Search results for ""Author Mindy Dwyer""

Book SynopsisEarly one morning in a long ago northern land, a baby girl was born. Her mother named her Aurora, which means the “rosy light of dawn". . .Winner, 2021 Northern Lights Book Award, "Time-Honored" category"Not every child has seen the northern lights, of course, but even those who only have heard of them may be interested in this colorful book. The legend is pleasant, and Dwyer''s brilliant watercolors bring it to life."—Parade Magazine"This fanciful exploration of the origins of the Aurora Borealis, the northern lights, is a scrumptious delight!"—Publishers WeeklyIn Aurora, storyteller and artist Mindy Dwyer shares a magical tale about a young girl whose dreams lead her to a great discovery, her own courage and the spectacular northern lights. Through her bright, luminous illustrations and text, this origin story about the glorious northern lights is magically portrayed to young readers and makes the perfect bedtime story.Mindy Dwyer is author and/or illustrator of many books, including Treasure and Chia and the Fox Man.Trade Review"The bright luminous illustrations that accompany this charming story make the magic of the northern lights seem as simple as a gift to a young girl. Aurora is a beautiful story, beautifully told."—Children's Bookwatch"Dwyer has magic, and she wants to share it with the rest of us. Take her up on her offer. Neither you nor your children will ever forget the result."—Statesman Journal

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Book SynopsisThis book is a quiet story of treasure lost and found, and the beautiful developing relationship between a black crow and a curious child. A crow watches from afar as a child collects a unique assortment of curios in a secret hideout: a thimble, a button, a ribbon. When a storm hits and scatters everything, the child must search for the beloved items again. The crow returns one of the lost items, and in return the child offers something else. Together child and crow discover the best gift of all. Treasure is a lovely tale for beginner readers that teaches simple word concepts with sweet illustrations.Trade Review"Author/illustrator Dwyer exhibits remarkable skill in creating this story of friendship and sharing, with its minimal text and well-designed illustrations. Early readers will hone their skills, while the accessible, uncluttered illustrations invite them to use their imaginations to make the story their own. Simple words and accessible, engaging illustrations combine to offer a surprisingly nuanced story." * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisIt's Only the Wind is set in the foothills of the mountains. It is that time of night when young kids have a hard time transitioning to sleep and call out to mom from bed with one request after another. This story playfully hops back and forth between real and imagined, fact and fantasy, from soft, shadowy quiet to bright and colorful action. The story celebrates children's heightened imagination with imagery that takes the children from their cozy beds into the sky, away from their room as they envision the meaning of their mother's explanations. Wind words lyrically wind through the double spreads as the kids fly, sweep, sing, and sail always with their eyes closed, as mom has asked them to do so they can be ready for sleep. Sprawled among their bed sheets, the children's curiosity is finally satisfied, as you will see in the end. Wind facts included on the last page.Trade Review". . . Useful for established readers to share aloud with beginners. A tame and traditional choice for bedtime. (Picture book. 4-7)" --Kirkus Reviews"'It's Only the Wind' is an unusual bedtime story that deals with children's fears and queries about the different, haunting sounds made by the wind. Filled with swirling puffs of blue and magical sweeping, musical wind- word sounds, this children's wind story lullaby enchants and fascinates, while it follows flights of fancy inspired by the wind. The award winning author seems to combine color, artistry, poetry, and music in these pages. A mother tries to answer her two children's questions about the sounds made by the wind, gently persuading them to go to sleep. When the children cry, "Mama! The wind is pounding!" she answers, 'She's just working hard, rolling big waves onto rocks to make sand for the beaches. Night-night, little ones.' The beautiful text is decoratively woven into the swirling illustrations of the blowing wind. The mother's calm answers to her children's questions seems to both calm and feed their curiosity about the wind. For a true multi sensory treat, parents and children will love dipping into 'It's Only the Wind' for a good night story on a blustery night. It is further enhanced by a final page of fascinating facts about wind." --Children's Bookwatch"Charmingly written and beautifully illustrated . . . an engagingly fascinating story that playfully hops back and forth between real and imagined, fact and fantasy, from soft, shadowy quiet to bright and colorful action. . . Of special note are the wind facts that are included on the last page. Thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. . . especially recommended addition to family, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 5 to 8." * Midwest Book Review *

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Book SynopsisQuilt of Dreams celebrates the special relationship of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters and their labors of love that result in spectacular quilts.After Grandma passes away, Katy is flooded with memories every time she wraps herself in one of Gram''s wonderful quilts. Each one holds a story that was stitched into place with love. Then Katy and her mom find the beginnings of a quilt labeled Kate''s. With only one patch completed, it''s a mystery just waiting to be solved. What should Katy''s quilt look like? What story did Gram have in mind for this special gift? Journey with Katy as she discovers the magic of quilting and captures her memories of Gram forever.Trade Reviewhttp://www.cbcbooks.org/cbc_book/quilt-of-dreams/#.VI8gp1q1pmk

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Book SynopsisSweet dreams, lil'' otter. Good night.When it''s sleepy time in the Northland, what do the animals dream? A poodle years to win a sled-dog race, a caribou dreams of eating spaghetti, and a messy musk ox longs fora visit to the beauty salon. Share this scrumptious book of dreamland visions before your loved ones nod off, and it''s sure to leave them with sweet dreams of their own.Trade ReviewThis bedtime confection presents several arctic animals. * School Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated Alaska Native story of a young boy and his encounter with the fabled Fox Man, and how doing the right thing isn’t always easy but important in the end.Life is hard for Chia. His village doesn’t have enough food and every day there are many chores to do. Chia always goes to bed hungry and tired, until one day in the middle of the night he wakes to a strange noise. He decides to investigate—and meets the legendary Fox Man. Will the Fox Man be able to help Chia and his village?By the same team who brought you How Raven Got His Crooked Nose, this modern retelling of a traditional Dena’ina story teaches young readers that there is strength in humility and in doing what is right, especially when it’s hard. Also included is an author's note about Alaskan Dena'ina stories, plus a glossary of the Dena'ina words and their pronunciation.Trade Review“The Atwaters retell this Alaskan Dena'ina teaching story, learned from their great uncle, folding Dena'ina words in where appropriate. Dwyer's muted but lively use of color and line brings the story to life. Gracefully teaches a critical life lesson.” * Kirkus Reviews *Featured by Betsy Bird and Evanston Public Library as one of "101 Great Books for Kids List of 2020"! * Elizabeth Bird, Collection Development Manager, Evanston Public Library *“There are only a few books in print that include traditional Dena’ina sukdus (stories) and there were no single sukdu picture books until Barbara and Ethan Atwater began retelling the sukdus their elder and great Uncle Walter passed on to them. ‘Although sukdus were told for entertainment… they also demonstrate through parables the Dena’ina behavioral code, which governs relationships between animals and humans…and the consequences of breaking that code. Sometimes characters act the way they would act in animal form, other times they do things only someone in human form could do.’ Retold in their own words, with a more modern than traditional time setting, Chia and The Fox Man accomplishes both. The story is engaging and entertaining but also addresses the importance of telling the truth and making amends for dishonest behavior. Throughout the pages is the opportunity to learn about the Dena’ina way of life, its culture and history. The reader learns about the hardships of being an orphan, of having to work hard to survive, and of facing hunger and harsh weather conditions. The first-person narrative by Chia is told with the flow and cadence of a native speaker. And, the narrative is also enhanced with the use of eight Dena’ina words. Each word, pronunciation and definition is also shown at the bottom of the page in which it appears and at the end of the story. In addition to the words, you can learn a lot about the Dena’ina culture through Mindy Dwyer’s fanciful yet realistic portrayal of the environment, clothing, living conditions and subsistence activities in a traditional Dena’ina village. For example, you see the style and pattern of Chia’s parka and mittens, the drinking tube around his neck, salmon drying on a rack, the use of bow and arrow to hunt rabbit and spruce hen. The illustration on each page reveals some interesting facet of the Dena’ina way of life. It reflects the attention to detail the illustrator gleaned from the descriptive narrative and the cooperative interactions between the authors and illustrator. Many fables and fairy tales utilize the “rule of three”. Chia and the Fox Man is no exception. Chia’s chores include carrying firewood, hauling water, and feeding dogs. Three dogs howl at the night. Chia is asked to close the house door three times. He travels across a lake, through the forest and up a mountain before encountering the Fox Man who chops away at the glacier with a tink, tink, tink. There is a suspenseful moment before Chia snatches the Foxman’s duguli. And a somber but satisfying and positive ending when Chia acknowledges, ‘Doing the right thing isn’t always easy. But doing the right thing is always best.’ Following the sukdu is information about Alaskan Dena’ina Stories, a Dena’ina Glossary and a list of books for further reading. Chia and the Fox Man will entertain and engage readers of all ages as a self-read or read aloud. Readers and listeners will easily gain insight into the Alaskan Dena’ina culture and hopefully be inspired to learn more about the Dena’ina way of life and speak a few Dena’ina words.” * Roz Goodman, Retired School Librarian *

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Book Synopsis2019 Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable and American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) 2018 Best Book. Chulyen the trickster raven loses his nose one day, but he vows to get it back. Luckily he has some special powers to help him! How Raven Got His Crooked Nose is a modern retelling of a traditional Native American fable. Part picture book and part graphic novel, this beautifully illustrated story teaches an important lesson to children through Dena'ina mythology and includes a glossary of Dena’ina words to learn.Trade Review“Working in graphic novel–style panels, Dwyer introduces Chulyen, who is boldly depicted with patterned black and purple plumage and lime-green eyes. . . use of strong contrasting colors brings a fresh, modern sensibility to this tale, while patterns and motifs are suggestive of traditional Dena’ina art.” * Publisher’s Weekly *"In this retelling, which is gently laced with Dena'ina vocabulary, readers learn not only a cautionary tale, but also facts about the culture. . . Both entertaining and instructive, a refreshing breath of air from the far north." * Kirkus Reviews *"The conversational writing style and the clean layout design make this an easy read-aloud choice to share with a group. VERDICT A fine addition to nonfiction collections to highlight Dena'ina culture and traditional stories." * School Library Journal *"Dwyer’s illustrations are eye-catching; the raven is bold and loud while the narrators and their setting are soft and subtle. The story is told with care and respect, passed down from the authors’ own ancestors. This lesser-known tale from a distant and possibly unfamiliar culture will broaden and enhance any collection of folk literature. Background information about Dena’ina history and culture is also included. Additional Resources. Glossary." * School Library Connection *"One of the best books I have read all year! A wonderful trickster tale, set as a morality tale for children in the most clever, dramatic way. Just perfect illustrations in tandem with the authors' tribute to their family's storytelling traditions, and to a language with less than 100 who still speak it today. I was so intrigued, I've done further research on Chulyen the Raven, as I've mostly read trickster tales from elsewhere. Said the raven to me: Read some more!". --Carl Lennertz, Children's Book Council Bulletin

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