I was just popping in to Chapters last night to pick up a pound of Pike Place and to check the shelves if the latest Vanity Fair and Popular Photography were in. I ended up talking to Matthew Jackson (writer-photographer) and Randy Duncan (illustrator-writer), who are on a tour to promote their respective books.
A quick glance through the pages of the Canada Chronicles and He Shoots...He Skewers sold me on their merits. Chatting with Matt and Randy was a bonus (and so was the book, Never Trust a Smiling Bear)! I'll be writing up my review of these books on this blog but here are my initial impressions.
Fresh off from listening to CBC's Radio2's Song Quest,
I am all pumped up to consume more Canadiana and this book is perfect for gorging on. Like a hitchhiker whose start-and-stops are mini journeys fitting in to the bigger trip, this book lends itself to reading at any pace and at any length per sitting. I look forward to learning more about Canada from the comfort of my bed, deck chair, or toilet seat.
For more info on the book, check out Matt Jackson's website at:
This book came as a free bonus for purchasing the other two books. Honestly, I would have paid for this book. I'll be asking my 7 year-old to read this book to both of us. It's a well-known fact that a great children's book should be just as appealing to adults as it is to children, Dr. Seuss being the exception :-).
I'm not a big hockey fan but I follow the sports section of any newspaper religiously and so I do appreciate the hockey content, the context and the humour. But I didn't buy this book for the text; I got this book for the beautiful illustrations. I love the spare prose, the economical use of ink, and the use of asymmetrical white space! Randy goes beyond the craft and into the realm of art!
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