Of all the delightful and unexpected things that have happened to me as an author, this video featuring students from Madoc Drive Public School in Brampton, ON rapping their way through my picture book IF I HAD A GRYPHON is truly special. This was part of a music class lead by Miss Yoo and involved… Continue reading Students Rap Their Way Through IF I HAD A GRYPHON
Category: poetry
IF I HAD A GRYPHON: EVENTS!
What's in the bag? Do you know any young pet detectives who could help me solve a magical mystery? I've been gathering props and breaking out the vocal exercises all in preparation for events and storytimes across Ontario for IF I HAD A GRYPHON. Come join me (and maybe a magical creature or two) on… Continue reading IF I HAD A GRYPHON: EVENTS!
What to Read This Summer- Picture Books
I have a soft spot for (and two entire bookshelves dedicated to) picture books. This summer reading list was probably the most fun to prepare. Whether you like mermaids, food, Jill Barber, cats, dinosaurs or meta-fiction, there is definitely a picture book out there for you and the wee ones in your life. Here are… Continue reading What to Read This Summer- Picture Books
Melancholic Perfection: Jane, The Fox and Me Review
At this point Jane, The Fox & Me has collected so many accolades that I am just one more voice in the choir. The story of a girl who feels bullied and so retreats into the world of Jane Eyre only to be enchanted by a fox appeals to me in all possible ways. I… Continue reading Melancholic Perfection: Jane, The Fox and Me Review
Picture Book Inspired DIY Projects: An Ode to My Roommate
My roommates are better than yours. I don't say that boastfully, but out of much love and truth. Take for example, my she-roommate, Rebecca. In between running three camps and mentoring hundreds of young women every day, she makes the best birthday gifts. It is a well known fact among those I love and those… Continue reading Picture Book Inspired DIY Projects: An Ode to My Roommate
Sibling Revelry: Looking for Me Review
Edith is the middle child in a long line of brothers and sisters. When she is asked to write a poem about her family, Edith's teacher points out that she has forgotten an important person: Edith herself. So lies the crux of this lovely little novel. Through a series of free verse (and a few… Continue reading Sibling Revelry: Looking for Me Review
Packing A lot of Punch:There is No Long Distance Now Review
I spent a large portion of last Thursday tidying up my cubicle, which means shifting piles of ARCS from one shelf to another.* In the shuffle I found There is No Long Distance Now: Very Short Stories by poet and National Book Award finalist Naomi Shihab Nye. It was exactly the kind of palette cleanser I… Continue reading Packing A lot of Punch:There is No Long Distance Now Review
Haiku vs Twitter: Guyku
January has started with a bang! With so much going on, it's easy to feel a little snowed in AND snowed under, which is why Guyku was such a lovely reprieve. There is nothing as satisfying as a really great haiku poem. I would like to think that we are on the brink of a haiku-volution. Surely a generation… Continue reading Haiku vs Twitter: Guyku
The Twelve Books of Christmas: Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love read to me, this rhyming charmer! There is nothing like a good rhyming text. When verse is well done, it's hard not to get caught up in the rhythm of the story. A rhyming text should be fun to read aloud, and listeners are just as delighted… Continue reading The Twelve Books of Christmas: Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
Re-thinking the Poetry Collection: Think Again
When you work in a bookstore every day is like Christmas, especially when a shipment of new titles from Kids Can Press comes in! The first new book to catch my eye was Think Again. This book has so many of my favourite things I'm not sure where to begin. Poetry! Line drawings! Beautiful design!… Continue reading Re-thinking the Poetry Collection: Think Again
Vikki VanSickle 