TRAGICALLY HIP KIDS BOOK COLLAB!

F is for Fireworks / G is for Goodnight Attawapiskat (exerpts from The Tragically Hip ABC, Tundra Books 2024)

A while back I was approached by an old friend, Drew Macklin, to help create a kid’s book for the Tragically Hip. I jumped at the opportunity to celebrate a band that was a memorable part of my youth. Long story short, we ended up working with three other amazing Canadian illustrators and Tundra Books (Penguin Random House) to pay homage to one of Canada’s most iconic bands. Thanks to all of those involved!

Tundra Books calls it:

A love letter to The Tragically Hip, one of Canada's most beloved bands, this ABC picture book features illustrations from four renowned Canadian illustrators.

The Tragically Hip, fronted by the late Gord Downie, is a legendary, bestselling Canadian band. And now, almost forty years of music can be appreciated in a brand-new way: an ABC picture book! From "A is for Ahead by a Century" to "N is for New Orleans is Sinking" all the way to "Z is for Frozen in My Tracks," this illustrated ode to the band will be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Featuring art from Canadian illustrators Clayton Hanmer, Julia Breckenreid, Bridget George and Monika Melnychuk, this is the perfect gift for Hip fans old and new!

The Tragically Hip ABC is available in late October wherever you buy books! Pre-order yours today.

COME CELEBRATE IN ALMONTE!

Celebrate the launch of The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers with me at the Almonte branch of The Mississippi Mills Library on Saturday, Nov.5th from 10:30am until noon!

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I’ll be there to discuss my latest book and my illustration process. We’ll also get our drawing utensils warmed up with a super fun comic art creation activity for kids 7-14 yrs old (and your families)!

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Did you know your amazing, incredible body is a walking, talking museum of evolution!?

In The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers, tour guides Wisdom Tooth & Disappearing Kidney lead readers through a wacky museum dedicated to vestigial structures: body parts that were essential to our ancestors but are no longer useful to us – even though they're still hanging around!

A perfect STEM resource!

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Register now by calling 613-256-1037 or visiting this sign-up page!

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@greystonekidsbooks #kidsbooks #picturebooks #picturebookstagram #naturebooks #kidslit #illustration #comics

NEW BOOK OUT NOW!

I'm super excited to announce the release of my latest book, The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers, written by the amazing Rachel Poliquin & published by the awesome Greystone Kids! Available now at your local bookstore or online here. 🤖🤘🧑‍🔬🧬🎉
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A perfect STEM resource: This illustrated tour of our “leftover” body parts (like the appendix, or even goosebumps) introduces readers age 7-11 to the bizarre and fascinating science of evolution. 

Welcome to the weirdest museum you’ll ever explore—the one inside your body. 

Did you know your amazing, incredible body is a walking, talking museum of evolution? In The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers, tour guides Wisdom Tooth and Disappearing Kidney lead readers through a wacky museum dedicated to vestigial structures: body parts that were essential to our ancestors but are no longer useful to us—even though they’re still hanging around. 

From goosebumps and hiccups to exploding organs and monkey muscles, each room in the museum shows us that these parts have stories to tell us about our past. By the time we make it to the gift shop, we’ll understand that evolution is not only messy and imperfect, but also ongoing. Our bodies are constantly changing along with the environment we live in—and there’s so much that is still unknown, just waiting to be discovered. 

Engaging, hilarious, and a visual treat, The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers is a place you’ll want to visit again and again.
#stemforkids #evolution

DRAWING COMICS WITH CTON

Workshop Video

DRAWING COMICS WITH CTON

It was only a year ago this past summer that I was the TD Summer Reading Club’s official artist. This year, the club had to think differently due to the COVID-19 pandemic and create an learning experience that was almost entirely online. Part of this shift was to have authors and illustrators create YouTube videos based on their work. I was once again honoured to be called upon to be part of this initiative during these crazy times.

What did was convert my live comic workshop into an online version which showed kids how to create their own characters using simple shapes. Then, wrote a comic on the spot using these wacko characters. Watch the video to find out who I came up with and what happened to them!

Stay tuned for future videos…

Video created by CTON for:

TD Summer Reading Club is Canada’s biggest, bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, all interests, and all abilities. Find out more: tdsummerreadingclub.ca

Bibliovideo is a YouTube channel all about Canadian children’s books.

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is a national, not-for-profit organization founded in 1976. We are dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers. Find out more: bookcentre.ca

Also supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

THE BUZZ FOR KIDS!

Trending Podcast

THE BUZZ FOR KIDS!

Fads, trends and how stuff gets popular: for kids! Based on our latest book, "Trending: How and Why Stuff Gets Popular," Kira Vermond has created a series of Podcasts called ‘The Buzz. They decode the frenzied world of fads. Explore how fads take off and spread. How they can be crafted to lure you in. And how some viral fads can even turn downright dangerous....
Download them today!

For curious kids, 8-12.

THE BUZZ:
KID’S EDITION

Podcast by: Kira Vermond

Season 1 - Episodes:

1. Crocs are like beaver felt hats (really!)

2. Pokémon Go: Just a Matter of Time?

3. Psst! Can I Sell You a Fad?

CLASS OR LIBRARY VISITS ARE STILL ON, BUT DIFFERENT!

Remote Visits

CLASS OR LIBRARY VISITS ARE STILL ON, BUT DIFFERENT!

Over the past number of years, I’ve had the honour to illustrate several of Kira Vermond’s amazingly written books. For our latest collaboration, we have put together a really fun, online Zoom-based presentation for kids 8-13 yrs old. Kira discusses fads and trends while I facilitate the concepts using fun, quick doodles through the Zoom whiteboard tool!

It’s a brave new world out there, so please know that we are available to present this program, plus our usual creator visits & workshops all online via Zoom! (This means you also get to peak into our studios where all the magic happens…)

Check out our latest presentations below. If you don’t see something you like, we can also create a custom program tailored to the needs of your classroom or group:

What’s up with fads and trends? 

Would you ever swallow a live goldfish? Pour a bucket of ice water over your head? Wear seriously ugly shoes? Who would do that? And — more importantly — why? Trends may seem trivial on the surface, but they have the power to make regular people do pretty irregular things! Jump into the frenzied world of viral videos and songs, faddish food and clothes, and even dangerous crazes! Coming together online, Trending: How and Why Stuff Gets Popular (Owlkids, 2020) author Kira Vermond and illustrator Clayton Hanmer tell (and draw!) stories about how fads take off and spread, how they can be crafted to lure you in — and how to recognize bandwagon behaviour the minute you see it. (The pandemic toilet paper craze, anyone?)

Length 45 minutes
For ages 8-13

Create your own comics with CTON

Write and illustrate your own personal comic stories with 2019’s TD Summer Reading Club artist, Clayton Hanmer. Learn about the basic structure of comic creation and be encouraged to get silly (aka creative) while developing unique characters based on these concepts. Then jump right into writing and drawing a comic together around these characters. The workshop builds on children’s individual creativity and helps them gain confidence in their drawing and writing skills. Attendees will need access to a mic via Zoom, or a facilitator at their end with full access to Zoom. This program is always different and changes depending on the input from the attendees.

Length 45 minutes
For ages 6-12

Inquire today for your class or library.