Cormorant Books / Dancing Cat Books Blog

Giraffe and Bird wins the 2012 OLA Blue Spruce Award!

Meryl Howsam — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:48:10 +0000

Dancing Cat Books is thrilled to announce that Giraffe and Bird by Rebecca Bender has won the 2012 Ontario Library Association Blue Spruce Award!

Giraffe and Bird, author/illustrator Rebecca Bender’s first book, was announced winner of the OLA Blue Spruce Award May 15, 2012, at the Festival of Trees at Harbourfront in Toronto — by one of the book’s own young readers. Bender accepted the award in front of a cheering crowd of teachers, librarians, and students, all delighted to see their favourite picture book come out on top.

Giraffe and Bird, a story about these two species who discover, amidst their bickering, how much they need each other, is “an excellent beginning to what, hopefully, will be a long career in authoring and illustrating picture books.” (CM Magazine). Giraffe and Bird was also shortlisted for the 2011 CBA Libris Award for Children’s Picture Book of the Year, and was a finalist for the 2011 SYRCA Shining Willow Award.

Rebecca Bender began her drawing career at 5 years old, honing in mostly on animal characters. Before long she put words to her pictures, inspiring stories and more pictures. When she grew up she attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, graduated in 2003, and was awarded an OCAD medallion for illustration. She then took on graphic design jobs in greeting cards and publishing, which lead to art directing many educational children’s books and youth graphic novels.

The Blue Spruce Award, one of the seven reading programs offered by The Forest of Reading in conjunction with the Ontario Library Association (OLA), goes to a recently-published Canadian picture book for Ontario children from kindergarten to grade two. The Forest of Reading is Canada’s largest recreational reading program. Over 250,000 readers participate every year from their schools or libraries.

The City of Toronto Celebrates Kindness

Meryl Howsam — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:44:23 +0000

On May 16, 2012, the CN Tower will be specially lit to commemorate “It’s All About Kindness Day,” a day the mayor of Toronto has proclaimed in June Callwood’s honour.

“It’s All About Kindness Day” coincides with the launch of June Callwood Park in the Fort York neighbourhood, and takes its name from the title of a new collection of memories of Callwood, edited by Margaret McBurney and published by Cormorant Books. The CN Tower will be lit pink and green — June Callwood’s favourite colours, and the two prominent colours in the design of June Callwood Park. A light show will run at the tower at the beginning of every hour, from 4am May 16 until 4am May 17.

At 7 pm on May 16, Fort York’s Parler Fort series will celebrate “It’s All About Kindness Day” and the launch of June Callwood Park with an event in the Blue Barracks building, moderated by CBC host Michael Enright. The mayoral proclamation will be read by City Councillor Mike Layton, and further participants will include George Smitherman, Molly Johnson, Joy Kogawa, Pat Capponi, Joe Fiorito, and Paula Todd, all of whom contributed chapters to It’s All About Kindness: Remembering June Callwood. Event admission is $8.85 plus tax, and free for students. Copies of It’s All About Kindness will be available for purchase.

Previews for Shelley Peterson’s Saddle Creek series!

Bryan Ibeas — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:06:32 +0000

Previews for four of Shelley Peterson‘s brilliant Saddle Creek young adult novels – the upcoming Dark Days at Saddle Creek, as well as Stagestruck, Sundancer, and Mystery at Saddle Creek – are now available on the Dancing Cat Books website!

Check them out now:

More info | preview | PDF

Olive Senior’s ‘Dancing Lessons’ is a finalist for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award

Bryan Ibeas — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:56:45 +0000

Congratulations to Olive Senior, whose first novel Dancing Lessons has been named a finalist for this year’s Amazon.ca First Novel Award!

Check out the finalists here

Read about Dancing Lessons here

‘The Tiffin’ (Mahtab Narsimhan) is reviewed by 13-year old in the National Post

Meryl Howsam — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:44:57 +0000

A review of The Tiffin (Mahtab Narsimhan) written by 13-year-old Brie Martin, appears in the National Post here.

Toronto Star reviews ‘The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca’ by Carol Bishop-Gwyn

Meryl Howsam — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:37:41 +0000

An article about The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca by Carl Bishop-Gwyn has appeared in the Toronto Star here.

‘Progress’ by Michael V. Smith is reviewed in Broken Pencil (Issue 53)

Meryl Howsam — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:01:16 +0000

A review of Progress appears in the current print issue of Broken Pencil (issue 53).

To visit their website, click here.

Open Book Toronto interviews Mahtab Narsiman for her book ‘The Tiffin’

Meryl Howsam — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:16:10 +0000

An interview with Mahtab Narsiman for The Tiffin appears in Open Book Toronto here.

Libris Notes reviews ‘The Tiffin’ (Mahtab Narsimhan)

Meryl Howsam — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:34:07 +0000

A review of The Tiffin appears in the Libris Notes book blog here.

“A beautifully crafted story… Mahtab Narsimhan’s descriptions of India and the people are superb.”

Author Mary Rose Donnelly recommends ‘To the Lighthouse’ by Virginia Woolf

Meryl Howsam — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:16:49 +0000

Mary Rose Donnelly recommends To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, in an “Old Book, New Author” piece in the National Post here.