Raccoon decides to bake an apple cake. But he has no eggs, so visits his friend Fox, who needs a ladder to mend the roof. Badger will have one, but he needs help too, so they set off to find Bear. They stroll through meadows, meet up with Crow, nibble blackberries and find Bear fishing at the river. Soon the five friends are having the best day out–the sun shining on their fur, fishing, swimming, picnic and finally home to bake the cake–two cakes, because bears have big appetites.
Picture Book
My Life At The Bottom
“From award-winning Nordic author and illustrator Linda Bondestam comes a new kind of climate change story, narrated by an adorable axolotl who is-possibly-the last of its kind. In a forest of seaweed there was ME, a rare and beautiful little axolotl, going for my first-ever swim. So graceful, and yet so lonesome-out of 987 eggs, mine was the only one that hatched. Who knows, maybe I was the last axolotl in these waters? At the bottom of a lake in a busy city, our axolotl narrator goes to underwater school, collects treasures tossed away by the big lugs on land, and has dance parties with tiger salamander friends. Life is good! But as the world gets hotter and hotter, the water gets murkier. Friends become harder to find, and the lonesome axolotl grows even lonelier. Until one day when, out of the blue, a colossal wave carries the axolotl into a surprising new future…. Bittersweet, funny, existential, and hopeful, My Life at the Bottom is a tale of the climate crisis unlike any other. Combining her irresistible visual wit with exquisite aquatic art and rare empathy, Linda Bondestam brings us a story of catastrophe that bursts with life”–
Today I Am Sad
“I’m sad today. I’m so sad I can’t even speak.”
Olga tries to draw her sadness, find where it’s hiding, and even swim in a sea of tears.
But exactly how sad does Olga feel today?
Telling Stories Wrong
Grandpa playfully recounts a familiar fairytale or his version, at least to his granddaughter, and try as she might to get him back on track, he keeps on adding things to the mix, resulting in an unpredictable tale that comes alive as it is being told.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XV, Issue 2.
Bedtime For Bo
It is time for bed, but Bo is not ready to stop playing, so Mommy joins in the fun with imagination and love, while still guiding Bo through his nighttime routine.
Amo’s Sapotawan (The Six Seasons Of The Asiniskaw Ithiniwak, 2) (Volume 2)
Rocky Cree people understand that all children are born with four gifts or talents. When a child is old enough, they decide which gift, or mīthikowisiwin, they will seek to master. With her sapotawan ceremony fast approaching, Amō must choose her mīthikowisiwin. Her sister, Pīsim, became a midwife; others gather medicines or harvest fish. But none of those feel quite right.
Amō has always loved making things. Her uncle can show her how to make nipisiwata, willow baskets. Her grandmother can teach her how to make kwakwāywata, birchbark containers and plates. Her auntie has offered to begin Amō’s apprenticeship in making askihkwak, pottery.
What will Amō’s mīthikowisiwin be? Which skill should she choose? And how will she know what is right for her?
The Ugly Place
A child makes their way along the Arctic shoreline on a dark day. Everything around them seems as ugly as their mood, from the weather to the fish and mud. This is the place they come to whenever they feel ugly.
But as the child closes their eyes and listens, the sound of the waves reminds them to breathe. The tiny krill flick their tails, and the brightly coloured sea stars seem to glow. What they once saw as an ugly landscape is now wonderful and vibrant, and alive with music and beauty.
Building on concepts of social-emotional awareness, this book helps young readers see that they have the ability to control their own emotions.
Giju’s Gift (Adventures Of The Pugulatmu’j, 1) (Volume 1)
A Mi’kmaw girl battles an ancient giant and forms an unexpected friendship in the first volume of this series of graphic novels inspired by traditional stories.
Una Huna?: Ukpik Learns To Sew (Una Huna, 2)
Ukpik’s mother is eager to teach Ukpik how to prepare caribou skin, dry it, and use it to sew a pair of simple, useful mitts. But Ukpik can’t stop thinking about the beautiful new beads her mother traded the Captain for on his last visit. They are so bright and beautiful! Anaana knows it is more important for Ukpik to learn the skills she will need to make her own clothing in the cold Arctic climate, so she insists that Ukpik sit with her and learn the basics, while having a bit of fun, too. Though Anaana won’t let Ukpik sew with the new beads just yet, she does have a surprise for Ukpik that will let her enjoy the new-found treasures while also learning the skills she will need to provide for herself and her family.
Journey Of The Midnight Sun
“A wordless picture book based on the true story of the Midnight Sun Mosque that traveled 4,000 kilometers across Canada to become one of the most northern mosques in the Arctic Circle”–