Latest news with #GroundwoodBooks
RNZ News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Controlled mess with celebrated illustrator Sydney Smith
Photo: Steve Farmer In the world of children's literature, the Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction awarded to authors and illustrators of children's books. The award recognises lifelong achievement and is given to someone whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature. Canadian illustrator Sydney Smith is one of those people. He won the award biennial award for his emotive, often wordless books, which express complex, and at times unsettling emotions, explored in a gentle way while respecting the reader's intelligence, regardless of whether that reader is a parent or a kid. He joins the show to talk about his work. A collection of children's books illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Sidewalk Flowers' written by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith. Groundwood Books, 2015 (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) Pages from 'Sidewalk Flowers' written by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith. Groundwood Books, 2015 (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) A page from 'Town Is by the Sea' written by Joanne Schwartz, illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Do You Remember?' written and illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) An excerpt from 'I Talk Like A River' written by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Small in the City' written and illustrated Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Small in the City' written and illustrated Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith)
Montreal Gazette
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Books for Kids: Two titles that help children connect with nature
Head Full of Clouds By Joanne Schwartz Illustrated by Afsaneh Sanei Tundra Books Ages 4 to 7 After a sputtering start to spring — one interrupted by occasional snowstorms and bouts of heavy rain in parts of the country — at this writing it seems like spring has finally sprung and the season's rebirth has begun, making it a good time to share Joanne Schwartz's new book with the youngsters in your life. The award-winning author of Town Is by the Sea, a native of Cape Breton who now lives in Toronto, tells the story of a young girl who wakes up in the morning with 'a little leftover piece of a dream / floating around' but can't put into words the foggy feeling of having one's head in the clouds. Outside, she sees the puddles left by last night's rain and becomes aware of nearby birds, budding trees and flowering weeds. In the park, she climbs a tree and watches life unfold below her, acutely aware of sounds and smells to which she was oblivious before. Suddenly, she recalls a piece of her oceanside dream and as the memory grows more vivid, she becomes aware of someone waving at her in the park. It's her friend, and as the two girls hug, 'the day feels as solid as the trunk of a tree, / as wide as the sunny sky, / as beautiful as an ocean full of fish.' Rock By Laurel Croza Illustrated by Matt James Groundwood Books Ages 3 to 6 The new book by Laurel Croza and Matt James, the Toronto-based team that gave us the award-winning picture book I Know Here (and its sequel From There to Here), also enlists elements of nature. But the central character in Rock experiences none of the fogginess that affects the little girl in Head Full of Clouds. On the contrary: the rock in Rock is 100 per cent certain of itself and what it believes to be true, no matter how harshly it's challenged by a seagull who has swept down to the beach and tried to pick it up, expecting a tasty treat. 'What do you think you are?' the frustrated seagull snarls. 'I am a rock,' the rock responds calmly. The seagull disagrees. 'No,' he says. 'You are too small. / I see you as a pebble.' What's more, he adds vindictively, 'When you are tossed into the water, / you will sink. / And, / once you hit bottom, / there is no guarantee / you will find your way back. / Here — / to this beach.' The seagull, joined by squawking compatriots, builds on a premise that one day the rock will erode and disappear forever. The rock's confidence, however, never wavers. And when a little girl spots the seagulls and chases them away, the rock finds a friend who recognizes its worth — and puts it to good use.
CBC
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Rock by Laurel Croza, illustrated by Matt James
When a seagull mistakes a small rock for food, it angrily spits it out. "What do you think you are?" the seagull demands. "I am a rock," the rock responds. But the seagull refuses to accept this, insisting that the rock is more like a pebble, or a stone. It predicts that the rock will be thrown into the water and sink, and even if it manages to be washed ashore, the same thing will happen again and again, until the rock is worn down to a mere speck. After all, the rock has no shine, color, crystals or speckles … In short, it is nothing special. But a child enjoying a day at the beach sees the rock differently, and their creation in the sand affirms what the rock has known about itself all along. A quirky, vibrant and very memorable picture book about staying true to yourself. (From Groundwood Books) Laurel Croza is a Toronto-based writer. Her previous books include the picture books I Know Here, illustrated by Matt James, which won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, From There to Here and the short story collection The Whirlpool.
CBC
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Mrs. Nobody by Y. S. Lee, illustrated by Marie Lafrance
Alice and Mrs. Nobody love getting up to no good. While giving each other fashionable haircuts, belting nighttime duets, or scribbling magic-marker wall murals, the two friends are inseparable. Until the day they disagree on what to play next. Mrs. Nobody wants Alice to play Puppy. But when Alice pushes back (she was Puppy last time!), she feels the wrath of Mrs. Nobody, who grows bigger and bigger and louder and louder before disappearing altogether. Although Alice suffers a long, lonely night without the company of Mrs. Nobody, she finds some solace in the sound of her own voice. When Mrs. Nobody reappears the next day, Alice knows what she must say. This debut picture-book by award-winning novelist and poet Y. S. Lee puts a surprising spin on the concept of setting boundaries — particularly with those closest to us. Readers will find themselves immersed in the fanciful world of Alice and Mrs. Nobody — brilliantly rendered by internationally acclaimed illustrator Marie Lafrance — while delighting in the twists of an imaginary friendship gone awry. (From Groundwood Books) Saturday morning, East Pender Street was longlisted for the 2021 CBC Poetry Prize. She lives in Kingston, Ont.
