An immigrant family camping adventure
| |

An immigrant family camping adventure

Author, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping (brownpeoplecamping.com), Ambreen Tariq relates the fictional narrative of the Khazi family, Indian immigrants to the United States who go camping for the first time. The youngest child, Fatima, has had a hard week at school. Her classmates teased her about the food she ate for lunch and the…

Church property repurposed
|

Church property repurposed

On March 21, the Board of Kings Cross Senior Communities (KCSC) in St. Catharines, Ontario, hosted a Recognition Service on the parking lot of the former Maranatha Christian Reformed Church (CRC) to reflect on the church’s history and to share plans for the next phase of the property’s use after the church building is demolished….

Exploring baptism through stories
|

Exploring baptism through stories

As the pastor of Granite Springs Church in California, Kevin Adams engaged in a yearlong study of baptism with the members of his church community. Much of what they discovered is included in Adams’ compelling narrative in which he invites readers to enter into the mystery of the sacrament: “Baptism tells us we are beloved….

New graphic novel tackles the horror and heroism of WWII
|

New graphic novel tackles the horror and heroism of WWII

In this fictional, historically-based graphic novel for juvenile readers, author R. J. Palacio fleshes out the background of characters she first introduced in her previous works, Wonder and Auggie & Me, especially that of Julian and his ancestors.  Julian is assigned a project to write an essay about someone he knows for his humanities class. He facetimes with…

Glimpsing God’s astounding creativity
|

Glimpsing God’s astounding creativity

Self-taught British illustrator Jean Claude brings to life Cecil Frances Alexander’s well-known hymn, “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” which was first published in Hymns for Little Children in 1848. An acclaimed poet and writer of hymns, Alexander also wrote “Once in Royal David’s City” and “There is a Green Hill Far Away.” Jean Claude’s detailed,…

Kids Speak Up, Step Out, Dig In, and March On!
| |

Kids Speak Up, Step Out, Dig In, and March On!

Young Jayden loves nature and sees it everywhere in the large city where he lives. Squirrels scrounging for nuts, cardinals calling from the trees, and the beauty of fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky bring joy to the boy’s heart. When his mother makes him stay inside after school, he tries to convince her that…

Jubilant play!
|

Jubilant play!

Author and illustrator Julie Flett attributes her love for the land, animals, and all of nature to the gentle heart of her Cree-Métis father, Clarence Flett (1936-2019). In an author note, she explains, “When I was growing up, my dad shared a lot about our relationship to animals and to each other, including the land,…

Pentecost joy!
|

Pentecost joy!

“Josey Johnson’s hair is a wonderful adventure — it’s different all the time! Some days it’s a ponytail or pigtails or a curly afro. And some days Josey’s hair has a mind of its own!” So begins author Esau McCaulley’s spirited portrayal of a girl who feels the pain of being different because her hair…

Remembering and waiting
|

Remembering and waiting

As young Ashley walks to school through the quiet countryside, a car speeds past her and drops off an elderly man by a dilapidated railroad track where the old train station used to stand. The First Nations girl recognizes her great-uncle and runs to him. When she asks Uncle why he has come to sit…

Offering streams of hope
|

Offering streams of hope

In a March 2017 Christian Courier article, I interviewed art prodigy Josh Tiessen about his then just released book, A Decade of Inspiration, written and produced with his mother, Dr. Julie A. Tiessen. Recently, Tiessen contacted me about his new book of art, Streams in the Wasteland, the title and the theme of which were…

The gift of an expanded horizon
| |

The gift of an expanded horizon

This gentle, informative children’s picture book is based on the true story of the time author David Robertson and his father returned to the trapline of his father’s youth. In this fictionalized version, a young boy and his moshom – his grandfather – fly to northern Canada. The boy is excited because they are going…

Nurturing children’s dreams
|

Nurturing children’s dreams

On Dream Street, a thriving, loving African American community nurtures its children, nourishing and caring for their dreams, and helping them embrace hope-filled futures. Author Tricia Elam Walker describes the neighbourhood’s way of life as it helps children flourish: “There is no need to worry or to rush. They take their time, growing and playing,…