The Mermaid and the Shoe
Written and illustrated by K.G. Campbell, Kids Can Press, 32 pages, $18.95
If you have kids, the day after Halloween is one of your hardest mornings of the year. The Mermaid and the Shoe is exactly what sleep-deprived kids suffering from a sugar hangover need. The story follows Minnow, King Neptune's only unremarkable daughter. One day, she finds a red shoe. As Minnow goes on a quest to discover the shoe's purpose, she discovers her remarkable gift – being an adventurer. Quiet and lyrical Minnow's story of self-discovery is exactly what a kids' book should be.
If You Happen To Have A Dinosaur
Written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Colin Jack, Tundra Books, 40 pages, $19.99
There is only one joke in this book; it has no redeeming moral value; and both Phoenix and Frida couldn't get enough of it. The book lists the ways you could use a dinosaur, such as can opener, potato masher or diving board. There aren't many books that have the courage to be this silly. Frida spent the next hour, literally, coming up with uses for other animals, like ride to school in a kangaroo, or teaching a hippo to roll in the mud. Simply wonderful.
O'Shae the Octopus
Written by Brandee Buble and illustrated by Eliska Liska. Simply Read Books, 32 pages, $18.95
O'Shae is an octopus who has ten legs instead of eight. He gets pushed off the playground by aquatic bullies who make fun of O'Shae because he's not like he's supposed to be. Many books try to deal with the problem of bullies but this one gets it right. The message isn't heavy-handed, not even when O'Shae inevitably discovers how his extra arms make him extra special. Testament to this is that Phoenix usually doesn't buy it when the hero becomes friends with the bullies – with this book he did.