Tamara is struggling to find the confidence to play her accordion in front of an audience. She learns the tunes well enough, and can play them when she's alone--but as soon as she tries to perform for others, everything falls apart. One day her father encourages her to try playing for an elderly man in the seniors' home where her grandmother lives. This man is Art Stoyles, a legendary accordion player in her hometown of St. John's, who is best known for a beautiful set of tunes called "The Portuguese Waltzes." Inspired by Stoyles, and by the stories of his musical friendship years before with a sea captain who fished the Grand Banks with the Portuguese White Fleet, Tamara gains the confidence she needs to perform. This charming middle reader celebrates the interconnections that music creates--forging bonds between young and old, reaching across cultures and oceans--and the mysterious hold that music can have on listeners and musicians alike. The story also highlights the deep connections that developed between Portugal and Newfoundland because of the cod fishery. Part of a larger, on-going project, The Mystery of the Portuguese Waltzes grows out of author and musician Richard Simas's fascination with the tunes Tamara learns; they are among the most beautiful and unique tunes that have come out of Newfoundland and Labrador, and their creation is the stuff of local legend. Art Stoyles, a much loved figure in the traditional music community in Newfoundland, was a member of many local musical groups, including the ground-breaking trad/rock band Figgy Duff. In 2005, he received the East Coast Music Association's Stompin' Tom Connors Award for his contributions to Atlantic Canadian music. He died in 2015 after a musical career that spanned almost six decades. The book features several colourful linocut illustrations by St. John's-based printmaker and musician Caroline Clarke, whose lively and engaging artwork often explores traditional Newfoundland music.
Peg's big, ugly, and hairy, yes, but she's also smart enough and brave enough to outsmart a witch, help a king, and find husbands for her two beautiful sisters and for herself. This brilliant re-take on a classic folktale from Placentia Bay, Newfoundland will have readers of all ages cheering for Peg. And falling for her too! The story is now available in this bright and beautiful new edition. Maintaining Dinn and Jones's original adapted text, with all of its playful wit and delightful musicality, this new book features all new illustrations by Louisiana-based Denise Gallagher. Their fun, folksy flavor breathes new life into the story, and reminds us that Peg is a heroine for all places and all times.
A moving story of protest and determination, Nutau's Cap tells of a young Innu girl, Nanas. The low-level flying of NATO supersonic jets disrupts her family's traditional way of life, and endangers both them and the wildlife they depend upon, so Nanas' father and the other members of the Sheshatshiu community decide to protest by occupying the military's runways. Nanas is proud and eager to join in the social action, but then her father is arrested. Nanas has little to comfort her except his well-worn ball cap, and the promise of the land itself that the resilience, wisdom, and strength of the Innu people will one day triumph. This true account of one small moment in the years-long struggle of the Innu people against NATO and the Canadian government brings to light the on-going fight for Innu rights on their own unceded land. Author Bob Bartel, an activist and volunteer, participated in the efforts to stop those NATO practice flights; he learned Nanas's story from her aunt and has Nanas's permission to tell the story. Bartel writes with care, simplicity, and deep awareness; he portrays with both power and subtlety the struggle as seen from a child's perspective. Illustrations by acclaimed Innu artist Mary Ann Penashue capture the gentle relationship between Nanas and her father, and highlight the beauty and dignity of her people's culture. Her blending of traditional imagery with modern technique offers a visually rich and compelling accompaniment to Bartel's text. Nutau's Cap has been translated into two dialects of Innu-aimun, both of which appear alongside the English. Some Innu-aimun words are also integrated into the English text; a glossary is provided. A map of the locations and a historical afterword, offering further context, are included as well. This book is a co-publication with Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education.
A sister and brother set sail on a rollicking round-the-world adventure in this rhyming tall tale.
In the middle of the twentieth century in Eastern Europe, a young girl dreams of adventures near and far. One day, a huge wall appears that separates East from West, and dreamer from dreams. No ladder is high enough, no tunnel deep enough to get past that wall. But then a crack appears in the wall, and the girl (now a woman) knows she has the chance to follow her dreams again.
A hilarious new folktale adaptation from award-winning author Andy Jones, with brave and resourceful girls, evil giants, a magical cat, a storytelling hotel and hairy feet.
An atmospheric, illustrated storybook about the thrill of listening to ghost stories, and a ghostly goodbye.
Chilling tales--perfect for reading or telling by the fireside on a cold winter's night.
In this companion volume to their collaboration An Old Man's Winter Night, Tom Dawe and Veselina Tomova present a fascinating, tantalizing, and chilling collection of fairy lore. No benign tooth fairies here; these fairies are amoral, tricky, dangerous, and beguiling. A young school teacher learns about strange lights in a foreboding marsh; a nurse in a remote outport visits the baby she delivered just weeks before to find a devastating change; a woman meets a mysterious funeral procession late one evening; a musician happens upon a group of strange little people; a girl is entranced by a strange green butterfly. The pages of Spirited Away are populated by those who wander onto fairy paths or fall under the spell of mysterious music; by the fairy-led--people lost in surroundings long familiar; by changelings; by people who stray onto fairy turf, and experience unnerving events. These literary renderings of stories and anecdotes Dawe has collected across the province offer an accessible and engaging introduction to one of Newfoundland and Labrador's most powerful and peculiar folk traditions. Tomova's darkly poetic wood-cut illustrations plumb the fascinating heart of these strange and affecting tales.
"Lori Doody is back with another charming and quirky picture book--this time about a flamingo, blown off course. The town where she's so unexpectedly landed looks very nice, and might be a good place to settle down, but she isn't quite sure she'll fit in. She tries to find a flock of her own; unfortunately, all her looking comes to nothing. But the people in the town are keen to keep their flamingo friend. What better way to make her feel at home than to paint the town pink. Inspired by the story of two flamingos that were sighted in Newfoundland years ago, Lori Doody has crafted a charming and gentle tale about being a stranger in a new place, needing to belong, and ultimately being welcomed in the warmest of ways. Young readers and listeners will have great fun looking for flamingos tucked into the illustrations, and watching as the town and the townsfolk gradually make their feathered friend one of the family. The book includes a brief list of flamingo facts, as well. Lori Doody's fourth picture book will leave readers of all ages tickled pink!"--Provided by publisher.
When he finds a photograph of his grandfather as a young man, Liam is full of questions. But that's just fine, because Grampy has a story to spin with every answer. On a fall day in 1962, he tells Liam, he had a run in with a nasty girl in search of a dance partner: Daisy was her name. What follows is a tall tale about Grampy's tango with a hurricane, and all those signs of aging--the wrinkles, the stooped back, the croaky voice, the false teeth--can be chalked up to Daisy's persistence and Grampy's refusal to dance. Of course, it takes a talking to from Nana to get that Daisy to blow off elsewhere.Acclaimed author Jan L. Coates and award-winning illustrator Josée Bisaillon join forces in this charming picture book to craft a tale both touching and amusing about aging and the bond between a grandfather and his grandson. Bisaillon's gorgeous, playful illustrations bring the dance to life, evoking that windy girl and her insistent ways, as well as the warm affection between Grampy and Liam.
Originally written for a Christmas concert given by internationally-renowned children's choir Shallaway, Bernice Morgan's Seasons Before the War is a delightful, unsentimental remembrance of growing up in St. John's, Newfoundland just before the city, and the world, changed irrevocably with the advent of WWII. This slightly fictionalized telling explores the delights of every day and of each season: how Bernice and her siblings played and passed their time--watching the fire trucks put out fires at the dump, going for messages at the local shops, listening to stories by the kitchen stove--and the bigger moments of starting school, and anticipating Christmas. Charged with the bright wonder of a child's view, the book nevertheless contains the shadow of change; although mentioned only in the book's title, war and its implications for childhood hang quietly over all. Painted illustrations, by acclaimed UK-based illustrator Brita Granström, beautifully capture the sweet nostalgia of Morgan's words and the joys of childhood. Soft and playful, yet detailed and accurate, the illustrations add immeasurably to the book, making it as much an art book as a storybook. With beautiful paper, thoughtful design, and exceptional production values, this is a book to be shared between generations, and to be treasured.
In her deeply-affecting final novel, acclaimed children's writer and storyteller Jan Andrews gives us Edie Murphy--an indomitable and engaging heroine on the cusp of womanhood. The novel moves from Edie's remote Newfoundland outport to St. John's and finally to New York City's Lower East Side. Against the background of the history-making "Uprising" of 1909, when 20,000 garment workers went on strike for better working conditions, and the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911), Edie begins to find her own voice, hone her already-strong will, and learn about the true nature of home. A celebration of the strength of women and the power of community.
Building on the success of Capelin Weather and The Puffin Problem, Lori Doody is back with a delightfully witty book about two mallard ducks who plague a moose.
The world of Dave Paddon's recitations is quirky, riotously funny, and utterly unique; a place of tall tales and plain foolishness, where fog is so thick you can use it for cannonballs, and a polar bear hijacks a bingo tournament. Berry pickers turn combatants and the result is a bay full of jam; a local handyman turns doctor and uses the spare parts in his shed to patch up his neighbours. Half the Lies You Tell Are Not True brings together thirteen recitations long-loved by Paddon's many local fans. Great for older kids and grown-ups alike, this is a wonderful cross-over book. Paddon has been called Newfoundland and Labrador's Robert Service, and for good reason. His recitations are non-stop fun, fully engaging the verve and tang of the province's rich language. (The book has a glossary at the back for those from up-along.) These were written to be recited, and readers will surely find themselves reading aloud to family and friends.Duncan Major's illustrations capture the energy and wit of the recitations. While this is Major's first trade publication, he and Paddon have collaborated on several letterpress chapbooks featuring Paddon's recitations and Major's artwork; they are a perfect pairing.
Examines what happens when Newfoundland and Labrador's official bird heads for the bright city lights.
PB spends her summer on Fox Island with the other sheep and goats, but she's more interested in stargazing than nibbling on the grass. She knows a famous astronomer once visited Toads Cove, and has set her sights on following in his path and finding a comet. Her determination irks a cantankerous old goat who plots to undermine her efforts. This playful poetic tale about a sheep who won't give up and an old goat who learns a thing or two is inspired by the author's community, where sheep and goats really do graze on islands off the coast, and a famous astronomer really did once visit. Award-winning artist Veselina Tomova's illustrations offer a delightfully whimsical complement to this charming story.
From one of Canada's most loved and lauded children's writers comes a new tale about the joy of making things, the strength of community, and the warm reach of generosity. This beautifully illustrated storybook blends poetry and prose, infused with Fitch's trademark wit and playfulness, to tell the story of Polly MacCauley, a bit of a mystery in her community of River John, who spends her time making wondrous things with wool. When Star, a very special lamb, is born on a nearby farm, Polly knows that with Star's wool she can make her "finest, divinest, wooliest gift of all." But the greedy Count and Countess of far-off Wooland have learned about the lamb's arrival, too, and are determined to add her to their flock. Will the good folk of River John join together to see that Star gets to her rightful home? Will Polly be able to finish her masterpiece? Darka Erdelji's gorgeous illustrations have just the right amount of whimsy, perfectly capturing the spirit of Fitch's touching yarn. Divided into nine short sections, this is a grand book to share aloud, or read alone. It will appeal to children of all ages. And to knitters, weavers, spinners and the warm-hearted everywhere.
Storyteller Andy Jones and illustrator Darka Erdelji have joined forces again to produce the funny and epic, Jack, the King of Ashes. This time Jack, the "King of Ashes," spends all his time hove off in the coal box, until one day he shakes off his ashes and sets out on an adventure that includes sneaky robbers, a "famous missing princess with reward attached," an always-surprising canine sidekick, a royal wedding, a lovelorn rooster-puppet, a conniving ship's captain, corpses, curses, kisses, a coat and a whole lot more! Steeped in Newfoundland folk tradition, Jack, the King of Ashes shows Jones at the top of his form. His quirky and delightful humour is unstoppable. Erdelji's illustrations offer a wonderful, witty counterpoint to the story, enriching and embellishing it.
Storyteller Andy Jones and illustrator Darka Erdelji have joined forces again to produce the funny and epic, Jack, the King of Ashes. This time Jack, the "King of Ashes," spends all his time hove off in the coal box, until one day he shakes off his ashes and sets out on an adventure that includes sneaky robbers, a "famous missing princess with reward attached," an always-surprising canine sidekick, a royal wedding, a lovelorn rooster-puppet, a conniving ship's captain, corpses, curses, kisses, a coat and a whole lot more! Steeped in Newfoundland folk tradition, Jack, the King of Ashes shows Jones at the top of his form. His quirky and delightful humour is unstoppable. Erdelji's illustrations offer a wonderful, witty counterpoint to the story, enriching and embellishing it.
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