I hope all you moms out there had a lovely Mother’s day yesterday!

We’d also like to celebrate the moms-to-be - so we’ve partnered with our friends at Canadian Family magazine to bring you a special contest. Two contests, actually…

Contest #1:
Read and Roll!

Enter online for a chance to win a stroller full of books!

One grand-prize winner receives:

• Zooper “Everyday Jazz” stroller
• 30 books and board books for new parents and newborns

The “Read and Roll!” contest will run until June 30th on www.raincoast.com/baby/

Contest #2:
Read and Relax!

Visit a participating store to enter to win a “Parent’s Care Kit” prize-pack (1 winner per store). We know parents need pampering, too, so this is a collection of items for you to enjoy in your spare moments, however brief they may be!

Each “Parent’s Care Kit” contains:

• The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
• Merle’s Door by Ted Kerasote
• Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin
• The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax
• Canadian Family magazine
• Body Shop gift pack
• Purdy’s chocolate bar
• Starbucks card

For a list of participating stores, visit www.raincoast.com/baby/.

Bonus Prize!
Keep an eye out for books stickered with a special offer from Raincoast and Canadian Family magazine: free with purchase of a specially stickered book, you will receive a complimentary copy of the magazine!

Find out more...
To find out more about some great books for newborns and new parents, plus info on the contests and a list of participating stores, please visit:
www.raincoast.com/baby/

Are you in the holiday spirit yet? Here are some books that will bring that holiday glow into all parts of your home, from your rooftop to your dining table to your bedside table.

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HOLIDAY HERO: A Man’s Manual for Holiday Lighting by Brad Finkle (Chronicle Books).

Want to be the brightest house on the block? HOLIDAY HERO is a humourous and helpful book that shows you, step-by-step, how to out up your Christmas lights, from a simple string to full-on Rudolph and all his reindeer pals prancing in lights across your rooftop.

Watch the Holiday Hero video interview with the author, which shows off some of his bright ideas.

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SERIOUSLY SIMPLE HOLIDAYS: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season by Diane Rossen Worthington (Chronicle Books).

Diane Rossen Worthington is a James Beard Award-winning broadcaster and the author of 18 cookbooks, including the bestselling SERIOUSLY SIMPLE. Now Diane’s back to tackle holiday cooking… with ease. Full of timesaving tips, wine and cheese pairings and menus for hosting holiday parties, SERIOUSLY SIMPLE HOLIDAYS includes yummy recipes such as Apple Clafouti and delish drinks such as Cranberry Mimosas.

Here are a couple of sample recipes from the book:

- Chicken-Vegetable Soup with Herbed Matzo Balls

- Sour Cream-Vanilla Cupcakes

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THE BIBLE: Genesis, Exodus, The Song of Solomon illustrated by Marc Chagall (Chronicle Books).

Celebrated artist Marc Chagall began illustrating the Bible in 1931, and it became his lifelong passion. This beautiful, bright volume includes more than 130 pages of his works, paired with three books from the Old Testament. Chagall’s illustrations reflect his Jewish heritage and his view of the complex relationship between God and man, presaging many of the subjects and themes in his later work

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WHERE, OH WHERE IS SANTA CLAUS? by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Ivan Bates (Harcourt).

This is beautifully illustrated, heartwarming Christmas picture book set in the North Pole—full of reindeers, snow and Santa… oh wait, where IS Santa? Will he be found in time to make deliveries on Christmas Eve?

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OLIVE, THE OTHER REINDEER: Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition by J.otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh (Chronicle Books).

OLIVE, THE OTHER REINDEER is 10 years old—can you believe it? Olive is now a Christmas classic, and this deluxe 10th anniversary edition celebrates the milestone with sparkles galore, flaps to lift, spots to scratch and sniff ... and even a POP-UP grand finale!

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Still looking the perfect gift to put under the tree? Have a look at our other gift guides.

I recently discovered a MUST SUBSCRIBE TO SERVICE for any new parents out there. It’s called YoYoMama.

Here’s their motto:

At yoyomama we know mums are not a renewable resource so we’re making your life less yoyo-like with weekday hits of helpful, hip info delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up and daily you will receive a wonderful newsletter in your inbox with all kinds of helpful, kid friendly items and tips such as events and activities around Vancouver, ways to Go Green with your little one and my favourite Mama’s (and now Dada’s) who rock.

Chris Mizzoni the author of Clancy with the Puck was just selected as the very first YoYoMama Dada Who Rocks!

Here’s a snippet from the article:

The father of two-and-a-half year old Dreya (who’s already strapped on her first pair of skates), Chris began working on the book in earnest when she was about six months old. He worked in the evenings, during naptime, late into the night, whenever he could, continuing to work as the Location Designer and Layout Supervisor on Ricky Sprocket, Showbiz Boy by day.

Chris gets a thrill of seeing his book on the shelves at the bookstore and from his daughter waving it around saying “It’s Daddy’s book.” He’s also filling in Clancy’s back story, with two more books on the way. And that’s not likely to be the last of Clancy. In Chris’s head is an entire interactive Clancy universe, including a league of eight hockey teams, their lineups, stats and standings.

To read the full review visit YoYoMama and while there make sure that you sign up for their fabulous daily newsletter.

Also make sure to check out our Clancy Website for all kinds of amazing extra materials including a podcast with Chris Mizzoni, downloadable hockey cards and a Clancy with the Puck Avatar.

Happy Reading!

I was just sent a wonderful review for King of the Lost and Found on a blog called Jenn’s Book Bag. It contained one of the best quotes I’ve ever read so I thought I had to share:

Every once in a while, a true gem of a book comes along.  King of the Lost and Found is a diamond of a gem.

Read the full review here.

King of the Lost and Found can be found at fine bookstores everywhere. Pick up your copy today, you won’t regret it!

This week is TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2007, bringing the magic of books and reading to children all across Canada! Victoria Miles the author of Old Mother Bear and Frieda Wishinsky the author of The Canadian Flyer Adventures were selected to participate in the tour this year.

TD Canadian Children’s Book Week is the single most important bilingual, national event celebrating Canadian children’s books and the importance of reading. Every November, thousands of children and adults participate in activities held in every province and territory across the country. Hundreds of schools, public libraries, bookstores and community centres host events as part of this major literary festival.

All of us at Raincoast are very proud to have Frieda and Victoria participating in this amazing opportunity. Victoria will be visiting schools in Ontario and Frieda in Newfoundland.

Victoria Miles offers presentations for Grades 1-12! Here is some information about the presentation that she offers focused around to her book Old Mother Bear:

Old Mother Bear (Grades 1 - 3)
Look up the word “bear” in any library catalogue and you could find hundreds of titles. But a book about an old bear, a very old bear? That would be a rare find. When Victoria Miles set her heart on writing a bear story, she had a particular bear in mind. An aged mother grizzly, and her last litter of cubs. In writing “Old Mother Bear”, Victoria explored what it means to be an old bear. Teamed up with Caldecott-honoree artist Molly Bang, Victoria and Molly viewed grizzly bears in the wild, a special experience she shares when presenting “Old Mother Bear”.

For those of you in Newfoundland who are lucky enough to hear Frieda speak here is some information about her presentations:

Frieda loves writing children’s books. Her picture books, chapter books and novels are full of humour and engaging characters. She makes history” come alive” for readers. Published in eight languages, her many books have won numerous international awards and acclaim. Frieda is an accomplished workshop leader and presenter, who consistently draws enthusiastic reviews from children and adults alike.

Frieda’s presentations and workshops are interactive, informative and curriculum-linked. She uses drama, storytelling, a lively Q&A period, and humour to engage her audience. She encourages kids to use their experiences and feelings to tell their stories and shows them how they can do that.

Both authors give amazing school presentations! If you are interested in having Victoria or Frieda come to your school contact me at and we can put you in touch!

For more information about Canadian Book Week visit the TD Canadian Children’s Book Week Website.

Happy Reading!

Congratulations to Frieda Wishinsky! Frieda is the author of the Canadian Flyer Adventures series, published by Maple Tree Press. The second book in the series, DANGER, DINOSAURS!, has been named one of the “Great Books for Children 2008” by the Canadian Toy Testing Council.

The book presents a good mix of fact and fiction and is a great read for boys and girls who are fascinated with prehistoric creatures.

The Canadian Flyer Adventures series is a great way for growing readers to experience Canada’s history—with a good dose of fun and adventure. For more info on the series, visit the Canadian Flyer Adventures website.

Click here for the Canadian Toy Testing Council’s entire list of “Great Books for Children 2008”.

I was a huge Ramona fan growing up. I was obsessed with Beverly Cleary and read ALL of her books cover to cover, over and over and over again. When I became obsessed with children’s books again as an adult they were some of the first books that I picked up to re-read. I still read my Ramona books and have often found myself wishing that they were still being written.

Imagine my delight when I picked up Ivy and Bean from my pile of books and was instantly transported back to my childhood. Ivy and Bean are as plucky and outspoken as Ramona and Nancy is just as bossy and big sisterish as Beezus. Charming and funny, retro yet modern these books are bound to captivate a whole new audience of girls just like the Ramona books did for my generation.

Unlike the Ramona books Ivy and Bean has two leading ladies so it’s double the fun, double the trouble and double the friendship. Who doesn’t love a story about BFFs? Here’s what Publishers Weekly said about the twosome recently:

In children’s books, as in life, the buddy system has a pretty good track record: most readers can name a favorite literary twosome, from Frog and Toad to Harry and Ron. The BFF factor is a big part of the appeal of the Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Chronicle), about two effervescent second-graders who become unlikely pals.

Marci Johnson, children’s book buyer and children’s event coordinator for the six Copperfield’s Books stores in California, believes that Ivy and Bean tickle kids right in the funny bone. “The books really appeal to their sense of humor,” she noted. “The author says that she loosely bases the stories on things that she did as a child, or things that her own children do now, so she’s got a lot of funny material to work with."

Across the US these books have taken off winning all kinds of honours and praise. Here are just a few:

* ALA Notable Children’s Book 2007

* Booklist, Editor’s Choice, Best Books of 2006

* Kirkus Reviews, Best Early Chapter Books 2006

* “Just right for kids moving on from beginning readers.”—Publishers Weekly

* “Will make readers giggle.”—Booklist

Now Canadian booksellers are starting to read the Ivy and Bean books too and recommending them to teachers, librarians and kids across the country. Lucky for Canadians they don’t have to read the first book and wait ages until they are able to continue with the Ivy and Bean adventures because books 1-3 are already here with book 4 coming this spring!

Make sure you check out:

Book #1: Ivy and Bean

Book #2: Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had To Go

Book #3: Ivy and Bean Break The Fossil Record

In addition to these books being fun and great for reluctant readers there are also classroom study guides available for them and a really fun Ivy and Bean Website where you can play fun games, read excerpts from the books and hear the author read from the books!

I have some free copies of this book to give away so if you would like a copy for your classroom please email me at or leave a message in the comment section.

Happy Reading! 

We’ve watched him grow up from a shy awkward school boy playing everyone’s favourite young wizard starting his first day at Hogwarts Academy to a confidant man starring on The London Stage in Equus. I have to admit that I was at a bookstore over the summer and while walking past the magazine rack did a double take when I saw this photo of Daniel Radcliffe on the cover of Details Magazine. Well now Daniel Radcliffe has another accomplishment to add to his resume… writer… well of an introduction that is!

Bloomsbury has just released a new book written by Paul Kieve with an introduction by Daniel Radcliffe called Hocus Pocus. Paul met Daniel while working as Producer of Physical Magic on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. For more information on how the two became fast friends click HERE for a blog that I posted a few months back about how it was magic at first meeting for Daniel and Paul.

The newest rage in book marketing is “Book Trailers” so of course for a book as highly anticipated as Hocus Pocus there has to be a trailer.

Looks exciting doesn’t it! Full of the wonder of magic and the amazing personalities of the greatest magicians of all time, Hocus Pocus is packaged with a magic envelope full of magical curiosities that can be used to baffle and impress.

Now is your chance to win your very own copy! All you have to do is post a comment in our comment section with a link to your favourite Daniel Radcliffe photo. We’ll pick one luck winner and send them their very own copy of Hocus Pocus.

Happy Reading and Good Luck!

Do you know someone between the ages of 13 and 19 who lives in BC and loves to read? If so have them sign up to be a reader for The Stellar Awards. The Stellar Awards are the BC Teen Choice Awards for Canadian Teen Literature and they are looking for your opinion!

Raincoast has two books nominated for the 2007/2008 Season.

The Cure For Crushes (And Other Deadly Plagues) by Karen Rivers the fabulous follow-up to bestseller The Healing Time of Hickeys. Haley Andromeda Harmony is now in her final months of high school and must face the inevitable question: What happens next? Finding the answer isn’t easy. For one thing, having a real boyfriend is causing a strange reaction: Haley has crushes on nearly every other boy she meets. As well, her dad gets a job and starts dating, and Haley misses the life they had before he moved his Much Younger Girlfriend (MYG) into their ramshackle house. From bungee-jumping in winter to supporting best friend Jules at auditions for the TV show “Who’s the Prettiest of Them All?,” Haley’s TGYML 2 ("the greatest year of my life, part two") has more than its fair share of mishap-filled adventures.

Also nominated is The Freedom of Jenny by Julie Burtinshaw a gripping historical fiction that revolves around Jenny Estes, who is born into slavery in the 1840s in Missouri. Through Jenny and her family, Burtinshaw tells the true story of the immigration of a small group of African Americans from the banks of the Mississippi to Saltspring Island, British Columbia, in the 1860s. This first fictional treatment of a fascinating and important piece of North American history follows in the tradition of Barbara Smucker’s classic Underground to Canada.

Today seems to be a perfect type of day to curl up on the couch with a good book.... so here’s another contest!

Who is your favourite author?

Leave an answer in the comment field and we will send one lucky randomly chosen winner a copy of both of our Raincoast Published titles on the Stellar Awards nomination list.

For more information on how to sign up to be a reader for The Stellar Awards visit their website HERE.

Pippi Longstocking, Annie, Ron Weasley.... We all love a good red-head, and the world needs more of them! Well the wait is over! Everyone’s favourite red-headed actress Julianne Moore has just created an adorable new picture book called Freckleface Strawberry.  Illustrated by LeUyen Pham with engaging retro-style illustrations this book’s spunky main character Freckleface Strawberry will delight not just red-heads but blondes, brunettes and raven haired children and adults.

USA Today recently interviewed Moore:

Q: How autobiographical is the book?

A: When I was 7 (in Omaha), the other kids called me “Freckleface Strawberry.” I hated it. But they were just calling it like they saw it, even when they said things like “You look dirty,” and “Can I smell them?”

Q: Did you really wear a ski mask like your character?

A: No. I made that up. But when I wear a hat, people don’t recognize me. When they don’t see my red hair, they walk right by.

Q: The book is dedicated to your “own not-so-freckled strawberries” (son Cal, 9, and daughter Liz, 5, with her husband, director Bert Freundlich). Did they influence it?

A: I wrote it for them. In tone, Freckleface Strawberry is more like my daughter than me. She has a lot more personality than I did at her age. She’s more sure of herself. She’s more of a spunky kid.

Q: You join a growing list of celebrities writing children’s books.

A: There’s something slightly embarrassing about that. But I wanted to be published because I loved books as a kid and I love them now.

Q: As a kid, what did you read?

A: My father was in the Army, so we moved a lot, and in each new town, the first place I’d check out was the public library. I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie) and Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) because their characters seemed liked real girls. And I loved Judy Blume. I used to think, “‘How can she know this much about kids?”

Q: Do you have plans for more books?

A: I’m hoping it’s the beginning of a series with the same character. I have an option for the second book and a draft of the third. I showed it to my son, and he said, “Mom, I think you need more of a middle and more of an end,” and I said, “But it’s just a draft!"

For the full interview check out Bob Minzesheimer’s article HERE.

And to leave you with here is a picture of Julianne as a young red-head.

Happy Reading! 

From award winning author K.L. Going comes a haunting, spine-tingling new novel just in time for Halloween.

In The Garden of Eve a girl named Evie reluctantly moves with her widowed father to Beaumont, New York, where he has bought an apple orchard. He dismisses rumours that the town is cursed and that the trees haven’t borne fruit in decades. Evie doesn’t believe in things like curses and fairy tales any more: if fairy tales were real, her mom would still be alive.

But odd things happen in Beaumont: Evie meets a boy who claims to be dead and receives a mysterious seed as an 11th birthday gift. Once planted, the seed grows into a tree overnight, but only Evie and the dead boy can see it—or go where it leads.

The latest and greatest trend in books is creating trailers for your favourite novels. Publishers and fans alike are creating them and putting them up on You Tube. To see what I mean here is one for The Garden of Eve:

Click HERE for a link to a independent short made by a fan of K.L. Going’s previous book Saint Iggy. (Warning the film contains adult language.)

Now a question to throw out to all of you. If you were to create a trailer for your favourite book what book would it be? Leave your answer in the comment field. We will pick a winner at random and send them a free copy of The Garden of Eve and Saint Iggy.

Good Luck and Happy Reading!

He’s as skillful as Wayne Gretzky, as charismatic as Pierre Trudeau and as arrogant as Don Cherry... He’s Raincoast’s newest picture book character Clancy from Chris Mizzoni’s hit book Clancy with the Puck!

This is the first of many collaborations between Raincoast Books and Canada’s leading animation house Studio B Productions! Studio B bring you hit shows on YTV and Nickelodeon like Being Ian, Class of the Titans, George of the Jungle and Yvon of the Yukon!

The idea for the book started as an animated cartoon and Studio B loved it so much they thought it would make a great book. They approached Raincoast Books and the rest is history. Bob Cole the legendary voice of Hockey Night in Canada narrated the animated cartoon that comes on DVD for free with the book!

Visit the Clancy with the Puck page to listen to a podcast with Chris Mizzoni the author of the book. Also download your free Clancy with the Puck hockey cards and avatar. Check back often because we have lots of fun additional content that we’ll be adding!

In the meantime score an autographed copy of Clancy with the Puck as well as an autographed set of Clancy hockey cards. We’ll give away two sets. All you have to do to win is either leave a comment about why you love to read -OR- email a drawing of you as a Clancy Hockey Card Character to .

Good Luck!

Visit our MySpace Page and add us as a friend to be notified about all kinds of great giveaways!

Design experts Ellen and Julia Lupton are interviewed about their new super-cool project D.I.Y. KIDS on Babble today: 

Ellen and Julia Lupton are designers, professors, mothers and identical twins who grew up finishing each other’s sentences. They’ve put their collaboration to work in D.I.Y. Kids… In this latest joint project, the Luptons teach design to kids through amazing projects using the stuff of daily life: paper, cereal boxes, pencils, pens, everyday clothing. More than a craft guide, D.I.Y. Kids teaches kids to design their own fun and to work art into their lives.

But design’s not just for the kids! If you’re more experienced, you can graduate from D.I.Y. KIDS to Ellen Lupton’s excellent DIY - DESIGN IT YOURSELF, which is awesome for just about anyone who designs from their kitchen table!  She also has great books for design students and professionals like SKIN or THINKING WITH TYPE!

Click here for The Babble interview with the Luptons

Click here for the great D.I.Y. KIDS website

Click here for the Lupton’s Design Your Life blog

AND REMEMBER: “Design is not just about making stuff. It’s about making stuff happen."

Yarrrr! Today be the day that we all talk like pirates. ‘Tis truly a day for celebratin’. We here at Raincoast have put together this here fine list of swashbuckling tales to help ye cherish the day. Worth a chest full of Spanish doubloons, this list be!

The Princess and the Captain
Treasure Island
Under the Jolly Roger
The Wave Traveller
Go Saddle the Sea
Sea Stories
The Mutiny on the Bounty
Beware, Pirates!
Prison Ship
Powder Monkey
In the Belly of the Bloodhound
Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates
Backbeard and the Birthday Suit
Backbeard: Pirate for Hire
Captain Wag Pirate dog
How I Became a Pirate
Pirates Don’t Change Diapers
I Love My Pirate Papa
Space Pirates and the Monster of Malswomp
My Pirate Ship
History in Action: Pirate Ship

My humble advice to thee: Reading be the finest of adventures, and if ye think yerself a pirate, ye ought to be living a life of adventure. Savvy?

Lauren Bank Deen, author of Kitchen Playdates was a guest on the Today Show yesterday morning.

Kitchen Playdates: Easy Ideas for Entertaining That Include the Kids is all about how to throw a dinner party for entire families: both the adults and the kids get involved, have fun, and eat some delicious food.

From the introduction of Kitchen Playdates:

So what exactly is a kitchen playdate? It’s a playdate that includes the grown-ups, complete with great food and if you’re up for it, a cooking project with the kids. I realized that many of the old entertaining rules are outdated and don’t reflect the way we really live now. With such busy weeks, we want to see our friends and our kids. Now Saturday night includes everyone; we don’t send the kids to bed and get a sitter. Granted, things start a bit earlier, but it’s just as much fun. I invite the parents and their kids over at three so we can all relax and enjoy each other before the young ones melt down. When you entertain other families, you can have everything prepared beforehand, or ask friends to pitch in. You can cook with the kids or without. There are suggestions for tasks that are child appropriate, and the rest is up to you, depending on your schedule and state of mind and the kids’ moods and ages.

These are get-togethers you actually get to attend. The kids help, and the adults help. When you want a little time with just the adults, send the kids into the other room to snap beans, twist pretzels out of pizza dough, or do an art project. It’s a fresh change from stressed-out entertaining or ordering in the same old Chinese food.

As far as I’m concerned the words “perfect” and “parent” just don’t go together. And there’s nothing wrong with that. These informal get-togethers with friends and family are low stress and are meant to be loosey-goosey.

On the Today Show, Lauren shares some of her ideas and recipes.
Click here to watch the video on MSNBC.