Creator Profile: Caroline Adderson

Presentation/Workshop Information:

It Happened on Sweet Street

(Grades 1-3; 30-45 minutes)

Book Synopsis: Monsieur Oliphant’s cake shop, the only bakery game in town, has long had customers lining up outside its door for Oliphant’s delicious jelly rolls and marvelous wedding cakes . . . until the day cookie concocter Mademoiselle Fée takes over the old shoemaker’s shop. And it isn’t long before the divine piemaker Madame Clotilde soon moves into the old bric-a-brac shop. Three different bakers all trying to outclass one another means their little cul-de-sac is packed with customers every day and night, so, one morning, when everyone is bumping and jostling each other with their cakes, cookies and pies, a food disaster — a massacre of cream, a devastation of crumbs — is inevitable! Only one little girl has the drive (or appetite?) to find a solution, but can it last? This madcap tale of frenzied cooks and zany eats (and one very lucky town) will delight readers with a sweet tooth of any age!

About the presentation: This story sweetly engages kids – with dessert! – at the same time it teaches the importance of respecting the choices of others, and dramatizes a peaceful conflict resolution. As a bonus, students will practice math skills, and learn some French. A follow-up art activity is available.

Izzy in the Doghouse

(Grades 1-3; 30-45 minutes)

About the presentation: What is more thrilling than a new puppy?  What more exhausting? This is what Isabel experiences when Rollo enters her life after a falling out with her best friend. Through lively readings and discussion, young learners will help Isabel resolve her friendship troubles and cope with her new responsibilities as the mother of a fur-baby.  They’ll also be introduced to a non-traditional family: an adopted child of a single mother moving through the adoption process with her new dog.

Sunny Days Inside and Other Stories

(Grades 4-7; 45-60 minutes)

About the presentation: No matter where they live, the current cohort of students have in common that they all lived through an historic moment: the Covid-19 pandemic. This presentation introduces middle-grade learners to a group of kids just like them, survivors, who found a way to cope during a crisis, often better than their adult counterparts.  Through excerpts and discussion, we take a peek inside the lives of kids who all live in the same inner-city apartment building. They cope with humour and build new friendships and understandings. By the end, young readers will recognize that they, too, are the heroes of their own pandemic stories.

Babble! And How Punctuation Saved It

(Grades 3, 4, and 5; 45-60 minutes)

Book Synopsis: Chaos reigns in the village of Babble! All day, the residents fight, yell and argue, and no one is heard or understood . . . until a mysterious little girl arrives and gives the locals something very strange: a period. But what is this thing that looks like a freckle or a spot? The villagers don’t even know how to ask. However, as the girl begins to share more gifts — a question mark, quotation marks — the residents slowly learn how to communicate. But when more fights arise and disaster strikes, can punctuation truly save the day?

About the presentation: This dynamic presentation gets kids off their feet and laughing. Through an amusing parable, using verbal, visual and tactile means, they review basic punctuation marks and come to understand the importance of good communication in all interactions: friends, family, or whole communities.