire.  Oh, sure, we were there.  I’m not denying that.  But we didn’t start the fire.  As a matter of fact, we were the ones who put it out and cleaned up the mess.  But did nosy old Mrs. Butterman see that from her kitchen window?”

The baseball action will keep readers turning pages.  However, the insights into family dynamics and depth of description offer yet an additional layer to this story. Midge describes a brief mental picture of his dad as “something warm – like the feeling you get when you put on a shirt straight from the dryer.” This is something all readers, regardless of age, can connect with.  Just as all readers, but particularly baseball lovers, will connect with this book.

At the same time hysterically funny and deadpan serious, Me and the Blondes is an engaging read for girls aged 13-16.

From Auntie Eva’s unforgettable life philosophies – “You got to inspire za boobies.  A beautiful too-big brassiere vill … encourage zem to fill up za cups” – to first period drama, bulimia and boys, this book is entirely relevant to modern high school life.

It is set in the 70s yet the connection between the modern reader and the modern-feeling characters is there in the universality of the high school experience, those issues which traverse ages and, of course, Teresa Toten’s terrific sense of humour.  Somehow, the life and colour of the 70s only seems to bring this out further.

Sophie is a character with spirit and wit and Toten’s Blondes, too, are no vapid clique.  Madison, Kit and Sarah are each individual characters, terrific basketball players and each comes complete with a full back story of her own.  I only wish I’d picked up books Better Than Blonde and Beyond Blonde at the same time so I didn’t have to wait to uncover more about them.