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We're totally flipping out over our new favorite board books, and we think you will too! Browse our curated selection — they're an otter delight!
Synopses & Reviews
Sam just got a hamster for a pet. She’s not really impressed. The hamster isn’t very exciting — he mostly eats and sleeps and gets his shavings wet. BORING! After reading a book about mythological creatures, Sam gets some ideas for more exciting pets. But she soon realizes that taking care of these magical beasts might not be as wonderful as she thought. Unicorns are shy, gryphons scare the dogs at the dog park and having a fire extinguisher handy at all times makes dragons seem like an awful lot of work. Maybe the hamster really is the best pet for her. A nice, safe pet…right?
If I Had a Gryphon is a raucous rhyming read-aloud about fantastical beasts in everyday situations — and the increasingly beleaguered heroine who has to deal with them.
Review
“VanSickle’s rhymes are unflaggingly exuberant as the girl puts up with noisy harpies, biting chupacabras, and mischievous fairies, and Atkinson fills the pages with visual comedy.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Just right after all. VanSickle delivers lean, bouncy verse and an impressive array of offbeat creatures, while Atkinson’s illustrations are bold and hint at dynamic motion.” Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
VIKKI VANSICKLE is the author of the acclaimed Clarissa books, including Words that Start with B, Love Is a Four-Letter Word and Days that End in Y. Vikki’s middle-grade novel, Summer Days, Starry Nights, has been called “summer reading at its best” and was a finalist for the 2015 Red Maple Award. Her most recent middle-grade novel is The Winnowing. After obtaining an MA in Children’s Literature from UBC, Vikki’s career began in bookselling at The Flying Dragon Bookshop, which earned her the 2011 CBA Young Bookseller of the Year award. She is a popular children’s lit blogger and is frequently called upon to speak about kids’ books for radio panels, conferences and as Lainey Gossip’s YA mentor! Currently she balances writing with her duties as the Marketing and Publicity Manager for Young Readers at Penguin Random House Canada.
CALE ATKINSON is an illustrator/animator currently residing lakeside in Kelowna, Canada. Believing in tea more than sleep, Cale is constantly working on numerous projects, including Where Oliver Fits, which he wrote and illustrated. His work can be found in children's books, animated shorts, television and games. Cale lives with his family in Kelowna, B.C.