“I find book creation an industry of patience, persistence—and a lot of beauty and fun too.”
~ Kallie George, editor
Greystone Books has been creating fine books in British Columbia since 1993.
In the Fall of 2019, they officially launched Greystone Kids, an exciting shift for the publishing company. This new division includes Aldana Libros—an imprint developed by renowned children’s publisher Patricia Aldana—which brings outstanding books from around the world to the English-speaking market.
I reached out to editor, Kallie George, to have her share the new picture book titles she has been working with. Picture books are one of the most collaborative forms of print literature, and can take a minimum of two years to bring to fruition.
George credits book designer Sara Gillingham, as well as the Greystone team in bringing these titles to the world, right from beautiful British Columbia. You will want to check out every one!
Alison Acheson: Kallie, are there points of connection between these titles for you as editor? Some bit of magic that caught you?
Kallie George: All these titles have a creator from BC! That’s one big connection.
Another connection is the focus on connection—specifically connection with each other and the natural world. Greystone Books is internationally recognized for its titles on nature, the environment, science, and social issues. Greystone Kids focuses on these same themes.
Did any of these titles offer surprises or exciting revelations that you could share?
First, let me say that I love all these books so much, and am blown away by the text and the art in each. It’s been such a pleasure to work on them with their creators—the authors and illustrators and author-illustrators are all incredibly talented. So, although I am pointing out a few special bits below from each book, it’s really important that I emphasize how honored I am to get to edit such incredibly wonderful books.
Now, here are a few little surprises that I just love:
Teatime Around the World, a Fall 2020 title, has inspired some children to try to make some of the different teas featured in the book, and that’s lovely! I always love when readers connect to a title so much it inspires them to create themselves.
Catch the Sky, another Fall 2020 title, and our first children’s poetry collection, is full of delights—including my favorite poem about a shooting star! I have a soft spot for star imagery. I am particularly in love with the jacket image and the endpapers in this book. I love when end pages can add to a picture book in a subtle yet meaningful way. These ones chart the movement of the sun and moon.
Spur, a Wolf’s Story, which was part of our initial launch of titles in Fall 2019, continues to impress me in terms of how tenderly Eliza Robertson has captured such a difficult topic (the culling of wolves). My little son has especially empathized with Spur when I read this title to him. Fun fact about Eliza: she’s an award-winning novelist and short story writer – as well as a children’s author!
And for Birdsong, another Fall 2019 title, a small or perhaps not so small surprise is how wonderfully everyone has connected with and reacted to this title. We have all been so touched by how this book has resonated with so many people and children. I also love how Birdsong incorporates words from the Cree language throughout the book.
Can you share one of your spring titles…maybe something that connects with the above questions, or that takes you/us down a new path? Something we can all look forward to in the new year?
Show Us Where You Live, Humpback is one of our spring titles, which I’m very much looking forward to*. The “surprise,” for me, in this story, was the page that shows a baby calf nursing from the mama whale. I didn’t know that whales could actually swim and nurse. I also have been particularly touched by how Beryl (Young) captured the child’s voice in this book.
One other title that I want to mention here is We All Play, also by Julie Flett, another one of our spring titles. This book to me is divine. I love Julie’s simple, playful art and absolutely adorable animals. It includes birds who chase and chirp, bears who wiggle and wobble, whales who swim and squirt, owls who peek and peep, and then kids who love to do the same and different types of play.
This wonderful book is so beautiful and joyful, and such a celebration of play, children, animals, diversity and the natural world. It can’t help but make you smile.
- Teatime Around the World by Denyse Waissbluth (Vancouver BC) and illustrated by Chelsea O’Byrne (Vancouver BC)
- Catch the Sky by Robert Heidbreder (North Vancouver, BC), illustrated by Emily Dove (Cleveland, Ohio)
- Spur, A Wolf’s Story, by Eliza Robertson (originally from Vancouver Island, BC), and illustrated by Nora Aoyagi (Berkeley, California)
- Birdsong authored and illustrated by Julie Flett (Vancouver, BC)
- Show Us Where You Live, Humpback by Beryl Young (Vancouver, BC), and illustrated by Sakika Kikuchi (Chigasaki, Japan)
- We All Play/kimêtawânaw authored and illustrated by Julie Flett (Vancouver BC)
* Spring books can be pre-ordered online and at your local bookstore.
Alison Acheson’s most recent books are a memoir of caregiving, published with TouchWood Editions, Dance Me to the End: Ten Months and Ten Days with ALS, and a picturebook, A Little House in a Big Place (Kids Can Press).