Cover illustration: Dave Whamond
The cover says it all–slide into winter with the December issue! Read about the winter solstice, make crafty gingerbread, experiment with snow globes, and turn a rock into a frame. You can also listen to a wonderful winter story called “The Case of the Mysterious Tracks” written by Jessica Westhead by clicking HERE.
Have a wonderful winter!
-The Chickadee Team
On Remembrance Day, Canadians honour the soldiers who fought for our freedom.
What does Remembrance Day mean to you? Talk to your family about some activities you can do. For example:
Thank you to the brave soldiers who served!
-The Chickadee Team
Blast off! This month, we take off to space to explore the International Space Station. Find out how astronauts live there and other interesting facts. Then, try out a recipe for a galaxy treat and launch a paper rocket. As always, we have fun puzzles and comics, too. Look out for the issue in your mailbox or at your local bookstore or library.
The Chickadee Team
The October issue is filled with fun and awesome Halloween activities. Have you ever thought about dressing up your door for Halloween? We’ve got some ghoulish ideas! Want to make silly ghosts you can eat? We’ve got a recipe for you! Need an experiment to use up some of the Halloween candy you’re going to get? Check!
We also have Halloween-themed comics, stories and puzzles. Look for it in your mailbox and happy reading!
Hi, readers!
In the September issue of Chickadee, we published the story “Teacher’s Pet” by Jeff Szpriglas and illustrated by Sandra Dumais. Did you know that the author, Jeff, based the dog Ruff-Ruff on his own pet? We wanted to know more so we asked him some questions. Read on!
Jeff and Padmé (Photo by Jeff)
Chickadee: What is your dog’s name? What kind of dog is she?
Jeff: Her name is Padmé; she is a poodle, and she was definitely named after a Star Wars character.
Chickadee: Did Padmé go to doggie school too?
Jeff: We got her during the lockdown portion of the pandemic, so there were no in-person dog training schools available to us. We did learn from some online videos, and my wife Danielle (who also writes books with me) is a lifelong dog owner.
Chickadee: Does Padmé also love to chase squirrels and grab hats?
Jeff: Yes. And Yes! She also likes to grab mittens and shoes and then play the chasing game with us. It’s delightful.
Chickadee: How else are Padmé and Ruff-Ruff similar? How are they different?
Jeff: Fun fact: I actually DO call Padmé “Ruff Ruff” and will even talk to her and ask her questions and then I’ll answer in a “dog voice.” My family does a good job of putting up with me when I do this. But back to your question, Padmé and Ruff Ruff both aim to please their owners, and they’re very happy dogs. Padmé has not yet learned how to roll over, but she’s not old so I can still teach her new tricks. In theory.
Chickadee: What did you love most about writing this story?
Jeff: It was really a way for me to show how much I love my dog. I grew up really fearful of dogs, and I definitely DID NOT WANT a dog. The cats and I were just fine. But I really warmed up to Padmé, especially on our long walks together, and our attempts at running together, or when she turns into “Dog Pillow” (the cats don’t go for that sort of thing). I wanted the story to capture what I think goes through Padmé’s head on a given day, I think I achieved that.
Thanks for sharing more about Padmé with us, Jeff! We love the story. Listen to Jeff read the story here: owlkids.com/listen
– Mandy
