Galison has a fantastic and expansive range of puzzles- we have purchased a number of beautiful Galison puzzles before!- so I was delighted to receive the beautiful Winter Snow Globe seasonal puzzle for review. This 500 piece foil puzzle, featuring the splendid artwork of Joy Laforme, features a cozy, wintry moonlit scene inside in snow globe, complete with a ‘Season’s Greetings!’ message affixed to the snow globe’s base. There are pretty reflective gold details included outside of the snow globe (the stars) and in the snow globe scene (the trees, inside-the-house decorations, and more!), as well as the golden foil on the season’s greetings message. A full-colour print out of the puzzle is also included in the box. An absolutely gorgeous puzzle for the season- whether for celebrating the winter season, or for Christmas specifically- this is a super appealing, gently nostalgic yet decidely modern puzzle. This puzzle is also perfect if you are on the lookout for something less intensive- i.e. under 1000 or 750 pieces!- for yourself (or for the family)!

An eco-friendly two-in-one puzzle from Petit Collage– an award-winning toy company with a focus on sustainability- the Superheroes Two Sided On-the-Go Puzzle is a forty-nine piece puzzle, recommended for ages five and up. With the puzzle pieces housed in a superhero-themed patterned recycled polyester zipper pouch, this Superheroes puzzle is truly designed for take-and-go ease (though of course the puzzle can also be played at home- as we have been doing!). One side of the puzzle features a nighttime scene of the triumphant superheroes in full costume, while the second side features a daytime scene of the unmasked heroes coming to the rescue in a myriad of ways. It’s a terrifically fun set, made all the better by the fact that there are two playing options for puzzling at under fifty pieces total. If younger kids are intimidated by larger-scale puzzles, this is a really decent size to try out. Included in the zipper pouch is a small full-colour print of the puzzle; and there is the added feature of the nighttime puzzle pieces being glossy, and the daytime puzzle pieces being matte. Wins all-around!

Where’s Waldo? The Ultimate Waldo Watcher Collection by Martin Handford is a boxed set that includes seven classic Where’s Waldo? titles. Included in this set are: Where’s Waldo?; Where’s Waldo? Now; Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey; Where’s Waldo? In Hollywood; Where’s Waldo? The Wonder Book; Where’s Waldo? The Great Picture Hunt; and Where’s Waldo? The Great Paper Chase. The seven paperbacks have been redesigned- formatting throughout the books is cohesive, and you can see in the photo (to the left) how the spines of the books (when lined up in numerical order) make for one cool Waldo design! Each of the books also contain multiple extra search challenges for the super-searchers! The seventh title included, Where’s Waldo? The Great Paper Chase is a special edition unto itself which includes: a Muddy Swamp Jungle Game (all perforated paper pieces included); and a Wacky Waldo Circus (all pieces included), in which you can carefully tear-out the perforated pieces, and put together a fun circus show using the pieces- and your imagination! End papers for book seven include an attached envelope at the book’s back-end- a handy storage place for all of the game pieces. For the Where’s Waldo? fan, this set could not be more perfect. My daughter has been into all sorts of seek-and-find books pretty much since she was a toddler and now, at seven, still can’t get enough of seek-and-finds! I can tell you that she is absolutely taken with the Where’s Waldo? books and this set in particular. It has been a special treat for us to read and search together sharing one Waldo book, or just sitting side-by-side, each with a Waldo book in our lap.

Gigantosaurus: Roar, Giganto, Roar! (Cyber Group Studios), based on characters from the original book by Jonny Duddle, is a large-format board book featuring a soft-plush dinosaur puppet. A popular series of books- also an animated television series under the same name!– the Gigantaurus series stars a troupe of four young dinosaur friends getting into all sorts of adventures, and a gargantuan dinosaur (who really isn’t all that bad!) known as Gigantosaurus. In this board book adventure, dinosaurs Mazu, Tiny, Rocky and Bill ”are holding a roaring contest” and though ”Rocky is sure he can beat Giganto” there is a problem: “the huge dino is asleep!”. The group of little dinosaurs decide that they- with the readers’ help!- are going to try and wake the sleeping giant. By using the sturdy and nicely detailed attached Gigantosaurus hand puppet, this interactive story comes to life: the puppeteer can bring Giganto to life with actions such as snoring, chomping, and dancing, and readers/listeners can act along, make noises, and giggle along with the story. This is a super fun, active tale- one that both of my kids have been enjoying tremendously at bedtime. It is a wee bit tricky to navigate turning the pages with Giganto’s rather generous head in the way, but kids don’t mind- and you get better with practice! The addition of the puppet is pretty fantastic and a big, eye-catching draw. The puppet feature, of course, is not the best in terms of practicality, maintenance and hygiene concerns for a classroom, school or public library at the moment, but for home use it is a winner. For the dinosaur enthusiasts, for readers who enjoy the other Gigantosaurus books or TV series, or for those who enjoy series such as Chris Gall’s Dinotrux, this is an excellent (and rambunctious!) pick.

I received the Season’s Greeting 500 pc Galison Foil Puzzle and Petit Collage’s Superheroes Two Sided On-the-Go Puzzle courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for honest reviews. I received The Ultimate Waldo-Watcher Collection and Gigantosaurus: Roar, Giganto, Roar! courtesy of Candlewick Press/Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. *The Petit Collage Superheroes puzzle is set to release on January 18, 2022 from Chronicle Books. Other items featured have been published and are currently available.

“While kids write notes to Santa Claus/Sharks line up for Santa Jaws./They tell him all their Christmas wishes./Santa thinks they sound delicious!.” A romp of a rhyming story- with arguably one of the coolest, cheekiest Jaws inspired covers ever!- author Bridget Heos and illustrator Galia Bernstein take readers on an underwater Christmas adventure with Santa Jaws. If you have ever wondered if and how sharks might celebrate Christmas and if they have their own Santa (spoiler: they do!), then Santa Jaws has it all covered! In Santa Jaws, readers get to learn about all the traditions that sharks embark on to prepare for Christmas: lining up for Santa Jaws as well as decorating kelp trees with ”chewy wreaths [and] crunchy lights”. Santa Jaws is a cheeky, jolly shark; a red hat-wearing, list-checking, overseer of all underwater gift-giving, who commandeers a ”merry sled” (an abandoned, slight worse for wear, wooden ship) that is ”pulled by hungry hammerheads”. (We also learn that dear Santa Jaws cannot help but test ”the toys- just a bite” upon delivery!). A clever, snappy take on a Santa legend that borrows commonly understood Christmas traditions and turns it perfectly to fit in with the world of sharks, Santa Jaws is great fun- wonderfully propelled by Heos’ concise rhymes and playful word choice, and Bernstein’s bright and truly jolly illustrations. Readers who simply can’t get enough books about sharks, those who love a good rhyming story, or those who are simply looking for a unique take on a Christmas/Santa read, then Santa Jaws is a terrific pick. Back matter includes an illustrated glossary of the eight sharks featured in the story. (If you can, be sure to check out the awesome- and adorable!- Santa hat endpapers!).

A seasonal entry in the popular and bestselling How to Catch series by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton. Unpretentious, goofy, and all-around fun, How to Catch a Gingerbread Man is great rhyming, silly story time fun. Opening on a scene of kids making their way to a ”story time at the bookstore down the street”, the group of young friends is in for a real surprise when a story starring our narrator- the Gingerbread Man!- begins, and at the words of ”run, run, as fast as you can”, Gingerbread Man “[pops], right off the page and [breaks] away with speed!”. In a series of attempts to catch the clever and quick Gingerbread Man, readers watch as kids set up various traps and tricks to get the Gingerbread Man…all the while snatching glimpses of characters from fairytales and other well-known stories (Note: I would argue to change the ‘Frogdarts’ illustrated nod to a more current children’s series and something… less rife with intense problems). My seven year old is familiar with a number of the How to Catch… books as they are popular in her school library, and we also check them out from our local library branch! So, as you might imagine, she was absolutely thrilled to see this seasonal one- and it’s been a hit for our nighttime reading!.

A twist on the ever-popular and beloved classic ’Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in Canada, with illustrations by Jo Parry, is a cozy and sweet take on the original version. The story opens on a scene of Santa ”busy planning his Christmas Eve journey across his favourite place…Canada!”, traveling all the way ”from Montréal to Winnipeg, from Edmonton to Halifax”. Readers learn that ”Santa can’t wait to visit all the children on his Nice List” and with his ”sleigh high” and packed ”full of gifts”, Santa gets ready to go on a big across-the-country adventure! Packed with charming Christmas and winter details, with adorable outdoor snowy scenes as well as snug inside-the-home scenes, the picture book also highlights of a selection of some of Canada’s well-known and/or iconic landmarks- all the while telling the story in a gently modified version of Clement C. Moore’s classic poem. For an adorable Christmas read, absolutely chock-full of Christmas details in the illustrations (including loving nods to Canada), ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in Canada is a lively and winning read aloud treat. (Try pairing with an illustrated version of the original for even more wintry adventures! And for readers looking for other city or country-specific adaptations, Jo Parry has illustrated a great number of them!).

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.

“Gemma lived in a very nice little house and had a very nice little life. She had always slept in the same room, had always played with the same toys and had always worn the same clothes. Things had been the same forever and ever.” A captivating picture book by Sara O’Leary, illustrated by Marie Lafrance, Gemma and the Giant Girl marvellously explores perception and the sheer magic and vastness of worlds outside of our own. For the story’s protagonist Gemma, just about everything in her life is the same: everything, from the toys she plays with, to her neat-as-a-pin surroundings, are always and have always been exactly the same. Even when she asks her beautifully attired Momma and Poppa if she will ”grow up one day”, they tell her: ”You will always be our little girl”. They do tell Gemma of a time before– with giants! And that outside their own small house there actually exists an even larger house! When Gemma looks out of her bedroom window, though, she cannot see anything– making it all the more difficult to fathom a world outside of her own, not to mention one with giants! However, one extraordinary day, readers see a bright eye- taking up the entire space of Gemma’s window- peering into Gemma’s bedroom! In a sudden tornado of flying, dropping, and sliding furniture, lamps, tea sets, and fruit, and Gemma are tossed about, upside down, and around. And when things come to a calm, a newly disheveled Gemma wants nothing more than to investigate the possibility of giants and a world outside of her own. I don’t wish to give away too many spoilers here as Gemma and the Giant Girl is a tale full of magic, wisdom, and gorgeousness waiting to be explored. I have had the opportunity (and delight!) of reviewing many of Sara O’Leary’s picture books (A Kid is a Kid is a Kid with Qin Leng and Percy’s Museum with Carmen Mok, among others), and what always strikes me is how perfectly childhood (or childlike) wonder and rumination are captured and expressed by the author’s storytelling- along with generous, welcome dollops of the fantastical. Gemma and the Giant Girl holds all of those elements, with Marie Lafrance’s strikingly beautiful contemporary yet of-another-time pencil and digital illustrations the perfect match. Wonderful, unusual, with a fantastically, richly told and presented story, Gemma and the Giant Girl is a noteworthy, memorable read. Readers who enjoy picture books by authors and/or illustrators like Giselle Potter, Cindy Derby, Grace Lin, or Deborah Marcero, might especially savour this read.

“My first dress with real puffed sleeves!/Dear, shy Matthew, how did you manage?/And dear, sensible Marilla, how did you agree?/It is utterly exquisite./I will wear it tonight for the concert./I only hope I make both of you proud.” Anne (with an e!) celebrates her very first Christmas in Avonlea in Kallie George and Geneviève Godbout’s gorgeously warm and heartfelt Merry Christmas, Anne (Inspired by Anne of Green Gables). The second picture book in George and Godbout’s Anne of Green Gables-inspired series, Merry Christmas, Anne, follows Anne’s narrative as she lets readers back into her life with Marilla and Matthew in Avonlea. With “bosom friend” Diana by her side, and Matthew’s surprise of a magical dress- complete with puffed sleeves!- Anne feels just about ready to recite “poems at the Christmas concert”. Anne feels a bit of a nervousness about the concert- but a “nice kind of a tremble, the kind that gives you a thrill”. While preparing for the concert, Anne shows readers all the glorious parts of the winter and Christmas season in Avonlea and in her home: Marilla’s gooose, Mrs. Lynde’s pudding, “divine” ornaments and decorations; the fields outside that are ”full of snowy dimples”, and trees ”that gleam like pearls”. With all the excitement of gifts, dresses, sparkles, and a feast, will Anne be able to make it through the concert a success? And what will Marilla and Matthew make of it all? To borrow from beloved Anne, in her quote above, Merry Christmas, Anne, is exquisite. George wonderfully captures Anne’s clear yet whimsically musing voice, while Godbout’s pastel and pencil crayon illustrations are simply sublime- the combination of the two collaborators adding fresh, comforting warmth to a dearly loved series. Readers of all ages who are new to Anne of Green Gables; who have already loved it for years; or who wish to introduce Anne with an e, Diana Barry, and Gilbert Blythe to a new generation of readers- look no further than this series! Readers who have already read and loved the collaborators’ lovely Goodnight, Anne will likely adore this holiday entry.

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.

Let’s start with a look at PetitCollage’s Busy Ideas for Bored Kids, the Outdoor Edition and the Rainy Day Edition. These are compact tins with sturdy and icon-labeled cards inside featuring all kinds of creative, active, and quiet ideas. Each tin has 50 cards, with assortment of things to do, try, create, write, or think about. For any activities that require supplies, e.g. for something like rock painting tic-tac-toe, or mud pie, the needed materials are listed. My daughter was delighted by these cards, and we’ve set aside a healthy pile of more ideas to try (we pretty much read through all one hundred cards together!). I love that some ideas are truly easy, with lovely prompts to follow, and not requiring extra materials- i.e Daydreaming! Making a postcard! Bird watching!

The next game we tested out- with all four of us participating- was the What Am I? Game from PetitCollage. A wonderfully simple game, along the lines of an easier Guess Who? or faster twenty questions, this is a quick to set up and fun to play game that is perfectly designed for kids. Players put on colourful cardboard glasses (two in small and two in large sizes), pick a facedown card from the deck, attach it to their glasses without it peaking, get the timer ready and GO! The player then has to ask questions and see if they can figure out the image on their glasses before time runs out! We had a blast with this one, and it was pretty rad to see how much giggly fun we all had, and how terrible I was (truly) playing this game. My guesses were WAY OFF! Our six year old and my husband rocked it. (Our three year old was mostly delighted by the glasses and the adorable images on the cards…and really tried so hard not to shout out the images on the cards!).

Last but not least, we tested out a game called Selfish: Space Edition by Ridleys. A game that blends the ruthlessness of Sorry! with the sometimes grim and sometimes awesome and cool sphere of space, Selfish is a game to test which astronaut (i.e. player) can make it safely to the spaceship. Using Oxygen cards to make steps forward to the spaceship and to survive, you’re at the mercy of other players/astronauts when they have their go: they can pick up cards that take your oxygen away or knock you back with a Laser Blast, or more dastardly tricks. You can also pick up game cards on your turn such as Hyperspace (Yay! You get to move forward!!!!) or Gravitational Anomaly (No!!!! You have to move a space back!!!!). This was clearly the most complicated to set up – there is no game board to follow, but rather “place markers”- and it took a good five minutes or so for us to really get into the rhythm, but once it started rolling, we had fun. And some feelings might’ve gotten hurt. Heh. This one is recommended for ages 7 and up, and understandably, our youngest didn’t play, but our six year old had a (laser) blast!

I received the games featured in this post courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for honest reviews and for the purposes of this post. All opinions and comments are my own.

The speed of life
since the girl was born
is fast fast fast,
and old dog likes
to take things slow. 
-excerpt from This Old Dog by Martha Brockenbrough and Gabriel Alborozo

Written by Martha Brockenbrough (The Game of Life and Death, Unpresidented) and illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo (The Colour Thief, The Mouse and the Moon), This Old Dog is a magnificently tenderhearted picture book. As our canine friend wakes up to the sunshine, his tail gives a “thump-thump. Thump-thump”. Old dog goes about his daily routine, and even as his “old hips ache” and his “old back whines”, he prepares himself for a walk, leash in mouth. But the thing is, since his family welcomed a baby into the family, things have felt rushed and altogether bustling for old dog. Walks of leisure, of strolling and rolling in the muck, of “deep sniffs” and slower play, of simply getting a chance to “hear the leaves tell what it’s like to live in a tree”, seem to be a thing of the past. And that, it must be said, makes old dog bow his head in sadness. Why can’t things be like they once were? Why can’t there be a friend who might adore and want the same sweet slowness as he does? But wait! Whatever will happen when the little baby begins to stand on her own two feet? Whatever will happen when old dog and “his girl” begin to see eye to eye? Well, dear readers, I will leave their adventures for you to discover, but I will say to prepare yourselves for a gorgeous, beatific story (and no sad endings, I promise). Brockenbrough brings readers such a radiant, warm story- a thoughtful, lyrical one that gets to readers’ hearts in the best ways, while Alborozo’s beautiful multi-media illustrations (which start as pen and ink drawings), have such a perfectly rosy, sketched and relaxed feel. (Old dog and his girl, in particular, are such dear, lively creations and characters- readers will likely fall in love with the duo). For readers who love canines, have ever had or known a beloved dog, or for readers who simply love a sincerely lovely, heart-tugging tale, This Old Dog is the perfect pick.

Written and illustrated by Adam Rex (Rhymes with Orange, Why? with Claire Keane ), On Account of the Gum is a picture book full of wild fun, ever-increasing curiosity and rhymes. If you’re familiar, even a little bit with Adam Rex’s picture books, you may already be aware that HIJINKS, capital H, await. Fantastic, sometimes outlandish ideas that are part of very clever, well-done stories. On Account of the Gum falls right under Rex’s wheelhouse, with a fabulous story about gum stuck in a young kid’s hair, and what happens when ideas and attempts to get rid of the gum do not go as planned. As the story opens, we see our protagonist fall asleep with a ‘Z’ as a small blob of gum plops out of their mouth. Upon waking up, the kid discovers the blob of pink gum now sits atop their head. Stuck. The first round of attempts at gum removal (involving scissors, butter, and grass!) do not go well. At all. The second round of attempts (some involving live animals- don’t worry, no one gets harmed) follow the same head-tilting, wacky chaos, building and building a Tower of Pisa of sorts atop the protagonist’s poor tufty hair. Just how much disaster can one kid and one head of hair take? And will anything actually work to get rid of the gum? Rex’s disarming, conversational and offbeat, pitch-perfect storytelling- matched by splendidly bold and funny illustrations- guide the story to a surprising climax and finale. An affair of hair that might cause gasps and giggles and requests for re-reading, On Account of the Gum is fantastic funny reading.

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.

Regarding thoughts related to the current climate, I cannot parse and phrase my thoughts as well as other writers, authors, creators, library workers, activists, and people of the world have done over the last few days, weeks (and decades). But I will say this: Black Lives Matter. Full stop. Speaking from my perspective as a white Canadian and librarian: Librarianship is still overwhelmingly white, and I would argue that libraries need to reassess, re-evaluate, and truly think long and hard and have a difficult talk about: what we buy for our collections; what and who we promote in our collections; who and what we promote for reader’s advisory; what we feature in our collections; what books we present in storytimes; who we book talk; what outdated and/or racist items we weed from our collections; what programs we allow in our public spaces; who occupies library positions; whether you represent a passive institution; and how we can do MORE within and outside of the library.

One cannot, to borrow from historian and bestselling author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, simply say, I’m not a racist! Of course the library is not a racist institution! One must be actively antiracist. From Dr. Kendi’s How to Be An Antiracist: “being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination”. I don’t know how many people (in and out of libraries) want to do this work, but it is necessary. It will be uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Tying this to librarianship, reviewing, and being an active reader, author, columnist, and founder of The Fold, Jael Richardson had this to say on Twitter, with regard to taking a critical look at one’s bookshelves: “You may not be or feel racist. But ask yourself, IS YOUR BOOKSHELF? Who’s there? Who’s not? If you’re a parent with lots of kids books, are there people of color? Are they Canadian (if you’re Canadian you know why this matters)? Who’s centered on the cover?”. I can honestly say that it was not until I started interacting more widely with- and mostly, just LISTENING TO and reading notes from- librarians, authors, illustrators, and creators over social media a few years back that I recognized HOW LACKING my home collection was. (Which lead to a look at publishing, purchasing, and reading habits….This also lead to my critically considering HOW FAR public library children’s collections- and the library staff representing institutions- STILL MUST GO towards actually diversifying and confronting its overwhelming whiteness). To that end, I continue to work. To not be passive. To read, listen, learn, learn from mistakes, to actively process and examine what books I buy, why, who features, and what books I read and share.

As just a start, I would like to present newer picture book titles by Black authors and/or illustrators/creators to incorporate into storytimes (whether at home or in your library, etc.). I would argue that storytimes in libraries have been either overwhelmingly centered white characters or animals. Here, as just one small beginning step, are some ideas (this is by no means an exhaustive list!! Look online for further carefully curated lists!!) for books to welcome into your home storytime or for read aloud in preschools, daycares, or elementary schools (or even high schools). (Please note: this list is in no particular order!; some are non-fiction, some are board books, some are on my must-read, while some may not yet be released):

• Saturday by Oge Mora
• Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
• The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illus. Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James
• Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander, illus. Melissa Sweet
• The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illus. Kadir Nelson
• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illus. Rafael López
• Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon, illus. Kaylani Juanita
• M is for Melanin: A Celebration of the Black Child by Tiffany Rose
• Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story! by Janay Brown-Wood, illus. Priscilla Burris
• Another by Christian Robinson
• You Matter by Christian Robinson
• Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes, illus. Elizabeth Zunon
• Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy, illus. Ekua Holmes
• The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer, illus. Ekua Holmes
• Henry and Bea by Jessixa Bagley
• Fresh Princess by Denene Millner, illus. Gladys Jose
• I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illus. Frank Morrison
• I Got the School Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illus. Frank Morrison
• Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illus. Vashti Harrison
• Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, illus. Vashti Harrison
• Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison (board book)
• Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi, illus. Ashley Lukashevsky (board book)
• B Is for Baby by Atinuke, illus. Angela Brooksbank (board book)
• Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins, illus. Bryan Collier
• Look Up! by Nathan Bryon, illus. Dapo Adeola
• My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera
• Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin, illus. Ebony Glenn
• Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illus. Ebony Glenn
• Speak Up by Miranda Paul, illus. Ebony Glenn
• Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller
• Princess Hair by Sharee Miller
• Layla’s Happiness by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, illus. Ashleigh Corrin
• Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons, illus. Daniel Minter
• Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry, illus. Brittany Jackson
• I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illus. Keturah A. Bobo
• I Believe I Can by Grace Byers, illus. Keturah A. Bobo
• Malaika’s Costume (Malaika #1) by Nadia L. Hohn, illus. Irene Luxbacher
• Malaika’s Winter Carnival (Malaika #2) by Nadia L. Hohn, illus. Irene Luxbacher
• Tallulah The Tooth Fairy CEO by Tamara Pizzoli, illus. Federico Fabiani
• Hands Up! by Breanna J. McDaniel, illus. Shane W. Evans
• Woke Baby by Mahogany L. Browne, illus. Theodore Taylor III
• The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan, illus. Thomas Knight
• I Love Me! by LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss, illus. Beth Hughes
• Boonoonoonous Hair by Olive Senior, illus. Laura James
• Africville by Shauntay Grant, illus. Eva Campbell
• Brown Baby Lullaby by by Tameka Fryer Brown, illus. A.G. Ford
• Cool Cuts by Mechal Renee Roe
• Bedtime Bonnet by Nancy Amanda Redd, illus. Nneka Myers
• Brown Sugar Babe by Charlotte Watson Sherman, illus. Akem Akem
• The Stone Thrower by Jael Ealey Richardson, illus. Matt James

Making the case for a book (or books) finding you when you need them the most, I had the pleasure of reading two humour books courtesy of the kind folks at Thomas Allen & Son in the last week. If you have ever read or perused Sad Animal Facts, then you might be familiar with the work of Brooke Barker. In Let’s Be Weird Together: A Book About Love, Brooke Barker and Boaz Frankel (who are also a real-life couple!), the creators share comics about: what pet a couple should get; couples in history (and their quirks!); the best parts of being in love through each of the four seasons; ‘lesser known love languages’ (like ‘quality silence’ and ‘spotting good dogs in the wild’!); all kinds of nicknames for significant other; real-life relationship records; and more comics about all the strange and cool things about love. There are also wonderful and giggle-inducing diversions such as short spread in the book called ‘Meet Jerry & Ruby’, featuring Brooke Barker’s grandparents who have been together for over sixty years. The couple are asked about the start of their relationship, and the secret to its longevity- Jerry and Ruby’s answers don’t always match up, and the interview is, as you might imagine, all kinds of funny and sweet. Fans of Barker’s work might especially enjoy and flock to this (there are even some animal-related snippets and facts in Let’s be Weird Together!). On the whole, this is a funny, charming and perfectly off-kilter illustrated gift book. From the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (a non-profit organization) comes Animals Reviewed: Starred Ratings of Our Feathered, Finned, and Furry Friends. A picture-laden (and compact sized) book, Animals Reviews features an animal per page with a photograph (courtesy of an affiliated zoo), a starred rating, and a snippet about the animal and reason for its respective rating. The starred rating was inspired by and comes from the hashtag #RateASpecies that began with the Oregon Zoo, who began ‘rating’ amazing animals as buyers might rate and review items from online sellers! This is definitely a fun book, obviously perfect for animal lovers of any and all ages (my five year old has taken a total shine to it and loves looking at it!). One might not always agree with which animals were given what starred rating- even though they are all lovingly doled and tongue-in-cheek takes on buyer reviews- there is much entertainment (and insight) to be had while reading and sharing this book! (…though, I still say the mountain lion is five stars, for sure! And the bearded dragon!).

While talking about the work of Brooke Barker, I would remiss if I didn’t mention again the collections Sad Animal Facts and Sad Animal Babies! You can follow Barker’s Instagram to get a sense of the comics if it’s new to you! I actually happened upon Sad Animal Facts at a bookstore last year while browsing and brought it home just after reading a few pages. The art is lovely, unfussy and cozy, and the writing is funny and simultaneously bittersweet and educational. Another animal-centered humour book that I read and relished last year: Animal Anatomy: Sniff Tips, Running Sticks, and Other Accurately Named Animal Parts by Sophie Corrigan. Author and illustrator Corrigan takes readers through the anatomy of creatures great and small- everything from duck to dinosaur- and gives readers the true, correct, of course!, makes-much-more-sense!, anatomical names. The illustrations are fantastic and the creativity and presentation of the book are top-notch. Rub-a-dub dubbers, anyone?

A new favourite of mine might just be False Knees: An Illustrated Guide to Animal Behavior by Joshua Barkman. False Knees began as a webcomic and somehow I think I only became truly aware of it just before publication of the debut print collection. Thank goodness for this happy and timely discovery! Did I purchase it? You bet! Did I laugh and am I in awe of how fantastically hysterical and wise it is? Yes and yes. Do I highly recommend it? YES. (I’ve now got my eye on these other two books, which have been recommended as humorous reads in a similar vein: Effin’ Birds: A Field Guide to Identification by Aaron Reynolds, as well as The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht…).

An evergreen favourite is the work of Liz Climo, and I’ve been delighting in revisiting comics from The Little World Liz Climo, Best Bear Ever!: A Little Year of Liz Climo, and Lobster is the Best Medicine: A Collection of Comics About Friendship. For those with very wee ones at home, Climo also has a number of picture books out, and has collaborated with children’s author Ame Dyckman for the awesome You Don’t Want a Unicorn!, and the set-for-summer release You Don’t Want a Dragon!.

How many of you readers follow and read Matthew Inman‘s hugely popular The Oatmeal? I cannot get enough of Inman’s comics, and I have a number of his books on standby when I need emergency laughs. A few weeks before our library shut down, I checked out My Dog: The Paradox for the second time because I just needed to reread the sweet, gut-busting, strange and lovely book. In the midst of reading The Oatmeal‘s online comics and print collections, I also started delving into Brian Gordon’s spot-on and truly funny Fowl Language comics, Sarah Anderson’s wonderfully funny Sarah’s Scribbles collections, Philippa Rice’s dreamy and engaging Soppy: A Love Story, and Catana Chetwynd’s lovely Little Moments of Love. Rice’s latest is Baby: A Soppy Story, and Chetwynd’s latest release is Snug: A Collection of Comics About Dating Your Best Friend!

Regarding comic strip favourites, I return again and again to the late Richard Thompson’s brilliant Cul de Sac; Jim Toomey’s Sherman’s Lagoon; and/or Bill Amend’s FoxTrot, when I need to lose myself in comic strips and the reassurance of their format, language and narrative, and humour.

And last, but definitely not least: the work of Tom Gauld. I have mentioned Gauld’s work here more than a few times, and have shared his comics (a lot of literary-based comics!). Three works of Gauld’s I have recently read and thoroughly enjoyed: Goliath, The Snooty Bookshop: Fifty Literary Postcards, and Mooncop. Always superb. (And okay, Mooncop and Goliath are graphic novels, not technically cartoons or in the humour section, but, well, they’re making it to this post!). Anyhow…Gauld has a new book set for publication in April, Department of Mind-Blowing Theories– so look forward to that!

Wishing you some happy and fun- and maybe unexpected- reading!

I received copies of Let’s Be Weird Together and Animals Reviewed courtesy of Thomas Allen & Son in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. The titles have been published and are currently available.

What has been a bright light is to see the kid lit world, and the world of educators and scientists, come together (as they do!) and give comfort, hope, and some levity during this uncertain time. These generous individuals and groups are providing resources to caregivers, educators, and students, who are now finding themselves (or will be finding themselves) home for an indeterminate amount of time. Everything from educational material, read aloud videos from authors and artists, how-to’s, singalongs, artistic and writing prompts, and more.

In the list below, I have compiled links to sites, resources, or #hasthtags to follow, from authors, illustrators, scientists, and publishers. I have also added some miscellaneous and fun stuff in there as well!

STARTING RESOURCES, READ ALOUD VIDEOS & MORE:

-This is an incredible resource, put together by acclaimed and beloved author Kate Messner: Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere – Spring 2020. If you visit this page, you will see read alouds (from Kate herself, Tracey Baptiste, Carole Lindstrom, Debbi Michiko Florence, Jason Reynolds, and many, many more!) as well as videos of activities, prompts, and how-to’s of drawing from Grace Lin, Paula Chase, James Burks, Jarrett Lerner, Veera Hiranandani, and many, more. If you scroll all the way to the bottom, be sure to peruse the Additional Resources: links to poetry lessons; middle grade novels with guides and discussions; link to the Authors Everywhere YouTube channel (created by author Dr. Susan Tan), and more. [A bonus: Kate and illustrator Christopher Silas Neal have offered readers a sneak preview read aloud of their newest book, Over and Under the Rainforest!]

-The entirely virtual Everywhere Book Fest is coming in May 2020! Organized by authors Ellen Oh, Christina Soontornvat, and Melanie Conklin (with logo by Grace Lin), this looks to be a wonderful online festival with a tremendous panel of guests!

-Author Kat Cho has put together a document of online kid lit events happening (all times are in US Eastern Time!).

-Educator Pernille Rip has a resource of links to picture book read aloud videos and channels that are not in violation of copyright.

-Follow the hashtag #OperationStorytime on Twitter (started by @Romper, I believe!), where you can find creators like Ame Dyckman, Bob Shea, Claribel Ortega, and publishers like Penguin Kids posting readings and more content. Please check for details and times and web locations of those offering live storytimes!

-Author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers is conducting live storytimes on Instagram Live! Please check his Instagram for more details.

-Author Kelly Yang is offering online writing classes- check out the bestselling author’s Instagram page for more information!

-Author Julie Falatko is offering a number of amazing videos (how to’s, interviews, special kid lit guests, and more) via Instagram Live- check out the author’s Instagram for more information!

-Author Christian McKay Heidicker has provided a Virtual Author Tour! The video is about an hour, recommended for grades two to seven, and based around the author’s Newbery award winning Scary Stories for Young Foxes.

-Author Samantha M. Clark has resources for Teachers and educators on her website: including a Discussion Guide and Creative Writing Activities based on her middle grade novel The Boy, The Boat, and The Beast!

ARTIST VIDEOS & DRAWING PROMPTS:

–Ame Dyckman and Charlene Chua (both amazing kid lit creators!) brainstormed What Should I Draw? on Twitter, where ‘a parent tweets a kid’s idea, and illustrators draw them’! How cool! Please check the What Should I Draw? Twitter for full details, including how to tag prompts properly!

-Author and illustrator Dan Santat will be offering the SANTAT ONLINE SURVIVAL SCHOOL FOR THE PANDEMIC via his Instagram! Should be starting March 17, 2020, so please check his Instagram for details!

-Author Laura Shovan is providing #StoryStarter prompts to kids! The author will be posting ‘prompt doodles’ to inspire kids to tell or write stories: you can follow Laura’s Instagram for more information.

-Author and illustrator Rob Biddulph has started these great #DrawWithRob videos you can find here; you can submit your kid’s artwork on Twitter using the hashtag #DrawWithRob, tagging the creator!

-Author and illustrator Mo Willems is providing a series of Lunch Doodles! for kids, through the Kennedy Center! You can view Episode One here; other archived videos should be posted on the channel as well.

-Author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka is offering ‘Draw Every Day with JJK’ videos! Please check Jarrett’s YouTube channel for more information.

COLOURING PAGES & ACTIVITY SHEETS:

–Author and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi has so many wonderful resources on her site! Teacher’s Guides, activities, posters, bookmarks, creating picture books, and more. So fabulous and so much to do!

-Author and illustrator Aidan Cassie has a page of lovely printable activities based on her gorgeous books available through her website: mazes, how to draw characters, and more!

-Author and illustrator Elise Gravel has a page on her website with links to fabulous free printables, activities and colouring sheets!

-Author, illustrator and zoologist Jess Keating has activity sheets and posters for printing available on her site!

-Author and illustrator Jarrett Lerner has a whole bunch of wonderful activities (lots of drawing and comic prompts and updated ALL THE TIME!) for kids on his website!

-Author and illustrator Maddie Frost has adorable animal drawing guides available on her website to download!

-Author and illustrator T.L. McBeth has awesomely fun colouring pages available for printing out on his website! They’re based on his and Deborah Underwood’s new picture book Ducks!.

-Author Josh Funk has a whole page with links to activity kits, colouring pages, character cards, book songs you can stream, and more!

-Author Kelly DiPucchio has activity kits for Everybody Loves Cupcake and Grace Goes to Washington available on her website!

PUBLISHER & KID LIT SITES WITH RESOURCES:

-From Canadian publisher Tundra Books (Penguin Random House Canada), you can check this page of ‘Virtual Storytimes and Singalongs’ offerings, featuring author readings and online visits from Vikki VanSickle, Esmé Shapiro, and Ben Clanton, and singalongs from Emily Arrow all this week! Please check the page for date and time information!

-Publisher Nosy Crow has a plethora of activities! You can take a look at this page, which runs down all the fabulous free resources on offer!

-The School and Library Team at Random House Children’s Books has a website filled to the brim with book discussion guides, author spotlights, a Young Adult Creative Writing Guide, videos and more!

-The Scholastic website has a ‘Teaching Remotely’ page with multiple links and resources for families and educators.

-Publisher Simon & Schuster has a number of great things on offer: Books & Activities for Kids at Home has a tremendous number of links to picture book and chapter book activities, comics starters, podcasts, and more; In the Middle Books offers book-based activities for young readers in-between reading levels; The Book Pantry which offers “teaching and literary resources for your classroom and library”; Teaching with the Common Core Standard, for educators in the States; and Riveted by Simon Teen for teen/YA readers, offers videos, quizzes, blog entries, and lots of other great stuff!

-Explore KidLit TV, a site chock full of author, illustrator videos, craft ideas, podcasts and more!

-The website Celebrate Picture Books has tons of activities available- printables, book-related games, book-related crafts, and much more!

-The Soaring ’20s High Flying Picture Book Debut Group has a page of Teacher and Librarian resources you can explore!

SCIENCE & ANIMALS:

-Through Dr. Sarah McAnulty’s Twitter, I saw that there are wonderful Skype a Scientist videos up on the YouTube channel (if you miss them live, you can view them on YouTube)- with more to come; families at home can also fill out this form to possibly match up with a scientist for a chat! AMAZING!

-Don’t forget to check out the NASA Kids’ Club or the National Geographic Kids site! Quizzes, videos, space and animal information, and so much more fun stuff.

-For the animal lovers (and there are so many, I am sure!), this is just a delight: San Diego Zoo offers Live Cams of some of their animals in habit, as does Monterey Bay Aquarium. Penguins and jellyfish, anyone?! Yes, please!

MISCELLANEOUS:

-Author Tara Lazar shared a link, from Twitter user Sarah Pavis, of ‘walking tour YouTube channels’; including tours on Toyko, New York City, and more. These videos are just so very cool, and also calming to watch (or have on in the background)!

(last updated: April 2, 2020)

I hope this helps! If any other resources come up, I will do my best to add them to this list! Take care and please stay safe.

Welcome to a very special spotlight post, readers! In an all-new interview, I have the absolute pleasure and privilege of getting to talk to Canadian author Jacqueline Firkins, whose debut, the young adult nove Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things, was recently released.

Jacqueline Firkins is not only an author, but also a costume designer and faculty member at the University of British Columbia. I had the great fortune of meeting Jacqueline months ago during a publishing event; I was so taken in with Jacqueline’s presentation at the event that I reached out to Raincoast Books and Jacqueline in the hopes that I could speak to Jacqueline further… and here we are! In the interview, we talk debut novels, Jane Austen, adaptations, writing love triangles, design, pop culture and more! Tremendous thank you to Jacqueline and to Raincoast Books for their respective time and generosity. I hope you all enjoy!

Firstly, congratulations on your wonderful debut YA novel! For readers unfamiliar with Hearts, Strings, and Unbreakable Things, could you please tell us a little background about your novel and how you approached crafting a contemporary adaptation of a classic?
Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. The story centers around a love triangle between a shy girl, the guy she’s loved since childhood, and a charming rake who sets out to make her fall for him, initially for the challenge but soon because he really cares. The seed for writing a retelling was planted when a friend and I were discussing Jane Austen heroines. My friend had recently re-read Mansfield Park and was frustrated with the passivity of Fanny Price after enjoying Austen’s feistier and more outspoken heroines. But I’d remembered relating to Fanny more than to Elizabeth Bennet or Emma Woodhouse. So I went back and re-read Mansfield. I recalled why I loved its heroine. She was like me. I wasn’t feisty and outspoken either. I preferred a book to a party, and I always had a crush on a guy who didn’t notice me. Or more than one guy. So I started thinking about how I could bring that character into a contemporary world, allowing more readers access to a heroine I was grateful to find when I most needed her, during my teenage years.

Pride and Prejudice is arguably the most popular of Austen’s novels, with readers finding so much to relate to in Elizabeth Bennet and in her and Mr. Darcy’s dynamic. Why do you think Mansfield Park has not held the same spotlight? What story elements of Mansfield Park and what main characteristics of protagonist Fanny Price have been the biggest draw for you- and what do you think readers find most compelling about the story?
Darcy and Elizabeth have real sparks on the page. They’re both outspoken, bold, and witty. They reach for what they want. Fanny Price (Austen’s parallel to my Edie Price) is much more passive. She likes gardens. A lot. She’s reactive, so while things happen to her, she makes very little happen, herself. She’s also rather judgmental. The romance is also a tricky one. In P&P, the moment we meet Darcy, we know Lizzie’s met her man. By the end of the book, he’s turned his entire world upside down to help her family and save her sister from social ruin. Everyone in the book drools over how rich and handsome he is, yet he’s too good for anyone he meets. These are still appealing factors in modern love interests. The market bears this out. Hot, rich, almost unavailable men who dote on heroines are still incredibly prevalent in modern romances. Unlike Darcy, the primary love interest in Mansfield wants to be a clergyman. He’s not surrounded by girls who want to marry him or who chatter on about how good looking he is. He’s a younger son, so he won’t inherit. Also, he spends the entire book captivated by another woman, and only in the last two pages of the novel does he decide he prefers Fanny after all. It’s not even a particularly emotional scene. Frankly, the story is at its most dynamic when one or more of the Crawfords is on the page.

I still think Fanny deserves a revisit, namely because we have so many brave and feisty heroines in YA lit right now, and so many retellings of P&P. They’re fabulous, but I think quiet, complicated girls deserve representation in love stories, too. I love that Fanny’s socially awkward and shy, and that she carries around this unrequited crush she can’t seem to shed even when it drives her nuts. It all seems so relatable to me. Also, I love the love triangle Austen structured. In all of her other works, there’s an obvious central pairing. Mansfield was the only one I read where I thought, oh, wait, this could go another direction entirely. Since I’m adapting, I can go as far as I want with that. I loved the challenge of balancing out two love interests so there isn’t an obvious ending. It’s dynamic, and allows me to really draw out what the heroine most values.

The love triangle in Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is not only thoughtfully written, but it is also one where either love interest could be a perfect fit for the protagonist! How difficult was it writing two equally dynamic, equally irresistible yet disparate love interests knowing that one would have to be left behind? Did you ever waver in your initial decision of who Edie would eventually end up with?
Perfect follow up to the above—and I’ll try to answer it without too many spoilers! This was the hardest part of writing Hearts, Strings, and it took several rounds of revisions. One of the challenges is that what we enjoy as a romantic fantasy isn’t always what we’d gravitate to in reality, so, in general, on the page, a rake has a draw that a nice guy lacks, especially if he’s more actively pursuing the heroine and the other guy’s more conflicted. This meant recalibrating their appeal. Both guys needed characteristics that attract the heroine, but they had to be really different characteristics in order to test her value system and her growth over the course of the novel. Also, the crisis of a story is often most interesting when a difficult decision is faced, when a protagonist has to sacrifice something in order to get what they want. This meant that no matter which guy Edie ended up with, she needed a genuine sense of loss about the other. At one point during editing, I had a talk with my editor about taking the ending in the other direction, and I know readers have opinions about this, but the current end feels right for the central character arc as written. I did, however, strategically position the characters for an after-the-ever-after. So if reader interest were to develop, I could revisit the triangle and re-test it with new variables. (And without worrying what Jane would think!)

Did you ever think about adapting another one of Austen’s novels for your young adult debut, and if so, which one(s)?
I haven’t considered this, namely because there are so many Austen adaptations already. We have countless P&Ps, S&Ss, Emmas, and Persuasions. Northanger Abbey hasn’t been done as often, but the story feels more set in its time than the others. I adapted Mansfield because I was drawn to that specific story and that specific heroine. That said, I’d love to adapt something by Elizabeth Gaskell, or one of Charlotte Bronte’s lesser known works, or a Thomas Hardy novel for a modern audience. All have fabulously complicated relationships at their centers, and characters that are still relatable in a modern day setting.

Not only are you an author, you are also a costume designer as well as full-time faculty at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Theatre & Film! Could you tell readers about some of your costume design projects? Do you have a favourite era of fashion you like to design for?

I remember updating my design resume about ten years ago and realizing I’d designed over a hundred shows. Many designers have done more, but the number indicated how much of my life I’d spent telling stories and defining characters with other artists. My last costume design was for Oedipus Rex at the Court Theatre in Chicago, a place I love working since I’ve built relationships with many of the artists. Oedipus is one of the first plays I ever read so returning to it felt like a real benchmark. Many of the challenges in designing and writing are the same. I have to figure out the rules of the world, and who the people are. I think about colour symbolism, class, race, gender, and thematic overtones. With Oedipus, for example, the production drew parallels between Ancient Thebes and the Great Migration, which was truly fascinating to research. We tried to create a world that could be Ancient Greece, or today, or entirely in Oedipus’ mind.

I don’t know that I have a favourite period to design. One of the joys of getting to work on so many productions is that every job is new and different. The challenges keep me alert and engaged. I get excited about all of it. I love the delicacy of the 1930s but also the structure of the 1880s. No matter the era, the design questions are similar. Who is this person? What do they choose to show the world? What do they choose to hide? What resources do they have available to them to achieve that? What obstacles intervene?
Images of Oedipus can be found here:
https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/1995-1996-season/oedipus-rex/gallery/production-photos/

Regarding your work as a faculty member at UBC, could you talk a little bit about your research project Fashioning Cancer?

I came to UBC from Chicago, where I was immersed in freelance theatre work. When I started teaching at UBC, I needed to reframe some of my creative activity into what might more formally be called research, though it all links together. I got funding from the Peter Wall Institute to work with Dr. Christian Naus—a microbiologist who was also on the fulltime faculty—to transform his microscopic images of cancer cells into full-scale fashion that we then auctioned off to fundraise for cancer research. The project was inspired by discussions around how women with cancer felt about the pink ribbon and its lack of reflection of the disease—how cancer felt, what it did to the body, what it represented physically and emotionally. So I set about making gowns that reflected the biological imagery but also addressed what the women I talked to expressed about how they felt and how they wanted to feel when battling the disease.
Images of the slides and the gowns can be found here:
http://archive.theatre.ubc.ca/fashioning_cancer/collection.html

On your website, readers can find a very funny and clever series you have created called The Fine Art of Modern Dating, where you have taken classic paintings and added commentaries about contemporary/modern dating. Tell us about this project! How did it come about, and are you still working on the series?

I love that you found this! I started this project when I was setting up my social media accounts after selling Hearts, Strings and trying to create an online presence. I’m a bit daft with social media and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing in these public venues. I hide from cameras. I keep most of my personal life to myself. I don’t photograph pie. My instinct is rarely “Hey, I should share this with strangers!” So I tried to think of ways to connect to my rom-com writing, ways that were reflective of my voice and point of view. The comic series was one way to do that. It didn’t get much response, so I eventually stopped and put the images on my website instead. I may return to the idea at some point, or something like it. I do love juxtaposing the modern against the classic, and finding ways to gently poke at society. So maybe . . .
Images of the series can be found here:
https://jacquelinefirkins.com/other-projects/fine-art-of-modern-dating.html

What are some of your favourite book-to-__ adaptions? This can be a classic book to a contemporary novel; book to film; book to TV adaptation; book to graphic novel, etc.
I could write pages and pages on this since I’ve always been fascinated by adaptation. A few faves: I love both Clueless and Bridget Jones’ Diary for their sharp updates of Austen. Ten Things I Hate About You was a great revamp of Taming of the Shrew—an innately difficult piece to stage with its blatant sexism, but the film handled this well. For more straightforward adaptations, I’ve watched the BBC North and South more times than I can count. I’ll also watch any adaptation of Jane Eyre, for sheer curiosity of what each team does with the three part structure and how much they do or don’t romanticise the central relationship when some really bad s**t is going down at Thornfield.

What books or pop culture are you most looking forward to in 2020- this can be in any genre of books, TV, podcast, film, theatre, music, etc.!
I’m thrilled that the second season of Sex Education just released, though I’m so bad at keeping up with television I’m still watching Gilmore Girls episodes. In theatre, here in Vancouver we’re in the middle of the PuSh festival so there’s loads of great international mixed-media art all over the city. For books, some members of my debut community have sophomore releases, including Laura Taylor Namey, Samantha Hastings, and Astrid Scholte. I’ll be grabbing those, though I’m still trying to catch up on 2019 releases!

If you are able to speak to this, could you please tell readers about projects you are currently working on?
I have lots of things brewing. What reaches readers will depend on interest from editors. I have two other YA rom-coms drafted that aren’t adaptations (one of which centers around a costume designer), a middle grade magical realism piece, a YA contemporary that’s darker and more serious than the rom-coms, and a Victorian-set retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale, told alternately from his and her points of view. Hopefully within all of that, something strikes a chord with an editor and carries on into further development. I’ll keep designing costumes as I get asked and as the projects fit into my schedule, but I can’t just open a laptop and go to it like I can with the writing. So we’ll see! In the meantime I’ll keep making book-themed dresses that I give away on Instagram or through booksellers and events.

Where’s the best place for people to keep up with you on social media?
Website: https://jacquelinefirkins.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JFkillsdarlings
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jfkillsdarlings/

Thank you so much, Jacqueline, this has been such a delight!

For more information on Hearts, String, and Other Breakable Things you can take a look here on the author’s site and here as well.

I reviewed Hearts, Strings, and Unbreakable Things for Quill & Quire prior to the arrangement of this interview. All opinions and comments regarding the review are my own and were in no way impacted by the interview. Thank you to author Jacqueline Firkins for her generosity and time, and to Raincoast Books.

Hello lovely readers! In case you are wondering whether the headliner is, in fact, true…IT IS! I had the tremendous and thrilling- and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity- to meet Rainbow Rowell, the New York Times bestselling author of hits such as Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, Carry On, and more! 

Thanks to a generous prize draw courtesy of Raincoast Books and the author, I had a chance to interview Rainbow Rowell before a special author event featuring Rainbow and acclaimed graphic novelist (and Pumpkinheads illustrator!) Faith Erin Hicks took place. Rainbow and Faith were doing an author event on behalf of their graphic novel collaboration Pumpkinheads, which released in August of this year. Rainbow also welcomed the publication of Wayward Son, book two in the Simon Snow series, in late September of this year.

After opening with a congratulations to Rainbow on the release of both Pumpkinheads and Wayward Son, I had to mention that my first introduction to Rainbow’s work was, in fact, her debut novel Attachments -a novel I love very dearly- and one that Rainbow called a ‘sleeper’.

Onto the questions we go, and I hope you all enjoy! 

I would like to extend a mighty thank you to Rainbow Rowell for her time and consideration of my questions, as well as to the kind folks at Raincoast Books for organizing this wonderful opportunity. It was such a fabulous, fun- and happily surreal- experience!