The Deakin Review of Children's Literature
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She Persisted Around the World by C. Clinton
No full textClinton, Chelsea. She Persisted Around the World. Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, Philomel Books, 2018.
Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger give us a walk through historic and present day women showing us each woman’s great submission to the world we live in. Whether it be through overcoming their own disability, overcoming others’ views on placement of women, or overcoming another’s thoughts on what women are allowed to do, the main focus is on the fact that they persisted. Using these circumstances that could have gobbled them up, they chose to take the road less travelled and fight for what they believed in—these are stories of women who did not give up but persisted through whatever was trying to hold them back. This book gives us short stories about strong women from the past, like Marie Curie, all the way to amazing women that we are lucky enough to have with us today, like Malala Yousafzai and J.K. Rowling. This shows us that we can look to the past for heroes, but sometimes there are heroes who can be found in our own generation. Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger did a beautiful job displaying beautiful, imagination igniting pictures and thought-inducing stories that describe the women, what they persisted through, and what they accomplished. Some women even received the Nobel Peace Prize for their contributions.
The beautiful drawings showcase each woman’s struggle to persist through her personal issue. Some are simple drawings and others are intricate interpretations that bring their story to life. The illustrations show people from different areas of the world and it even includes a Canadian connection. As Canadians, we can see our faces in this book as a mirror and can see it does not matter what colour our skin is, what area of the world we come from, or what our family circumstances are, we just need to be true to our beliefs and true to our voice in our world. This book empowers young girls to become powerful women.
As the author, Chelsea Clinton, says eloquently at the end of the book for our girls to “speak up, rise up, dream big. These women did that and more. They persisted and so should you.”
Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Leone Socha
Leone Socha is a University of Alberta undergraduate student who has loved reading her whole life. When she is not busy studying she is running after her husband and three children
Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet by S. O\u27Leary
No full textO’Leary, Sara. Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet. Illustrated by Jacob Grant. Tundra Books, 2018.
From first to last, the phonic examples in O’Leary’s alphabet book are disarming:
“Aa
Alligators think you’d like them if you got to know them.”
“Zz
Zebras would like to be first. Just once.“
Unlike so many other authors of this genre, O’Leary rarely struggles to find simple, memorable examples of words that begin with the appropriate vowels and consonants. The sole exception in his work is the use of “Chipmunks” to illustrate the sound of the letter “C.” Child readers would have to be mature enough to recognize the digraph (ch) and be alert to its sound. That exception being noted, all of the other phonic illustrations—even the ones for the “difficult” sounds—are straight-forward, playful and engaging.
“Qq
Quail get quite tired of being told to be quiet.”
“Uu
Unicorns believe in themselves.
“Yy
Yaks giggle at their own jokes.”
Joseph Brant’s illustrations are all that they ought to be: large, clear, colourful and, most importantly in this type of book, unambiguous. His depiction of voles for the letter “V” is particularly endearing. Those of us involved in the field of children’s literature might want this illustration and its motto on our flag:
“Vv
Voles always want just one more book.”
In any case, we should ensure that this delightful book is on our children’s library shelves.
Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Leslie Aitken
Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship included selection of children’s literature for school, public, special and academic libraries. She was a Curriculum Librarian for the University of Alberta.
 
How mamas love their babies by J. Fitzgerald & E. Peterson
No full textFitzgerald, Juniper, and Elise Peterson. How mamas love their babies. The Feminist Press at the City University of New York, 2018.
The first children’s book from sociology PhD Juniper Fitzgerald and artist-activist Elise Peterson, How Mamas Love Their Babies gently approaches an intersectional understanding of motherhood, while also connecting the many shared experiences of becoming and being a mother.
Peterson creates a beautifully layered environment to accompany Fitzgerald’s bold, yet simple text. By overlaying colourful multimedia collage techniques with black and white retro photographs, the illustrations are dynamic and textured. The bright, engaging page design is inviting and makes this a wonderful selection for art educators looking for literacy tie-ins.
This book is notable for its acknowledgment and celebration of the many ways mothers work, love and care for their babies. Fitzgerald draws upon her personal experiences labouring in the sex industry to bring forward a unique space within the text by including parents whose work may be stigmatized. In doing so, she underlines the importance of ensuring children can find themselves, their caregivers and communities represented respectfully within the pages of a book.
A powerful, inclusive and decisively feminist addition to any children’s collection or storytime, Fizgerald and Peterson encourage readers to welcome, value and honour the presence of all mothers in the lives of their children and communities.
Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewed by: Alexandra Adams
Alex is a busy mom, student and public library assistant, with a passion for Early Childhood Education and the Arts. She is currently working on her MLIS at the University of Alberta
Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by D. Stein
No full textStein, David E. Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise. Candlewick Press in Association with Penguin Random House Canada, 2018.
In this, his second picture book starring Interrupting Chicken, Stein begins with a delightful pun: Chicken declares that every good story has “an elephant of surprise.” Papa tries to convince her that she has misheard her teacher, that every good story has “…an element of surprise.” To demonstrate, he attempts to read aloud classic folk and fairy tales: The Ugly Duckling; Little Mermaid; Rapunzel. Chicken, of course, interrupts. The Ugly Duckling gazes at his reflection and sees “…an Elephant.” The prince ascends the tower on a rope of hair to discover that his love is “…an ELEPHANT!”. Papa is dogged; he keeps trying. Chicken is relentless; she keeps interrupting. The story hour goes on with appealing silliness until Papa graciously allows it to end, not surprisingly, with elephants.
A former Caldecott Honor winner, Stein creates not only this amusing storyline, but its illustration as well. He employs a variety of artistic techniques to great effect. The basic narrative, (including Chicken’s interruptions of Papa’s readings) is presented in cartoon style and bold crayon; the classic readings are highlighted with line drawings and water colour. Thus the theme of “interruption” is both conveyed and sustained by the art work.
There are a few provisos about sharing this book with primary school children: a child will more fully enjoy the inappropriateness—and silliness—of Chicken’s outbursts if he or she is familiar with the plotlines of the classic tales that Papa attempts to read. The wise parent, or teacher, or librarian will ensure this familiarity in the most obvious and enjoyable way: sharing the stories. There is a further consideration: the hilarity of Chicken’s behaviour arises because she either cannot, or will not, acknowledge the literary concept of a “surprise element.” Children who, themselves, can grasp that concept will laugh harder than children who cannot. Depending on the age and maturity of the child listener, a little didacticism on the part of the adult reader may be appropriate. With these requirements satisfied, this book is a winner.
Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Leslie Aitken
Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship included selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and academic libraries. She is a former Curriculum Librarian of the University of Alberta
Poetree by C. Pignat
No full textPignat, Caroline. Poetree. Illustrated by François Thisdale, Red Deer Press, 2018.
Caroline Pignat is a two-time Governor General Award winner and it’s easy to see why when one looks at her latest beautiful book. Each page of Poetree is simply delightful with short simple poems complemented by François Thisdale’s excellent illustrations. The illustrations perfectly invoke the feeling of the poem whether it be the frosty cold of a silent winter’s morning or the pure warm delight of a warm summer\u27s day. The short length of the poetry and the everyday-vocabulary chosen by Pignat makes this book accessible to many readers, even those working on their English skills or who are new to poetry.
For educators and librarians, this book would be an excellent addition to a program celebrating poetry. In fact, the style of the short poems and illustrations focusing on daily life could be showcased in the reading of this book and then learners could work on creating their own illustrated poems in the style of Poetree. The combination of eye-catching illustrations with high contrast text will no doubt delight audiences of all ages if used in story times and the overall simplicity of the language would allow newer readers to still engage, making this an excellent addition to classrooms and libraries.
Recommended with Reservations: 3 stars out of 4 Reviewer: Lorisia MacLeod
Lorisia MacLeod is an Instruction Librarian at NorQuest College Library and a proud member of the James Smith Cree Nation. When not working on indigenization or diversity in librarianship, Lorisia enjoys reading almost any variation of Sherlock Holmes, comics, or travelling
Who Do I Want To Become? by R. Billan
No full textBillan, Rumeet. Who Do I Want To Become? Illustrated by Michelle Clement. Page Two Books, 2018.
This picture book conveys an important approach to problem solving. When asked by his teacher, Mr. Janzen, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” the central character, Dylan, initially thinks in narrow terms: career choices. He is stymied. When he reframes the question as “Who do I want to become?” he arrives at a thoughtful answer.
“I want to be someone who tries new things and isn’t afraid to fail. I want to be someone who helps others and makes a difference in the world. Someone who isn’t afraid to be me.” [p.31]
Dylan clearly has changed the problem from “What do I want to do for a living?” to “What kind of person do I want to be?” It should be pointed out that the actual words of his reframing are no guarantee of a philosophical result. Many children would still respond to the question, “Who do I want to become?” in terms of role models, generic or specific: “I want to become Prime Minister.” “Chris Hadfield.” “Tessa Virtue.” (Certainly, had I been asked that question at eight years of age as I struggled, in my brother’s old hockey skates, to navigate the frozen puddle that was our “rink” I would have replied, “Barbara Ann Scott.”)
The culminating focus of the storyline is character development; parents and teachers could use this book to begin discussion of it. They may have to do some prompting, even a little rewording of the central question, to achieve that focus. It is worth the effort. Dillan’s answer opens up issues of self-acceptance, self-direction, and self-actualization in a manner suitable for school aged children. His conclusion also emphasizes that the business of childhood is personal growth and development, not career planning. Though this is a picture book, the inherent nature of its topic, as well as Billan’s writing vocabulary, suggest its use with children eight to twelve years of age. Michelle Clement’s humorous cartoon-style drawings should appeal to that age group as well. In sum, the total package seems age appropriate for pre-adolescent youngsters.
Reviewer: Leslie AitkenRecommended: 3 out of 4 stars
Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship included selection of children’s literature for school, public, special and academic libraries. She is a former Curriculum Librarian of the University of Alberta
The Rabbit Listened by C. Doerrfeld
No full textDoerrfeld, Cori. The Rabbit Listened. Dial-Penguin Random House, 2018.
This picture book, both written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld, is a lovely book for encouraging listening skills and overall calm in children aged 1-5. As the implicit meaning can run very deep, adults would also benefit from the messaging. It is about a young girl, a toddler named Taylor, who is grieving. At the beginning of the story, Taylor is in her comfy pyjamas and has just finished building a substantial wooden block tower. It then comes crashing down, providing a strong, simple, and non-threatening metaphor to the adversities of everyday life.
As a result, Taylor is very sad and would like to express her feelings in a certain way, yet she is unsure of what way that is or is unable to articulate her emotion. Several different types of animals come by to try to cheer her up. A chicken tries to get her to talk (and will not be quiet), a bear tries to get her to shout (displaying anger), etc. The variety of animals chosen is wonderful symbolism that kids can relate to and are a great visual metaphor for feelings. At the end of the story, Taylor realizes she just wants to be alone and be quiet. The rabbit was the only animal to recognize this. The rabbit just listened.
The story includes soft, calm, and simple crayon-type illustrations that are so cute, they are almost tactile. The background of each page is stark white, placing the focus of the story solely on the characters. This book would appeal to just about anyone reflecting on their feelings during a time of loss, difficulty, or even trauma. As some of the less obvious metaphors would be lost on a younger audience, this book is a great stepping stone to begin and facilitate conversations between children and adults about feelings and how to cope with challenging life circumstances.
Highly recommended: 4 out of 5 starsReviewer: Rachel Radmanovic
The Sloth Who Slowed Us Down by M. Wild
No full textWild, Margaret. The Sloth Who Slowed Us Down. Illustrated by Vivienne To, Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2018.
You’ll want to make a speedy trip to the nearest bookstore to pick up a copy of Margaret Wild’s The Sloth Who Slowed Us Down. Together with Vivienne To’s illustrations, this simple story about how a little sloth can be a big example could make anyone want to stop and smell the roses. Life seems to speed up every day, work needs to get done faster so we have time to quickly make dinner, quickly exercise, and then quickly move on to the next thing we feel like we need to speed through. In her newest children’s book, Wild’s descriptive prose directly mirrors Sloth as he teaches Amy’s family the importance of taking our time and enjoying living in the moment. Realistically, we are all very busy, moving from one task to the next without indulging in the little things, the happy moments and the details. Everyone from busy families to teachers to even grown-ups with grown-up jobs and responsibilities could benefit from giving this adoring story a read.
The colourful but soft illustrations created by To provide new detail and add more expression to Wild’s story each time it’s read. Illustrations of Sloth make you want to snuggle him while you read this story and feel like a child again. Through her descriptive writing, Wild portrays Sloth’s actions quite clearly. She includes phrases, such as “Sloth had a long, leisurely bath. . .” that roll off the tongue in a way that makes you feel like you’re taking your time, but in the best sort of way.
Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Darilyn Randall
Darilyn Randall is a fourth-year student at the University of Alberta completing her Bachelor of Elementary Education. She is interested in teaching in a Division 1 classroom where she can incorporate children’s literacy into cross-curricular activities
I\u27m Sad by M.I. Black and D.R. Ohi
No full textBlack, Michael I, and Debbie R. Ohi. I\u27m Sad. Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2018.
This book is about a sad flamingo and his friends, a girl and a potato, who try to cheer him up. This absurd collection of characters talk about whether or not flamingo will always feel sad and what makes them feel less sad.
Much of the dialog is silly. When the potato says that he knows what cheers him up, the picture is of a happy potato and the word “DIRT!!!” in giant letters. Coming after a discussion of ice cream as a “cheer me up”, “dirt” is unexpected and funny.
At the end of the book the flamingo asks, “Will you still like me if I’m sad again tomorrow?” The potato responds with an almost nasty, “I don’t even like you now.” This response is meant as a joke and the next two pages show uproarious laughter. However, young children may not understand that it is not usually an appropriate response and some people would find it hurtful.
Debi Ridpath Ohi’s simple illustrations do a good job of presenting expressions and emotions. There are often broken black lines around the images, which, strangely, make the characters, particularly the flamingo, look like they are constantly trembling. Apart from that, the images are fun. The most amusing is the one showing the potato as a fourth scoop of ice cream on a cone, with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
This book might give a sad young child a few moments of laughter and in the end delivers the message that it’s OK to feel a little bit sad. With these two thoughts in mind, this book is recommended for libraries for young children: daycares, schools, and public libraries.
Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sean Borle
Sean Borle is a University of Alberta undergraduate student who is an advocate for child health and safety
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by R.T. Higgins
No full textHiggins, Ryan T. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. Disney-Hyperion, 2018.
Ryan T. Higgins writes highly rated children’s books dealing with common elementary school conflicts. The picture book, We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, will capture all readers, no matter the age. The main character, Penelope, is an adorable T-rex who wears pink coveralls. She was designed by the illustrator and a group of children so it has features that will appeal to all and capture your heart immediately. Penelope is a having a rough first day of school because she keeps eating all her classmates; she struggles with fitting in but learns that it is not fun when you get bit. The story uses humorous hyperboles and the element of surprise that will keep the reader engaged until the end of the story. The humour is exemplified through the beautifully illustrated representations of the story. The illustrations capture the situations through simple images that show the character’s expressions and intentionally incorporate colours to emphasize the characters or the problem at hand.
This picture book would make a fantastic addition to any early elementary classroom and would make a great read aloud because it uses humour to address the themes of new students, making friends, and learning to treat others the way you want to be treated. Its huge font will allow younger readers to follow along. The humour and overemphasis in the story is what makes it a truly engaging and fun read while hitting on the feelings of being different and excluded that many students face.
Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Haley Oliver
Haley Oliver is a fourth year Bachelor of Elementary Education student at the University of Alberta. She is interested in encouraging young child to love reading through entertaining and meaningful literature