- Nerida K
5 Children's Books by Alberta Authors
As we get ready to go back to school, we wanted to share some great children’s books by authors based in Alberta.
Alberta Blue: A Prairie Sky Lullaby
Written by Pat Hatherly and illustrated by Jesse Horne
"Let me sing you a picture of an Alberta sky. It’s as wide as the world, and about twice as high. First the golden pink sunrise warms the land with its hue Then a new day begins wrapped in Alberta Blue."
Snuggle up with your little one and enjoy this Made-in-Alberta lullaby, a tribute to our big skies and wide open landscapes.
Alberta Blue is more than just a storytime reader that pays tribute to Alberta’s natural environment—it is a multimedia experience with watercolour paintings by Jesse Horne and the country song version by The Travelling Mabels, which is available online. The text will require early readers to have a reading buddy, but the images and supporting song will make the experience enjoyable for even established readers or adults. This book includes rhymes and rhythm (if accompanied by the song), and the dominant colours in each spread can be used to teach young learners about colour. – Alberta Books for Schools
You can find the book being sung here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=312094841135673 and you can borrow the board book from Calgary Library.
Nuptse and Lhotse Go to the Rockies
By Josey Asnong
Nuptse and Lhotse Go to the Rockies is a colourful, illustrated story for adventurers of all ages who dream of playing in high-up places.
Nuptse and Lhotse are back for another marvellous adventure! Welcome to the Canadian Rockies, a place where bears prowl around valleys and glacier blue lakes. When Mrs. Jasper, a very large grizzly bear, loses her twin cubs Yoho and Kootenay between Paradise Valley and The Valley of the Ten Peaks, she needs Nuptse and Lhotse to help her find them. In a land full of mountains that could be somewhere near Banff and Jasper National Parks, the cats and Mrs. Jasper will need to follow clues and their imagination to find out where these cubs have gone. As they make their way through this world-famous landscape, the cats will learn what makes the mountain lakes turquoise, what the fastest way to get down a couloir is, what not to do when you are in a canoe, how to cross an icefield, who belongs in these national parks and why bringing your most favourite thing on an adventure might just save the day. – Calgary Public Library
You can read more from Nuptse and Lhotse who also visit the Prairies, the West Coast, Nepal, Iceland and the Land of the Midnight Sun in this book series.
You can read the eBook at Calgary Library.
Boxitects
By Kim Smith
A STEAM-centered, adorably illustrated picture book about Meg, a brilliant and creative boxitect who creates extraordinary things out of ordinary cardboard boxes.
You can borrow the book from Calgary Library.
Masterpiece
By Alexandra Hoffman
Masterpiece is an inclusive story featuring Samuel, a boy on the autism spectrum who sees the world differently than his peers. When Samuel's teacher asks his class to create a piece of art, it quickly becomes apparent that his beautiful way of looking at the world makes him a true masterpiece! Throughout the story, the other students in his class learn lessons of empathy, understanding and acceptance. The colourful illustrations will delight children and Masterpiece may just become a family favourite. This award-winning book is meant for ages 4-8. – Wishing Star Publishing
The Doll
By Nhung N. Tran-Davies
A young girl and her family arrive in an airport in a new country. They are refugees, migrants who have travelled across the world to find safety. Strangers greet them, and one of them gifts the little girl with a doll. Decades later, that little girl is grown up, and she has the chance to welcome a group of refugees who are newly arrived in her adopted country. To the youngest of them, a little girl, she gifts a doll, knowing it will help make her feel welcome. Inspired by the author’s own experience as a child refugee, when a stranger’s wonderful gift made such a difference that she was determined to repeat it years later.
This story is about a doll I was given when I first arrived in Canada, at the age of five, as a refugee from the Vietnam war 40 yrs ago. Adrienne, the young girl who gave me the doll remains a special part of my life. Her act of kindness 40 yrs ago ripples forth through the years as I, in turn, recently sponsored a Syrian refugee family. It was my turn to give the little Alma a doll. In 2018, the doll was displayed at Pier 21 Museum in Halifax, and for the next five years, she will be travelling across Canada to tell our story.
You can borrow the hard copy book or eBook from Calgary Library.
If you're looking for more Alberta Children's Books, Alberta Books for Schools is a great place to start. It's a digital database from the Book Publishers Association of Alberta to help educators discover Alberta-published books matched to K-12 curriculum.
