When Emily Carr Met Woo

by Monica Kulling, Dean Griffiths (Illustrator)

Overview

Emily Carr is one strange bird. She makes paintings nobody wants, keeps a houseful of animals, and often disappears into the woods in a tiny house on wheels. But even those used to Emily's eccentricities are surprised when she comes home from a trip to buy birdseed with a small, lonely monkey. In Emily's rambunctious household, Woo the monkey is not lonely for long. She snatches at the parrot's feathers, chases the dogs and cats - and completely wins Emily's big heart. But when Woo's mischief turns dangerous, Emily fears she may lose the little friend who brings her so much joy. Will the strength of Emily's love, and Woo's own strength, be enough to save her? In When Emily Carr Met Woo, BC illustrator Dean Griffiths's watercolours capture the mood of the 1920's with historical details of Victoria and its surroundings. Monica Kulling, using prose as simple and expressive as Emily's own brush strokes, retells the true story of one of Canada's most beloved artists - and of her most beloved pet. The book includes historical photos throughout and concludes with a biography of Emily Carr.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927485408
Publisher:	Pajama Press Inc.
Publication date:	08/15/2014
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 10 Years

About the Author

Monica Kulling has published over thirty-five titles for children, among them In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps it Up, selected by the Smithsonian as one of Ten Great Science Books for Kids. Her books have been regularly nominated for awards, including ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award for All Aboard! Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine.

Dean Griffiths is a popular picture book artist with more than 25 titles to his name. His many awards include the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Book Prize for Maggie Can’t Wait and the Chocolate Lily Award for Ballerinas Don’t Wear Glasses. His most recent book, Bad Pirate, won the Rainforest of Reading Award. Dean lives in Duncan, British Columbia, with his daughter.

Editorial Reviews

Full-color illustrations bear an uncanny likeness to the actual people and places they represent and are a perfect complement to the storybook-style narrative...This sweet story of friendship and love will spark interest in the art and poetry of a Canadian national treasure.

Booklist

When Emily Carr Met Woo will appeal to children who love animals, as well as art lovers...a definite addition to any home or classroom which values Canadian heritage.

CM Magazine

[A] touching story

The Calgary Herald

This captivating picture book biography, written with elegance and straightforward simplicity, artfully captures Emily Carr’s passion for her craft, as well as her love for animals. End notes and an archival photograph add depth and historical details and provide a great introduction for young artists.

The National Reading Campaign

A charming story of friendship and artistry, When Emily Carr Met Woo will provide the perfect book for introducing young readers to a great of Canadian art . . .

CanLit for LittleCanadians

A read aloud that will fascinate younger students as it focuses on Emily Carr’s love of animals and her eccentricities, while older readers may notice some of her artistic techniques and her love for the outdoors.

Resource Links

...a captivating tale...delightful watercolour and pencil illustrations

Canadian Children's Book News

Full-color illustrations bear an uncanny likeness to the actual people and places they represent and are a perfect complement to the storybook-style narrative...This sweet story of friendship and love will spark interest in the art and poetry of a Canadian national treasure.

Booklist

07/01/2014
Gr 1–3—Internationally renowned Canadian artist and writer Emily Carr (1871–1945) painted the Pacific Northwest landscape and its indigenous culture at a time when these subjects were unfamiliar outside of this region. Kulling briefly describes how the fiercely independent and eccentric Carr lived during a period when opportunities for women were limited: few people bought her paintings, and she often had to find other ways to support herself. Carr loved animals and owned several dogs, cats, a parrot named Jane, and a rat named Susie, but her most unique pet—and the focus of this title—was her monkey, Woo. Woo loved pranks and caused havoc in the household, but one day, she ate a tube of paint, becoming incredibly sick. Through simple, accessible text complemented by bright, engaging watercolors, Kulling has written a charming story about an exceptional woman. While the author touches upon Carr's work and art, the emphasis of this slim volume is on Carr as an animal lover. A short biographical sketch along with a historical photo is included at the back of the book. Pair this book with others about women who loved animals and who made a difference, such as George Ella Lyon's Mother to Tigers (S. & S., 2003), Jane A. Schott's Dian Fossey and the Mountain Gorillas (Carolrhoda, 2000), and Patrick McDonnell's Me…Jane (Little, Brown, 2011).—Paula Huddy, The Blake School-Highcroft Campus, Wayzata, MN

School Library Journal

2014-06-04
A picture book offers glimpses of the life of the iconic Canadian artist Emily Carr.Although Emily Carr deserves to be as ubiquitously known in the United States as she is in Canada, this book is probably not going to help that happen. Any appeal it may have relies on prior knowledge readers might have of Carr’s life; the brief biography on the last page is not enough. To readers unfamiliar with Carr’s art and writing, it becomes onlythe story of an eccentric old woman who occasionally paints, makes bowls, hooks rugs and has a houseful of animals, including a monkey that gets into mischief. As much as the narrative fragments try to center around Carr’s relationship with her pet monkey, Woo, they do not coalesce into a cohesive story, needing far more background information than presented to create resonance. The illustrations are another casualty of this assumption of prior knowledge. But in this case, the misjudgmentis in assuming that readers need to know what Carr looked like.Instead of imbuing his illustrationswith vitality and originality, Griffiths has limited them to a pseudo-realism that, while succeeding in capturing a comic-book–type likeness of the real Carr, ultimately comes across as staid and stilted.A well-meaning story that unfortunately lacks the originality, creativity and spirit of its subject. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews