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Illustrated by Werner Zimmerman
 Winner
of the CNIB's Tiny Torgi Award
International
Youth Library White Ravens Notable
Governor-General's
Award for Illustrations, Shortlist
This book was a rollicking, tongue-twisting delight
to write! Kids love wrapping their tongues around wacky words
and playing with sounds - and so do I! Making up words is a lot
of fun too, and when it came to describing the various punishments
the pirates cooked up for the children for taking the captain's
canoe, I had fun twisting well-known pirate tortures into things
that sounded threatening but silly enough for kids to enjoy.
"Let's splinter their giddles and twickle their toes … Let's freakle
their treacly hearts!"
Original version: Whatever You
Do, Don't Go Near That Canoe!
published in 1996
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Scholastic Canada, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-545-99766-9
(Also available in French)
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A downright zany
tale about two adventurous children who defy a grizzled
captain's warning not to touch his canoe. Controlled by
some magical force, the dugout whisks the children away
through the night until it delivers them to an unknown
shore and into the hands of pirates.
Halifax
Regional Library Guide
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Kids Can Press, 1997
Out of Print. To order a hardcover copy,
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Julie Lawson is
a fine storyteller, and her latest picture book … is another
winner.
Quill
& Quire
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The gentle softness
of Lawson's lyrical style gives evidence of her love of
the sounds of the language and her consummate story-telling
ability. Contrasting sentence lengths and the clever use
of repetition insist that the story be shared and read aloud.
School
Library Journal
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Illustrated by Paul Mombourquette
International
Reading Association Teachers' Choice
Sheila A. Egoff
Award, Shortlist
Junior Library
Guild Selection
The idea for Emma and the Silk
Train came while I was peeling potatoes, half-listening to an
author being interviewed on the radio. He was talking about the
history of the Fraser Valley and, suddenly, something he said
made me drop the potato, grab pen and paper, and scribble, Silk
Train Wreck, BC, September 1927. What excited me even more
was what he said next — a $5.00 reward was offered for every
bale of silk found and returned to the CPR. Research into the
train wreck and the history of silk trains led to the creation
of my character Emma, a spunky kid who is determined to get hold
of some silk — but ends up getting a lot more than she bargained
for.
You never know what connections
a book will have for its readers. After Emma was published, I
received a call from a man in Tacoma, Washington, who told me
that his grandfather had been the engineer of the derailed silk
train. Another call came from a lady in Sidney, BC. She told me
that her grandparents, living on the Fraser River at the time
of the wreck, had found a bale of raw silk washed up on the riverbank.
Instead of claiming the reward, her grandmother had used the silk
as batting for a quilt she was making.
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Illustrated by Paul Mombourquette
Christie
Harris Award, Shortlist
Yukon, Ho! The Klondike Gold Rush is on!
The discovery of gold in the Yukon draws Noah and his father north.
Unable to leave his cat Shadow behind, Noah stows her in his pack.
But is the Klondike a place for a cat? Along with thousands of
other stampeders, Noah, Pa and Shadow make the arduous journey
over the Chilkoot Trail, across Bennett Lake (where Shadow has
kittens) and down the Yukon River to Dawson City, where Noah's
father discovers that all the good sites in the Klondike have
been taken. What will they do, with no money left to buy a claim?
Will they have to sell off their gear and go home empty-handed?
Noah's ingenuity and Shadow's kittens provide the answer.
The idea for this story was sparked by something
I read while researching the gold rush for Destination
Gold. Apparently, one of the stampeders had made the journey
to Dawson not with mining gear, but with a scowload of cats and
kittens. He was greatly ridiculed — until he sold them all
to prospectors for an ounce of gold apiece.
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Kids Can Press, 2002
ISBN: 55337-766-4
To order an autographed copy,
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Lawson manages to
introduce suspense, adventure, disappointment and, finally,
elation.
Winnipeg
Free Press
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A wonderful historical
fiction picture book … filled with adventure and told with a sense
of urgency and excitement. Noah's devotion to his cat and her
kittens and a father's love and tenderness for his son are beautifully
conveyed through a descriptive text and lively dialogue …
CM Magazine
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Orca Books, 2003
Out of Print. To order an autographed copy,
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… Lawson writes the story with empathy
for Ben and adds suspense when the boy anxiously awaits
his chance in the limelight … Not only an enjoyable read
but also a valuable literary link to a social studies unit
on the Klondike gold rush.
CM Magazine
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Illustrated by Kasia Charko
Christie
Harris Award, Shortlist
I "met" Arizona Charlie at the Palace Grand Theatre
in Dawson City during my stay at the Berton House Writer's Retreat.
He was a real person — a newspaperman and Wild West celebrity
who went to Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush and built
(in 1899) the famous Palace Grand Theatre. Today, in a beautifully
restored Palace Grand, the show still goes on in the summer months
(with an actor playing the flamboyant Arizona Charlie).
Ben, "the Klondike Kid," is a fictional boy who
worships Arizona Charlie, and by practicing the same lasso tricks
and sharpshooting routines, hopes to become just like him. When
Arizona Charlie unexpectedly invites Ben to take part in his act
at the Palace Grand, Ben is beside himself with excitement —
until the moment of his debut. Struck by stage fright, he runs
from the stage. His humiliation and dejection are short-lived,
however, when he uses his lasso skills to capture a fleeing robber
in the street.
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This story provides a little biblio-therapy,
a little history, and a lot of fun.
School Library Journal
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Lawson uses her talent
for marrying history with fiction to create a story that kids
from any era will appreciate: Ben's dreams of fame and his devastation
at failing in front of his hero and community are timeless experiences.
In his cavalier treatment of Ben, Arizona Charlie also provides
a good object lesson about the pitfalls of making heroes out of
ordinary people, though he does redeem himself by the story's
end.
Quill &
Quire
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Illustrated by Yolaine LeFebvre
On March 3, 1992 a cougar was spotted at dawn
coming out of Victoria's Beacon Hill Park and going into a residential
neighbourhood where it seemingly disappeared. An extensive search
involving two tracking hounds proved fruitless. The cougar was
not seen again until 11:00 that night when a taxi driver saw it
going into the Empress Hotel's parkade. A true urban tale!
Like many others, I was captivated by this story
when it appeared in the local newspaper. I called the conservation
officer who'd been named in the article and asked for more details,
thinking of a possible picture book. Not only was he delighted
to tell me about the incident, he took me along as he retraced
his steps — from the first sighting across from the park,
up and down alleys and streets in the neighbourhood and along
the waterfront. He even walked me through the Empress Hotel parkade,
showing me the exact spot where the cougar was cornered and tranquilized.
To make the story accessible to young readers
and listeners, I fictionalized the child narrator, making her
the daughter of the real-life conservation officer. (He didn't
mind.) The illustrator, who travelled from Montreal to research
the setting, included some "hide-and-seek" illustrations to portray
the sense of mystery surrounding the incident. Where was the cougar
between the two sightings?
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Scholastic, 1998
Out of Print. To order an autographed copy,
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Lawson is a master
of taking a small moment in time and spinning it into
her own story inspired by fact but fictional in its nature.
Victoria
Times-Colonist
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Written in the
first person, the simple text rings with the authenticity
of a child's voice. Facts about cougars are well blended
into the straightforward storyline. It comes to a satisfying
conclusion as the narrator watches the cougar being released
into the forest. An extensive author's note provides interesting
information about the actual event and about cougars in
general.
Winnipeg
Free Press
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 Red
Deer College Press, 1992
Out of Print. To order an autographed copy,
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Illustrated by Sheena Lott
When Amy goes fishing and loses her first big
catch, the day is spoiled. Or is it? By the end of the day, Amy
has a real fish story to tell as well as a lasting memory.
A Morning to Polish and Keep is a blend
of fact and fiction. Find out more.
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…
the setting presents the genuine experience of a child on a fishing
trip with her family. The story comes from a memory lovingly recounted
by the narrator to express the magic of a moment in time during
her childhood; a surprising turn of events brings the story to
a satisfying finish.
The Observer
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Illustrated by Brian Deines
Facts: My husband was photographing trains
in the Rocky Mountains when he saw a bear lumber onto a hopper
car of a grain train. It's not uncommon for bears and other animals
to wander along the tracks eating spilled grain, especially in
late Fall, and this particular bear made the most of it, climbing
right onto the platform. Two crewmen were walking down the train
on top of the cars, doing a routine check of some sort, when they
spotted the bear. They yelled and stomped, assuming that the bear
would jump off. Instead, the bear crawled into the open manhole
at the end of the car. When the engineer was alerted and started
moving the train (slowly but jerkily) the bear got scared and
bolted. When my husband met up with me later, he said, "Have I
got a story for you!"
Fiction: I took the facts as related, then
started to think. "What if the bear stayed on the train?"
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Kids Can Press, 1999
Out of Print. To order an autographed copy,
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Lawson's words
have a lovely elemental temper, spare, chiming, and timeless.
Kirkus Reviews
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Julie Lawson's simple,
repetitive text echoes the train's rhythmic motion and lends itself
to reading aloud. She gives her story a sense of authenticity,
using accurate train vocabulary like "hopper" and "siding" and
describing the train's voyage west with geographical accuracy
… a charming, purely Canadian story that will be enjoyed by audiences
aged 3 to 7.
Quill &
Quire
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Lawson's spare prose is
filled with imagery, rhyme, rhythm, repetition, alliteration,
consonance, and assonance … This story is best shared as a read-aloud
to appreciate fully the language and captivating illustrations.
School
Library Journal
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Julie Lawson has written
a book that fits into many categories: trains, prairies, bears,
seasons and Canadiana among them … the pattern of Jeffrey's admonition
duplicates the pattern of the train criss-crossing the country,
and his perseverance is both frustrating and funny.
CM Magazine
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Fitzhenry and Whiteside
ISBN: 07737-2882-1 (hardcover)
ISBN: 07737-5717-1 (paperback)
To order an autographed copy,
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Very likely the
most beautiful picture book of the season. The language
is rich and resonating, the story gripping.
Victoria Times-Colonist
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[From
the beginning of the book] a child's attention is captured
and as the eastern tale unfolds, continues to wrap itself
around the reader. Enchanting in text and illustration.
The
Observer
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Illustrated by Paul Morin
Ruth
Schwartz Award, Shortlist
CLA Book of
the Year, Shortlist
U.S. NAPPA Award
for Folklore (National Parenting Publications Award)
The story is based on a myth from the Sichuan
province of China, and explains the formation of the River Min.
A poor boy named Xiao Sheng works hard to provide food for himself
and his mother, always hoping that his fortune will change. One
day it does — and in a very dramatic way. A magic pearl,
two greedy neighbours, and Xiao Sheng's transformation into a
river dragon bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.
The original story, part of an anthology, was
one of many dragon-related tales my fourth-grade students discovered
during a unit on dragons and Chinese mythology. Of all the tales,
The Dragon's Pearl was a favourite. I thought it would
make a wonderful picture book, and set about retelling it, while
staying true to the original version. My editor, however, rejected
it. The main reason? No justice! The villains go off unpunished,
the boy turns into a dragon through no fault of his own, and his
mother is left to grieve. My editor had a point! So … I dug deeper
into dragon mythology and, without departing from the original
story, allowed the beliefs associated with Chinese dragons to
satisfy the readers. I also added a note about dragons at the
end of the book.
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* Check online or local used bookstores or your public library for these
out of print titles.
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