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Tag: Kids Books

My Favourite Book of 2011: Sandy (Sales)

by Sandy
Kids / December 20, 2011

If I had to pick just one book for this season... and that's almost impossible with the choice we have here at Raincoast... it would be the Chronicle children's book Press Here. It's a book that is difficult to describe because it has to be experienced. It is an action book that requires your full participation and attention. With so many electronic games, and plastic toys with batteries taking the attention of young brains these days (goodness I sound like my Grandmother...) this book is a delight for kids and adults alike. I read it to my 5 year old Grandson and he was so delighted he wanted to read it over and over again. My 12 year old Grandson was watching and then wanted to read it with us as well. It's good for all ages. The long lost art of imagination is alive and well in this special book by Hervé Tullet.

Originally published in France in 2010, Chronicle bought rights for North America. Give yourself and treat and take a few minutes to play...cover to cover in Press Here. 

 

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Distribution Change: Owlkids

by Dan
Kids + News / December 08, 2011

Effective January 1, 2012 Owlkids Books will be distributed in Canada by UTP
Distribution. Returns of Owlkids books will be accepted by UTP as of this date.

Raincoast Books will also accept returns of Owlkids product until March 31, 2012.

Canadian sales will be handled by ampersand inc., formerly known as Kate
Walker & Company.

Owlkids Books and Maple Tree Press ISBN prefixes are:
978-1-897066
978-1-897349
978-1-926818
978-1-926973
978-2-89579

New distribution contact information:
University of Toronto Press
5201 Dufferin Street
Toronto, ON, M3H 5T8

(PH) 1-800-565-9523 (North America) / (416) 667-7791
(FAX) 1-800-221-9985 (North America) / (416) 667-7832

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Favourite Books 2010: Crystal Allen

by Crystal
Kids + News + Travel / December 17, 2010

Those who know me well consider me to be a bad girl, a rebel if you will. I think that is why they hired me as a Children's Book Publicist here at Raincoast, to give it a bit more edge. Rules? Ha! I laugh in the face of rules. So when Dan Wagstaff our dashing (yes dashing! Have you heard Dan's English accent?) Online Marketing Specialist asked us all to come up with our favorite 3 books of 2010 I said "No way! I'm choosing 5!" So here they are, in no particular order, Crystal Allen's Favorite Raincoast Books of 2010!

Out of Sight
Francesco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811877121
$22.99

I remember the first time I heard about this book I thought "Oh that sounds like it will be pretty good!" Then I saw it and it and I was absolutely blown away! If you want to buy one book this year that will be enjoyed by everyone in your family from ages 6 months (with supervision) to 100 this is the book. The animal kingdom comes alive with over 50 known and unknown creatures from around the world. With lift the flaps and pop ups this 11 inch by 15 inch book is not only beautiful but it will also keep a child entertained for hours. And it's only $22.95 which gives you a lot of bang for your gift giving buck!

 

The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World
Robert Reid
Lonely Planet ISBN 9781741792119
$56.00

My husband and I were given the first edition of The Travel Book for a wedding present back in 2006. Too poor to travel the world we often pull this tomb out and armchair travel for an evening. The book has 229 countries & destinations to explore each laid out over a two page full color spread. My very favorite part of the book is that each destination has recommendations on something to Read, Listen To, Watch, Eat and Drink to help experience the country. Then it sums up each country in one word. One of my favorites is Tahiti who's word is Haere Maru which means Take It Slow.

 

Alphabeasties Amazing Activities
Sharon Werner & Sarah Forss
Blue Apple ISBN 9781609050412
$15.99

One of my favorite book of 2009 was Alphabeasties, a book that explored all the different types of fonts and turned them into animals made out of combinations of different typefaces. From an alligator made of A's to a Zebra made of Z's the book took fonts blocky, small, thick, tall, roundish, slope-y fancy and dopey and brought them to life. For 2010 we have the sequel to the book Alphabeasties Amazing Activities which is packed full of mazes, word searches, rebus puzzles and other intellectual play plus 300 stickers and the really cool animals. It's a must have not only for kids but also for design nerds... or want to be design nerds... like me.

I had the opportunity to work with 2 fabulous authors in 2010 for their Canadian Tours and I would be remise if I did not mention their books on my list.

The first was the lovely Annie Barrows who visited Vancouver and did 3 events plus a bookseller & librarian lunch all in one day for her new book Ivy and Bean What's The Big Idea. The Ivy and Bean books are my very favorite chapter book series about two girls who are neighbors and best friends and get into all kinds of mischief together. My favorite books as a child were the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary and these take me right back to those days. Like the Ramona books the Ivy and Bean books have huge fans that are both female and male. I expected a ton of little girls to gush over Annie during the day that I spent with her but I was pleasantly surprised to see how many little boys were huge fans as well!

 

The second author we had in Canada was the hilarious and delightful Bart King who visited Toronto to promote his book The Big Book Of Gross Stuff. Bart was on Breakfast Television and fried up some worms for a little breakfast treat and had a great time sharing gross facts from around the world on YTV's The Zone. Farts, poop, boogers, maggots, vomit, head cheese and just about every other gross thing you can think of are explored in this book so it will delight boys (and we have to admit girls too) with it's grossness. The thing that parents will love? Bart is a middle school teacher so while kids think they are reading about all this nasty stuff that would churn grownups stomachs they are actually being tricked into learning a lot of really great things!

So that's my list of my favorite books of 2010! I think there is something for just about anyone that you may have on your gift list! Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

Crystal Allen is the Children's and Travel Publicist at Raincoast books. As much as she would like to think of herself as a bad girl, she really isn't. She is also mama to 2 year old Isabella and the owner of Lilikoi Lane where she makes and designs really cool shirts for kids!

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You Never Know

by Dan
Harry Potter + Kids / October 04, 2010

As we mentioned last week, superstar author Joanne "Jo" Rowling (AKA J.K. Rowling) sat down with Oprah at a hotel in Edinburgh (the same hotel where she finished writing the Harry Potter series!) to talk about her life and, of course, you know who.

The interviewed aired on Friday, and inevitably, the question on everyone's lips was "would she ever write another Harry Potter book?"

Well, here's your answer (sort of):

Jo: [The characters] are all still in my head. I mean, I could write. I could definitely write an eight, ninth, 10th. I could, easily.

Oprah: You could. Will you?

Jo: I'm not going to say I won't. I don't think I will. I loved writing those books. I loved writing it. So I feel I am done, but you never know.

I guess "you never know" is better than just "never", right? 

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J.K. Rowling to Appear on Oprah!

by Dan
Harry Potter / September 28, 2010

©2010 Harpo Productions, Inc./All Rights Reserved

Hot on the heels of her success at Indigo's Teen Read Awards, the amazing J.K. Rowling is going to make her first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Friday! In a wide-ranging interview that took place in a hotel in Edinburgh, Rowling spoke candidly with Oprah about her life and career as well as her journey to becoming one of the most recognizable and popular writers in the world. Rowling, who (as you know) rarely does interviews, also shared her thoughts on the possibility of ever writing another Harry Potter book in the future. 

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Day & Night

by Dan
Kids / July 23, 2010

Opposites attract when Day meets Night and Night meets Day in the delightful new picture book Day & Night!

Available next month, the book is based on the Pixar short Day & Night, which which premiered with Toy Story 3.

In this video, Teddy Newton and the creative team behind Day & Night explain how they made the charming short: 

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Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Thought Bubble

by Dan
Craft + Kids / June 04, 2010

Amy Krouse Rosenthal, New York Times best-selling author of Little Oink, Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Duck! Rabbit!, teamed up with the Smart Bubble Society to produce this lovely "Thought Bubble" on kindness: 

And if you're interested in finding out more about Amy, watch this great presentation she gave at the TEDx conference in Waterloo, Ontario called the "7 Notes of Life":

And you can find Amy's short film 17 Things I Made here!

Books by Amy Krouse Rosenthal:

Life Pea

Little Hoot

Little Oink

Little Books Boxed Set

Duck! Rabbit!

Follow Amy on Twitter!

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Illustrator S.britt Interviewed at Grain Edit

by Dan
Art & Photography + Kids / February 16, 2010

Eccentric illustrator S.britt, who has done lots of wonderful work for our friends at Chronicle Books—including the illustrations for the spooky Over in the Hollow—was recently interviewed by the wonderful GrainEdit (but don't expect any straight answers!):

Well, after many years of struggling with remedial reading and basic comprehension, I was finally able to complete my very first children’s book during last Thursday evening’s bedtime story jamboree and prayerfest. I think the book was entitled Go, Dog Go! but don’t quote me on that since I can’t seem to remember anything past the part where the dog goes. However I am very excited about starting my next children’s book, Atlas Shrugged. Really, I like any book about choo-choo trains... As far as the process goes, it’s really no big secret. I just visit the local library or bookstore, select a tome that piques my interest, and pitch a powerful choking fit until someone eventually agrees to read to me. And if that doesn’t work, I threaten to wet myself and anything else within a five foot radius.

Over in the Hollow
by Rebecca Dickinson
illustrated by S.britt
Chronicle Books
ISBN 978-0-8118-5035-3
$18.95 hardcover

Also Available:
School Years: A Family Keepsake Of School Memories

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5 Things Vancouver: kc Dyer

by Dan
Travel + Vancouver / February 09, 2010

kc dyer lives with her children (and other animals) in the wilds north of Vancouver, BC, where she works as a freelance writer, speaker and educator. She is a director and long-time participant at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference, and a mentor with Creative Writing for Children in Vancouver. Her most recent novel is A Walk Through A Window, and the sequel will be published by Doubleday in fall, 2010. This year, she has been writer-in-residence at New Westminster Secondary School, and will be a featured presenter at writing conferences in Penticton, Victoria, Surrey, and Washington State. kc is an unrepentant tech geek, and can be found on-line at www.kcdyer.com, blogging at leftwriter and sweetly tweeting @kcdyer.

What’s the one place everyone should visit?
I've lived here for more than 15 years, now, and the one place that I try to take everyone who visits me is the Art Gallery. So many reasons... Cool old building—looks haunted at night. Right downtown—the heart of any protest action in the city, so something's always going down on the steps. Close to lots of public transit. The exhibits never fail to intrigue...daVinci is starting tomorrow! But what brings me back every time is the food. Hands down THE best cafeteria food you'll ever eat. Great prices for gourmet fare. The Vancouver Art Gallery will be moving house soon—they need to shift to a larger location. I don't think I'll be the only one mourning the change. So get there while you still can!

Where do you look for books in Vancouver?
Vancouver Kidsbooks, man. Their Kitsilano location is the most central, but they have a fantastic location in Edgemont Village on the North Shore and have recently opened a new location in White Rock. They have always supported me as a writer, and are the first to bring in great authors to introduce to their public. They foster an environment where books and stories are a part of life, and they are a huge part of the cultural scene in the city. You can't walk in the door without a crowd—people love shopping there because the folks who work at Kidsbooks are all huge readers and can make a recommendation under any circumstance.

What is the best thing to do with kids in Vancouver?
This is a city made for kids. So much to do, from the bike trails on the North Shore to Second Beach at Stanley Park. But my favourite thing to do with kids [or without them!] is Science World. The big golf ball on the shores of False Creek never fails to enchant, with the combination of new and well-loved exhibits, and great movies in the I-Max theatre. And when you're tired? White Spot burgers downstairs. Kid Heaven. Decent parking, but also right by the skytrain, AND on the seawall bike path.

What is your favourite building in Vancouver?
Loads of decent architecture in this town, of course, as the stomping grounds of Arthur Erikson. My favourite of all the buildings, though, is the downtown main branch of the Vancouver Public Library. Sweeping columns, skylights, beautiful use of stone—it's design by Moshe Safdie is unparalleled. I've had loads of happy times here, which doesn't hurt. Library Square has a huge indoor atrium [a must in this Rain City] and is the scene of Word on the Street here every year, among other gatherings. It's right across from the CBC, has got some decent parking downstairs—and hey, any building that shows up in Battlestar Galactica deserves a place on this list. It's downtown, so easy bike, bus, Skytrain access.

Where’s a good spot for Wi-Fi downtown?
We're lucky here as there are so many techie/enlightened shop owners -- it's pretty easy to find free Wi-fi. [Easier than loads of other cities in the world; I've struggled in both New York and London to find decent wifi]. My favourite place here, though, is Blenz coffee. Homegrown chain, great treats and THE best hot chocolate in town—made from actual dark belgian chocolate chips. Lots of plugs for weak batteries, and caffeine for slow brains. Great combo. Loads of locations around the Lower Mainland. 

Thanks kc!

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