Tag Archives: Arts

The True Tale Of A Giantess: The Story Of Anna Swan

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This historical non-fiction children’s book follows the rich life of acclaimed Nova Scotia Giantess Anna Swan. Anna grows up feeling (figuratively and physically) out-of-place in her hometown and yearns for  a life of travel and adventure. She decides to join P.T. Barnum’s Gallery of Wonders and meets other people who are unique like she is. Being a part of the Gallery opens up doors for Anna and she is able to have all the adventures she dreamed about as a little girl. She meets and befriends Queen Victoria and falls in love with fellow giant Martin Van Buren Bates. Her life story emphasizes the value of individuality and creating one’s own world to fit into if such an environment is not provided. The illustrations in mixed media and Photoshop include a spectrum of shaded grey, blue, and olive-green pastels and feature soft round-faced characters with blush faces.    mm

Title: The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan Author: Anne Renaud Illustrator: Marie Lafrance Publisher: Kids Can Press, Toronto Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77138-376-9 Hardcover pages:  32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Biography, Picture Book Book setting: Nova Scotia, New York, England Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Westmount, Quebec Illustrator’s ethnicity:  Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Montreal, Quebec Subjects: Biography, Circus, Giants, Nova Scotia, Performing arts, Women

The Truth Commission

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Normandy Pale is a high school junior at the Green Pastures Academy of Art and Applied Design.  This is the year she is supposed to come into her own and come out from under the shadow of her brilliant older sister Keira, who as a teen became a best-selling graphic novelist.  Normandy turns to her writing, her needlework, and the “truth commission.”  Her friends have started the project because they believe the theory that the truth can heal.  So they begin asking people truths about things that other people already suspect. Things go well until it leads straight back to Keira and her dysfunctional family.  The book is Normandy’s “narrative nonfiction” project at school, complete with footnotes, drawings, and notes to her creative writing teacher.  The characters are real and the language is witty. mjw

Title: The Truth Commission Author: Susan Juby Illustrator: Trevor Cooper Publisher: Penguin Teen, Canada Books, Inc. Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Razorbill.  Toronto, Canada Original Copyright: 2105 ISBN: 978-0-14-318916-9 Paperback pages: 320 Age range: 14 up Genre: Narrative Nonfiction Book setting: Vancouver Island Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada Awards: Sheila A. Egoff Award for Children’s Literature, Amy Mothers Teen Book Award Subjects: Art students, High school, Humor, Siblings, Values and virtues, Writing

The Red Ribbon

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Fourteen-year-old Ella is a seamstress in the Upper Tailoring Studio at Auschwitz-Birkenau, a sewing workshop inside the Nazi Concentration camp.  Her job is to make couture dresses for the wives of the camp’s Nazi overseers and the female SS officers.  Ella meets Rose and the two do their best to survive.  Ella dreams of opening a fancy dress shop after the war. The wonderful and surprising writing offers a different view of the Holocaust. mjw

Title: The Red Ribbon Author: Lucy Adlington Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0104-8 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 12 up Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England Subjects: Fashion Holocaust, Sewing, Survival

Inkling

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Ethan’s dad is a comic artist with writer’s block and Ethan has a graphic novel project at school that is giving him trouble.  When an ink blot from his dad’s sketchbook comes to life, it makes quite an impact on Ethan’s family and friends.  This is a funny and interesting story.  How can an ink blot be such a lovable character? mjw

Title: Inkling Author: Kenneth Oppel Illustrator: Sydney Smith Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5247-7282-6 Hardcover pages: 256 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Toronto Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Toronto Awards: Both author and illustrator have won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature. The illustrator has won the Kate Greenaway Award. Subjects: Books, Creativity, Drawing, Humor

Feather

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Paulina lives with her dad and her three rough and clumsy, older brothers. She plays the piano and they call her Feather, but she is tough and tenacious. She takes up boxing so that she can stand up to her brothers. When she proves her point, she goes back to her beloved piano. Gorgeous poster-like illustrations show Feather’s home life and training. mjw

Title: Feather Author: Remi Courgeon Illustrator: Remi Courgeon Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York Copyright: 20117 Original Language: French Translator: Claudia Zoe Bedrick Original Title: Brindille Original Publisher: Editions Milan Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-59270-210-7 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Awards: A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2017 Subjects: Boxing, Housework, Music, Piano, Self-esteem, Siblings, Sports

One Fun Day With Lewis Carroll: A Celebration Of Wordplay And A Girl Named Alice

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This wonderful picture book is part Lewis Carroll biography and part word game. Nonsense words and phrases take readers through Carroll’s fantasy world. Along the way readers learn about Carroll’s life as a mathematician and his friendship with the Liddell family and the real Alice. The frabjous illustrations breathe new life into the famous characters. A glossary explains the words and ideas invented by Carroll and reveals that nearly two hundred of them appear in the Oxford English Dictionary. A closing note gives more information about Carroll. mjw

Title: One Fun Day With Lewis Carroll: A Celebration Of Wordplay And A Girl Named Alice Author: Kathleen Krull Illustrator: Julia Sarda Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0544348233 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture Book Biography Book setting: England Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Illustrator’s residence: Spain  Subjects: Authors, Books, Charles Dodgson, Language, Literature, Imagination, Wordplay

Old Hat

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Harbet’s favorite hat is the colorful one with pompoms and earflaps that his nana knit for him when he was a puppy. Unfortunately, his friends wear Carmen Miranda fruit bowl hats and mock him, “OLD HAT!” He tries a new hat like theirs, but it is already outdated. They cry, “OLD HAT!” He tries a traffic cone, a saucepan, a pink work boot and many more, but he cannot win. Finally Harbet takes off his hat to reveal a surprise and his friends are filled with envy. Harbet discovers how much more fun it is to stop following others and to think for yourself. The pencil, watercolor, and acrylic ink illustrations of the hats are cheerful and hilarious. mjw

Title: Old Hat Author: Emily Gravett Illustrator: Emily Gravett Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English  Original Publisher: Original Copyright: Macmillan Children’s Books. Great Britain ISBN: 978-1-5344-0917-0 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Brighton, England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Brighton, England Subjects: Fashion, Hats, Peer pressure, Self esteem, Self respect, Teasing