Silly and Strange Books You Need To Read

Ottawa Public Library (OPL) is back to share some silly and strange picture books. This month’s post is by Luna Vo, Children’s Programming and Public Services Assistant at the Sunnyside Branch of OPL. “There are so many books to read and so little time. Here is a list of some silly and strange picture books that I thought would bring about some smiles and chuckles.” says Luna. “I hope you and your child will enjoy them like I did!”

Who wet my Pants? By Bob Shea

Help solve this mystery...or was it just an accident? Reuben tries to discover what happened to his pants and if his friends were responsible. They try to assure him that it was probably an accident, but he thinks his friends are covering up what really happened.  This fun book explores a wealth of emotions such as: embarrassment, empathy, anger and forgiveness. A child going through the potty-training process might relate to this book and learn that it’s okay to have accidents.

Rhyming dust bunnies by Jan Thomas

If you’ve been to story time at a library, you have probably heard a Jan Tomas story. This hilarious book is a fun way for children to learn about phonetic awareness through rhyming words. There are three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted who love to speak in rhyme. Unfortunately, Bob, the fourth dust bunny does not follow this pattern. Maybe he’s got something different to say? This book has very simple depictions but the bold colours, large speech bubbles, and fun fonts are very eye-catching and add to the silliness.

Still Stuck by Shinsuke Yoshitake

This fun book was recommended by my colleague, and I think everyone has been in this situation - at least once - and can relate. This book follows a young boy who is exploring his autonomy. When it’s time for a bath, he is convinced that he can get undressed on his own but...he gets stuck. What happens if he’s stuck forever? How will he live his life? Both parents and children will have a chuckle when they read this book!

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt

The title of this book is spot on.  It is definitely a book with only worms in it. This might sound boring, but it was a super silly and fun read. The simplicity of the illustrations adds to the humour in this book and the bright neon colours were certainly eye catching. It is also a fun way to incorporate numeracy while reading to children.

Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion by Stephan W. Matin

This book is so cute that it causes spontaneous combustion! Whoever sees Fluffy McWhiskers is so overwhelmed, they explode. Naturally, Fluffy doesn’t want that to happen so she tries to downplay her cuteness, but nothing works. Eventually Fluffy decides she is too dangerous to be around. Is she doomed to be alone forever? Or will she be able to find a friend who can accept her as she is?

Underwear! By Jenn Harney

I adored this hilarious book about a father bear trying to get his cub dressed and ready for bed after his bath. Unfortunately, little bear has his own plans after bath time.  The illustrations perfectly encompass the frantic and fun energy of trying to get a little one ready for bedtime.  This is a great book to read to children because it contains word play, homophones, and rhymes that are important to early literacy.

Animals brag about their Bottoms by Maki Saito

Well, I didn’t think that anyone could write a book about bottoms, but here we are! Not only are the illustrations beautiful, but the message about positive body image and self-esteem is fantastic. This book displays all different types of bottoms and encourages readers to see the benefits of being different. No matter the size, shape, texture, or colour, all bottoms are beautiful!

King Baby by Kate Beaton

This book is about King Baby and his loyal subjects. Unfortunately, sometimes his subjects don’t understand his needs, so he has to get things done himself! Follow along as King Baby begins to grow and change. The illustrations are bold and playful – they certainly bring a smile to my face. I’m not going to lie - I think this is definitely more entertaining for adults than for children. The hilarious writing pokes fun of the way parents cater to their baby’s needs.

Penguin problems by Jory John and Lane Smith

This book is about a grumpy penguin who complains about everything! He doesn’t like the weather, the ocean, the way he looks, or the way he waddles. Hopefully, some words of wisdom from a friendly walrus will help change the penguin’s outlook on life. This book is a great reminder to children to be grateful for what they have and to appreciate life.

Bad Dog by Mike Boldt

It’s a typical case of mistaken identity. A little girl receives a new pet for her birthday and is convinced that it is a dog. However, Rocky is not a very good dog, and she doesn’t do the things a typical dog does. She doesn’t like walks, performing tricks or playing with other dogs. Why is this dog so strange? I love the expressive faces depicted in this book and think that parents and children will find this silly book hilarious.

Star Wars: A New Hope: Interview with Francis Choiniere

Our teen blogger had the opportunity to interview Francis Choiniere, FILMharmonique’s conductor who is bringing Star Wars: A New Hope to TD Place November 30 -December 1.

In the world of art, soundtracks for movies tend to be among the most overlooked mediums. Being overshadowed by the narrative of their host films, and by other compositions, these scores are typically not appreciated outside of the cinemas. However, Orchestre FILMharmonique is an exception. With their orchestral rendition of the Star Wars soundtrack approaching, I interviewed FILMharmonique’s conductor- Francis Choiniere.

Before we discuss Star Wars, I wanted to learn about  you and your career. How did you get into the classical music business?

I started as a composer; in high school I was writing small symphonies and doing my own orchestral writing. When I was around 17 years old, I had the chance to conduct my first orchestra and it was a really memorable experience. There was something unique about being on stage and performing not only my own work but other people’s music as well. It really inspired me to connect all those musicians on stage and create something beautiful. 

So you started off very young. You are only in your mid-20s now; how did you advance so quickly?

I would say it was a slow start, I have been in the business for eight or nine years now, so it has been gradual. At first, I only had around two or three concerts a year and that totally stopped when the pandemic hit. Once covid relaxed a bit, I began full blown conducting. I was happy to start touring with the two orchestras I’m with- OPCM and Orchestre FILMharmonique- around Canada. Orchestre FILMharmonique is the orchestra that I’ll be conducting for the Star Wars show and they have the core initiative of fusing the classical and film genres of composition.

You mentioned that FILMharmonique primarily does soundtracks. What in particular made you interested in Star Wars music?

Well, I have loved John Williams’ music for a long time. I really admire his orchestral writing and, coming from a classical background, you can really appreciate the complexity that goes into his work. His genius and effort is clear when you can fully immerse yourself in his music, which is what this concert will do. 

And what can people expect from this upcoming concert at TD Place?

It's both a visual and auditory experience. You’re getting the entire film- Star Wars: A New Hope- with a live orchestra playing in sync with the soundtrack. This means that I’m there conducting 74 musicians on stage with brass, springs, woodwinds and percussion to give you the full orchestral experience. When you are watching the movie at home, the music is edited to be in the background of dialogue, but at this concert, it will be much more immersive. 

Finally, what is next in your career?

That's an open question for me. I’m still deciding where I want to be in the next 5 to 10 years. I definitely want to continue expanding our tours within Canada and the United States and hopefully begin tours in Europe as well. While travel for work is a major goal, I will remain based in Canada, because we have such a rich and diverse musical culture. I hope to remain a contributor to that culture for a long time. 

If you want to watch Star Wars: A New Hope with a live orchestra as a soundtrack, checkout Orchestre FILMharmonique’s performance on November 30th or December 1st at TD Place. The show will begin at 7:30 pm. FILMharmonique is partnering with GFN Productions to make this multimedia presentation a reality. For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.

Haunted Walk Ottawa - Activities for Teens

Friday October 13. The haunted day and the month of fear meet around once every seven years. While I may not be a superstitious person, it's hard not to see the significance of this spooky calendar event. What better way to spend it than at one of the most iconic Halloween attractions in the city- a haunted tour of the Bytown Museum?

We arrived on Sparks Street at 7 pm, ready for our tour. Our guide was wearing an ominous black robe, setting the mood for the experience that lay ahead. We set off, walking by city hall and listening to our first spooky story next to the Rideau Canal. The stories our guide told were historical anecdotes of mysterious ghostly phenomena around the area, including the Chateau Laurier. After walking down the locks, we arrived at our main destination- the Bytown Museum. 

The museum is a small brick building, reminiscent of Ottawa’s early days. We made our way in and sat down to hear our first ghost story, recounting how the ghost of Colonel John By haunts the building. We then made our way upstairs to the first exhibition room.

In the exhibition room, there was a full collection of artifacts dating back to the mid-19th century. Among them was the cast of Thomas D’Arcy McGee’s hand; an improvisation due to the fact that his face was too mutilated to make a death mask. I was quickly finding this tour to be an exploration of Ottawa’s early history with a creepy twist. 

We continued walking through more of the museum's displays, with each coming with a scary story. Finally, we arrived at the last room- the vault of the building. It was in this room that important weapons were stored. We cycled through it, as our guide told one last story about the many construction workers for the Rideau Canal that perished. A chilling end to a ghost tour.

If you want to see the city in a scarier manner than ever before, check out Haunted Walks’ ghost tours. On top of the Bytown museum, they offer the original haunted walk (downtown), Beechwood Cemetery, former prime minister Mackenzie’s estate and, for the last season ever, an abandoned jail. The original, Mackenzie’s estate and jail tours are available in French. The Haunted Walk also has tours in Kingston and Toronto. For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.

Spooky Books for the Halloween Season - Ottawa Public Library Recommendations

The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their favourite books. This month’s post was submitted by Elizabeth Fosbery Richardson, Children’s Programming and Public Services Assistant at the Ruth E. Dickinson Branch.

Don’t read these titles in the dark!

With spooky season upon us, why not take some time to indulge in some fun and creepy new titles from the Ottawa Public Library?

Monsters in the Fog by Ali Bahrampour

As Hakim the donkey travels up the mountain, he encounters a goat who warns him of monsters on the misty and twisty trail. In this cleverly illustrated picture book, we find that things are not always as they appear. Children and adults alike will have fun trying to guess the shapes.

Creepy Tales! series by Aaron Reynolds

Things always start out great for this school-aged rabbit, but then things always seem to go from bad to worse. Follow Jasper in these fun read-aloud books, as he tries to outsmart some spooky carrots, a persistent pair of underwear and a relentless crayon. Titles are also available in French.

You're Invited to a Creepover series By P.J. Knight

In this new graphic novel series, adapted from the chapter book series of the same name, readers are sure to be spooked! Perfect for fans of the Goosebumps series.

Area 51 Files series by Julie Buxbaum

When Sky is sent to live with her uncle, she never imagined that she’d end up solving mysteries in Area 51! Follow Sky, her pet hedgehog and her new friend Elvis (who also happens to be an alien), as they try to keep themselves and the residents of Area 51 safe, in this funny new illustrated chapter book series.

Shakti by SJ Sindu

Shakti and her best friend Xi have discovered that the three mean girls in school have put a curse on the town. When Shakti tries to draw on her own magical powers, she accidentally summons Kali Ma, who represents destruction. Can she learn to find peace and tame Kali Ma before she destroys the town and everyone in it? This graphic novel is a great choice for those who love mythology and stories about magic.

 The Stars Did Wander Darkling by Colin Meloy

When something mysterious is unearthed by a construction company in a quiet seaside town, and all of the adults begin acting strange, it’s up to the kids to figure out what’s gone wrong before it’s too late. Perfect for fans of Stranger Things or author Neil Gaiman. Grades 4 and up.

Activities for Teens: Escape Room Lockdown Ottawa

Like most high school students, I have a firm separation between fun and tests of intelligence. A math quiz is not exactly my idea of a relaxing Friday evening, and it doesn’t take much thinking to go to the movies. Work and play don’t mix for me… with one exception. I find escape rooms to be a thrilling test of the mind that I can enjoy with friends. That's why I chose Lockdown Ottawa’s Trudeau Towers for my most recent outing.

As soon as we entered the building, we were excited to check out the escape room. My friends and I climbed down the metallic stairs in the windowless structure and checked in. We were then taken to another floor and shown a video about the story behind our escape room. The plot for us was that we were visiting Trudeau Towers, Ottawa’s newest luxury hotel. The guide then showed us into what appeared to be an elevator and closed the door.

Suddenly, the lights went out as we were left confused for around 10 seconds. When they turned on, an announcer over the speakers revealed that our elevator was stuck and we had 45 minutes to diffuse a bomb before it went off. Just like that, our puzzle-solving began.

Obviously, I cannot reveal how to solve the escape room or give too many details. The clues consisted of riddles and various creative contraptions. Each clue lead to the combination key of a lock that would open up another clue. We had to work together as a team to figure out how to solve the escape room.

As the game progressed, we used the walkie-talkie for one of our limited hints and eventually opened a trap door connected to a crawl space. As the clock wound down and the bomb came closer to detonating, we organized ourselves into different roles to solve the clues more efficiently. Just as we were close to solving the second last clue, the door opened and our guide revealed that the bomb had gone off. 

While we weren’t able to escape before the clock ran out, we had a great time solving clues and working together. We were impressed by the creative ways we were supposed to find lock combinations and how engaging the design of our escape room ones. My friends and I will be sure to check out another one of Lockdown Ottawa’s escape rooms sometime in the future. 

Lockdown Ottawa offers 5 different escape rooms, each with different themes. For a Halloween themed escape, check out their CarnEvil room. The other available themes are hockey, time travel and aliens. Unlike many other escape rooms, the cost for these rooms are a flat rate of $109+HST regardless of number of players (which ranges from 2-6.) For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.