The Lake in the Middle of Townby Neil Sawatzky; Illustrated by Julio SalazarPublished by Your Nickel’s Worth PublishingReview by Sally Meadows$24.95 ISBN 9781778690402 When you do a Google search for things to see in Regina, Saskatchewan, Wascana Park consistently comes up in the top five. With easy access to other popular tourist attractions such as the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Saskatchewan Science Centre, and the Mackenzie Art Gallery, Wascana Park shines as a beautiful green space surrounding picturesque Wascana Lake. Residents and tourists alike marvel at its beauty. But what is the history behind this “sparkling gem in the Queen City’s crown?” An updated, hardcover, 20th anniversary edition of The Lake in the Middle of Town dives into this question both as an easy-to-read poem perfect for inter-generational snuggles and with sidebar information for older children and adults who want to dig deeper into the lake’s fascinating history. Although I didn’t grow up in Saskatchewan, my mother was born in Regina, so this book really opened my eyes up to the historical depth and breadth of this iconic area in Saskatchewan’s capital in a personal way. From its Indigenous roots to the first appearance of settlers to the establishment and…

Wake Up, Jacob!by Neil SawatzkyPublished by Your Nickel’s Worth PublishingReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$14.95 ISBN 9-781988-783451 I’m a huge fan of collaborating with family members on creative projects, thus was delighted to read that Neil Sawatzky—the author of the new illustrated children’s book Wake Up, Jacob!—is the father of Heather Nickel, who owns and operates Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing, and is responsible for bringing hundreds of books into the world. This father-daughter team has produced a heartfelt softcover that “parallel[s] the daily activities of a young boy and his grandfather,” and to even further extend the familial connection, Sawatzky’s dedicated the book to his own father, and a photograph of the author and his two grandchildren reading a book together appears inside the back cover. Here’s the truth: I had a lump in my throat after reading just two pages of this brightly-sketched story. On page one we find young Jacob’s mother rousing him from sleep in his bed, and on the opposite page, a healthcare aide in a seniors’ facility is similarly waking the same-named elder. Child Jacob—in green pajamas, and with his wide-eyed teddy bear nearby—stretches simultaneously with his white-moustached grandpa on the facing page. The story continues…