Joanne Schwartz – författare

While a young boy enjoys a summer's day, his thoughts constantly return to his father, who is digging for coal deep under the sea.“A masterpiece. I can't recommend it highly enough.” The Independent "An atmospheric, haunting story." The Bookseller“Beautifully evocative. This book is pure delight.” The School LibrarianStunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Footpath Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of mining history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a mining town will enthral children and move adult readers, as a young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a cosy dinner with his family, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea.

This engaging story, told in chapter-like episodes, follows Pinny on a long, lazy summer day. As sunshine turns to rain and back to sun again, Pinny searches for a wishing rock, watches clouds, picks wild blueberries, feeds a seagull, and bakes a cake to share with her friends.An ideal book for children beginning to make the jump to independent reading, Pinny in Summer demonstrates the joy young people find in nature and an unstructured life. Pinny is allowed to explore her world freely, and her small setbacks and triumphs will be familiar to every child.With charming illustrations by Isabelle Malenfant and a spare, poetic text from author Joanne Schwartz, Pinny in Summer is a bright and inviting picture book that captures all the delight of a perfect summer day.

In this traditional Inuit story, a simple walk on the tundra becomes a life or death journey for a young man. When he comes across a giant who wants to take him home and cook him for dinner, the young man's quick thinking saves him from being devoured by the giant and his family, and in the process releases the first fog into the world. Written by Cape Dorest elder Qaunaq Mikkigak and Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award-nominated author Joanne Schwartz, this action-packed picture book brings a centuries-old traditional tale to life for modern readers.

It's bedtime for baby ptarmigan, but he will not go to sleep. So his grandmother decides to tell him a bedtime story that he will never forget. With delightful illustrations by Qin Leng, this book is a simple, nursery rhyme inspired rendition of a traditional Inuit origin tale. Published for the first time as a board book under the Inhabit Junior imprint, this book is perfect for the smallest of hands.

“Schwartz dreamily captures the small wonders of childhood and the air of magic that can accompany season’s change.” — Publishers Weekly, starred reviewOn a crisp fall day, Pinny decides to go for a walk. She packs a sweater, her rain hat, a book, a snack and her treasure pouch. Set for adventure, Pinny’s day includes a windy game of tag with her friends, an exciting call for help from the lighthouse keeper and a surprising encounter with the falling autumn leaves.From Joanne Schwartz, author of the acclaimed picture book Town Is by the Sea, comes a story of friendship, resourcefulness and the beauty of fall, all cast in the gentle light of Isabelle Malenfant’s soft pastel palette. The four short chapters in this book, suited for newly independent readers, capture the exhilarating feeling of a perfect fall day.Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7>With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.5Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.