Camels Always Do: Stranger than Fiction

Lynn Manuel (auth)
Kasia Charko (ill)
Orca Book Publishers April 2004
Ages: 4-8 32pp
ISBN: 9781551432847

Ok, this one is fiction, but it is based on a factual event. Lynn Manuel craftily constructs the tale of a boy named Cameron and his love for camels, around the most bizarre happening of the Cariboo gold rush. Fictional Cameron collides with the real life Frank Laumeister and his Dromedary Express. In 1862, Laumeister and his business partners imported a herd of Bactrian or two hump camels (not Dromedary, or one hump camels as the company name would suggest) to help ferry supplies to the miners. For a number of reasons this venture failed. First, the camels had an offensive odour (camels always do, at least any I’ve encountered) that even the mules could not stand. Second, having feet that were suited for walking on sand, and not rock, the camels suffered many injuries on their long treks. Finally, the animals had a difficult time withstanding the harshness of the winters in the Cariboo.

Cameron is a likeable young man, and his love for camels is the perfect vehicle to educate the reader about camels. I love camels. They are one of my favourite animals, but don’t worry if you have no fondness for the ornery creatures. This book will entertain both you and your children. One camel, in particular, named Barnum, will charm you with his distinctive personality. Kasia Charko must also be credited for bringing this book to life. She manages to illustrate 21 camels, each with its own unique character.

This story is clever, educational, and contains just enough of the bizarre to captivate your child. My two-year-old has been chanting “camels always do” for the past week. I’d recommend checking this book out. If you are like me, you will be thrilled to enjoy a well written story with your children that will provoke their lust for knowledge and stimulate their imaginations. I have found “Camels Always Do”.

Innuit Thought of It: Diamonds from the Tundra/ Stranger than Fiction

Alootook Ipellie (with David Macdonald)
Annick Press
Ages: 9-11 32pp
Softcover ISBN 10: 1554510872
ISBN 13: 9781554510870
Hardcover ISBN 10: 1554510880
ISBN 13: 9781554510887

If you are looking to become acquainted with the Inuit culture, this book is the place to start. I can’t get enough of this amazing celebration of innovation and resourcefulness. Alootook Ipellie has done a wonderful job of unveiling the mystery of the Inuit culture, by relating it to the everyday. Parkas, kayaks, sleeping bags, lamps ... I could go on and on, but you’ll get a better idea by reading the book. However, I will say that you will be intrigued by raincoats made from whale intestines, bird skin parkas, and sealskin food storage bags. I have read a few books on the subject (I am not only a former cold weather wilderness survival instructor, but also the mother of three children of Inuvialuit heritage), and, in my opinion, this is the best books, for youth, I have come across regarding both Inuit heritage and primitive survival techniques.

The Inuit Thought of It has a remarkable flow, not found in many works of non-fiction. The layout is about as reader friendly as it gets (thanks to Sheryl Shapiro), and the amazing photographs will keep you turning the pages. An airborne snowboarder and a kayaker negotiating white water mingle with black and white photos of Inuit hunters, athletes, and craftsmen- giving the book both an historical and a contemporary feel.

If you would like to debunk the myth of the “Eskimo” and educate your children about a hardy and ingenious culture, find yourself a copy of The Inuit Thought of It. They will come away with a decent grasp of the history of the Inuit peoples, their shelter, food, clothing, recreational activities, and medicine, as well as their modern ways of living. This book is not only a young anthropologist’s or survivalist’s dream, but also a good entertaining (and if you don’t know what makes me excited, by now) educational read.

It was an extreme pleasure to share this book with my mother-in-law, as it led to a dialogue about her own life in the arctic. The three little inspirations love to hear their grandmother’s tales of her days as a nomad, and thoroughly enjoyed sharing Ipellie’s book with her. I am extremely glad that Alootook Ipellie thought of it!

If you’re a crafter (I am crazy about crafts), here is a great craft I learned while teaching wilderness survival. Take a piece of cardboard and cut it out into the shape of a masquerade mask (framing the eyes). Cut two horizontal slits over each eye hole. They do not need to be very wide. Punch holes on both sides and tie a piece of string or ribbon to the ends, for straps. Decorate with paint, glitter glue, or whatever your imagination can conjure up. Viola! You have a pair of Inuit snow goggles. Take the kids outside on a sunny day and let them test how great they really work.

• "The Year's Best" List, Resources Links


• Children's Non-Fiction Top 10 List, Ontario Library Association


• 2008/ 2009 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award finalist

The Lamp, the Ice and the Boat Called Fish: Diamonds from the Tundra

Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Beth Krommes (ill)
Houghton Mifflin
Jan 2001
Ages: 4-6 48pp
Hardcover ISBN:
061800341X





Jacqueline Briggs Martin has written one of those gems that linger with the reader for a very long time after the book is closed. “The Lamp the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish” recounts the story of the ill fated Karluk and the Steffanson expedition of 1913. The factual tale of the Karluk’s passengers (which included a captain and crew, scientists and explorers, a cat, forty sled dogs, Iupiaq hunters, and an Iupiaq family) unfolds with a healthy fictional layer, following the experiences of two young Iupiaq children, Makpii and Pagnasuk. The author explores the world of these young girls, and provides the reader with a great deal of information regarding the Iupiaq culture.

When the Karluk becomes locked in ice and carried out to see, the passengers must live on borrowed time, knowing that the ice will inevitably break the ship apart and sink it. Makpii and Pagnasuk play with a caribou hide ball, by the light of a traditional lamp, while their mother sews clothing and supplies, and their father hunts for food in a place where it is scarce. The deaths and, in some cases, disappearances of a few of the crew members, will haunt you, while the kindness shown to the girls’ mother will touch you. What drew me to this story is the same thing that compelled the author to write it. It is remarkable that when the castaways were finally rescued, they still had the cat with them and a majority of the sled dogs. Although they faced near starvation, the cat had still been cared for, along with the dogs, which were competing for the same scarce food supplies. This is especially notable, as other expeditions had been known to eat their dogs, when hungry. And then there is Captain Robert Bartlett. He walked and travelled by dog sled, over seven hundred miles, in search of help.

I couldn’t put this book down. Jacqueline Briggs Martin’s easy flowing prose, and the exquisite scratchboard illustrations of Beth Krommes, kept me turning page after page. Unfortunately, I was unable to share this book with my children. Even my 4 1/2-year-old just couldn’t get past the first few pages. The length may also be a problem for youngsters. This is a great book to share with your older children, though. I am sure, beginning readers would love a break from their phonics to enjoy a good ole fashioned story time. “The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish” would be a wonderful companion to any school unit regarding the Inuit, or arctic exploration. For those of us grown-ups who love to read children’s books, this is a must read.

A Crash of Rhinos, A Party of Jays: Stranger than Fiction

Diane Swanson (auth)
Mariko Ando Spencer (ill)
Annick Press 2006
Ages: 5-7 24pp
Softcover ISBN 10: 1554510473
ISBN 13: 9781554510474
Hardcover ISBN 10: 1554510481
ISBN 13: 9781554510481


Diane Swanson has written quite a little treat, here. Whether you are looking to satisfy a junior erudite, or simply entertain your child with a book that is not only educational and clever, but also fun, you will score with A Crash of Rhinos a Party of Jays. Swanson takes a fun look at “The Wacky Ways We Name Animals Groups”. I particularly like the gang of elk. For those unfamiliar with these animals, let me assure you they are not beyond knocking over some fences to rob a herd of horses (horses do hear extremely well) of their hay. There is also a tower of giraffes, a leap of leopards and a raft of ducks, to name a few. A zoology student could use this book as a study guide, yet it is short enough to read to your preschoolers.You will find yourself chuckling through this quick little read, and are sure to enjoy the quirky illustrations of Mariko Ando Spencer.

• "Our Choice" List, Canadian Children's Book Centre

My Arctic 1,2,3 : Diamonds from the Tundra

Michael Araarluk Kusugak (auth)
Vladyana Langer Krykorka (ill)
Annick Press April 2007
Ages: 4-7 pp24
Softcover ISBN 10: 1550375040
ISBN 13: 9781550375046
Hardcover ISBN 10: 1550375059
ISBN 13: 9781550375053

"My Arctic 1, 2, 3," is an educational book, on many different levels. Your children will have fun learning the joy of counting, while exploring not only a unique northern eco-system and culture, but also how closely they are intertwined. Children can count their way through 1 to 10, 20, 100, and the seemingly intangible 100, 000, 000. On this numerical journey, Kusugak examines the intimate relationship between predator and prey. One lone polar bear hunts 2 ringed seals. Twenty wolves catch the scent of 100 caribou. A group of people gather the millions of berries that have ripened, while a lone polar bear decides the berry gatherers would not make a very good meal.

I love that this book is not simply a "1, 2, 3". It is a fluid story- one that folds human beings into its framework with the same vein of vulnerability that runs through the siksiks and arctic char. Not to sound like a Disney movie, but Kusugak is able to demonstrate the "circle of life" with a cohesive simplicity that will not be lost on your little ones.

My family particularly enjoyed the appendix, entitled "The Arctic World of Michael Kusugak and His Family". We have found the anecdotes to be not only entertaining, but invaluable, as they have helped to facilitate a dialogue between the three little inspirations and their Inuvialuit grandmother. This book is a favourite for them to read with her.

I cannot sign off without mentioning the illustrator, Vladyana Langer Krykorka. I never grow tired of her beautiful paintings, especially when they are of the North. She has infused what is usually considered a monotone landscape with vibrant blues, wispy whites, luscious greens, and fiery auburns. She has been able to draw out the natural colours of the North with amazing perception, and render it on the page with her strong artistic skill. I cannot say enough about my family's love for the books she has illustrated.

Even if your little ones have already learned to count, they will enjoy this wonderful peek into the Inuit culture, and learn from the beauty expressed in its pages.

• Parent Council's Outstanding from a Learning Perspective Honor
  


• Ruth Schwartz Award Finalist
  


• Chickadee Choice
  

Penelope and the Humungous Burp: Breaking Ground

Sheri Radford (auth)
Christine Tripp (ill)
Lobster Press Nov 2005
Ages: 4-6 32pp
Trade Paperback ISBN 189707333X
Hard Cover ISBN 1894222830

“Penelope and the Humungous Burp” is sure to become one of your children’s favourites. It is the cute story of grape soda-guzzling Penelope, her gastro-intestinal maladies, and a reluctant “excuse me.” I have yet to meet the child who doesn’t get a giggle out of gas. If that isn’t enough to captivate them, the idea of doctors, policemen, and firemen, all running around because of one little girl's gas, will tickle the giggles right out of them. However, while this story is adorable, it is not the reason I have chosen to sing its praises.

The brilliance of “Penelope and the Humungous Burp” shines through with fantastic illustrations. At last! Here’s a book for all of us mothers who don’t have time for power Pilates, and haven’t yet made it to the store to buy a pair of Spanks. I would just like to say, I love Christine Tripp. Penelope has a real mom- complete with sagging bottom and post-baby paunch. Her father is no muscular hunk, either. He’s just a plain old dad in glasses and a sweat shirt. Amid todays over airbrushed, super-dieted, and hyper pumped out media creations, I’ll gladly settle for Penelope’s parents. As the gate keepers to our children’s stimuli, it is our responsibility to present them with images other than June and Ward Clever, or Angelina and Brad.

But, the most ground breaking element of this book is its eclectic use of multiculturalism. Penelope is a biracial child- her mother appears to be of African-American descent, while her father is of European descent. As a mother of three multi-racial children, I am very excited about this book and the subtle message it provides for my little ones. The lesser cast members of “Penelope and the Humungous Burp”, are also worthy of mention. They include not only a female doctor and a female firefighter, but a couple of female police officers, as well. The pages of this delightful little burp tale are filled with characters of diverse backgrounds, to include African-American and Asian persons. And, I certainly wouldn’t want to forget, the illustrations are very comical.

Penelope has a quirky charm about her that will surely find a place in your heart.The three little inspirations cannot get enough of this book, and neither can I. It is not only cute, but also contemporary, and ground breaking. Your children will get the obvious lesson regarding manners, while being entertained. At the same time, a subtle graphic message- one that fights against propping up unrealistic body types as the status quo, and rallies for greater racial diversity, will seep deep into their minds, preparing them to lead the way in a more tolerant society than we, ourselves, have been able to enjoy.

• Shortlisted, Ontario Library Association Blue Spruce Award (2006)


• Winner, Gold Award, Just For Mom Foundation "Mom's Choice" Awards (2005)


• Top Ten "Great Book" of the Year, Canadian Toy Testing Council (2004)


• Semifinalist, Independent Publisher Book Awards, Best Picture Book (2005)

Super Crocs and Monster Wings: Stranger than Fiction

Claire Eamer
Annick Press Feb 2008
Ages 9-11 96pp.
Paperback ISBN 10: 1-55451-129-1
ISBN 13: 978-1-55451-129-7
Hardcover ISBN 10: 1-55451-130-5
ISBN 13: 978-1-55451-130-3

Beavers as big as bears, crocs as enormous as city buses, dragonflies the size of a hawks, massive ground sloths large enough to nibble on tree tops, animated bulky tanks-like creatures hunkering about, and rabbit-sized North American camels? A strange sci-fi world? No ... try, prehistoric Earth. Eamer has given life to all of these strange beings, while recounting millions of years of our little blue planet's history. "Super Crocs and Monster Wings" is definitely stranger than fiction.


This look into the prehistoric world is an appetizing trail mix. Eamer's book contains plenty of wholesome science, mixed in a medley of tasty tidbits, chewy facts, and delicious photos and illustrations. The evolutionary journeys, of six animals, are examined in a fast paced manner that is sure to engross any reader. Eamer begins by introducing each of the animals with a fictitious (but highly plausible) scenario that brings the long extinct being to life. The layout of this book is ingenious. Eamer has included such a vast amount of detail; it would seemingly boggle the mind. Not so in "Super Crocs and Monster Wings". Fun facts, sections devoted to such topics as, "How to Become a Fossil", captivating photographs and amazing artists' renderings, as well as an appealing contemporary design, are more than stimulating enough to prevent cerebral fatigue. If your child is not hyped for science, this is one will turn them around. If you have a budding young palaeontologist or geologist on your hands, they won't be able to put it down.


I can only hope that Eamer finds a calling as a textbook author before the three inspirations hit high school. If they had given us books like this to read in science class, I likely would have paid attention, rather than doodling and penning poetry. I really enjoyed "Super Crocs and Monster Wings", and found it informative. I love killing two birds with one stone, and being entertained, while learning is about as good as it gets. I recommend this book to parents everywhere. Your kids will think you are not only smart, but maybe even just a tad cool, when you dazzle them by explaining what large corkscrew formations have to do with giant beavers, or how sloths may have once sailed the seas, afloat on vegetal mats. As my children are very small, it was not an ideal bedtime story , for them. However, we have had a wonderful time browsing the pictures, while I showed off my new found knowledge of the prehistoric world. Don't be turned off by the suggested age range. Older teens will love this one. And for anyone who has struggled to find a good read for a boy, if the title doesn't make it obvious, this book will be a heaven-send. Boredom and dullness, like all the species to have inhabited the Earth, are 99% extinct.

Toilet Tales: The Scoop on Poop

Andrea Wayne von Königslöw
Annick Press Feb 2008
Ages 1-3 32pp
Paperback ISBN 10: 1-55451-131-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-55451-131-0
Library Bound ISBN 10: 1-55451-132-1
ISBN 13: 978-1-55451-132-7

If “Everyone Poops” is a little too graphic for you, this one will be right up your alley. “Toilet Tales” has been providing parents and toddlers with giggles for more than 20 years, and has sold more than 45, 000 copies. Andrea Wayne von Königslöw has now pumped up her classic potty book with not only a new set of silly illustrations, but also a few new disastrous scenarios.

“Potty Tales” explores the more than likely catastrophes that would ensue should the animal kingdom ever meet with the loo. And no, there are no dogs to be found drinking from the toilet bowl. This imaginative tale is more sophisticated than that. I know, I just used the word “sophisticated” when referring to a potty book. Back on track. As the mother of three little inspirations, I can tell you first hand that your little tots will find the humour in an orca that falls in love with a commode, and a beaver that builds a toothbrush-dam in the toilet bowl. If you are curious to know what calamities may befall a giraffe, an elephant, a lion, a seal, a snake, a pack of kangaroos, a goat, a flock of sheep, an octopus, and a mouse (I have to feel sorry for the rodent), I would recommend obtaining a copy of this story. My own potty training son has started calling this story the “funny book”.

I love “Potty Tales” not only for its adorable illustrations and great use of humour, but also for the fact that it illustrates how special using the potty is. Those crazy little potty training tykes have gone on an amazing evolutionary journey. Hard to believe at this stage of the game when they seem more like zoo creatures than mature human beings, but they have. They have transformed from sea creature-like embryos into amazing miniature cavemen. Using the potty is a step forward in their evolution. I am not sure that I would be able to explain that to my child, as a means of encouragement. However, I don’t have to. “Potty Tales” has reached out to my toddlers and explained it for me, like a really funny and well illustrated cave drawing with entertaining text.

Don’t let the potty subject turn you off of reading this one to your older children. It has no problem amusing those who have already graduated this phase. My four-year-old had a great laugh, too. At its heart, it is simply a great read for children and parents alike.

Everyone Poops: The Scoop on Poop

Taro Gomi
Kane/Miller Book Publishers July 2006
Preschool 28pp
Trade Paperback ISBN 192913214X
Hard Cover ISBN 0916291456


The likes of Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham will be dismayed to know the secret is out ...yes, everyone poops. Taro Gomi has written and illustrated a book to prove it. If only Freud were alive for this one.

If you haven't read this book, you're in for a treat (or perhaps several of them). This is a graphic, yet cute look at the world of the BM. Gomi manages to fill page after page (28 all told) with colourful illustrations of various creatures, along with the doo-doo they make, where thye make it, and how they dispose of it. Notable illustrations include, a boy running for the potty with his briefs trailing by one ankle, an evolutionary scale of passing the poop (from a baby with a suprise filled diaper to a dad on the throne with a newspaper), a boy proudly displaying a turd in the toilet bowl, and a two-hump camel poop. However, the last couple of pages take the cake. Let's just say, it is a before and after depiction.

I have read "Everyone Poops", countless times, and it still makes me bust a gut. I believe the three little inspirations enjoy their mother's reaction to the book more than they enjoy the book itself (though they really love this one). This book has become a family favourite. While it has yet to coax the coveted poop on the potty from my two-year-old, it has inspired him to give it a few tries. That, after all, is a start.

However, it is not simply diaper weary moms who will apreciate this book. At its most basic, "Everyone Poops" demonstrates how similar we are, not only to our fellow man, but to the other inhabitants of this little planet we inhabit. "All God's creatures" - gone awry? Perhaps, but it does make a point. Deep down in the bowels of our being (sorry, couldn't resist), we all share many of the common experiences of life -be them secret, or even embarassing. "Everyone Poops" speaks to a child's sense of humanity in an offbeat and downright hilarious manner.

I recommend this book for any child ...not necessarily any parent (I can think of a few who might be turned off) ...but definitely any child. It is a good one to leave with the babysitter, if he or she is a teen. They will love it and might actually think you are cool for buying such a book for your children. When my own children outgrow our copy, I plan to display it proudly in the john, as a bathroom book.

P.S. Would you believe I actually had to stop twice, while writing this, to change both my baby's and my toddler's bums? Honestly. Talk about really getting into your work. Can we get another potty book over here, please.

The Paper Bag Princess: Happily Ever After?

Robert Munsch (auth)
Michael Martchenko (ill)
Annick Press Feb 1992
Ages: 4-7 32pp
ISBN 0920236162

This Robert Munsch tale is the greatest fairytale ever written. Finally, after hundreds of years of perfect princesses, with perfect hair, waiting for spirit creatures and princes to come to their rescue (heaven forbid a damsel save herself), happily ever after doesn't mean hanging off the arm of a prince, anymore.

When a dragon smashes Elizabeth's castle, burns her clothes, and carries off Prince Ronald, does Elizabeth wait around for her fairy godmother to wave a magic wand and doll her up? No. Ever resourceful, Elizabeth dons the latest in recyclable fashion (a dirty old paper bag), and takes matters into her own hands. After tracking down the dragon, she bunks convention by outsmarting the beast, rather than winding up his helpless captive. A princess with brains! If Elizabeth had been locked in the tower, rest assured, she would have braided her own hair into a rope and climbed her way to freedom, long before any knight in shining armour could appear. She'd be living in a nice little flat in a trendy part of the city, writing a self help book for other damsels in distress, all before her would-be rescuer could even get his horse out of the stable. And does Elizabeth apologize for her appearance when, instead of thanking her, Prince Ronald complains that she does not look like a real princess? I am certain that, put in the same situation, Cinderella would have. But, our heroin, Elizabeth, takes a giant leap for tiny tot feminists everywhere by telling Ronald that he might look like a real prince, but he is nothing more than a "bum". She takes a pass on the nuptuals. Happily Ever After? For Elizabeth, you bet. She's at the top of her game - she's CEO of the noblemen, running the kingdom by herself, and making a fortune with her recycling business.

It is easy to underestimate the importance of a children's story. However, "The Paper Bag Princess" has been invaluable to more than one generation. Here is a story where the girl saves the day. She does it with brains and not brawn. And when the prince that she was supposed to marry turns out to be a sub-standard ego-maniac, bum she carries on without a single tear. If all fairytales were this clever, a billion dollar wedding industry might be in trouble, along with the expensive business of divorce. Munsch shows children that they do not need to follow what is expected of them, if it is at the cost of their self-esteem. This story has given society a new template for female behaviour - one that encourages a get-up-and-do-it-yourself, take no guff kind of attitude. (I actually recommend this book to my grown-up single girlfriends when they are going through a break-up).

Oh, and most importantly, "The Paper Bag Princess" is absolutely hilarious and incredibly entertaining. In my house, the actual book wore out before my children's requests to read it, and well before my patience to oblige. That makes it a definite Mommy C and the three little inspirations' favourite. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favour and get it. If you haven't read it since you were a kid, visit it again ...share it with your children, or a friend's child. If your household knows it well, take a minute to appreciate the implications of this classic.

• Read America Classic
• NEA's Cat-a-List for Reading
• Greatest Canadian Books of the Century List, Vancouver Public Library
• 100 Best Books List, Toronto Public Library