As soon as I read the book description, I was pulled to the storyline about three sisters who take a road trip. In my family we are three sisters and I like stories that center on sisterhood.

Book Details:

Title: Road Signs That Say West by Sylvia Gunnery
Publisher: Pajama Press
Category: YA Fiction, 216 pages
ISBN: 978-1772780239
Published: May 1, 2017
Content Rating: PG - 13 + M (This book deals with suicide and sexual harassment)

Book Description:

It's Hanna's wild idea, of course: take their mom's car, pack up the tent, and drive across the country. Just three sisters, one guitar, and the Trans Canada Highway. They can be back in Nova Scotia before their parents are home from Europe. She doesn't say she wants to forget about what happened in Italy, and at university. Claire doesn't say she keeps having nightmares about her friend's recent suicide. Megan doesn't say much, unless it's a complaint. But maybe they all feel, somehow, that this is their one chance to do something together, something big, before time begins to scatter them.

With empathy and insight, Sylvia Gunnery writes an engaging summer read about three sisters navigating the difficult roads of adolescence, trauma, secrets, shame, and fear for the future. Peopled with chance encounters and warmed with fireside heart-to-hearts, Road Signs that Say West is a compelling ride through real life.


As soon as I read the book description, I was pulled to the storyline about three sisters who take a road trip. In my family we are three sisters and I like stories that center on sisterhood. I liked that the trip was across Canada from Nova Scotia to Vancouver, including a stopover in my city of Montreal.

For the most part I did enjoy this book, but the writing had me confused at times. I found myself rereading certain sections to make sure I did not miss anything. I think the author used the omniscience point of view and jumping from one perspective to another was jarring and confusing at times. I liked all three sisters, even surly Megan. All three sisters were different and had their own issues. I'm not sure that these issues were resolved though, and the ending left me unsatisfied.

The best part of the novel was how the sisters experienced life together and grew closer by the end of the trip, although it was in subtle ways. I also found the parents to be too relaxed when they found out the girls just up and left to drive across the whole country, especially after the traumatic emotional situations they experienced. Suicide of a close friend and sexual harassment and stalking are big issues to deal with, and I think parents would tend to stay close to help their kids deal with their grief, loss and fears.

Disclosure: Thanks to Pajama Press for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.


Sylvia Gunnery is the author of more than 20 books for teens and younger readers, including her YA novel Emily For Real. Out of Bounds was a Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection and was nominated for the Hackmatack Award. Sylvia presents widely at schools, libraries and festivals, and in 2016 she was the mentor at the first Writing on Fire teen writing retreat in Pugwash, NS.

Sylvia’s Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia profile

April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate poetry I am posting several reviews and features of poetry books that I've read in the last month. Two days ago, I reviewed New York City Haiku. I loved it. Read my review and then enter to win a copy.

Book Details:

When the Rain Comes by Alma Fullerton, Illustrations by Kim La Fave
ISBN: 978-1772780123
Pajama Press
Published October 3, 2016
Hardcover, 32 pages
Ages 3-6
Content rating: G

Book Description:

It is time to plant the rice crop in Malini’s Sri Lankan community, and the little girl is both excited and nervous to help for the first time. What if she does it wrong? Will she be responsible if the crop fails? When the oxcart rumbles in loaded with seedlings, she reluctantly agrees to watch the big, imposing animal while the driver takes a break. Suddenly, the skies go dark with monsoon rain.

The message to be proud of one's culture and nationality shines through in this warm story by Kari Lynn Winters.


Book Details:

French Toast by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by François Thisdale
Pajama Press
ISBN: 978-1772780062
Published: Nov 4, 2016
Hardcover, 32 pages
Ages: 4-8 years
Content: G

An adorable children's winter story gently told with powerful lessons both for parents and their young ones.

Book Details:

Little Fox, Lost by Nicole Snitselaar, illustrations by Alicia Padrón
Translated by: Erin Woods
ISBN: 978-1772780048
Pajama Press
Published Sept 22, 2016
Hardcover, 32 pages
Ages 3-6
Content rating: G

Book Description:

Little Fox’s paw prints make such beautiful pictures in the newly fallen snow. Left here, right there, around that fallen branch—he scatters them throughout the forest until, too late, he finds he can’t retrace his steps back home. Lost and afraid, Little Fox wants to agree when a kind, old owl offers to fly ahead and guide him. But Mama Fox has warned him often: “If ever you are lost, my child, / don’t let a stranger guide you. / Be still and I will search the wild / until I am beside you.”



Little Fox and his mother come out of their den to go out for a walk on a sunny day after it had snowed all morning. Right from the beginning the setting in this book is perfect. A beautiful wintry day to explore the outdoors is what we as Canadians look forward to once fall is behind us. And what child can resist the lure of that sparkling snow in winter?

Little Fox is happy and his happiness is shown when he plays in the snow as his mother stops to chat with Mrs. Gray Fox. She tells him to stay close so he won't get lost. But Little Fox is full of wonder and he experiments with his footprints in the snow, bouncing about in different directions and sees the resulting pictures he's created. We can discern quickly that Little Fox is intelligent and loves to question and experiment. As is normal of any child, he inadvertently moves further away as he is caught up with what he is learning. It is at this moment that he realizes he is lost.

When Little Fox is found by an Old Owl who offers to help him, Little Fox remembers a song his mother sang to him about not following a stranger but instead staying still and waiting to be found. Both my son and I spontaneously broke into song as we read this part, making up out own version. This song appears several times throughout the text and we had fun singing it every time.

I love books that provide a song. Children seem to remember better when text is put to music. My son also likes drawings of foxes so he took to this story quickly. Little Fox is cute, with his pointy face and bushy tail. The illustrations are simple but adorable. They are in soft watercolor using soothing earth tone colors. Perfect for a gentle story for the young but with powerful lessons.

This book teaches four lessons: 1) for parents to always keep a watchful eye on their little one because it is very easy for them to wander off; 2) for parents to teach their children what to do when lost; 3) for children to stay in place and not follow a stranger, and 4) for children to use their skills to attract help, such as when Little Fox got the other animals in the forest to sing with him so their raised voices together would help his mother find him.

The translation from the original French version Petit renard se perd was well done. If the reader doesn't know it's translated, one can't tell that it is. The flow is good and the text appropriate for the age range. This book is an excellent addition to both a school and home library and could become a favorite, especially if a mother memorizes the song and sings it as she takes her child out with her on errands.

Disclosure: Thanks to Pajama Press for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.


About the Authors and Illustrator

A mother of 5, Nicole Snitselaar spent the last 20 years writing and singing songs and nursery rhymes - both for her own children and on recorded albums. Seven years ago she branched out to writing books for children and has since published more than 39 in both French and English.
Alicia Padrón is a full-time children's illustrator who loves creating adorable characters in watercolor and digital art. Her books include ABC, Baby Me!, I Love You All Year Round, and The Wish Trees. Alicia lives in Venezuela with her husband, their two children, and two dogs.

This is the first picture book of its kind that recounts the true story of one family's brave and perilous journey toward a new life in North America.

Adrift at Sea: A Vietnamese Boy's Story of Survival by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch with Tuan Ho
ISBN: 9781772780055
Published: November 2016
Published by: PajamaPress
Hardcover: 40 pages
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

It is 1981. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a fishing boat overloaded with 60 Vietnamese refugees drifts. The motor has failed; the hull is leaking; the drinking water is nearly gone. This is the dramatic true story recounted by Tuan Ho, who was six years old when he, his mother, and two sisters dodged the bullets of Vietnam s military police for the perilous chance of boarding that boat. Told to multi-award-winning author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch and illustrated by the celebrated Brian Deines, Tuan s story has become Adrift At Sea, the first picture book to describe the flight of Vietnam s Boat People refugees. Illustrated with sweeping oil paintings and complete with an expansive historical and biographical section with photographs, this non-fiction picture book is all the more important as the world responds to a new generation of refugees risking all on the open water for the chance at safety and a new life.


I love immigrant stories probably because I grew up in an immigrant family. Adrift At Sea is about Tuan Ho's escape from Vietnam when he was a boy of six. The story is told through the eyes of Tuan and we feel for him as he experiences fear, a family torn apart and days adrift at sea with little drinking water. The story has a positive ending, of course, but it brings to life what thousands of Vietnamese people went through in the early 1980s when they tried to escape.

My 12 year-old son read this story too and felt saddened by Tuan harrowing escape. He picked up on the fact that another boat caught fire and those in it did not escape. This opened up a great discussion on world events and how in some countries people are still trying to escape by boat. I think that it's important to teach our young ones about what children in other countries go through. These are the stories of our country's immigrants.

The illustrations are simply beautiful and the style perfect for this dramatic story. The last illustration in particular when the American soldier gives Tuan a glass of milk is a perfect way to end this nonfiction book. I also enjoyed the photographs of Tuan and his family when they were young in Vietnam to those of him today as a man with his wife and children. More factual information is accompanied with these photos.

I highly recommend this book as a teaching tool and feel that it should be in every library. It's books like this that will make history come alive for our next generation of children.



I was deeply touched by this beautiful true story of a family's survival in the face of overwhelming odds as they leave Vietnam in search of a new life in the West. Sixty Vietnamese refugees, among whom is six-year-old Tuan Ho and his family, endure days at sea as the motor of the fishing boat fails, the hull is leaking, drinking water is depleted, and the merciless sun beats down upon them, They are finally rescued by an American aircraft carrier and eventually reach Canada.

I loved the "before" and "after" pictures as well as the brief historical overview of events relating to the war in Vietnam. It seems so long ago that our hearts were being gripped by the ordeals of the so-called Vietnamese "boat people." This book makes it very current in view of the new generation of refugees on the world scene.

The soft-focus artwork done by Brian Deines that illustrates each page is amazing. A shout-out to him! The author has produced a very readable book that both parents and children should read together.

I highly recommend this beautiful book.

Disclosure: Thanks to Laura Bowman from Pajama Press for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review it.





Every Saturday, Booking Mama hosts a feature called Kid Konnection—a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, visit Booking Mama.






Cat Champions: Caring for Our Feline Friends by Rob Laidlaw
Pajama Press
ISBN: 978-1927485545
Published: October 15, 2013
Paperback, 64 pages

My son and I spent several nights reading portions of this book and pondering its contents. It's a photo-filled, full of interesting facts kind of book that taught us more about cats, their plights, and the kids who advocate for them. It made us love our own cat Blaisey, whom we adopted six years ago, a whole lot more!

Cat Champions features kids from different parts of the world who love cats and voluntarily give their time and raise awareness and funds to protect them and educate the public about cats. One fact that caught my son's attention is the Black Cat Syndrome, the term used to describe the lower adoption rate of very dark or black cats, maybe because they have been associated with witchcraft for hundreds of years. It made my son and I more sympathetic toward the black cat. Perhaps that's why it's featured on the cover of this book.

We believe this is a book that should be in every school library. It sensitizes a child toward caring for animals and teaches them how they can be useful in helping animals. Cat lovers especially will enjoy the cat stories, particularly the one of now-famous Scarlett, who kept going back into a burning building to rescue all her kittens one by one even though she herself suffered severe burns. That brought tears to my eyes!

The book ends with a cat lover's pledge, resources and links, a glossary and an index. We highly recommend this book to everyone.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

Reviewed by Laura & Son

Disclosure: Thanks to Erin Woods from Pajama Press for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Every Saturday, Booking Mama hosts a feature called Kid Konnection—a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, visit Booking Mama.

Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That by Victoria Allenby, illustrated by Tara Anderson
Pajama Press
ISBN: 978-1927485521
Published Sept 15, 2013
Hardcover, 32 pages
Ages 2-5

Every Saturday, Booking Mama hosts a feature called Kid Konnection—a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, visit Booking Mama.