Unraveled

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Title: Unraveled
Written & Illustrated By: Leanne Hatch
Published By: Margaret Ferguson Books, 2021

So it’s September again! I swear, the whole ‘days are long, years are short’ adage has never seemed so accurate than since I became a parent. Sometimes it’s Monday morning and then I blink and it’s Friday night. I honestly have NO idea where the summer went, but…it went.

Today’s story somewhat relates to time passing WAY too fast. And this is another one of those ‘judging the book by the cover’ situations, I’m afraid. But this gamble paid off — the story is a good one!

It features a little boy named Cole,* and his sweet baby blanket. Cole is attached to the knitted blue blanket. He takes it everywhere! It does everything with him! But…as things sometimes do, the blanket began to unravel. Before long, Cole is left with nothing but a pile of blue yarn.

Undeterred, Cole continues trying to use the pile of yarn the way he used his blanket. It doesn’t work out. So…what choice does he have? He gives his mama the pile of blue yarn.

But mama isn’t ready to call it quits that easily (I like your style, mama). Instead, she knits the blue yarn into a beautiful sweater. Which, obviously, Cole loves.

The book reminded me a lot of one of my all-time favourites: Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman. It’s got the same ‘make something good out of something broken’ vibe.

The art is adorable and suits the story perfectly. I love it when story and art complement each other.

Overall, a great book for before bedtime. It’s sweet, it’s cozy, it’s perfect for the little person in your life.

* Cole was actually the name Karl and I were planning on naming a son, if one had come along. But I realized a few years ago that “Cole” and “Karl” would’ve sounded REALLY similar if I was calling for one of them, so it would’ve resulted in mass confusion and it’s way better that we just have daughters.

Floof

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Title: Floof
Author/Illustrator: Heidi McKinnon
Published By: Workman Publishing, 2022

I have a wonderful group of friends. Like, truly epic. People I’ve known forever, people I love like family. They’re a truly solid bunch.

What I DON’T have is a lot of kid-lit-loving friends. My friends are into many wonderful things (among them, bread-making, crocheting, remixing music, midnight crafting, and climbing mountains), but most of them aren’t huge picture-book nerds like me.*

Anyway, you might (or might not) know that I self-published two books a few years ago. I was having coffee with the illustrator of those books, my pal Maurizio, and we got to talking about how some books LOOK really cute when you pick them up at Chapters (or in this case, the library), but then…man, do they let you down hard in the story department.

Picture books, in my very humble opinion, need to have strong stories to go with excellent art. And yes, of course, there are a bazillion exceptions to the rule. But if we’re talking in generalizations, the BEST picture books have both. Good art, good words. Both carrying part of the story-load, both helping to tell the best tale possible. It’s a beautiful thing, when it’s done well.

With that in mind, I WANTED to love Floof. Heck, I DO love the ART in this book. It’s absolutely adorable, no question. But the story…isn’t really a story, per se. It’s a series of events. The cat (Floof) wakes up and eats and lives through their cat-activity-filled day and then goes to sleep after causing some household mayhem. And that’s neat, sure. Cats are fun! I love a fluffy cat! And a slightly mischievous one? I’m here for it.

However, documenting a cat’s ACTUAL daily activities isn’t…interesting. Cats don’t do much, right? Like, unless it was some kind of special cat who solved crimes or was able to dance or draw portraits. That cat I’d read about. That cat would be awesome.

But Floof? Floof is cute. And that’s this book’s major selling point. Beyond the cuteness, there’s nothing much more to say.

Which just goes to show: you can’t judge a book by its cover.

…except for the times that I did here, here, and here.

Lily’s review (yup, I had Lily read this book!): “I really like the cat. I wish more happened in the story.”

Mama’s review: Ditto.

* Shoutout to Steph in New Jersey! And Maurizio, obviously!

The Path

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Title: The Path
Author/Illustrator: Bob Staake
Published By: Astra Books for Young Readers, 2021

So, it’s almost the end of another school year. Can you believe it? Wasn’t it just March Break?!

I feel like this year has been insanely fast, and now we’re staring down another summer. And you know what that means, right?

Emotional books for the end of the year. You know, Oh The Places You’ll Go, A Letter to my Teacher, Last Day Blues…those books. The ones that make you cry when you read them to your class.*

I sort of thought The Path would be somewhat the same, and I was sort of, somewhat right. Let me explain!

The book is about a little boy who ends up walking down a path that is mostly calm and quiet, but occasionally gets bumpy and scary and difficult. And the path even goes into a dark cave and seems like it might end. But it doesn’t, and the boy continues on.

Y’know, like life. Sometimes it’s bumpy and hard, sometimes it’s easy, sometimes June is like “a busy month? Girl, you haven’t seen busy. You thought MAY was busy? Hold my beer.”

Just me? Sorry. Back to the book.

Okay, so the comparison to life as a path was good. Also, I liked the art a lot. It’s beautiful and varied and complements the text perfectly. So what’s the problem?

The book just feels like it ends too soon. Like, the boy is walking the path, good. It gets hard, true. That happens. Then he continues and the bad days pass, wonderful. Okay, so he’s back onto a path with various possibilities in front of him and then…the book ends with him walking off the path and making his own path.

But…what?

I want to know more. I want to see where the boy goes, I want…something else. I felt let down, truthfully. The rest of the book was so pretty and got me feeling some feelings about paths and life and how people walk them and the hardships we don’t always know our friends are facing and…then it just feels like it ends too soon.

The other thing: I would read this to an older class. Grade 4+, probably. Why? Because everyone should read picture books. Also, I think the older kids would get a deeper meaning out of this story. The little guys would need a discussion to go along with it. (And it would be your teacherly duty to explain that this book illustrates life as a path. Then you’d have to explain it’s a figurative path and, “No Logan, not a literal path.” Then things would get totally off track, and you’d say, “What’s that? Your grandma has a path in her garden? Ava, your grandma doesn’t have a garden? Aiden, your grandma died last year? Okay, well, I’m sorry to hear that. Oh what? You didn’t like her because she was mean? Well, I’m still sorry. Back to the book.”)

Have a lovely summer. More reviews soon.

Jess’ rating: B+

* Back, many years ago, when I was young and foolish, I though I’d be a teacher. Well, truthfully, I took a degree in education because my parents wanted me to have a stable job because “being a writer isn’t a real job.” (Yes, kids, it is.) I practice-taught for three years in grades JK/SK, one and five. They were all delightful and challenging classes for different reasons. One thing I dreaded was reading the end-of-the-year story. Or Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. My first graders always tried to sneak that into the reading pile. Not today, first graders. Ms. B has her limits, and openly sobbing in front of you, traumatizing you for life, is a line she shall not cross.

Mr. S

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Title: Mr. S
Author/Illustrator: Monica Arnaldo
Published By: Katherine Tegen Books, 2023

I have to admit something: I’m a huge fan of funny picture books. I know lots of people prefer emotionally resonant ones, or ones that teach lessons or are quiet and peaceful…and I like those ones too. But deep in my heart there lives a little five year old who just wants to read something absolutely silly and hilarious. And this book delivers.

I read it to Lily while we were waiting in the parking lot to see her orthodontist. We were, as usual, fifteen minutes early. I can either be fifteen minutes early or five minutes late, there is no in-between. So I opt for early. I had a large bag of library books sitting in the passenger seat (as you do), and I decided to read them to Lily to pass the time.

This was the favourite.

Mr. S is a totally off-beat story of the first day of school. It features a class of kids who are new to this whole ‘school’ thing. When they arrive in their classroom, it appears their teacher has stepped out. There is, however, a sandwich on the teacher’s desk and a name on the board: “Mr. S.”

It gradually dawns on the students that maybe the sandwich IS their teacher — the ‘S’ stands for Sandwich! Mr. Sandwich! With this in mind, they proceed through their lessons and have quite an enjoyable morning at school.

Throughout the story, we, the reader, can see out the classroom window. We see a man (who, uncoincidentally, was the person who wrote ‘Mr. S’ on the board before leaving in a huge hurry) experiencing a multitude of difficulties in the parking lot (a tree falls on his car, a pizza guy gets his pizzas stolen by raccoons, the car gets struck by lightning…you know, the usual stuff that happens in parking lots). The reader (well, this reader) assumes that the man in the parking lot is the real teacher…

BUT!

When the man eventually reenters the classroom, he introduces himself as Mr. Spencer, the PRINCIPAL. And he introduces the kids to their teacher — Mr. S! The SANDWICH!

Aaaa! You guys, I absolutely laughed out loud when I read this. What a wonderful surprise — the author decided to give in to the craziness of the story and just allow the teacher to be a sandwich. Why not?!

And then, because this story is absolutely hilarious, the second-to-last page has Mr. S correcting the kids — his name isn’t Mr. Sandwich, it’s…

Well, I don’t know what it is. Because on the end pages, we see the staff photos, but Mr. S’ name has been obscured with mustard.

Aside from a really funny story, this book is also full of beautiful art. I really love the style Ms. Arnaldo used when drawing the kids (and sandwich). Their wide-eyed expressiveness suits the story just perfectly!

This book is fantastic. If you’re looking for a really unique ‘first-day-of-school’ book, this is the one. (And, yes, I know we’re much closer to the end of the school year than the beginning, but…well…you can’t always time when you’re going to find an excellent picture book).

Five sandwiches out of five. (Lily says “Five gluten-free sandwiches out of five.” Fair enough.)

The Fly

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Title: The Fly
Author/Illustrator: Elise Gravel
Published By: Scholastic, 2014

There are three types of people in the world: those who love fiction, those who love non-fiction and those who love both (especially when they come together in a hilarious series of picture books).*

I’m the third type of person, if that wasn’t totally obvious. I love both fictional and non-fictional books, and I especially love the blending of fantastic and realistic elements.

When I first saw Elise Gravel’s books that featured some truly gross main characters, I was intrigued. These books are part of the ‘Disgusting Critters’ series, and they feature such memorable protagonists as:

  • The Fly
  • The Mosquito
  • The Toad
  • The Slug

And many others…including my least favourite of the bunch, head lice. (Fun side note: when my brother and I were in elementary school, about 200/500 kids got head lice one year. My mother was so grossed out by the concept of bugs in our hair that she told us that if we came home with lice, she would kill us. We didn’t know if she was serious or not, but suffice it to say, we didn’t chance it.)

Anyway, these books are fantastic. Despite having moments of super-grossness (like the part in The Fly where the fly is barfing digestive liquids onto its food to soften it), the books are super-informative. My girls absolutely loved this series when they were in senior kindergarten/first grade. They thought it was hilarious…and they actually learned a bunch of fun facts! For instance, in The Spider, they learned that spiders can live in almost any environment. In The Bat, they learned that bats are the only mammals that can fly. In The Rat, they learned that rats are garbage-eating disease spreaders.**

Okay, so all the facts aren’t fun. But they are factual!

The art is adorable (I mean, as adorable as disgusting critters can be), and the text is engaging and entertaining. If you’re hoping to learn some interesting (and super-gross) facts about your (least) favourite critter, this is the series for you!

* Okay, there are probably more types of people in the world than this. Like those who don’t like books at all. But do they really count? Like, really?

*sigh* okay, fine, they do.

** I know lots of rats are adorable and make great pets. But…they’re also objectively kinda creepy.

I Don’t Know What to Call My Cat

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Title: I Don’t Know What to Call My Cat
Author: Simon Philip
Illustrator: Ella Bailey
Published By: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016

I don’t think we’ll ever own a cat. There, I said it. I’ve said it before, to Lily, about a thousand times. But I think, in her heart of hearts, she believes that one day my crippling cat allergies will vanish and a big fluffy kitty will take up residence in our home.

We had a backyard cat for a little while. She (everything is presumed to be a girl until proven otherwise at this house) spent many a day running along our back fence, digging up our garden and making a giant mess in the corner.

I was not a huge fan, is what I’m saying. Cat ownership may not be for me.

But I DO like other people’s cats. My best friend has three cats, all of whom I adore. The girls love patting them and hiding treats for them and occasionally trying to lure one to leave with us.

All that said, today’s book is about cats! More specifically, the difficulty involved in properly naming a cat.

The protagonist of our book, a little girl, finds a cat on her doorstep. She invites it in, feeds it a questionable dinner and then decides to try to find the perfect name for her (this kitty is also presumed to be a girl…more on that in a minute).

Unfortunately, all the names the little girl picks out just aren’t quite right. For instance, calling the cat Kitty ends up inviting half the neighborhood cats over. Princess High-and-Mighty didn’t fit the cat (who hated dresses), nor did any of the charmingly old-fashioned names she tried out (Jane…Ethel…Betty…Pat…Lorraine…I think I had elderly neighbors/relatives/teachers with each of those names).

And then, after a quick trip to the vet, the little girl finds out that her cat is actually a boy.

The little girl thinks she might have a good name for her cat (Mr. Maestro, as he was into playing music), but when she joins the cat’s song-making, he vanishes.

Well, rats. Now she’s down one kitty.*

The little girl heads out to try and find her pet. In her search, she ends up at the zoo. And it’s there that she meets a gorilla named Steve. Who follows her home. And basically destroys her house (in a fun, loving way).

Everything is working out semi-okay, when a representative from the Bureau for Naughty Animals shows up and carts Steve away (back to the zoo, one would hope). The little girl notices that one of the Bureau agents looks surprisingly familiar…it’s her cat! Wearing a stick-on moustache!

Luckily, they’d given the cat a collar (when he was working at the Bureau, I’m guessing) and on it was his name: Tricky! Which, you know, totally fits a cat that was this hard to name.

The art is terrific. It reminds me a bit of Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat. It’s expressive and fun and I love the cats on the back cover, each with their own adorable name.

So, in conclusion, if you have a cat-fan at your house, read this book. And if you’ve got a cat that you’re trying to name…also read this book. It’s got some great suggestions. (I’m partial to Mr. Boots).

*This part reminded me of the Tiny Toons character, Elmira, and how she’d always say “I lose more kitties that way!” when they’d run from her. And then that reminded me that maybe no one else will get this reference because I’m quite possibly old.

Everything Will Be OK

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Title: Everything Will Be OK
Author: Anna Dewdney
Illustrator: Judy Schachner
Published By: Viking, 2022

When I was a kid, I was what you’d call a ‘worrier.’ I worried about my family, my friends, the neighbours, my teachers, our pets, and basically anyone else I cared about.

I’m glad to say that I’m 100% cured of that bad habit and am now known among my friends as ‘Totally Easygoing Jess.’ Yeah, it’s not a great nickname, but it completely encapsulates the free and breezy person I totally am for reals.

Okay, fine. I’m still a worrier. After all these years, I’m basically a professional. I’m the person who asks you to text when you get home safely. I’m the one who checks in with you and makes sure you’re okay if I haven’t heard from you in a few days. I’m the one who picks up on the subtle look on your face and asks what’s REALLY going on. I’m that person. And, to my very patient family and friends, I’m sorry-not-sorry.

I’m never going to change. I’ve learned to worry LESS as I’ve gotten older, but it’s basically a character flaw we’re all going to have to live with. And scene.

So…what does that have to do with today’s book? Glad you asked! It’s basically a book tailor-made for a nervous kid like young Jess. It’s a sweet, gentle story that reassures readers that no matter what befalls them, everything will ultimately turn out alright.*

For example: if your brother steals your flute? Not to worry. You still love him (sort of, give me my flute back), and it’s going to work out okay (he’ll get sick of your flute in a hot minute and you can steal it back).

Or if you stub your toe! Man, does that ever hurt. But not for long. You’re going to be alright there, kiddo.

Or if life is generally kicking you in the teeth — like, say, if squirrels are messing up your garden, if you’ve caught a cold, or if your mom gave you nothing but a plate of gross broccoli for dinner, it’s just a temporary problem. It’s going to get better.

Even if your mom and dad are late and your worried little brain is imagining the worst possible outcome, stop freaking out, little bunny — everything will be fine.

This book would’ve been very useful for young Jess. Something to just kind of say ‘relax!’ without actually saying ‘relax!’ because that’s probably the least helpful thing you can say to a worrier.

The art in this book is fantastic. It’s gentle and pastel-coloured and friendly looking. The expression on the little bunny’s face is priceless. (And the kitty sidekick is also adorable.)

So, if you have a little worrier in your life, pick up this book. Read it to them a few times, talk to them about their feelings and try to work through them as much as you can. Then, when your worrier is all grown up, maybe they really WILL be called “Totally Easygoing [Their Name Here].”

Or, you know, maybe not. Because that is truly a terrible nickname.

* Just as a small caveat: this book is not about the big things that go wrong. Sometimes things go completely sideways and they aren’t ever going to be the same, and you might never feel totally okay again. There are some wonderful books out there about dealing with huge loss/change — I will try to review them in the near future. This book is about those small things, those day-to-day things that can throw a kid off balance.

The Bear Must Go On

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Title: The Bear Must Go On
Author: Dev Petty
Illustrator: Brandon Todd
Published By: Philomel Books, 2020

Ah, bears. They’ve always been one of my favourite animals. I collected teddy bears when I was a kid, encourage my children in the collection of many bears and generally love anything bear-related. Obviously, when I saw this book at the library, I had no choice but to take it out and read it.

And what a delightful read it was! Not only was there a bear, but he was also a left-handed (pawed?), shy, writerly bear. Who sings little songs to himself! It was basically the male, cartoon bear version of me! (As an aside, to all of my leftie readers out there: do you notice, in books or on TV or in movies, which characters are left-handed? I always do. I don’t know if this is a left-handed-person thing, or just one of those weird Jess foibles).

The story is about a group of woodland creatures who endeavor to put on a show. There’s Squirrel, Other Squirrel, Rabbit and, of course, my man Bear.

The small critters are very excited. They want to make this show EPIC. Bear, on the other hand, wants to take notes and NOT perform. To which I say: know thyself, Bear. Way to do what makes you most comfortable while also participating in a social event. Kudos.

Anyway, they plan for everything. Costumes, sets, tickets, refreshments, the works. Then, they build the stage, sew the curtains and the show is ready to go on…or…wait…

WHAT SHOW?

They were so busy with all the other theatre-related jobs that they kinda forgot to write a show. Whoops. Happens to the best of us.

Fortunately, Bear to the rescue, he’s been secretly writing down the little song he was singing! So, you know, they could perform that. Except that they don’t really know the tune and Bear’s writing is a little hard to read. Which means…

Bear has to go on.

Now, Bear being a people (animal?) pleaser decides that he’s going to overcome his paralyzing shyness and step into the limelight. To help his friends and all that.

And, of course, he does a great job and everyone loves the show.

I really like the story. As someone who is shy, sometimes it just takes a little nudge (or a very good reason, like helping your friends out) to push you outside of that comfort zone.* And sometimes it works out really well (and, okay, sometimes it doesn’t**).

The art is fantastic. It captures Bear’s emotions perfectly, and it’s delightful to look at. The best picture books have writing and art that support each other, and this one most definitely does.

If you want a fun, sweet book about friendship, overcoming your fears and large, friendly, left-handed bears, this is a must-read.

5/5 sequined curtains

* My older daughter actually had this experience at school in December. She wrote a really good essay and was asked to read it at an assembly. She would normally decline such a public performance, but she tried it and she did amazingly well. I’m not saying she’ll start a career in public speaking, but it was super-good for her ego to have the auditorium erupt in applause.

**See: Jess Stars in a Grade 12 Sears Drama Festival Play That Still Gives her Nightmares to This Day.

What Do You Do…

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When you don’t like a book?

That’s what I’m going to discuss today. Why? Because I took two picture books out of the library yesterday and I chose them solely based on their covers. (I know, I know.) I had high hopes. Both books had kind of a fun, friendly vibe. Both books appeared, on the outside, to be something that they very much weren’t on the inside.

The long and short of it is: I didn’t like them. Either of them. I wouldn’t have read them to my kids (if they were still picture book aged), and I wouldn’t buy them for our home library. They were strange in a not-good way, and both stories were really, really shallow. I. Didn’t. Like. Them. At. All.

So, as a reviewer, I wouldn’t have many positive things to say about them. But those not-positive things would be honest. And maybe they’d stop someone from choosing these books in the future.

Which, I don’t know. Is that fair?

There have been books that I have absolutely LOVED that others have not. And vice versa. An example? You know I’ve got one.

I’ve recently been reading The Professor and the Madman (it’s about the making of the OED), and I’ve gotta be honest…it’s a slow read for me. I’m a huge word-nerd, so I was excited to read this one…but…I’ve had to set page goals for myself each day. I WANT to get through it, it’s just taking forever. So, in hopes of finding some like-minded friends, I checked Goodreads and found that many, many people felt the same way as I did. Whew. I’m not alone. But OTHER people absolutely loved it. Like, adored the book.

In terms of reviewing kid-lit, it feels more personal to me. As a writer myself, I know how hard it is to actually GET a book to the publishing stage, to go through the editing process/waiting process/more waiting…and then to get the book reviewed! It’s scary. It’s nerve-wracking. A bad review can make your day so, so awful.

So, to that end, I’m going to do what I’ve always done: I’m going to review books I like. I’m not all about ‘positive vibes only,’ (I hate that saying, actually), but I also don’t believe in giving a totally negative review. If there are one or two things I dislike, sure. But if the whole book is a no for me, I’m just going to load it back in the car and ship it back to the library.*

*The one exception to this is my really old, really crappy picture book collection. Those books are from at least 30-40 years ago, and they’re all objectively terrible.

A Duck Called Brian

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Title: A Duck Called Brian
Author:/Illustrator Al Murphy
Published By: Scholastic Press 2021

I’m not sure I’ve ever told you guys this, but I love ducks. Like, really love. As in, when I see them at a park or by the pond near our house, I literally crouch down and quack at them, hoping they’ll come closer. Sure, they usually look the other way and/or hide their faces due to second-hand embarrassment, but whatever. I’m not going to stop. It’s who I am.

Anyway, when my kids were at the Scholastic Book Fair at their school, they spotted A Duck Called Brian and they knew I must have it. They understand my love of ducks and we’ve all made a secret pact that if the opportunity ever arises, we’ll own a duck and not tell Karl.

Which, you know, will be tricky. How to explain a third, feathered daughter? How to convince Karl it’s maybe some kind of dog breed he’s unfamiliar with? Those are the kinks we have to work out, but that’s a problem for future Jess.

Current Jess is going to tell you all about the book!

It all starts with Brian, a blue duck* Brian is, obviously, quite unique. He has a few likes, including but not limited to milk, Duck Nuts cereal and his best bud, Gregory.

Unfortunately for Brian, his day gets off to a rocky start when he realizes he’s out of Duck Nuts and milk. So, he decides to find Gregory and complain about it to him. (Hey, that’s what besties are for, right?)

Sadly, Gregory is nowhere in sight. Well, nowhere in Brian’s sight. Clever readers will be able to spot Gregory right away — he’s in a hot air balloon, behind the fence, flying an airplane, in a vase, in a crowd…and…well, you get the idea. He’s everywhere, but Brian just doesn’t see him. Brian DOES see other ducks having a blast, but he doesn’t join in on any of the fun. He is a duck on a mission: find Gregory.

Just as Brian is at the end of his rope, he discovers something: a magic door. He goes through it (somewhat accidentally) and ends up in a strange world of magical pink characters (a frog, a crocodile, a snail, anthropomorphic milk). They offer him a free wish — anything he wants!

Brian makes his wish and…it turns out to be exactly what he’d been hoping to find all day. (Spoiler alert: it’s Gregory…but not JUST Gregory!)

The art in this book is super-cute. The simplicity reminds me of Elise Gravel’s work a little bit. The colours are vibrant, and Brian is adorable.

If you’re looking for a good book about friendship, this is one to check out. Also, if you just happen to be obsessed with ducks, you’ll be delighted by this story.

  • I just realized: I’m kind of obsessed with blue ducks. There was one episode of Pokémon where Psyduck (my favourite Pokémon) was blue and I’ve been looking for a figurine/card/sticker/something to prove he really existed in that form ever since. (NB: Lily says it was ‘shiny’ Psyduck, but…he looked blue to me).