It's A Wondertime Life

More love for Henry at Wondertime. (Click on header for link - I'm on a Victorian-era laptop with dial-up internet and this is the best I can manage!)

CBC Radio Noon

Had a lovely time chatting about children's books on CBC Radio Noon the other day. Hit the title to link to the site.

Radio Noon's Children's book panel is back, and they've got some new recommendations just in time for Christmas.

Angus Byers, works at Babar books and is a freelance illustrator.
Sara O'Leary is an award-winning author of children's books. She also teaches creative writing at Concordia.

Here are some of their recommendations:

My Letter to the World by Emily Dickinson, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (KidsCan Press)

Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff, illustrations by Sophie Blackall (Books for Young Readers)

Chester's Back by Melanie Watt (KidsCan Press)

The Boy Who Ate the World (and the Girl Who Saved It) by Don Gillmor, illustrated by Pierre Pratt (Northwinds Press)

The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket, Illustrated by Brett Helquist

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrations by Dave McKean (HarperCollins)

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire by Derek Landy (HarperCollins)

Getting the Girl by Susan Juby (HarperCollins)

Brinsingr by Christopher Paolini (Random House)

The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson (Macmillan Childrens)

St. Martins Christmas Fair

I will be signing copies of Where You Came From at the St. Martin's Christmas Fair this Saturday. You know, if you're in the neighbourhod.

Euan's Broadcast Debut

My son won a local literary competition and read his holiday story on CBC Radio One's Home Run show here in Montreal.



Doesn't he look like a broadcasting natural?

Adding to the Christmas List

By Malachy Doyle with illustrations by Will Hillenbrand.

A Lump of Coal

Over at Omnivoracious, the wonderful Lemony Snicket is giving advice for the holidays. Here's the plum I pulled out:

Dear Mr. Snicket: What is mince meat? Why do people seem to like it so much? Do I have to eat it?
--A Loyal Reader

Dear Loyal Reader: I am afraid to try mincemeat, as it appears to be made from the innards of ungrateful nieces and nephews, demanding hostesses, and concerned parents. Apparently some people like such things. One of the great things about the world, even at holiday time, is that you do not have to eat it.

My advice is to go check it out for yourself. And then, if you're not feeling sufficiently despondent, you might like to go and read the story A Lump of Coal which is published here.

Coincidentally, this is also the title of a book by our friend Mr. Snicket, which you can purchase here.

The First Day of December

One of the nicest things about the month of December is being able to eat chocolates for breakfast. But along with our traditional advent calendar, this year we are enjoying this:



With each passing day your child can add a decoration to the pop-up tree. We were keen on this one because it's a tie-in to Eric Carle's Dream Snow which on its last page has a lovely, tinkly little surprise.

I can't find an image of this pop-up fully popped but will try and add one later on when I make my way home again through our own not-so-dreamy snow.