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Marilyne and Catherine, two little girls who live on a farm, are feverishly getting ready for the Christmas Eve party, which is being held at their house this year. But, having gone upstairs to rest for a while, they fall asleep. They both dream of a strange party in the barn with Chloé and Puce (their dogs), of blue jays chattering with sparrows, of squirrels nibbling hazelnuts, and of a mouse having a conversation with a cat. Luzerne, the dairy cow, explains that every year at Christmas the Almighty gives the animals the power to speak. She then tells the two little girls about the beauty of nature and of the dangers that threaten it: energy wastage, air pollution and the improper use of natural resources. "Help us," she ends by saying, "spread the following message: LET'S SAVE OUR PLANET!" How? Start with the little things, says Luzerne the cow: turn off the light in your room or help Dad replace the trees he cuts down. When they wake up, the two little girls have complete recall of the dream message. They begin to apply the advice they received to their everyday life as much as they possibly can. Written for young children, this book aims to be a first window on environmental conservation. With a familiar and pleasant setting and presented in the enchanted context of Christmas, the tale gently introduces young readers to the dangers that threaten the future of our planet. The message is made even more effective by clear and simple language and by the fact that it comes from the point of view of familiar animals. Through their warm colours and their style, the illustrations, which occupy more than half of the entire space in the book, help make the message underlying the story non-aggressive and non-threatening.
King Pépin loves to take care of the flowers around his castle with his daughter, Princess Clémentine. But one day, Mouk Tchouk, a mysterious-looking magician, introduces himself to the king. Mouk Tchouk gives him a magic powder that, when spread around, will rid the kingdom of all insects. The king likes the idea of protecting his flowers - as well as all the other green things growing in his country - from these undesirable pests. Princess Clémentine, sensitive to the beauty and usefulness of the insects, protests in vain. The powder is spread throughout the kingdom. After some time, the insects disappear, like magic. This starts a chain reaction that affects all the ecosystems in the country. The animals that feed on insects die or migrate to other lands. The kingdom's inhabitants, including Princess Clémentine, suffer from a strange illness caused by direct or indirect absorption of the powder. Luckily, Clémentine finds an antidote, which saves the kingdom. With time, the effects of the powder disappear: the people and the animals are once again healthy, the insects come back, and the fragile equilibrium of nature is restored. La Poudre magique introduces children to ecology and toxicology in simple and highly effective terms. The balance between the text and the illustrations creates a poetry that will appeal to young readers. The educational aspect is so well integrated into the story that learning becomes fun.
Every summer, Janot and his sister Lucie leave Montreal with their parents to go live in "heaven," a cottage in Iberville, by the Richelieu River. During these annual vacations in the country, the young city kids live according to the rhythm of nature; they get water from the well, they observe the animals in their natural habitat, and they share in the daily chores of life on the farm with their friend and neighbour Manon. The three friends set up a "universal shelter for small animals." They take in injured fledglings and even a dog that had been sprayed by a skunk! Their mission is put to the test when a reckless driver hits Frimousse, Manon's dog. The three friends discover the meaning of life, death and friendship. But the season is quickly over and the return to the city marks the end of this wonderful summer. Une saison au paradis allows readers to see the beauty of the country through the commentary and experiences of the young characters. In this shining and sweet novel, Sylvain Trudel uses an evocative and poetic vocabulary to describe the fauna and flora on the banks of the Richelieu River.
Simon loves summer; he would like it to last forever. As long as the frogs sing, as long as there are flowers and butterflies, and as long as the sun stays high in the sky, summer will last. Even when he climbs the mountain, Simon can't get close to the sun. He has to face the facts: he can't make the frogs sing, make flowers for the butterflies or stop the sun from going down. Simon can't make the summer last. So be it. "But when winter is over," concludes Simon wisely, "my friends will be back." Illustrations that combine vivacity and softness, colour that are soft and velvety, characters and topics that are easy to follow -- these are but some of the merits freely ascribed to Gilles Tibo's book. The overall mood is softened by simple layout and there is a dream-like feel to the book. The framework of the story is very closely and effectively connected to the beautiful illustrations that accompany the text. Each story in this lovely series has its own beauty and joys.
Stella introduces her little brother Sacha to the joys and mysteries of winter. As for Sacha, an alert and curious child, he interrogates his sister tirelessly on the nature of snow, ice, on the little clouds that come out of your mouth when it's cold as well as on various winter activities. A keen observer, he demands detailed explanations, which his sister gives him in a poetic and childlike language that leaves much to the imagination. Stella, who has the answer to everything, will enthrall young readers. Through the charming illustrations, characters with colourful clothing that contrasts with the white snow, Stella's smile, and Sacha's serious expression, the joys of winter are available to be experienced in the comfort of an armchair or bed.
Does the sperm whale sometimes eat giant squid? Can blue whales be found in the Saint Lawrence? What is the biggest marine mammal in the St. Lawrence River? This book answers all these questions, and a multitude of others to which many people mistakenly believe they know the answers. Tant qu'il y aura des baleines… is a voyage of observation where you will learn about marine mammals in our majestic St. Lawrence River and in its frozen world in particular. The author seeks to instil the knowledge necessary to recognize the various cetaceans, understand their behaviour, discover what they feed on and, of course, respect them. She also makes us aware of the importance of these fantastic animals' fragile environment, which is sometimes threatened through ignorance. This book is well written and wonderfully illustrated. The size and beauty of the book itself remind us of the greatness of these animals. The author, a trained biologist, and the illustrator, a renowned animal artist, succeed in helping us uncover a fascinating world of marine mammals that is part of this great nation.
A light, grey rain on a gloomy January day slowly turns into an ice storm. Young Alex and his sister Catherine are at first delighted to have their Christmas vacation extended, but this frozen rain leads to a natural disaster. This novel uses the famous ice storm that hit Quebec and Eastern Ontario in 1998 as a starting point. Written in the form of a diary, the events of the day are recorded by Alex. As with thousands of other families, Alex's parents' house is without power for a prolonged period of time. The first night seems almost like a party, as the family sets up camp and has a picnic in the living room, but Alex soon understands that exceptional measures must be taken, first to take care of his grandfather, isolated in the country, and then to save Mrs. Bird, an elderly neighbour. Many children still remember this natural disaster, and La Tempête du siècle will remind them of the events that touched many people that winter. This is a novel where nature plays the leading role and where the protagonists become aware of the power of the elements and come to understand the value of mutual aid, organization and solidarity.
Today in the Canadian Far North, the traditions of the Inuit forefathers coexist with the way of life of the Whites, the men from the South with their long eyebrows. There are snowmobiles and sled dogs, prefabricated houses and igloos. Families can eat food bought at the supermarket or fish, seal and caribou that enterprising elders have fished or hunted. The author of this story hired one of these old hunters, Amaamak, and his grandson Kingalik as interpreters, in order to experience a traditional caribou hunt, complete with a dogsled pulled by huskies. A little like nesting dolls, this real life story of hunting adventure contain the many layers of a life described by old Amaamak. The author witnesses firsthand the conclusion of events that are rooted in the past. In addition to the hunt itself, the story speaks of the spiritual bond linking Amaamak to the northern animals, more specifically to the wolves, the caribou's natural predators. Inuit know how to recognize their adversaries' character strengths and seek to capture them, even if only in a carving. Throughout the story, the reader is able to compare the grandfather's way of thinking with that of his grandson. The descriptions provided by the author are profound, rich and detailed. They describe how the ancient Inuit have been able to live in harmony with nature, despite its implacability. The ingenuity and courage of the Inuit made it possible for them to get food, clothing and shelter from nature. They feared and respected nature and paid their dues when nature demanded it. |
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