February 1, 2012

Another Piggy Bunny Review

Another Piggy Bunny review, this time from Daily Kos. And it’s a good one too.

January 26, 2012

Grumpy Bird fan movie

Some 6th and 7th grade students at Elmwood School produced this wonderful “fan” video of Grumpy Bird. I really enjoyed it. I hope you do too. It made my day.

January 18, 2012

Starred Review for PIGGY BUNNY

Piggy Bunny, my book with Rachel Vail, just got its first review. It will appear in the Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books in their February issue. What a great start for this book!

Vail, Rachel Piggy Bunny; illus. by Jeremy Tankard. Feiwel, 2012 [32p] ISBN 978-0-312-64988-3 $14.99 Reviewed from galleys R* 5-7 yrs “All the other piglets wanted to be pigs when they grew up. Liam wanted to be the Easter Bunny.” That’s a peculiar and lofty ambition for anybody, let alone a young pig, and Liam’s perplexed immediate family tries to point him toward pragmatism (“‘You are a piglet,’ said Liam’s big sister. ‘Deal with it’”). It’s Liam’s grandparents who heroically defend his dream (“They just have the imagination of a kumquat, the lot of them,” sniffs his grandmother), rustle him up a bunny suit (“We will order one on the Internet”), and see him through to the fulfillment of his fantasy. Vail’s high-spirited and highly comedic text just begs for a whole-souled readaloud with rich vocal characterization that’ll make the most of both the humor and the touches of poignancy (“This is the kind of problem,” sighs Liam, “that is called heartbreaking”). It’s a hilariously absurd story about a pig, but it’s also a cheerful championing of the kind of role play for which “pretend” seems a dismissive term and which sees little kids wearing their superhero capes to the supermarket; even beyond that, it’s a subtle reassurance about finding workable ways to explore a dream or an identity that may seem initially impossible. Tankard, author-illustrator of Grumpy Bird (BCCB 3/07), employs thickly solid yet fluid brushstrokes in figures that have a touch of Japanese graphic flavor in their streamlined cuteness; digital color makes the piglets a luscious pink that stands out against gently patterned tone-on-tone backgrounds in stripes and spots. This will be an enjoyably loopy and stealthily reassuring readaloud any time of the year, and it would make a terrifically offbeat Easter entry. Oink. DS

January 17, 2012

Piggy Bunny video

I made this short video about PIGGY BUNNY, my book with Rachel Vail. Available everywhere books are sold at the end of February, 2012.

October 7, 2011

Library Contest Videos

In case you have ever wondered what I look like. Or sounded like for that matter. Here is your chance! Some videos have been uploaded featuring the authors from the public library contest. Head on over and take a look!

September 15, 2011

Toronto Star on Library Contest

Saw this in the Toronto Star yesterday. It makes me very happy to see my name printed along with Ms. Atwood and Mr. Ondaatje. Neat! And today the winners of the library contest were announced. They can be seen here. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. I look forward to lunching with some of you!

September 7, 2011

OPRAH!!!!!

So I was talking with my friend Becky in the playground yesterday and she told me that Boo Hoo Bird made Oprah Winfrey’s book club. Then she emailed me a link. How awesome is this??!?!?!??? Thank you Oprah.

August 24, 2011

I'm a prize!

As many of you know, the Toronto Public Library is being threatened with closures by the current mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford. The Toronto Public Library is one of the biggest and best-used library systems in North America — used by everyone from new immigrants to the well-established, the wealthy to the poor. In light of these threatened closures the library is offering the following contest in which library supporters can win lunch with a famous Toronto author. Much to my surprise, and delight, they have included me among these authors. Other authors revealed so far include Michael Ondaatje, Susan Swan, Sylvia Fraser, Joy Fielding, Judy Fong-Bates and Robert Robertberg. If you are a Toronto Public Library supporter and would like to win lunch with me, or one of the other (arguably much more famous) writers, check out this link.

February 10, 2011

New Interview

Yahong Chi, a 14 year old book reviewer and writer, asked me for an interview recently. Some excellent and thought provoking questions. Go give it a read!

October 12, 2010

ME HUNGRY! storytime

Betsy Bird at Fuse #8 just posted this fabulous storytime suggestion on her wonderful blog. And, as if that weren’t enough, there’s even a video of Betsy demonstrating the book’s readability! Thanks Betsy! Now, everyone, rush out and purchase yourself a copy of ME HUNGRY! please.