When Emily Carr Met Woo (Monica Kulling, author; Dean Griffiths, illustrator. Pajama Press, 2014)

This picture book shares a snapshot of the life of a storied Canadian artist and writer, and also tells of friendship and following the path that makes your soul sing. Emily Carr wasn’t only passionate about painting, she also loved animals. She brought a caged, lonely monkey home from the pet store who she named ‘Woo’, a name inspired by the monkey’s shrieks as it rode Emily’s shoulders home along Victoria’s oceanfront. The artist and monkey shared something very special–a deep sense of wonder and peace when they journeyed into British Columbia’s sublime wildernesses. This picture book recounts a time that Woo acted (not surprisingly) like a monkey, which almost resulted in tragedy. Woo’s story will draw animal lovers to this book again and again. Emily Carr’s story will lead you to seek out her art and stories. The National Gallery is only a short bus ride away . . . lucky me!