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Orangeville’s Booklore to feature author behind ‘Beatrice and Barb’

October 12, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

What sort of pet can a child have when Mommy says no to every fur, feather, fin and scale? Pet rocks have come and gone; stuffed pets do not teach children much – how about a plant? How about a Venus Fly Trap as a pet? Seems like a great idea, and it is coming to Orangeville with the author, Kate Jenks Landry. Ms. Jenks Landry will be staging a story time and activity based on her book, “Beatrice and Barb,” at BookLore this Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

There will be an opportunity to purchase a copy of the Beatrice and Barb book, signed by the author, this Saturday.

“I actually wrote Beatrice and Barb in 2017 and sold it right away to Kids Can Press,” said Ms. Jenks Landry.

In brief, a little girl, Beatrice, desperately wants a pet, but her mother is against it, and the Venus Fly Trap plant is the compromise they reach. Beatrice names the plant Barb.

In answer to the question of age for the book, it reads as about right for a six -or -seven-year-old. Vivian Mineker is the illustrator, as picture book publishers chose the illustrator.

In the story, the compromise of Barb as a pet does lead Beatrice on a surprising adventure, a “quest,” as the author calls it.

There is much to learn about the well-being of a Venus Fly Trap, but the mother and child in the story soon see that Barb is not doing very well on the regular plant diet of water and good soil. Anxious to do the best by her unusual pet, Beatrice tries finding Barb friends, including a dog, which doesn’t work, taking the plant to a vet who is not able to help, until at last, she figures out who can really help.

“We went down the research rabbit hole,” the author informed us. “to find the answers.”

For example, as Barb’s division in the plant kingdom calls her a Venus fly trap, she is, therefore, a carnivorous plant – not quite like a puppy but still…

“I started writing children books with a Masters in Creative Writing and I have a teaching degree as well. I had a child. I did research on how to write picture books. My daughter and I were making a starter dough project.” 

They thought that might be a good first book, but a plain gooey blob, like dough, may not make a great story or a pet. Maybe this different plant would be more interesting because of its carnivorous nature.

Kate Jenks Landry tutors and is a stay-at-home mom while “writing full time.” She is looking forward to her next book being published in 2025. This one is about a girl whose sister is ill, and she is alone at her grandparents’ house, where she discovers ways to help her sister feel better.

Ms. Jenks Landry read everything as a youngster while sitting in BookLore to read from Robert Munsch, Nancy Drew and lots of others. As she grew, she read many fine authors.

As a children’s author, Ms. Jenks Landry sees the responsibility “is to write great stories. Children are willing to follow you everywhere and to become life long readers. They should get to see themselves reflected and read about other people with different experiences.”

Books open, and they can see themselves and see others, too.

“Children are the best readers,” she is sure. “Read with your children. Life is busy and there is a lot going on but taking time to share stories with your kids and just introduce them to ways of thinking. Sometimes, we think that we are busy but the time you spend reading with your children is very valuable.”

In this day of being taught by tech, she told us she loves print and paper. One of the things she brings is the books she made as a child. She also thinks a story and narrative is important. If she can convince a kid to look at a book on another vision, that is great and reassured us that

picture books have hung on as paper products.

“Something about capturing that art on paper – that is meaningful,” was her comment.

When she is writing, keeping in mind there are illustrations for her next book, she tries to leave things as open as she can. By not describing how the characters look and changing the scenes where the action takes place is her way of setting illustrators up to do their work.

“Many new authors try to hold on to control.” she remarked.

How to encourage children reluctant to read is by trying to point them to a book that is exciting to them by whatever they like best – sports, science, dogs.

“Rather than lecture them,” she said a bit humorously.

The main value to learning to read books as a child is learning to get out of their heads, and she is very anti-book burning.

“It’s important that kids have access to the books that they need for difficult conversations,” she said.

“My younger child and I tell stories to each other at bedtime.”

Kate Jenks Landry is coming to BookLore this Friday, Oct. 14, for story time and activity from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

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