Books By Canadian Authors

Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving and I thought I would post a book list of books written by authors from my home.  I am thankful for books, for the teaching tools they are, the parenting tools they are, and their entertainment value too!  For all my Canadian readers, Happy Thanksgiving enjoy your long weekend!

Stanley at Sea by Linda Bailey made me giggle. The story is about 4 dogs that go out to sea unintentionally when they are searching for food. While out there they start wondering when outside will end because the sea is so wide and they are so far from land. One dog suggests that the outside will end when then hit a fence. Sure enough, they hit what they think is a fence, what readers know is a tanker, and are rescued and fed steak and sausages they can eat before being returned to their owners.  Doggie nirvana for sure.  I love that the book is presented from the dog’s perspective, it gives young kids a chance to laugh and correct the dogs’ ideas about the things they encounter.

Stella, Queen of the Snow by Marie-Louise Gay is my kind of book. If I were to quote all my favorite bits of this book I would write out most of it. I just love the writing, it’s simple but doesn’t talk down to the reader. The characters are sweet but not saccharine and I love how inquisitive Sam is. Stella is a know it all but not bratty about it at all! Sam has never seen snow before and Stella tells him all about it as they explore the first snowfall of the year.

A Sea-Wishing Day by Robert Heidbreder is a wonderful tale of adventure, pirates, mermaids, and treasure! The best part the little boy and his canine companion never really leave his backyard in the city, instead the adventure is all in their imagination. Anyone with a preschooler will appreciate this book, playing pretend is a huge part of most 3-5 year old’s playtime, and it should be. This book encourages, as well as celebrates that as this little boy discovers adventures on the high sea.

Stephanie’s Ponytail is my favorite Munsch book. I feel a little like I am cheating on The Paper Bag Princess but I love Stephanie’s confidence. The story is about Stephanie whose friends, and even teachers start copying how she wears her ponytail. She moves it to the side, to the top of her head even right in front of her face and they keep copying her. So she outsmarts them all with shocking results. I like this book and while reading it to a class I would re-arrange my own hair to match Stephanie’s and have the class in hysterics when my ponytail ended up blocking my view of the book. The message though is about being your own person, a powerful one for kids today.

Suki’s Kimono by Chieri Uegaki has been on my shelf for years. I really really like this book, the message is fantastic! Suki loves her Kimono, she doesn’t care that her sisters think it’s not cool to wear it to school, her grandma gave it to her and she likes it. I love that she is depicted as confident but not 100% sure of herself, it allows readers to really connect, recognizing those times when we are putting up a brave face even if inside we aren”’ so sure. It’s a lovely book!

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watt is hilarious! I laughed out loud from start to finish, my son who is 18 months old didn’t get the humor at all but laughed at me laughing! Older preschoolers will get most of the humor though and like my son, will love the pictures! Here is my favorite line: in a very small print on the inside cover it reads “*Caution: this story not suitable for walruses.” Oh, how I laughed! The dry humor aside, the book follows an anxious squirrel looking for a friend, but one that is safe and won’t bite! Of course, the message is about taking risks and kids will get it! I love this book!