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Fanie, Alex and Andréanne have just been to one of the best birthday parties ever when they receive a strange message forbidding them from entering the forest and threatening retaliation if they disobey. This forest - their territory - forbidden? We'll see about that! The group had plans to build a clubhouse and spend most of their summer vacation there. And now someone wants to keep them away. Why? At first, the group suspects the Trottier brothers; they like to terrorize people. However, something much more serious is happening. Will Fanie and her friends be able to find a solution? Here we have a well-structured story about environmental protection whose plot all will enjoy. Throughout the story, dialogue is used in just the right amount. The small group of children becomes aware of the importance of protecting our natural environment and will find the means necessary to protect it. Sometimes, the answer lies in the imagination of children. GAYA ET LE PETIT DÉSERT : HISTOIRES À CONTER DANS LA MAIN Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Gaya who lived with her grandfather Androu. One beautiful fall morning, Gaya came down the hill to fetch water from the well. To her surprise, the well was almost dry. Her grandfather told her not to worry, that it was only temporary, but Gaya wanted to know the reason why it was drying up. She had read in an old almanac that humans should consult more often with the animals, the trees and the life that surrounds them. So that's what she decided to do. In her search for clues, she questioned the great oak tree, the squirrel, the owl and the beaver. Each one blamed his neighbour. Gaya was left to sort through the pieces of the puzzle to find out who really was responsible. This fascinating story encourages the reader to think about his own actions and their impact on the environment. Its message: each of us should look first towards ourselves before blaming someone else. As with the author's Léo et les presqu'îles, what makes this story original is that the reader is invited to physically place himself in the palm of his own hand, each finger representing a different road upon which to travel, the palm representing the central point of the story. The illustrations are lively, while the soft colours have a calming effect on children. Gaya et le petit désert is a story that young and old alike will enjoy, thanks to its fresh point of view and its gentle poetry.
Cécile Gagnon tells stories. It is her nature, her very essence. And that is precisely what she does in L'Herbe qui murmure: she has gathered together eight delightful short stories that have a tree as their central theme. There is the tree that is full of leaves, where insects, mushrooms, birds and squirrels live; the tree loved by Pamela, a very unusual little girl who is able to communicate through a rubber boot. The friendship that binds the tree and the child allows the little girl to get to know herself better, to accept herself and to live her childhood to its fullest. In this collection, there is even a short story, barely two pages long, "L'arbre de Monsieur Armand," which children who know their school's lost-and-found box well will particularly enjoy. What more can be said of "Confiture de carottes," other than that you will never plant another carrot seed without thinking of this story? A little carrot and an old tree go on underground voyages of exploration together, thanks to the tree's long roots. They spend an entire winter entwined, sheltered from the frost and, in the spring, something wonderful awaits them. Each story includes a black-and-white illustration. Easy to read out loud, these stories will sound good to children's ears. The sound of your voice will bring nature within their reach.
On what should be the first day back to school, Flavie finds her vacation extended by a day. On August 29, a snowstorm hits the city of Montreal. Strange things are happening. Flavie has noticed that certain meteorological events are occurring under circumstances that are perhaps more foreign to her than to those around her. She decides to ask Mr. Vacherin, a somewhat eccentric private detective, for help in discovering the reason behind what's been happening. This is a zany story that is so amusing and captivating that it is easily read in one sitting. Action-packed and spirited, this book keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. Humorous illustrations add an extra dimension to the text and lend movement to the story, which is already quite lively. Using legends and conventional beliefs, the author gives a whole new meaning to the expression "rain or shine."
One day, while travelling, the story's narrator finds himself in an old region of the Alps. A dreary and desolate area of barren moors, there is no water and the only thing that grows is wild lavender. In this inhospitable land, he meets a lone shepherd who invites him to his home to eat and sleep. From the moment he meets this gentle man, he likes him. Yet, the shepherd has an odd habit: every night he meticulously sorts 100 acorns, which in the morning he plants in the neighbouring lands. These lands do not belong to him; he has no idea whom they belong to. It doesn't matter. Day after day, without fail, he does the same. The years go by. Finally, thanks to time, effort, providence and nature, trees of every species begin to grow in the region. Water comes back, small animals of every kind settle in, and people return to live in the area. These transformations are so gradual that no one is surprised. Everyone believes it is a "natural forest." The region has changed enormously since the narrator's first visit: the air has become sweet and scented; the old dried-up springs have begun to flow again; villages have been rebuilt. The region is now an area where life is good. At the time of his death, more than 10 000 people owed their happiness to Elzéard Bouffier, the lone shepherd who planted trees. Jean Giono's story is an ode to the greatness of human beings. The tone, always even, always modest, accentuates the extraordinary, never minimizing it. In fact, Giono would have liked not so much to tell of Elzéard Bouffier, but rather to render him through his silences, in his simplicity and his greatness. Each sentence expresses Giono's great respect "for this old peasant without culture, who was able to see his labour through to a result worthy of God." Frédéric Bach's airy illustrations, appearing like leaves on the wind, are worthy of the text. The smooth, flowing lines are sometimes sad, sometimes joyful, but always very modest. They enable one to sense rather than to see; even the soft and diverse colours add to this effect.
There's something fascinating about observing nature in different seasons, especially with one of these books. More than just guidebooks, they suggest many activities that can be enjoyed using simple equipment available to everybody. After using one, you'll want to know what activities the other volume has in store and what phenomena can be discovered by using it. These guidebooks contain lots of information on various subjects related to the specific season. Whether you want to know how birds survive the cold, why the days get longer, which constellations are specific to each season or how to recognize the clouds, all the information is there, illustrated and organized in such a way as to make the book a pleasure to consult. Whether living in the city or in the country, everyone will find that these wonderful little books contain activities and information that meets their needs. Recommended for anyone with a thirst for knowledge, who can't get enough of observing and understanding the natural world that surrounds them.
There's something fascinating about observing nature in different seasons, especially with one of these books. More than just guidebooks, they suggest many activities that can be enjoyed using simple equipment available to everybody. After using one, you'll want to know what activities the other volume has in store and what phenomena can be discovered by using it. These guidebooks contain lots of information on various subjects related to the specific season. Whether you want to know how birds survive the cold, why the days get longer, which constellations are specific to each season or how to recognize the clouds, all the information is there, illustrated and organized in such a way as to make the book a pleasure to consult. Whether living in the city or in the country, everyone will find that these wonderful little books contain activities and information that meets their needs. Recommended for anyone with a thirst for knowledge, who can't get enough of observing and understanding the natural world that surrounds them.
On the shores of Villiers Lake, north of Saint-Michel-des-Saints, in the Laurentian forest, lives a self-taught naturalist with many stories to tell. He shares with us his account of the time he saved an injured osprey and tells us of the ornithological and wildlife surveys he has carried out in the region in which he lives. He tells us about his life alone -- of all the seasons, winter is probably the hardest. Each day is a struggle for survival in this country's harsh climate. His only modes of transportation are a dogsled in winter and a canoe in summer. For him, respect for the environment is a priority; his life depends on it. He tells us about the beauty of his country, where life and death are everyday occurrences for its inhabitants. Libre! is first and foremost the story of Claude Arbour, a man who one day decides to leave the modern civilized world to live alone, deep in the heart of the wilderness. He takes us through a series of narratives, each one infused with his conviction and love for a natural world that is being relentlessly assaulted by a society driven by consumption. This tale is an abridged version of the book Le Chant du Nord; young readers may be interested in reading the unabridged version to find out more about this exceptional individual.
"Fred! Get dressed, we're going fishing." With this curious invitation from his father, Fred embarks on an adventure he won't soon forget. Fred and his father -- and let's not forget their cat Ric who surreptitiously joins in the escapade -- find themselves fishing in a small ice shack on the river. For fun, Fred imagines adventures in which he is the hero, where he and his father are great fishermen living in the Far North with the wolves. But reality has other adventures in store for Fred. When his father leaves to get supplies, the wind starts to blow and the ice starts to crack. Fred finds himself alone with his cat, adrift on an iceberg. And this time, it's not his imagination; it's real. That's when Fred stops playing the courageous hero and actually becomes one. He has to deal with the uncertainty of his situation, the cold, the night, the wind, the snow, hunger and loneliness. In the end, he courageously overcomes these perils and rises to the level of the brave men and women he likes to imagine. Fred, the main character, leads us on a spirited journey through Marie-Danielle Croteau's engaging story. The author promotes imagination as a tool for common sense, the two working hand in hand, in an alliance that helps one get through the boredom of the everyday as much as through the occasional crisis in life. Attractive black and white drawings add to the text, while keeping with the spirit of this series.
In La Montaison, an Innu (Montagnais) grandfather named Nemesh tells his granddaughter and her friends about "the run" in the Mishtashipu River (Moisie River). Through their oral traditions, different peoples have their own ways of explaining natural phenomena that can be difficult to explain without the benefit of scientific knowledge. The word run refers to the salmon migration that takes place during spawning season. The salmon leave the sea and swim upstream to reach the freshwater rivers where the females lay their eggs. In addition to the migration of the salmon, the author also talks about various Aboriginal rites and customs, including end-of-season celebrations, men's and women's right to free speech, and the altered state of consciousness that spiritual chiefs can attain. Through his choice of words and the tone he sets, the author illustrates the sacred link Aboriginal peoples have with nature. The figurative black-and-white illustrations enhance the text and make it easier to read. As in all the books in the Plus collection, additional information is provided at the end. In this case, there are a few pages about salmon and about the traditional way of life of the Aboriginal peoples of the northeastern part of North America. |
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