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I’m Drawing a Picture
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95I’m Drawing a Picture combines story and images to captivate and inspire young readers to harness their creative spirit. A collaboration between artwork and text, this whimsical book has a different inspirational idea on each page, with a scene that each “artist” imagines. The concept is based on Doretta Groenendyk’s experience working with children in schools and trying to inspire them to be creative in all forms of mediums of art. The text is geared to four- to ten-year-olds, and is an excellent teaching tool for aspiring writers. An ideal elementary teacher’s resource, the book’s characters span cultures, genders, and ages.
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Island Morning
Artist: Brenda JonesPublisher: Acorn Press$19.95Island Mornging is a gentle story of a girl and her grandfather’s early morning walk through the fields of Prince Edward Island. On their journey, they see gentle pastures, farm animals, scenic vistas and a glorious sunrise. But this walk is about more than just viewing the beautiful scenery. It is also about the special time between grandfather and granddaughter and how they see the world through each other’s eyes. Â
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This I Know
Artist: Joanne Snook-HannPublisher: Acorn Press$19.95Originally written as a song by Michael Pendergast, one of Prince Edward Island’s best-known musicians, “This I Know” is a comforting verse about life’s passing. Beautifully written and illustrated, “This I Know” takes us on a spiritual journey, providing solace and inspiration to those who need it most.
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The Pup From Away
Artist: Christina PattersonPublisher: Acorn Press$9.95Dukes the pup is brought to rural Prince Edward Island from the city. He is used to the glamour of city life and isn’t sure what to make of life in the country. Over time, though, he begins to explore the fields and streams and finds that he loves it more than he could have imagined. When it is time to go home to the city, it is clear that Dukes is better off in his new home.
With a BFA and MBA, Shaun Patterson’s professional experience working in the creative field has taken him from designing multimedia collateral for Fortune 500 companies to creating art and producing video games for some internationally recognizable brands such as Six Flags, A&E and National Geographic. As a freelancer Shaun has produced high quality pieces of art and illustration ranging from children’s books, album covers, board game art and numerous private commissions. Shaun works both traditionally and digitally, and has a real love for doing genre work. Originally hailing from Barrie Ontario, Shaun and his wife Christina (also an artist) have made P.E.I. their home over the last five years and find the island to be a constant source of inspiration for them. Visit his website at www.shaunpatterson.com.
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The Memory Chair
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Thirteen-year-old Betony has always hated going to her cranky great-grandmother’s house. It’s old and stuffy and boring and the woodstove in the kitchen is always burning too hot. But her Gram doesn’t have any other family living close by on the Kingston Peninsula, so Betony ends up being dragged along all the time.
She’d rather be pretty much anywhere…until one day Betony sits on her Gram’s favourite chair. She is suddenly transported into the past, and is experiencing her Gram’s life as if it were in her own memory. At first Betony is excited and curious, and begins to develop a close relationship with Gram, even learning to cook and quilt. But after she has experienced a few more of her great-grandmother’s memories, she realizes she is slowly uncovering a terrible, shameful family secret.
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Born ! A Foal, Five Kittens and Confederation
Artist: Brenda JonesPublisher: Acorn Press$12.95Award-winning children’s author Deirdre Kessler has set her latest story in the late summer of 1864. Nine-year-old twins Gabriel and Grace help their parents run the Great George Street Livery Stables in Charlottetown. They are part of all the excitement as a circus comes to town and as politicians arrive by steamship from the Maritimes and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. The twins have drawing lessons with their friend, fourteen-year-old artist Robert Harris, who plays in the band that entertains the delegates at a grand banquet and ball at Province House. But the twins are most excited about their favourite horse, who is about to give birth to her first foal. Travel back in time to the streets of Charlottetown for an insider’s peek at the meetings that led to Confederation, beautifully illustrated by award-winning illustrator, Brenda Jones.
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Hockey Morning Noon and Night
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Hockey Morning, Noon and Night is a warm, light-hearted story about one little boy’s love of the game. Based on her seven-year-old son’s real-life obsession with hockey, author Doretta Groenendyk has created a delightful book for young budding stars, with bright, colourful ink and acrylic illustrations..
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Somewhere I Belong
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95In Somewhere I Belong, we meet young P.J. Kavanaugh at North Boston Station. His father has died, the Depression is on, and his mother is moving them back home. They settle in, and P.J. makes new friends. But the P.E.I. winter is harsh, the farm chores endless, and his teacher a drunken bully. He soon wants to go home; the problem is how.
A letter arrives from Aunt Mayme announcing a Babe Ruth charity baseball game in the old neighbourhood. But Ma won’t let him go. P.J is devastated. The weeks pass, then there is an accident on the farm. P.J. becomes a hero and Ma changes her mind. He travels to Boston, sees his friends, watches Babe Ruth hit a home run, and renews his attachment to the place. But his eagerness to return to the Island makes him wonder where he really belongs.
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Prince Edward Island ABC
Artist: Dale McNevinPublisher: Acorn Press$12.95Prolific P.E.I. illustrator has a new take on the P.E.I. alphabet. Avoiding the predictable icons such as “A is for Anne of Green Gables” this book is meant to appeal to PE Islanders both at home and away. With images that include A is for Acadian; B is for Blue Jay; C is for Confederation; D is for Old Donald, E is for Exploring a Tidal Pool, F is for Farmers and Fishers; H is Harness Racing; J is Jams and Jellies; K is for Kindred Spirits.; and L is Lighthouse, this Prince Edward Island ABC will to appeal to both children and adults. Â
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Village that Loved Oysters
Artist: Meredith LucePublisher: Acorn Press$9.95The Village that Loves Oysters is a children’s picture book that describes the quaint PEI village of Tyne Valley, and its odd obsession with Malpeque oysters. As the story goes, “the villagers eat oysters for breakfast and dinner and lunch, and on hot summer days they drink oyster-laced punch!”. The villagers get even more oyster-crazed at the onset of the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival, for which the story is written to commemorate. It will be launched during the 50th anniversary of the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival this summer.Â
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Step Outside
Publisher: Acorn Press$19.95Â Doretta Groenendyk’s new book, Step Outside, promotes the valuable goal of relating to each other and the natural environment in a creative and enchanted way. Childhood obesity and the addiction to electronics is a growing concern that needs to be addressed. Step Outside is an artistic approach to inspire movement, to strengthen family bonds, to generate memories and celebrate the outdoors. It also visually enriches the readers repetoire with enticing, original, collaged, watercolour and acrylic creations within a moment of words. Â A beautiful combination of sport, art, poetry, nature and family, Step Outside, is sure to get you off your chair and enjoying the outdoors.
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Kira’s Secret
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Twelve-year-old Kira loves to swim. But her parents, who adopted her as a baby, have forbidden her to go near the sea where they live on the north Atlantic coast. Frustrated by their rules, Kira decides to rebel and jumps into the icy waters. She is shocked by what she learns about herself. With the help of her friend Cody, Kira begins the search for her original family. She soon discovers why her adoptive parents were afraid to let her go into the sea.
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Bubba Begonia and the Bully
Artist: Dale McNevinPublisher: Acorn Press$8.95It was the first day of school and Bubba Begonia felt great. Then -SPLAT! Bubba meets his new classmate Stinky Biggs. He also meetsa stalking crow, a pair of puppets who speak Wabatawbee, a skunknamed Chiclet, a Flying Bag of Doom, and a dog with gas. He accidentallyrobs a bank, he’s called a ‘hero’ and is given a reward. Hehas the worst birthday party ever, sees his favourite teacher drippingwith egg, buys a wedding cake that tastes like ‘looove’, saves abully’s butt and nearly ends up in the slammer. This can’t be good,can it?
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Fairies on My Island
Artist: Christina PattersonPublisher: Acorn Press$12.95If you look closely, maybe you too can discover the world of fairies. Get ready for Shaun and Christina Patterson to take you into a magical worlds of Fairies. A place where silliness and fun are just as important as being true to yourself and taking care of nature. The Pattersons have traveled far and wide on Prince Edward Island to uncover the secret world of fairies. Join them now as they discover the world of fairies. Complete with instructions to make your own fairies, this book is a true guide to many of the fairies you will see on your search.
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Sewing Basket
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Dealing with a parent’s illness can be difficult at any age It is 1967 and twelve year old Ruth Iverson’s world pretty much revolves around her friends, a boy she likes, the Monkees and spending time with her Dad doing special stuff like watching the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup. But she is soon to realize that her mom’s strange behaviour which has become an embarrassment, are symptoms of a disease that will affect the family’s life and possibly Ruth’s future. While she watches major events like the marriage of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the birth of Priscilla Presley, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, Ruth faces some major life events of her own and struggles to come to terms with the changes they bring.
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Tallulah the Theatre Cat
Publisher: Acorn Press$9.95Tallulah the village cat is passionately drawn to the theatre in Victoria-by-the-Sea, Prince Edward Island. Her search to fit in takes us on a humourous behind-the-scenes tour of a theatre. Her rise from being most unwelcome to greatly appreciated is a story of the values of persistence, loyalty and following one’s bliss.
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Morgan’s Boat Ride
Artist: Anna BaldPublisher: Acorn Press$12.95Morgan and her dog head out on an accidental journey down the river that flows past the summer cottage where they holiday with Morgan’s mother. As they float along the river they observe landscape and life on the water, various birds and people enjoying the activities the river has to offer. But the story is not only about their adventure, it is also about community, about how all the people who see them drifting past hurry off to make sure that they come to no danger. The story ends at the local wharf where the entire community comes together to celebrate their adventure and their safe return.
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Owen’s Pirate Adventure
Artist: Shaun PattersonPublisher: Acorn Press$11.95Every kid wants to be a pirate, don’t they? Owen’s nighttime prayer to be a pirate attracts the attention of a crew who whisk him away on their magical flying ship. But the pirate’s life isn’t what he expected-especially when they are attacked by a rival vessel, a hungry sea monster before angering a storm cloud. Owen recruits his new monster friend to rescue him and return him home.
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Spin to Sea
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Every year at harvest, in a cosy cove on the south shore of Nova Scotia, families and neighbors gather by the water and send their carved pumpkins out into the bay. Spin to the Sea celebrates this enchanted, annual event through magical illustrations and lyrical text. Izra Fitch is 15 years old and lives in the Annapolis Valley with her parents, two brothers and their cats.Her first book, Spin to the Sea was created outside, in cafes and at the kitchen table. Izra loves to make art, stories and music. She also likes rainy weather, graphic novels, travelling, gorillas and chocolate. No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this book.
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Bully 101
Publisher: Acorn Press$18.95Bully 101 is an irreverant look at a familiar and ongoing issue. It explores both the temptations of bullying and the remarkable possibility of kindness. It is an excellent conversation starter for both families and schools, or anyone who hopes for peace. The illustrations are funky. The text rhymes and twists. Geared towards primary-grade 7 Bully 101 identifies ways in bullying occurs, (cyber, playground, bus,) the feelings that result (for both the bully and victim) and the simple notion that anyone can chose kindness instead. The book does not answer all questions surrounding bullying; it does not preach either. Rather, it will begin conversations on why we bully, or watch it happen and it presents the idea that everyone has the choice to not participate in it.
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Ten Thousand Truths
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95A moving story of losing family but finding a new one. Thirteen-year-old Rachel is bad news, or so her foster care worker tells her. She’s been shuttled from one rotten foster family to another ever since her mother and brother died in a car accident five years ago, and she’s running out of options. So when she gets caught shoplifting and is kicked out of her latest home, the only place left to send her is the last resort for kids like her: a farm in the middle of nowhere run by a disfigured recluse named Amelia Walton, whom Rachel nicknames “Warty” because of the strange lumps covering her face and neck. Rachel settles into life at the farm, losing herself in her daily chores and Amelia’s endless trivia, and trying to forget her past and the secret she’s holding inside. But when a letter arrives for her out of the blue, Rachel soon realizes that you can’t hide from your past-or your future.
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My Mother is Weird
Artist: Brenda JonesPublisher: Acorn Press$9.95A hilarious look at a child’s view of a mother’s bad day. Originally published in 1989 by Ragweed Press, this book is considered to be a P.E.I. classic. This unique view of mother’s “bad day” through the observant eyes of a child is a weird and wonderful story for parents and children. My mother is so weird. Some mornings, when she wakes up, she has horns on her head and long pointy teeth and claws. She speaks in a voice like a jackhammer. But after her morning coffee, Mom’s horns disappear, and her teeth and claws shrink back to normal. She speaks in a soft, smooth voice. But, one morning…we ran out of coffee…
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Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House
Publisher: Acorn Press$11.95Ten-year-old Chloe Sutton arrives on Prince Edward Island from her home in Ontario after the tragic loss of her parents in a car accident. Her Aunt Laverne (Larry) is a doctor and her only relative able to take her in. Chloe isn’t sure what to make of her aunt’s big old house on the red cliff overlooking the Northumberland Strait, or the skinny, red-haired and heavily freckled boy who wants to be her friend. Her first night in her new home, Chloe is tormented by the loss of her mother and father and hides in the dark to speak to them. When she does, she unknowingly invites the attention of a ghostly boy who inhabits the oldest part of the farmstead. Terrified but intrigued by the encounter, Chloe decides to uncover his history, setting her off on a set of adventures. When she does finally find the ghost boy’s secret, she realizes he has been blaming himself for years for the death of his brother, much like she has been blaming herself for surviving her parents. With the wrong made right, Chloe is finally let go of her own grief and accepted her new life.
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Dreamtime
Artist: Christina PattersonPublisher: Acorn Press$15.95The soothing rhythms and sounds of the words of this story will work their magic on children at bedtime. Written by award-winning author Deirdre Kessler and illustrated by the talented young artist Christina Patterson, this book evokes a quiet nighttime in Prince Edward Island-a perfect going-to-bed story. Dreamtimeis sure to be a classic of the 21st century.
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The Year Mrs. Montague Cried
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Susan White was born in New Brunswick and moved from one New Brunswick city to another. As a teenager her family moved to the Kingston Peninsula and she only left long enough to earn her BA and Bed at St. Thomas University in Fredericton. Settling on the peninsula, she and her husband raised four children and ran small farm while she taught elementary school. Since retiring she is grateful to now have the time to work on her writing and the freedom to regularly visit her new granddaughter in Alberta.
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Chung Lee Loves Lobsters
Artist: Glen Craig, Perri CraigPublisher: Acorn Press$9.95Mr. Chung Lee is a retired restaurant cook who buys one lobster a month with his old age pension cheque, takes the lobster to the seashore, and releases it into the sea. This book, a PEI favourite, was originally published in 1992 by Annick Press, but it has since gone out-of-print. New illustrations and fresh text will make it a favourite for a new generation of Islanders. This story won the L. M. Montgomery Children’s Literature Award in 1990.
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Treasures to Find
Artist: Dale McNevinPublisher: Acorn Press$12.95Dale McNevin is a much beloved PEI illustrator who has illustrated numerous books including Crosby and Me, Everything That Shines, and Three Tall Trees. Her characters from The True Meaning of Crumbfest were immortalized by the City of Charlottetown in re-created large statues painted by artists around the city.
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Crosby and Me
Artist: Dale McNevinPublisher: Acorn Press$9.95I’m off to play hockeybut I’m starting to thinkdad’s dreams are the reasonwe go to the rink.He’s doing the drivingwith Mum at his side,our frisky dog Crosbycomes along for the ride.
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Snow for Christmas
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Mother of three young children, Doretta Groenendyk teaches art to young people, is active in her children’s school, and participates widely in the Nova Scotia artistic community, doing workshops around the province, including Word on the Street in Halifax. Based in Canning, NS, Doretta is the illustrator of Bounce and Beans and Burn, with text by Shannon Murray, which was shortlisted for the PEI Book Award in 2008, and I’m Writing a Story, her first book featuring her own stories and illustrations.
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I’m Writing a Story
Publisher: Acorn Press$12.95Mother of three young children, Doretta Groenendyk teaches art to young people, is active in her children’s school, and participates widely in the Nova Scotia artistic community, doing workshops around the province, including Word on the Street in Halifax. Based in Canning, NS, Doretta is the illustrator of Bounce and Beans and Burn, with text by Shannon Murray, which was shortlisted for the PEI Book Award in 2008
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Lookbook!
Publisher: Acorn Press$9.95Jordan McIntyre teaches part-time in the History Department at the University of Prince Edward Island. She researches Canadian museums, aboriginal history, and art history. She is currently working to develop a hands-on Children’s Museum on PEI and was inspired to write this series after many delightful and educational trips with her three young children.
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Butterflies in My Belly
Artist: Brenda WhitewayPublisher: Acorn Press$7.95Jackie MacKay is a therapist who counsels children in a play therapy setting. Butterflies in My Belly was inspired by her work with young children. Jackie works at The Children’s Centre, a division of the Catholic Family Services Bureau in Charlottetown. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Sir Wilfred Laurier University. Jackie lives in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, with her husband and two children.
