Staff Picks
At FriesenPress, we celebrate each and every book we help our authors publish. Here are some of our team’s recent favourites – happy reading!
Art Deco Toronto and Beyond
An Architectural Odyssey by
Dan Azoulay
This book takes readers on a journey of the best surviving Art Deco architecture in Toronto and beyond, from the stunning 7th floor of Eaton’s former College Street Store to the breath-taking civic marvel of R.C. Harris’s ‘Palace of Purification’ on the city’s waterfront. Featuring brief introductions to 43 buildings and beautifully illustrated with over 200 original colour photographs, Art Deco Toronto and Beyond brings to life the beauty and elegance of Toronto’s Deco moment--and that of its closest neighbours--from the 1920s to the 1950s. Special features: -A glossary of architectural terms -An extensive Inventory of Part Deco buildings in Toronto -GTA maps for easily locating the buildings according to district -Suggestions for further reading
Little Temple on the Prairie
A History of the Manitoba Buddhist Temple by
Megan Kiyoko Wray
During World War II, displaced Japanese Canadians arrived in Manitoba, having lost everything to government-ordered internment and forced exile. Scattered across rural farms, they faced harsh conditions, deep isolation, and the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. Yet, despite these struggles, they created something extraordinary: a Buddhist temple that became a pillar of faith, culture, and resilience. Little Temple on the Prairie traces the remarkable history of the Manitoba Buddhist Temple from its humble beginnings as a refuge for a scattered community to its enduring presence today. Through archival research and intimate oral histories, Megan Kiyoko Wray illuminates the perseverance of the Issei and Nisei who defied loss and discrimination to build a space of belonging—not just for themselves, but for generations to come. This is more than a story about a temple. It is a testament to survival and solidarity, a reminder that honouring the past is not just about looking back, but about shaping the future. It calls on us to ask: how will you remember?
River Becomes Shadow
by
Anne M. Smith-Nochasak
It is said that one day, wherever River walks, the earth will turn green again. In the dying wasteland that is rural Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the year 2036, this seems impossible. But where others see impossibilities, twelve-year-old River cultivates hope. She sees what a new world can be, even when the oppressive regime known as the Elect enslaves more and more people every day. Even if it means sacrificing herself along the way. In this second installment of the Taggak Journey trilogy, River has left Gran Flo and her swamp far behind. She’s joined by her cousin Tag, their guide to shadow running, a means to travel in secrecy requiring complete focus. But without proper food and sleep, how will they maintain the necessary concentration? And then there’s Dr. Andrea Parker, the keeper of stories—and resentment. Left to fester, her resentment might just ruin everything. As these unlikely heroes struggle forward, will they stay loyal to each other and to themselves, taking Flo’s voice and vision as their compass? Will River walk her path and fulfill Flo’s prophecy? River Becomes Shadow is a story of devotion and resilience in the face of heartbreak and brutality. It encourages readers to look into the not-so-distant future, at the very real possibility of an apocalyptic world, and believe that we are enough to change it, no matter how broken we may be.
Protecting the Ontario Niagara Escarpment
Environmental Activism and Goverment Stewardship by
Donald H. Avery
Protecting the Ontario Niagara Escarpment explores the intersection of politics and conservation, business and public interests, and government and not-for-profit organizations over more than six decades to protect what is today a UNESCO World Biosphere. Reflecting on both environmental activism and government stewardship, author Donald H. Avery captures an important period in Canadian environmental history. Starting with an overview of the North American conservation movement in the 1960s and the important 1968 Gertler Niagara Escarpment Study, he examines the different work done by conservation organizations such as the Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment (CONE), statuary bodies such as the Niagara Escarpment Commission, and government departments and agencies to protect this unique landform until the present day. As part of his assessment, Avery examines the goals and strategies of competing social groups including mining interests, commercial real estate developers, landowners’ groups and environmental organizations , while providing insight into how they used the political system to achieve their specific goals. This research is based on a wealth of environmental organizational records, government documents, news articles, and interviews with Niagara Escarpment Commission staff, that demonstrates how environmental activism and government stewardship made a difference.
The Big Fire
by
Steve Serbic
Goose is a fire dog, and that means it’s his job to help out when people are in trouble! Goose takes his job very seriously… but it can be scary, too. When Goose and the firefighters are called to a building fire, they realize it’s up to them to rescue a woman from her apartment. The firefighters come up with a plan, but they need extra help from Goose. Can this brave dog overcome his fear to help fight the fire and save the day? Goose the Fire Dog and the Big Fire is the first book in a series about a fire dog and the firefighters at his station. This inspiring story helps children build confidence when stepping out of their comfort zone, and reminds us that we can overcome anxiety and accomplish many things when we believe in ourselves and have the support of our peers.
Reflections
Wisdom for the Young and Anyone Else Curious by
Trevor R Shaw
Suddenly, here I am with most of my life in the rear-view mirror and not much road left ahead. I am wondering–ok, “What’s it all about, Alfie?” This is an attempt to answer that question and to leave something behind that might be of some use. At the age of seventy-eight, Trevor Shaw, a husband, father, and grandfather; an accountant; an auditor; a manager; a teacher; an artist; a photographer; and a student in the martial arts of Wing Chun and Tai Chi, reflects on life. From the personal to the political, from the micro to the macro, he discusses what he’s learned throughout his life and what he thinks of where we’re headed next. After a long life well lived, he offers wit and wisdom for some grounding in the escalating chaos of today’s world, along with what is needed for an individual to cope and for making the world a better place. Delivered in a highly readable, warm, sharply-communicated style with a voice that’s pleasant to encounter and a point of view that’s always thought provoking, Reflections is often not only helpful on a personal level but includes some highly cogent, well-informed, and incisive reflections on life in general, along with a frank analysis about where we’re headed next.
The Governor's Granddaughter
by
Theresa Redmond
Margaret Gordon is born around the year 1800 on Prince Edward Island, a British colony under the shadow of her grandfather’s shameful political misdeeds and actions, leaving the Island’s settlers caught in an unjust landholding system and voiceless against entitlement and greed. Unfortunately, her father is little better, whisking her away to Scotland when she is just a girl to escape the consequences of his own wrongdoing. Still, despite growing up on another continent, Margaret never forgets where she came from, nor her desire to return one day and make up for the sins of her family. During her absence from Prince Edward Island, the battle for fairness continues. Settlers and tenant farmers, like John LeLacheur, spend years fighting for the right to own the land they work so hard to clear and to have a say in how their colony is governed. Opposing them, however, are wealthy British aristocrats in London and their self-interested land agents, like Hellfire Jack Stewart, who do everything in their power to maintain the status quo and benefit from the labour of others. The Governor’s Granddaughter tells a fascinating story of resilience, perseverance, female empowerment, and conflicting moral values. This sweeping story is lifted from the pages of Canadian history, detailing the social and political unrest that existed for generations following the colonization of Prince Edward Island, with a focus not only on the people who pushed for much-needed fairness and change but also revealing those who worked even harder to hold them back.
Life On The Farm
Poems For Children by
R. A. Moorhouse
Munch, quack, hee-haw, squeak! Every animal on the farm has a voice worth hearing. From Lambie the Black Sheep to Sweet Petunia Pig, these charming poems are full of friends for curious kids and their parents. Life on the Farm features bright, rhythmic verse that makes for a fun read-aloud experience as little ones learn more about the special bond between farmers and the animals that work—and play—on a farm.