By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. July 30, 2013. The federal government announced that it was going to gift the recently born Prince a gift that would include a number of books fit for a Prince from his Canadian citizens.
We asked bookseller Ian Elliott at the Different Drummer Book Store what he thought would make an excellent collection of children’s titles from Canada.
And we asked Maureen Barry, CEO of the Burlington Public Library if she would prepare a list. Barry turned to her children’s librarians and here is what they came up with. Interestingly, there was just one title Elliott and the librarians suggested: Red is Best. Other than that there was no duplication.
We were delighted to see The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier on that list. The gift will come from the people of Canada sent by the Prime Minister and The Governor General who are both avid hockey fans.
We are going to pass this list along to those two gentleman and see what they decide to put in the gift package.
A future King of Canada, Prince George Alexander Louis gets a list of books he might want to read as he grows up.
The Prince, George Alexander Louis, third in line to the British throne has made just the one public appearance but expect to see a lot more of that child. He will be King of Canada to many of those children who currently buy books at the Different Drummer and borrow books from the library.
I Have the Right to Be a Child, Alain Serres, illust. Aurélia Fronty, Groundwood Books
Alligator Pie, Dennis Lee, Harper Collins
The Hockey Sweater, Roch Carrier, Tundra Books
Something from Nothing, Phoebe Gilman, Scholastic Books
ABC of Canada, Kim Bellefontaine, illust. Per-Henrik Gürth, Kids Can Press
Picture a Tree, Barbara Reid, Scholastic Books
Imagine a Day, Sarah L. Thompson, illust. Rob Gonsalves, Simon & Schuster
I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, Mem Fox, illust. Helen Oxenbury, Houghton Mifflin
On the Day You Were Born, Debra Frasier, Houghton Mifflin
I Like to Play, Marla Stewart Konrad, Tundra Books
Red is Best, Kathy Stinson, illust. Robin Baird Lewis, Annick Press
The list that follows is a compilation of suggestions from Burlington Public Library librarians who have had the privilege of serving as children’s librarians at various points in their careers. They chose Canadian picture books because, as they said, “we have a rich treasure of wonderful Canadian stories and illustrations for children. These are all ‘tried and true’ at many a storytime! It was difficult to narrow down our choices because there are so many great options.”
Barbara Reid – Welcome, Baby (Barbara is both author and illustrator and her ‘illustrations’ are all crafted with plasticine! It’s true that little Prince George has caused smiles around the world. This book is about babies bringing happiness.)
Barbara Reid – Read me a book (This is a collection of several wonderful Canadian stories compiled by Barbara Reid. It is a way to give Prince George a taste of Canada before his first visit.)
Marthe Jocelyn – Same Same ( Exploring in very simple images how things that are different can be very much the same.)
Marthe Jocelyn – Where do you look? (A fun exploration of homonyms.)
Jan Thornhill – Wildlife ABC and 123 (It is pretty clear what this book is about)
Michael Kusugak – My Arctic 1,2,3 (Learning numbers, counting and all about Arctic animals, this book is a gem.)
Edith Newlin Chase – The New Baby Calf (There may be a “no fly zone” over Bucklebury while Prince George is in town but we are certain there are baby calves in town. This is a lovely story of the first days of a baby calf.)
Kathy Stinson – Red is Best (A perennial favourite story about a little girl and debates she has with her mother about the colour red. This books begs to be read again and again.)
Kathy Stinson – Big or Little (Little ones cannot wait to be big, but sometimes they realize being little is OK too.)
Robert Munsch – Mortimer (Prince William said that his son had a ‘great set of lungs’ and we think the very loud repeated chant of Mortimer who loves to make noise “ all day” will appeal in the Royal nursery).
Phoebe Gilman – The Balloon Tree (The story is all about fantastical royalty with Princess Leora prepares to use balloons to signal her father the King if something goes wrong while he is out of the kingdom. Something does go wrong. There is a happy ending.)
Prince George Alexander Louis with his Father the Duke of Cambridge; second and third in line for the British throne.
How many parents who are avid readers and take their child to the library on a regular basis recognize these titles? Is this a good list of books to send to the future king of Canada.
