Back to School with Picture Books

There's no denying it: school is back in season. And not just for the kids: this fall, Ruth Ohi's popular characters Chicken, Pig, and Cow go to school for the first time in Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Class Pet. What will they do without their best friend Dog? And how will they save their beloved Popsicle stick barn when the class pet mistakes it for lunch? This is the perfect book for kids starting school for the first time, or for curious preschool children who want a sneak peek.

If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Chicken, Pig, and Cow yet, Ruth just posted a lovely video introducing them (spoiler: it includes pictures of the real Chicken, Pig, and Cow!):



What do your kids enjoy most about school? Do they have class pets? Let me know in the comments!

Wizard Hat Options Chicken. Pig, Cow Series!

We're pleased to announce that Ruth Ohi's adorable Chicken, Pig, Cow series has been optioned by Wizard Hat Productions for a TV series! You can find out more details in our press release.

Last week, Ruth paid the Annick office a visit to sign the film option contract. We celebrated afterward with cake, and Ruth remarked, "It's neat to be able to say I've been optioned!"

Ruth also had a chance to look over the proofs for the latest Chicken, Pig, Cow book: Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Class Pet (the fifth book in the series, due out this fall):

Congratulations, Ruth! We're all looking forward to seeing Chicken, Pig, Cow, and Best Friend Dog come to life on screen!

Toronto Public Library's First & Best Booklist

Just in time for the holiday season, the Toronto Public Library has announced their fourth annual First and Best Booklist, which their press release describes as "a selection of the very best in Canadian books for children from birth to age five that are fun to read and also help build early literacy skills."

We're very pleased to have two of our talented author/illustrators on the list: Ruth Ohi (for Chicken, Pig, Cow Horse Around) and Andrea Wayne von Königslöw (for How Do You Read to a Rabbit?). If you've got a little one to buy for this holiday season, check out the list and you're sure to find the perfect gift.

Word on the Street this Sunday!

Just a quick note to say Annick Press will be selling books at the Word on the Street festival in Toronto this Sunday, September 26. Drop by our booth (KS27): we'll be selling all of our books at 20% off--even the new Fall titles. If you mention this blog, we'll give you a FREE book, and if you buy any 4 books, you'll also receive a FREE surprise bag of books! (While supplies last.)

And if that wasn't enough, you'll also get to meet the fabulous Ruth Ohi, who will be signing her books. She'll also be in the Children's Reading Tent at 11:30 a.m.

Here's an interview with Ruth in which she discusses her adorable Chicken, Pig, Cow series:



Hope to see you there!

Early Summer Updates from Annick

Summer is just starting, but our authors have been very busy!

Ruth Ohi has recorded a great audio clip about her picture book Chicken, Pig, Cow for TeachingBooks.net: click here to listen! There are now three Chicken, Pig, cow books in print, and another one will be published this fall.

Henning Mankell, author of the Detective Wallander series as well as young adult titles such as Secrets in the Fire and Shadow of the Leopard, was recently on board a flotilla of boats bound for Gaza that were intercepted by Israeli troops. He gave an interview to the Guardian about the experience.

Allan Stratton was interviewed by Follett Library Resources's Behind the Book program, and he also posted some official production stills from the set of Life, Above All (the award-winning film based on his novel Chanda's Secrets). Here's one of the stunning pictures: you'll have to visit his blog for the rest! You can also buy the ebook of Chanda's Secrets on Kobo.

Chicken, Pig, Cow... On TV!

Chicken, Pig, and Cow--the stars of Ruth Ohi's latest picture book series--have been on many adventures together. They've befriended drooly, snorty Dog, sought out a new home, and helped Cow come to terms with being purple rather than gray or brown or black like other cows. And now they've made their very first TV appearance, on Gisèle's Big Backyard! Click here to watch the episode online.

 Way to go, Chicken, Pig, and Cow! Where will you turn up next?

Ruth Ohi and Her Purple Cow

Ruth Ohi is a prolific author and illustrator, and her new Chicken, Pig, Cow series (for ages 2-5) is the perfect mix of cute and funny. In the latest adventure, Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Purple Problem, Cow realizes that real cows have black or brown or gray spots, not purple ones. So off she goes on a quest to become a real cow... but will Chicken and Pig still recognize her?

Maybe I'll just let Ruth tell you all about it in her own words...

Turning Authors into Movie Stars!

The office has been quiet these past few days, as many of the Annick staff are attending or volunteering at the National Reading Summit. So it was the perfect time to bring in the BookShorts film crew and chat with the authors and illustrators of some of our upcoming titles! The videos won't be ready for a little while, so here are some pictures to tide you over.

First up: author/illustrator Ruth Ohi talked about her third book in the Chicken, Pig, Cow picture book series: Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Purple Problem (Spring 2010). She even did some quick sketches for us.


Former CBC Radio sportscaster Kevin Sylvester took the stage next to talk about Game Day (Fall 2010), a book about the people who work in behind-the-scenes jobs related to sports.


Next, author/illustrator Andrea Wayne von Königslöw talked about her book How Do You Read to a Rabbit? (Spring 2010) in which a child attempts to read a bedtime story to various animals, with hilarious results. Here's Andrea reading to a rather patient bunny:


Finally, Sharon McKay gave us some background about her book Stones Over Kandahar (Fall 2010), which is set in Afghanistan and grew out of her experiences as a Canadian War Artist. After the interview, she browsed our books and couldn't resist picking up The Apprentice's Masterpiece (Melanie Little).


We're looking forward to sharing the finished videos with you, and giving you more details about these great new books. Until then, you can find more pictures from the video shoot on the Annick Flickr account. Enjoy!

Word on the Street Wrap-up

Although a few dark clouds lingered over downtown Toronto on Sunday morning, the sun soon fought them off and provided a beautiful day worthy of the annual Word on the Street festival. (I even had to break out the sunscreen! Not that I'm complaining.)

Queen's Park was buzzing with people of all ages checking out the various booths, events, and food. From author readings (including one by Margaret Atwood) to live music to games, crafts, and cooking demos, there was something for everyone. I also loved seeing the whole spectrum of people involved in the book business: from authors and illustrators to writers' groups, magazines, publishers, wholesalers, booksellers, and, of course, readers!

The Annick booth was a busy place to be: we enjoyed both introducing our books to new readers and hearing from people who were already familiar with our titles (for example, our Robert Munsch display elicited many happy cries of, "Oh, I remember reading that as a kid!"). It was especially touching to see parents introducing the books they'd loved as kids to their own children.

Along with offering a 20% discount on our books, we also ran our popular String Pull game (photo below), in which kids pull one end of a string and then win books based on the color of the token on the other end. It costs just $1 to play and all proceeds go to this year's Reading Summit (Nov. 11-13).

Ruth Ohi (pictured below) dropped by in the afternoon to sign her books and chat with fans; she especially enjoyed signing her books with cartoon sketches of the child who the book was for!

I've uploaded our photos to our Flickr account, and you can also find more wrap-ups of Word on the Street in Toronto on the following blogs: BlogTO; Another Day, Another Thought... or Two; Talking with Tundra, and Debbie's Blatherings. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Word on the Street Update

Just a reminder that Annick will be at booth Book KS 15 (on Wellesley Street) at the Word on the Street festival in Toronto this Sunday, Sept. 27! Drop by and say hi... and if you mention our blog, we'll give you a free hardcover book, while supplies last! (Which book? It's a surprise!)

Also, author/illustrator Ruth Ohi will be at the Children's Reading Tent from 1-1:30 pm, and then she'll be at the Annick booth to sign books from 1:30-2:30! Come meet Chicken, Pig, and Cow!

Telling Tales Festival and Word on the Street

Last weekend was the Telling Tales festival in Rockton (just north of Hamilton, Ontario), and Annick set up a colourful booth to join in the fun!


There were 32 children's authors, illustrators, and performers attending, including our very own Loris Lesynski (Dirty Dog Boogie; I Did It Because...) and Ruth Ohi (Chicken, Pig, Cow; Chicken, Pig, Cow on the Move). Great weather, wonderful books: what a perfect family outing! For a great blog post (with pictures of Ruth doing her drawing demonstration!), check out the Papertrails Family Blog.

Loris Lesynski with her books:

If you missed Telling Tales this year, don't despair: you're not too late for The Word on the Street festival on Sunday, September 27! There are four venues: Vancouver, Kitchener, Toronto, and Halifax.

Join us at the Toronto location (Queen's Park) as we celebrate reading and literacy. There are tons of activities for adults and children, including performances, readings, signings, crafts, and more. There's a lot going on, but don't worry: the editors at Chirp, chickaDEE, and OWL have put together a great Kidstreet Activity Guide so you can plan your day. You can also follow the Toronto Word on the Street Twitter account for updates, contests, trivia, and photos.

Ruth Ohi will be at the Children's Reading Tent from 1-1:30 pm, and then she'll be signing books at the Annick booth, so come on by! Also, if you visit the Annick booth and mention that you've read our blog, we'll give you a FREE hardcover book while supplies last. (Which title? It's a surprise!) Hope to see you there!

Happy Mother's Day!

(Tulips: FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

This Sunday is Mother's Day -- why not treat your mom to a new book? I can still remember my mom tucking me in with a chapter of The Secret Garden when I was little. What books did your mom read to you?

Top Ten Reasons a Book Makes the Perfect Mother's Day Gift

1. Unlike flowers, a book won't die a few days later.
2. Unlike chocolate or candy, you can spend all day indulging in a book without feeling gross later.
3. A book is also the gift of time alone to read -- and what mother doesn't need a bit of that?
4. A book won't give you cavities.
5. You don't need to get dressed up to enjoy a book.
6. A book is cheaper than going out for dinner and a movie, but lasts a lot longer.
7. A good book leaves you feeling satisfied long after you've finished reading it.
8. A book is a present you can share when you're finished with it.
9. Discussing a book with your mom can be a great bonding experience.
10. A book will make up for all that trouble you gave your mom when you were a teenager. (Ok, maybe not... but it's worth a shot!)

If you're shopping for a new mom, you might want to pick up two books: one for mom, and one for baby to enjoy while mom reads! Might we recommend Ruth Ohi's Chicken, Pig, Cow? (We're putting out a sequel this fall, too... more on that later!)

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Ruth Ohi BookShorts Interview

Click to play Video

Thanks BookShorts!

It's Festival Time

It's that time of the year--cool nights, fall colors and book festivals! Sunday, September 28 is when cities across Canada will be holding their annual The Word On The Street Book and Magazine Festival this year. Authors, readings, arts and musical performances--and lots of fabulous books will be the order of the day as people flock to hear and see the best that Canadian publishers have to offer.

For those living in Toronto, we hope that you'll come by and visit the Annick booth (#347 on Kidstreet). And make sure to catch two of our most popular authors, Kathy Stinson and Loris Lesynski.

Loris will read from her latest book, Shoe Shakes, at the Children's Reading Tent at 2:00, and will be signing books at the Author Signing Tent at 2:30 and at the Annick booth at 3:30.

Kathy will read from A Pocket Can Have a Treasure in It and from her classic Red is Best at the Children's Reading Tent at 1:30 and the Little Readers' Tent at 4:00. Come and have your books signed at the Author Signing Tent at 2:00 and at the Annick Booth at 2:30.

And if you're planning to attend the Kitchener Word On The Street, you're in for a treat as Ruth Ohi reads from her new book, Chicken, Pig, Cow at 11:30 at the 96.7 CHYM Children's Reading Tent.

For those of you who will be at The Word On The Street in Vancouver, make sure to visit the Canada Writes tent at 11:20 to hear author Laura Trunkey read from her just-published junior novel, The Incredibly Ordinary Danny Chandelier.

And what would a festival be without a few show specials at the Annick booth?
• Buy any 3 books and get 2 free hardcover picture books (for younger kids), or 2 free paperbacks (fiction & non-fiction assortment, for older kids)
• Surprise bags $5 each (cash only)

The Word On The Street is celebrating it's 19th year, and is expecting over 300,000 people across Canada; can't wait to see you there!

Let the Fall Begin!

It's official! Our fall books are up and running.

This week, blogger Cheryl Rainfield posted a lovely review of one of our favorite new fall titles, Chicken, Pig, Cow by Ruth Ohi. This made me think that I should offer YOU the opportunity to receive books for review too!

If you are an online reviewer/blogger/podcaster, and would like to receive copies of our fall books for review, or would like to be added to our mailing list, please leave a comment on this post, or e-mail us at annickpress(at)annickpress(dot)com.

Starring Horse

Chicken, Pig, Cow was based on a popsicle stick barn that my eldest daughter made when she was younger. I happened upon it when she wasn't quite finished, so I thought she had forgotten to make a door. The barn included a Horse, who just didn't make it into the story this time. Here is a photo of Horse who is still a bit miffed that he didn't get a starring role. I am currently working on a sequel to be released next Fall. Horse suggests that it involve something where he gets to eat lots of chocolate while wearing fluffy, flannel pajamas. We will see, Horse....

Ruth Ohi

Author/Illustrator

Annick Goes to BEC

Melanie Little, author of The Apprentice's Masterpiece

The number of exhibitors was noticeably down from previous years, and there were fewer independent booksellers than everyone had hoped for, but even so, Book Expo Canada 2008 was a successful show for Annick. Thanks to the presence of a number of teachers and librarians, the booth was busy with people stopping to ask about our upcoming books. The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland drew a lot of attention as did The Apprentice's Masterpiece by Melanie Little. Long line-ups awaited all our authors who signed books: Loris Lesynski, Melanie Little, Elizabeth MacLeod, Ruth Ohi, Charis Cotter, and Kathy Stinson.

Loris Lesynski, author of Shoe Shakes

Most of the publishers, association representatives and some booksellers attended a meeting on Monday to discuss the future of BEC. While everyone agreed that something had to be done to increase attendance, there was no consensus as to what that should be. There seems to be a movement afoot to move the show from June to September. As a publisher of children's books, we would be concerned that teachers and librarians who now attend BEC will not come to a fall show.

Elizabeth MacLeod, author of Royal Murder

The idea of opening BEC up to the public is a good one, but not unless a way can be found of allowing them to purchase books. Why else would they want to spend money to get in? For those who want to see and hear big name authors, there is the International Festival of Authors held later in the fall, and for those wanting bargains, there's The Word On The Street. Perhaps the appeal to the public would be being able to purchase the new Fall titles before they actually hit the stores. As for The Word On The Street, those publishers interested in selling could partner with an independent bookseller of their choice. Whatever the case, it looks as if BEC as it stands now is not viable for either its owners, Reed Exhibits, or for the publishers who attend. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.

The Sugar in the Spice Cabinet

Although I'm not an employee of the company, I've been working for Annick Press for 13 years. I’m a freelancer who works from home, thanks to the wonders of computer technology. As a copy editor and proofreader, I check the text of Annick’s books for spelling and grammar and such. I work for other publishers as well, and one of the things I most appreciate about my work is the variety: I can be editing a very dense piece of adult non-fiction in the morning, and then be checking the proofs of the latest Ruth Ohi picture book in the afternoon! If variety is the spice of life, then kids’ books are the sugar in my spice cabinet.

The technology that allows me to do my work has changed considerably since 1995, the year I first copy-edited an Annick book. In 1995, my first Annick job was dropped off at my apartment by one of the Annick editors. Nowadays, the books are sent to me as attachments to emails, and I print them out myself. In 1995, though, I didn’t have a printer. In fact, I didn’t have an email account. Heck, in 1995, I didn’t have a computer! I don’t think I was using a quill pen and toiling away by candlelight in those days, but I can’t be sure …

Despite these technological advances, I still think it’s important to maintain personal contact. For that reason, at least once a year, I make the trip to Toronto and catch the subway to the most northerly station on the Yonge line in order to visit the folks at Annick. For some reason that is an ongoing mystery, I usually seem to make that particular trip in mid-winter. As I trudge through the snow with the northerly wind whipping down Yonge Street and making my cheekbones ache, the passing cars splashing me with slush, I do have fleeting moments when I have to ask myself: is it REALLY all that important to maintain personal contact? I mean, wouldn’t a phone call have been sufficient? Maybe a greeting card?! But once I’m seated at the table in the Annick kitchen, with a cup of tea and some homemade goodies in front of me (they ALWAYS have goodies in the kitchen at Annick), such thoughts have vanished—until, that is, I have to set off again through the frigid wastes of North York on my return trip to the subway.

Just for a change of pace, I think I’ll try to visit Annick soon, before the snow starts flying again.

John Sweet

Freelance copy editor and proofreader

Getting the Picture

Hi! I'm David, an editor here at Annick Press. I must say that being a children's book editor is a fantastic experience ... often quite literally. Many a workday do I spend poring over manuscripts for novels set in places that exist only in the imagination. Picture books, on the other hand, are slightly different beasts. With a picture book, it us up to the illustrator to show us those imagined worlds and all the characters who inhabit it. A big job!

No picture book illustrator goes it alone. As an editor, it is part of my job to work with the illustrator, as well as the author, the art director, and the publisher, to make sure the pictures and words are working together to tell the best possible story. It's an amazing collaboration of creative ideas, and when the final artwork arrives, I'm always excited to see the story come so vividly to life.

That was the case this week, when we received the final artwork from Ruth Ohi for her newest picture book Chicken, Pig, Cow (coming in Fall 2008). I've been lucky enough to work with Ruth on her last several picture books, for which she has been both author and illustrator. She also wears both hats for Chicken, Pig, Cow and never before have her humor and imagination been on better display. In a word: fantastic!