A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Canada

Raven & Friends

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Raven & Friends through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Oh, I can hardly wait to tell you what I have for you today.  Harbour Publishing is providing TWO copies of this fantastic colouring book for you today.  Two winners!!  Details will follow.   

But first let me give you a quick rundown.  Raven & Friends is a Roy Henry Vickers Colouring book for kids.   BUT don’t let the “KIDS” label fool you. ANYONE can enjoy colouring this book.  Thick pages, that are animal focused, with perorated edges, that aren’t just in landscape mode. These are images that if you colour them in carefully you can frame and display on your walls for all to see.  Or do what a friend of mine does, colour them in, write on the back, and send them off as friendly snail mail.  🙂   Make a friend smile! 

Book cover Raven & Friends. Text: review and giveaway for a lovely children friendly colouring book

The Basic Details for Raven & Friends

Raven & Friends is a A Roy Henry Vickers Colouring book for kids.  Put out by Harbour Publishing you get 64 pages, single sided, animal prints to fill out.  Printed on a thick paper that won’t bleed through, suitable for colouring with markers or colouring pencils.  The book itself is 12 x 0.27 x 9 inches.  You’ll find images of foxes, whales, birds, bears, insects and more. A whole plethora of wildlife to suit your fancy.  Not only that, you’ll get some lessons in artistry as well!  

Now just who is Roy Henry Vickers?  He is world renown for his work as a printmaker, painter, carver, designer, author, and sought-after keynote speaker.  A man of mixed heritage with a mom of mixed European descent and a father from Haida, Heiltsuk, and Tsimshian ancestry.  You can see samples of his work on his website and perhaps gain some ideas for colouring! 

Digging Deeper 

Learn to do art with Mr. Vickers!  Three pages of instructions to guide you through some of his basic forms.  Practice what you learn and maybe you can make your own art too!  I love how Vickers emphasizes how much he (and other artists) need to practice their art so they can do it well. 

The designs are simple enough to appeal to younger children, and yet interesting enough to appeal to all ages.  There is complexity in the simpleness of this native art form. In the weaving together of different simple shapes to form a more complex whole.  

I thoroughly appreciate that not every spot on the page is filled with something to colour in. This leaves room to add your own design, or colour more simply, or use pages are part of a nature journal.  Just what do you know about foxes, orcas, or eagles?  Add in the details of when you’ve seen a raven, butterfly, or chased a rascally squirrel.  Colouring books are meant to have fun with you know!!  🙂 

Imagination Flows

While most of the pictures are presented in landscape layout, some are not giving further height to images.  You can just imaging having a campfire while the aurora borealis flows in the night sky can’t you? 

As a Canadian these images make me feel right at home.  All these animals and experiences can be found in Canada, though some might mean taking a trip depending on where you live in this vast land.

As a former homeschooling parent I very much appreciate how this colouring book can be used in a wide variety of ways with a curriculum. 

  1. giving children something to do as they listen to a story being read
  2. being an addition to nature study, being added to a nature journal, or a guide to the animals around us.  
  3. as a start (or end) to a unit study about Canadian animals
  4. a way to learn about and/or practice first nations art
  5. a rabbit trail into learning about natural dyes and learning to create art with them
  6. (and so much more).   How would you incorporate this lovely book into your learning?

Some Companion books you might appreciate alongside Raven & Friends would be: 

book cover for Raven & Friends

The giveaway is simple.  Like, comment and share!  Share my blog post, share my social media (facebook, facebook business, or instagram).   Comment on blog post something that intrigues you or who the book would be for.   Only caveat is this: you need to live in Canada!   Coast to Coast 

The Inquisitive Raven

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product The Inquisitive Raven through Douglas & McIntyre. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

The Inquisitive Raven introduces us to Rueben.   He’s a smart raven who wants to know everything about everything.  A lover of his community and a teacher of what he has learned, he loves to help as much as he loves to learn. But he is sometimes laughed at, and this bothers Rueben.  Whatever shall he do? 

the inquisitive raven by robert wagamese, a review

The Basic Details

Title: The Inquisitive Raven
Author: Richard Wagamese
Illustrator: Bridget George
Series: The Richard Wagamese Storybook Collection
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre
Pages: 32
Intended Audience: children, 6-8 years,
Genre: indigenous, Canada, children’s Canada books, children’s growth, creation, indigenous stories
Available formats: Hardcover
Received: hardcover
Reviewed for: Douglas & McIntyre

Book and Author

Richard Wagamese also wrote The Animal People Choose a Leader which I also reviewed.  A member of the Obijway people, he was a gifted storyteller.  Despite being abandoned by his parents and being ill-treated in the foster care system, Richard learned to read. His life was not an easy-one, he was married, divorced, fathered children, and lived his life.  He lived out his calling of being a storyteller with several published works. 

In The Inquisitive Raven we learn about Rueben.  He’s such a smart, inquisitive bird, sticking his beak into everything.  He wanted to know as much about his world as he could, and he shared his knowledge with his community.   One day he noticed an eagle soaring high above and watched how the other animals respected the eagle.  He also wanted to be respected, and so we get to read of his experiences.

Looking deeper into The Inquisitive Raven

Oh, the artwork in The Inquisitive Raven helps to bring the story to life.  It has a very indigenous feel to it. You can see the beauty in his coat, and the intelligence in his eyes.   He seems like a very likable chap not wanting to miss an iota of life. 

page from the inquisitive raven book

Some pages are full colour images and others only have an image on part of the page.  Lots of white space to allow for ease of reading. 

Large font makes it easy to read to a group of children.  Wouldn’t it be fun to read with a group and stopping once in a while to ask questions?   Thinking about the story you are listening to and building anticipation.  What will Rueben learn through all of this?  Can we learn together you think? 

You’ll find that it’s a beautiful hardcover tome.  It done up so nicely with a slightly rough texture making it very easy to handle/hold.  The Douglas and McIntyre of have done a wonderful job of presenting Wagamese’s story.  Rueben learned so much in this story, won’t you come and see the learning?  

You will love this story and the artwork.  It gives a good touch to First Nations language and history.  Learn with Rueben. Accept what you have and who you are!   

The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Are you interested in the First Nations people of Canada?  Want to take in a unique perspective?  Enter in The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog.  I never knew that woolly dogs were a thing for our First Nations people… DID YOU?  Well, if you are like so many of us (I asked my colleagues at work and they too were surprised), come along for the adventure eh? 

The Teachings of Mutton

Basic Details for The Teachings of Mutton

Title: The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog
Author: Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa with Coast Salish Contributors
Publisher: Harbour Publishing Co
Pages: 264
Intended Audience: high-school, young adult, adult, 
Genre: indigenous stewardship, weaving and textile arts, native american biographies, history, northwestern North America,  
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback, 
Received: Paperback
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing

About the Book

Did you know that there used to be a woolly dog?  It was an integral part of the Salish Community.  In this read by Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa we are privileged to learn more about this dog and the people it was part of.  The woolly dog was bred for thousands of years for its woolly fibres.  These fibres were woven into traditional blankets, robes and regalia. Despite careful efforts to protect this breed by the by Coast Salish peoples, by the 1900s, the Woolly Dog had become so rare it is now considered extinct.

About the Author

Formerly the Director of Research Services, Liz Hammand-Kaarremaa is now retired and spends her time researching the Coast Salish peoples. She holds a Master Spinners Certificate and the textiles of the Coast Salish peoples are naturally a focus for her. Liz was instrumental in identifying a rare blanket in the Burke Museum to be made of Woolly Dog hair.

The Teachings of Mutton

Looking Deeper

Eleven chapters round out this educational read that is filled pictures, illustrations, and maps. As we progress through the chapters we get to see how the wooly dog came to be.

  1. Finding Mutton : The ancient story of Swuq’us
  2. Mutton’s journey to the Smithsonians: The Dog Children and the Original Occupations
  3. The Woolly Dog: The teachings of Fibre
  4. The Wool: The Cultural Importance of Blankets
  5. Where are all the Blankets: Misunderstanding our relationships with the Woolly Dog
  6. Mutton’s Ancient Origins: Connecting to our Ancestors
  7. Other Dogs: The care and Feeding of Dogs
  8. The Diet of Woolly Dogs: The care and Feeding of Dogs
  9. Processing Wool: The impact of Colonialism
  10. What did Woolly Dogs Look like? : Fur Beings and Woven Visions, Connecting with Musquem History
  11. An Ending and a Beginning

I appreciated how as part of the forward she mentioned how she wanted to respect the Coast Salish people.  Recognizing that she has her own preconceptions so hopes to let the Coast Salish people speak with their own words as much as possible.  Recognizing the Mutton may have been the name of this particular Woolly Dog, but wasn’t a name respected by the Coast Salish people. 

A scholarly read

This is a scholarly read, filled with illustrations, pictures, and maps to bring the text to life.  For instance, without this map I wouldn’t have clearly understood the range of the Woolly dog (the yellow area).  For such a niche breed, I didn’t expect that.

Native art featuring the Woolly Dog has a prominent place.  I just loved this inclusion.  Made everything so much better you know? Makes me regret that the Woolly Dog is no more.  It looked like a fun little dog to have around.  Not too big, not to small, and very useful besides! 

These dogs were such an integral part of their community, rather cool to learn about. 

My recommendation

If you want to take an unique look at indigenous peoples of Canada, check out The Teachings of Mutton.  You will find loads of information about the textiles, the geography, and the history of this helpful little dog.   It’s kinda too bad that their usefulness waned.  Technology and imports isn’t always a good thing when it comes to a niche population. 

Seeing the quality of the blankets they made with their wool, makes me wonder if they can use DNA from the blankets to somehow bring them back.  What do you think?

A useful book if studying the First Nations people of British Columbia.  A fascinating book if you love textiles and their history. A wonderful look into a type of dog I’d never heard of before.  Give it a look see,  you won’t regret it! 

The Bears and the Magic Masks

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product The Bears and the Magic Masks through Nightwood Editions. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

First nations author Joseph Dandurand brings to life some helpful bears and a thankful wood carver.  The Bears and the Magic Masks showcases five animals and bears who figure out how to use the masks.  Masks can be such useful things (particularly if you are hungry, helpful bear. 

the bears and the magic masks

Basic Details for The Bears and the Magic Masks

Title: The Bears and the Magic Masks
Author: Joseph Dandurand
Illustrator: Elinor Atkins
Series: Kwantlen Stories Then and Now, book 4
Publisher: Nightwood Editions
Pages: 28
Intended Audience: 6-8 years
Genre: First Nations, Animals, Picture Book,
Available formats: Paperback
Received: Paperback
Reviewed for: Nightwood Editions

Author and Story

Joseph Dandurand is a member of the Kwantlen First Nations in British Columbia.  An author of several children’s books, he lives with his three children.  He also writes poetry and was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize.  His work relates to his indigenous culture. 

The Bears and the Magic Masks features the first nations group he is part of.  Afterall, it’s a Kwantlen wood carver that the bears thank, who then in turn makes the masks the bears have much fun with. 

the bears and the magic masks

Mr. Dandurand’s story is reminiscent of other native/first nations stories that I have read.  They have a certain flow and tone to them.  So I supposed you’d stay this is written in a classic first nations style!  🙂 

The story is simple.  The bears saved a life.  A thank you gift was made.  The bears had to discover the secret (magical) nature of the gift.  And then a thank you was again extended from the bears to the carver.  Such a good lesson to be heard. 

The art work is very first nation in design and style. The shape of the masks reminds me of the totem poles I’ve seen in videos (when my son was studying Canada) from British Columbia. Along with the animal masks made.   Generally very much what I would have expected from this traditional First Nations tale.

I totally expected and discovered an eagle, a raven, a wolf, and a coyote.   I thought the fifth would be a salmon but ended up being a sasquatch.  So I learned something new in this story … about the importance of the Sasquatch in their history. 

Recommendation?

So should you read this story with your children?  I think so yes.  It is not an exciting, grab you by the seat of your pants story, but it’s a learn about us story.  See what happens when you are helpful and kind and thankful kind of story. And that’s a good thing yes?  Don’t we all need more thankful, kind, and helpful people surrounding us? 

I can TOTALLY see a homeschool connection here eh?   If you are studying Canada or even just the First Nations people, read this book.  Get a bit of a feel for the culture, and then perhaps make a paper totem from the animals you learned about, or even the bears themselves! Learn about the Kwantlen people, study the Fraser River, learn the history of Vancouver, and British Columbia.  

The Curse of the Shaman

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So I’ve been slowly sorting through books that I held for my boy to read during our homeschooling years.   Sometimes I go “hey, that might make a good read” so I grab it up and kept it in my stash.  Unlike me, my lad didn’t turn into much of a reader, I would have liked for him to read though The Curse of the Shaman. Themes of determination, community, and help from unexpected sources.  

The curse of the shaman

The Basic Details for The Curse of the Shaman

Title: The Curse of the Shaman
Author: Michael Kusugak
Illustrator: Vladyanan Krykorka
Series: A Marble Island Story
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 168
Intended Audience: 9-12 years, Elementary Students, Middle School
Genre:  first nations, Canada, folk lore, Inuit, 
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback
Read: Paperback

About the Author 

Michael Kugusak is a Canadian author who has written several books.  Growing up in Repulse Bay, NWT he currently lives in Sooke, BC.   As a child he rode dog sled, went hunting and fishing, and lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle.  This history can be seen in The Curse of the Shaman. 

About the Book

The Curse of the Shaman takes us into the life of Wolverine from birth through to young adulthood.  We get to see him grow up within the Inuit lifestyle. The anger of a Shaman led to a curse which is later rescinded, but Shaman’s magic helper disagreed. And so the story unfolds…. 

The curse of the shaman

What Did I Think?

There were things I loved in this story and things that took me a bit to adapt to.   

I struggled with some of the names in this story as well as some of the Inuit language.  And a part of me wanted the author to make it easier for me!   How my… how selfish of me is that eh?   Good thing I recognize that eh?   Changing the names would also have changed fundamental parts of the story, which I so much enjoyed. 

The focus on family and community is fantastic!  People care for their family units deeply, and getting together with others is a time of work, celebration, and appreciation of each other.  People shared what they had and who they were freely because that was the best way to live in community.  Share and share alike is how folks survive in a harsh environment. 

Stories told to Wolverine as a youngster prove to be invaluable, again showing the importance of family.  And as children grow up and develop new skills, so do shamans!  🙂   It is good to see not only children learn new skills but the grown ups on their lives as well!   It’s a pleasant twist on a story, and another twist (though as an adult reader I rather anticipated it) is a good one as well.  🙂 

All in all, a good story that immerses us into the lives of the Inuit and a possibility of how shamans work their magic.  The Curse of the Shaman is well worth reading if you are looking at doing a study on Inuit of Canada.    

A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Oh, what a fun way to take a tour of Canada, just in time for Hallowe’en!   Travel far and wide, have some spooky (because well.. ghosts!) but not scary fun with little Ghost in A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada.  Can you guess where a Little Ghost might pop up next?  Floating up over a boat, sliding between seats in a bus, or popping up at a concert?  Will he be in Winnipeg, Vancouver or St. John’s? 

a haunted ghost tour of Canada

The Basic Details for A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada

Title: A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada: A Funny, Not-So-Spooky Halloween Picture Book 
Author: Louise Martin 
Illustrator: Gabriele Tafuni 
Publisher: Hometown World
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: 3-7 years
Genre: Canada, picture book, halloween, children’s books,
Available formats: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

a haunted ghost tour of Canada

Author and Book Details

Living in England, Louise Martin has written and edited a wide range of books and magazines for children. She is joined in England by her food-motivated whippet and her family. 

About the book

Experience a fa-BOO-lous Halloween with Little Ghost on a tour of all the landmarks you know and love in Canada!     Little Ghost is going on a spooky Halloween tour around Canada, and you’re invited to ride along! Take a trip with the Ghost family as they travel from Ottawa to Vancouver and visit favorite landmarks such as CN Tower and Sambro Island Lighthouse. Along the way, Little Ghost loves tricking everyone . . . until Little Ghost hears the biggest BOO ever! Make this Halloween season spook-tacular with this cute, not-so-scary rhyming picture book that takes you on an adventure through your home.

Looking more closely

Rhyming lyrics lead us on a busy tour all throughout Canada.  This book is fun to read quietly OR aloud.  I find the font a bit small to read with a group of children gathered round.   

But the fun of the lyrics makes it great as you hunt down local landmarks.  The specifically created for Canada illustrations highlight such things as the parliament buildings, totems, and lighthouses. 

Can you find Little Ghost as he tries to scare everyone wherever their journeys take them?  Could he pop out of a bus?  Or perhaps slide around the local lighthouse?   Young readers will have fun find Little Ghost as he careens around Canada helping everyone had a fa-boo-lous Hallowe’en. 

The illustrations by Gabriele Tafuni just add more fun to the pot.  Colours that are bright and inviting, pages filled with lots of talking points for Hallowe’en activities.  You’ll see all sorts of activities that make the holiday season fun, and lots of fun with pumpkins! 

My Thoughts

I’m not a big one for celebrating Hallowe’en.   We have candy here if kids come about the house, but it’s not like we decorate or anything.  And I didn’t read Hallowe’en books with the lad when he was young, but I kinda like this one.  It’s fun looking for Little Ghost, and it’s not spooky scary.  And it takes children around the best country in the world!  🙂    If you aren’t adverse to Hallowe’en completely and want a fun way to look around Canada… pick up A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada.  You and your children should have fun with the lyrics, have lots of talking points in the pictures, and maybe even learn a thing or two. 

Stolen Sisters

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There I was on vacation with a couple of books from the “Canada proud books” I won a couple of years ago that I simply haven’t gotten to.  Stolen Sisters was the first one I grabbed up.  It’s not a very large book and I thought it would be a quick read on a quiet afternoon when the lads were out kayaking.    Two girls have gone missing and we’re drawn into the politics and ideology surrounding their disappearance. 

Stolen Sisters by Emmanuelle Walter

The Basic Details of Stolen Sisters

Title: Stolen Sisters: The Story of Two Missing Girls, Their Families, and How Canada Has Failed Indigenous Women
Author: Emmanuelle Walter
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 240
Intended Audience: 8-12 years
Genre: Indigenous, Canada, Police, Missing Women, true crime,
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio

About the story

Maisy Odjick and Shannon Alexander, indigenous teenagers from western Quebec, who have been missing since September 2008. Using personal testimonies, interviews, press clippings and official documents, Walter pieces together the disappearance and loss of these two young lives, revealing these young women to us through the voices of family members and witnesses.

Stolen Sisters by Emmanuelle Walter

My Thoughts

I expected a story about these girls and a working through of the mystery surrounding their disappearance.   That’s how the excerpt read to me. 

I was wrong.   The disappearance of these two girls is a background to the politics and ideology surrounding the lack of action with the disappearance of indigenous women.   We are introduced to cultural aspects (for instance: poor people, finding jobs, can’t afford a car, so need to hitchhike).  The backdrop of indigenous children being taken from their homes and the breakup of entire families, and the resultant issues arising from that (such as: drunkenness, lack of involvement from the community). A variety of other issues were brought into play such as stereotypes, racism, and more.   

I got about 1/2 way through and said “I’m done.”   If I had wanted to read a treatise on all possibilities leading to indigenous women disappearing, or the maybes of why so many cases are left unsolved, and such like I would have continued.  But I was more interested in reading about these girls in a real way, not in a clinically detached way. 

I wanted to understand the viewpoint (and perhaps the frustrations) of the police or native law-keepers in trying to solve this mystery.   Having all the “other stuff” interposed into that story would have made it more interesting and seem more relevant rather than like a bunch of guess work and supposition about why the solve rate of these disappearances is so low. 

I may try to give it a go another time, but for a read on vacation, this simply wasn’t it.  But honestly, now that I’m home for a bit, I still don’t want to finish it.  That feeling persists EVEN THOUGH I hate leaving a book once started unfinished.  🙂 

Potential Uses?

Homeschooling for high school students seeking to know about true crime and to understand the reasons why some crimes have low solve rates.

Good for helping with critical thinking.  Could all the reasons the author listed by solved, or even be part of the problem?  Are solutions possible? 

Understanding the impact of history on a present population. 

Seeking to understand how communities operate affect the lives of the youth living within them.