Dentists Are No Big Dealby Debbie Kesslering and Ashley VercammenPublished by Home Style TeachersReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$25.00 ISBN 9781778152986 Writer and publisher Ashley Vercammen has teamed with another Saskatchewanian, Debbie Kesslering, of Viceroy, on a new title in Vercammen’s “No Big Deal” series of illustrated books for children. Vercammen is also a Registered Behaviour Technician, and it’s this position and her “belief that, with practice, some scary things can become No Big Deal” that are the impetuses behind the series. Kesserling, a mother of four who’s worked with “many World Class Dental Therapists, Dentists, Hygienists and Assistants,” dedicates the story to her “fellow ‘sugar bug catchers’”. The brightly-illustrated tale begins with young, bespeckled Nora waking with a smile to her dad’s announcement that on this “special day,” the girl’s going for a dental check-up. Nora knows that visiting the dentist is “no big deal,” but she’s not sure what the check-up’s about. Her father reminds her that “every morning and night we brush our teeth so we don’t get sugar bugs. But they are very sneaky!” What’s unusual—and wise—is that the father and daughter go through a pre-appointment practice session, and Rosie, “a bright red teddy bear,” gets to…

Debut: An Anthology of Emerging Canadian Writers and ArtistsEdited by Diane FickeriaPublished by Spud PublishingReview by Toby A. Welch  $28.00 ISBN 9781738025503 I love trying out new writers. Their enthusiasm often reaches through their words and grabs me in a way I can’t always find with seasoned writers. After all, your next favourite writer could be one you haven’t read yet. So when Debut crossed my path, I eagerly dove in, excited to experience the works of emerging Canadian writers.  Debut is a collection of five stories by five different writers. Each of the stories is quite different, something I appreciate as it keeps things interesting. Gnomey Birthday is about cryptozoology, the study of things that don’t exist. Think Bigfoot, living garden gnomes, and gremlins. It’s a wacky premise for a short story but it works! Silverbird: A Halfway Home Story involves creatures from folktales, things like wizards, fairies, and daemons (not demons.) Throw in a car chase, a touch of magic, and a detective and you have the makings of an intriguing story. Silver Consequences takes place in the year 4620 when life is different yet also similar. There are still people who drink too much. Archery and swords remain a way to defend yourself. But the world is filled…

Haircuts Are No Big Dealby Ashley Vercammen, Illustrated by Putut PutriPublished by Home Style TeachersReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$20.00 ISBN 9781778152955 Here’s one young writer who’s on quite the roll. Saskatchewan children’s author, English as an Additional Language teacher, and Registered Behaviour Technician Ashley Vercammen has once again taken an ordinary experience—this time it’s getting a haircut—that can be scary for some children and she’s created a cheerful, step-by-step, illustrated guide to help the experience go more smoothly. Her softcover book Haircuts Are No Big Deal is good news for anxious children, accompanying parents, and barbers/stylists! It’s also fun to read and look at. The story—brightly-illustrated by Indonesian freelance illustrator Putut Putri in a cartoonish, round-eyed-character-style—is another in the Home Style Teacher series, and it will be especially helpful for youngsters or youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who don’t like to be touched, are anxious in unfamiliar situations and/or are uncomfortable with certain sounds. As we follow shaggy-haired Charlie and his mother through their discussion of his pending haircut, we see that the author’s employed the formula of a) creating a predictable schedule b) breaking down tasks into small and simple steps c) actively engaging a child’s attention…