As we find ourselves soldiering into our fourth year of Just One More Book!!, we remain in the process of catching up on interviews with illustrators that contributed original work to our Love of Reading Gallery — part of our second anniversary celebrations.  Yes, we’re a little behind.

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, Mark speaks with designer and children’s book illustrator hopeful Candace Trew Camling about her contribution titled Bookworm, still reading children’s books at age 25 and the genius of Adam Rex.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

As we find ourselves soldiering into our fourth year of Just One More Book!!, we remain in the process of catching up on interviews with illustrators that contributed original work to our Love of Reading Gallery — part of our second anniversary celebrations.  Yes, we’re a little behind.

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, Mark speaks with designer and children’s book illustrator hopeful Candace Trew Camling about her contribution titled Bookworm, still reading children’s books at age 25 and the genius of Adam Rex.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

As we find ourselves soldiering into our fourth year of Just One More Book!!, we remain in the process of catching up on interviews with illustrators that contributed original work to our Love of Reading Gallery — part of our second anniversary celebrations.  Yes, we’re a little behind.

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, Mark speaks with designer and children’s book illustrator hopeful Candace Trew Camling about her contribution titled Bookworm, still reading children’s books at age 25 and the genius of Adam Rex.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Author: Jeanne Willis (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Tony Ross (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Andersen Press (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780761351511

Unrealistically scrawny pop culture ideals, issues of acceptance and fears of unhealthy body image have made fitness and healthy eating tricky issues to address. This brazenly British picture book pulls no punches about the dangers of the couch potato lifestyle.

What do you think?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Jeanne Willis (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Tony Ross (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Andersen Press (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780761351511

Unrealistically scrawny pop culture ideals, issues of acceptance and fears of unhealthy body image have made fitness and healthy eating tricky issues to address. This brazenly British picture book pulls no punches about the dangers of the couch potato lifestyle.

What do you think?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

On February 5, 2007, we published episode 94 of Just One More Book!! It was a chat with Professor Thomas Wartenberg about the often overlooked philosophical concerns of young children, the deep philosophical issues raised by children’s books and the genesis of Philosophy For Children (not to be confused with P4C) — an innovative college course which harnesses the power of children’s books to help children learn to think about and discuss issues of philosophy, politics and social justice.

This spring, Professor Wartenberg gave us a sneak peek of his new book Big Ideas for Little Kids, an inspiring guide to teaching philosophy through children’s literature, and asked for our opinion.

If you want to know what we thought, check out the dust jacket:

We’re honoured!

The book is being released tomorrow, August 28.

Author: Vanessa Newton (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Vanessa Newton
Published: 2009 Chronicle Books (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9781934706909

Spot-on sixties-style illustrations, simple, springboard text and a soulful, sing along refrain shine a celebratory light on 18 individuals who stood tall and opened doors for generations.

More freedom reading on JOMB:

• Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog
• Priscilla and the Hollyhocks
• Freedom Child of the Sea
• Follow the Drinking Gourd

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

She can turn even the most reluctant — or, in her words, dormant — reader into a student who can’t put their books down.  With talent and passion like that, it’s a benefit to children that she abandoned her career as an accountant to become a grade six language arts and social studies teacher.

She is The Book Whisperer.

On this edition, Mark speaks with Donalyn Miller about safe territory, books in the classroom and her advice to parents, principals and politicians.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Interview with Francesca Simon

Author: Thad Krasnesky (on JOMB)
Illustrator: David Parkins (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Flashlight Press (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780979974649

Cute only gets you so far in the real world. Capturing the glee of victory and the sting of defeat, this hilariously illustrated rhyming book lets us laugh at our own (and our little sibling’s) attempts to prove otherwise.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Dusan Petricic
• David Roberts

Pop over to The Boy Reader for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

HOTLINE VOICES: Cathy Miller, “The Literacy Ambassador”, alerts us about Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury).

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Yumi Heo (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Yumi Heo
Published: 2009 Schwartz & Wade (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780375847189

Simple first person narrative, cheerful illustrations and charming child-like details make this task-by-task countdown to the arrival of a long awaited sibling sweet reading for any child.

More tales of family welcoming and adoption on JOMB:

• The Red Thread
• Thicker than Water on SILS
• Before You Were Here, Mi Amor
• Someday

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Just One More Book!! is featured in a fantastic article by Suzanne Gardner for Quill & Quire, Canada’s Magazine of Book News and Reviews (see Ottawa Couple Picking Up Book Coverage Slack).

Ms. Gardner did an amazing job balancing the highlights and realities of our efforts to promote great children’s books and the people behind them through our blog and podcast, something we do on our own time and with our own money.

Welcome to readers of Quill & Quire.  We hope you’ll take a moment to leave a voice mail message introducing yourself and telling us about one of your favourite children’s books.  Our community hotline number is 206-350-6487.

There’s a cosmic connection between farm animals and children.  So, as long as there are farms, we’ll have ample inspiration for children’s books.

On this edition, Mark visits the Central Experimental Farm with Ottawa author and illustrator, Crystal Beshara, to talk about growing up on a hobby farm, personification of our animal friends and her new book, When I Visit the Farm.

Other farm selections featured on Just One More Book!!

• Roar of a Snore
• Silly Tilly
• Sitting on the Farm
• Farm Flu

Thanks to a generous offer from blogger Bianca Schulze,  Andrea had the honour today of guest blogging at The Children’s Book Review.

A huge thanks to Bianca for the invitation!

It was a true pleasure to have the opportunity to write — rather than gab — about the payoffs for parents who read aloud.

We hope you will pop over and check it out at:
The Family that Reads Together… (aka What’s in it for ME?)

Related chats on JOMB:

• How old is too old for reading-aloud?
• The Family that Reads Together

We’d love to hear how reading has benefited your family. Leave us a comment below or, better yet, leave us a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Lynley Dodd (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Lynley Dodd
Published: 1987 Tricycle Press (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9781582463070

Six bark-along pooches, homey illustrations and spirited verse — what youngster could resist this slightly retro, rhyming micro-adventure?

More rhyming dog reading on JOMB:

• Fun Dog, Sun Dog
• Don’t Lick the Dog
• Stella, Unleashed!
• Biscuits in the Cupboard
• Good Dog
• My Pup
• The Pound from the Hound
• Poodlena
• Safe and Sound
• Dirty Dog Boogie

Other dogs on JOMB:

• The King’s Taster
• May I Pet Your Dog?
• How Smudge Came
• Rosie: A Visiting Dog’s Story
• Dr. White
• Heroes of Isle aux Morts
• Doggie in the Window
• Owney the Mail-Pouch Pooch
• Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog
• Little Lions, Bull Baiters & Hunting Hounds: A History of Dog Breeds
• “Let’s Get a Pup!” said Kate
• The Trouble with Tilly Trumble
• The Outside Dog
• Lady Lupin’s Book of Etiquette
• Dogs’ Night
• I Want A Dog

Pop over to A Wrung Sponger for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Kristen Tracy (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Random House (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780385736879

A big thanks to guest host Lucy (10) for joining Andrea today to discuss this book.

Life can be challenging and fair’s got nothing to do with it. Parents are people. Friendship’s a worthwhile risk. There’s a lot to think about when you’re ten in the real world. Which is why I’m so glad Lucy (10) and I read this fun and fabulously thought provoking book.

Mentioned in this chat:

• Life Without Limbs: Nick Vujicic
• Don’t Need Friends
• Horrid Henry

More books including less-than-perfect families on JOMB:

• The Grandmother Doll
• When-I-was-a-little-girl
• My Dad’s A Birdman
• Mummy Never Told Me
• more here.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

There are parts of being in this world that many parents want to shield their children from.  War, with its toll on lives, communities and countries is one of those controversial topics for children’s books that’s either hotly debated or blatantly dismissed.

For Canadians, August 19, 1942 carries even more significance because many were led to believe the British organized battle at Dieppe was an important victory, not a bloody defeat.  As we honour the 67th anniversary of Dieppe later this month, a new children’s book will be published that explores the reasons, strategy, horror and incredible survival that are part of this Canadian tale.

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, Mark speaks with author and historian Hugh Brewster about his new book Dieppe: Canada’s Darkest Day of World War II, and the importance of sharing the stories of the events and the people in war and remembrance.

Other books by Hugh Brewster:

• At Vimy Ridge: Canada’s Greatest World War I Victory
• On Juno Beach: Canada’s D-Day Heroes

More about war and remembrance on Just One More Book:

• A Bear in War
• A New Coat for Anna
• The Unknown Soldier
• The Diary of Laura’s Twin
• The Donkey of Gallipoli
• Janusz Korczak’s Children
• One Thousand Tracings
• A Poppy is to Remember
• Gleam and Glow
• The Cello of Mr. O
• What We Remember

Author: Gene Barretta (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Gene Barretta
Published: 2009 Henry Holt and Co (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780805087031

Playful, edge-to-edge illustrations and cheerily worded nuggets of history, mystery, physics, and biology paint a thrilling picture of a brilliantly curious and creative man that will tickle the scientist in all of us.

Right now, you can test out over 60 of Leonardo da Vinci’s prototypes at Leonardo da Vinci: Man Inventor Genius.

Mentioned in this chat:

• Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
• Wind Engineering Pioneer, Alan Davenport (palm tree observations)

More intriguing lives on JOMB:

• One Beetle Too Many — The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin
• The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau
• Marco Polo
• Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum
• Buffalo Music
• Priscilla and the Hollyhocks
• The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Gene Barretta (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Gene Barretta
Published: 2009 Henry Holt and Co (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780805087031

Playful, edge-to-edge illustrations and cheerily worded nuggets of history, mystery, physics, and biology paint a thrilling picture of a brilliantly curious and creative man that will tickle the scientist in all of us.

Right now, you can test out over 60 of Leonardo da Vinci’s prototypes at Leonardo da Vinci: Man Inventor Genius.

Mentioned in this chat:

• Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
• Wind Engineering Pioneer, Alan Davenport (palm tree observations)

More intriguing lives on JOMB:

• One Beetle Too Many — The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin
• The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau
• Marco Polo
• Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum
• Buffalo Music
• Priscilla and the Hollyhocks
• The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Bob Crelin (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Leslie Evans (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Charlesbridge (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9781570917851

New, crescent, quarter, gibbous and full then all the way back to new, this ingeniously illustrated poem gives us a solid understanding and new appreciation for our revolving neighbour.

UNESCO has designated 2009 as International Year of Astronomy. You can get excited and get involved in IYA2009 here.

More science on JOMB:

• Astronaut Handbook
• Animals at the EDGE (Saving the World’s Rarest Creatures)
• Nic Bishop’s Frogs
• One Beetle Too Many — The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin
• The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau
• Bubble Homes and Fish Farts
• The Snow Show — with Chef Kelvin

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Barbara Jean Hicks (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Sue Hendra (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Knopf (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780375956867

Gasping, gobbling, grinning, crunching and belching, seven sherbet-coloured monsters revel in outrage at their broccoli-loving readers in this rhyming enticement to eat green.

Blueberry-eating books mentioned:

• Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears
• Sleepover Larry

More food on JOMB:

• Treasure for Lunch
• The King’s Taster
• Berry Magic
• The Butter Man
• The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza
• The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating
• The Tortilla Cat
• Too Many Tamales
• Chopsticks
• Mammoth Pie
• On Top of Spaghetti
• Pumpkin Soup
• A Medieval Feast
• Sanji and the Baker

Pop over to Poetry For Children for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: Cindy McKinley (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Mary Gregg Byrne (on JOMB)
Published: 2002 Illumination Arts (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780935699234

Simple gestures, rippling kindness and true smiles are the stars of this inspiring invitation to share some brightness and chance a wave of well-being.

Other books mentioned:

• Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed

For more about spreading a ripple of kindness, you can check out

• The Pay It Forward Foundation
• The Pay It Forward Movement

or, just go ahead and do something nice….

HOTLINE VOICES: Aspiring children’s author Tara Lazar shares her enthusiasm for Perfectly Arugula (by Sarah Dillard)

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Here’s something unusual… there’s a series of books, 17 strong, that have been growing in popularity in more than 24 countries since the first book came out in 1994.  And, would you believe, these books are just now becoming available in the United States.  The biggest market in the world is one of the last major markets to get on board.

Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry books, joins Mark for what may be one of the most important interviews we’ve ever done on Just One More Book!! as they talk about books with universal themes, the penalty of growing old enough to read by yourself and Storybook Dads — breaking the cycle of crime through a literacy and family connection program for convicts in a high-security prison.

Mentioned in the interview:

• Simon James
• Ian Whybrow
• Tony Ross

Two of the Horrid Henry books are mentioned in our 500th episode, Chapter Book Chatter.  By the way, we’re 9 episodes away from 600, now (not including our 21 part Rock Stars of Reading series).

We encourage you to learn more about the Storybook Dads program.

Photo: Francesca Simon’s website

Author: Jarrett Krosoczka (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Jarrett Krosoczka
Published: 2009 Knopf (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780375846847

Lunch Lady arrived this week and our young Jarrett fans were on these books “like cheese on macaroni”. Today Lucy (10) and Bayla (8) share their thoughts on the first two books in this zany graphic novel series.

For a behind the scenes glimpse at the making of Lunch Lady , check out our video interview with author and illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka:

• Rock Stars of Reading part 9: Digital Jarrett Krosoczka

More Jarrett on JOMB:

• Rock Stars of Reading part 08: Jarrett Krosoczka
• Interview with Jarrett Krosoczka
• Rock Stars of Reading part 20: Advice for aspiring readers
• Rock Stars of Reading part 7: Creators of the Round Table

HOTLINE VOICES: An anonymous caller tells us why she loves My Friend Isabelle (by Eliza Woloson and Bryan Gough).

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Author: April Wayland (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Stéphane Jorisch (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Dial Books (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780803732797

Crisp salt air and sunshine breeze from airy, upbeat illustrations in this chattily shared and poignant reminder of the bliss that is forgiveness.

Rosh Hashanah is September 19-20, 2009. Will you be tossing an “I’m Sorry” list?

More forgiveness on JOMB:

• Enemy Pie
• The Worst Best Friend
• Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big
• Too Many Tamales
• Not so Rotten Ralph
• The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza
• Elinor and Violet: The Story of Two Naughty Chickens
• Pumpkin Soup
• Chloë’s Birthday. . . and Me
• Do Unto Otters
• The Unknown Soldier
• The Diary of Laura’s Twin (A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers)
• Bird
• Sourpuss And Sweetie Pie
• Sleeping Dragons All Around
• Smoky Mountain Rose (An Appalachian Cinderella)
• Silly Tilly
• and more….

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.