Overview

Today, Maybe is a story about a little girl who is waiting for someone, a friend. She doesn't yet know who it will be. In a series of surprising and humorous encounters, several well-known characters of children's literature arrive at her door. But none of them are the one she is waiting for, and she graciously sends them all away. With her bird to keep her company and hope filling her heart, weeks and then months pass as she waits and waits. When there is a scratch at the door one night, certainty fills the little girl's heart, and she opens the door to discover true friendship is indeed worth waiting for.

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9781554694006

Table of Contents

Reviews

Demers plays with familiar fairy-tale tropes, imbuing her heroine with confidence, purpose, and charm. Grimard's demure paintings fill the large-trim pages, with vines, fruits, and teapots recalling the work of Mary Engelbreit, while bones and fangs add a tempered edge. The result is a work of clever, poetic sweetness, with familiar folktale imagery giving way to tender surprise. A whimsical choice for both family sharing and gift giving.-- Booklist Demers' tale is wonderfully crafted and exquisitely translated into English by Sheila Fischman. The illustrations, in soft shades of colour, blend ideally with a story that resonates as a dream on a cool summer night.-- Resource Links Expansive gouache, oil, and watercolour paintings reveal the fairy-tale quality of this lyrical story...Beautiful to look at and listen to.-- The Horn Book Guide Filled with whimsy and grand imagination, this lovely story is a gentle read...A story of gentleness and the benefits of patience as well as an excursion into the land of make believe. The illustrations are beautifully rendered in water colors supporting the calm movement of the story...A beautiful piece of art.-- Southwest Ohio and Neighboring Libraries (SWON) Grimard's beautiful artwork perfectly matches the story with moody colors and detail-rich images. Perspectives change often to add interest and hold the listener's attention. There is danger and fear, wit and courage, beauty and grace....and oh yes, a happy ending!-- Sal's Fiction Addiction blog In this modern fairy tale, the power of traditional evil archetypes is removed by a young girl's inner confidence in herself, her value and her destiny...The beautiful, warm illustrations greatly add to the text. Glowing full and double page watercolour washes are filled with oil, gouache and pencil illustrations...Referencing many symbols and figures from [the fairy tale] tradition, [it] is of interest to a wide audience. Recommended.-- CM Magazine The artist's skillful use of space for bold closeups give the book persuasive power...Demers's tale has a confidential, knowing air that some readers will like very much.-- Publishers Weekly The water colored paper illustrations using gouache, oil paint, and aquarelle pencils, are quite beautiful.--Betty Liverman Tucson Unified School District [Starred review] As evocative and mysterious as a traditional fairytale, Today, Maybe is an unusual picture book with strong emotional impact. Sheila Fischman's able translation...leaves subtle echoes of the French original that add to the magical atmosphere...The mood of Demers's poetic story is beautifully matched by Grimard's images with their rich colours, exquisite and sometimes quirky details.-- Quill & Quire Perhaps one of the most imaginative and beautifully executed picture books so far of 2011...The lilting text has a sophistication to it that's as comforting as a cup of hot chocolate. And young readers will love nods to familiar fairy tale characters while enjoying a new, delightful tale. The illustrations in Today, Maybe are top notch with great attention to detail paired with just a touch of whimsy. The expressive looks on each character's face are spot on, and the muted tones are warm and welcoming...A definite must when adding to your home library.-- Cracking the Cover blog The illustrations are beautiful and a bit surreal...Watercolor, gouache, oils and pencils make layers of color with depth and translucence...[Today Maybe is] lovely in itself, with its promise of the power of story and imagination, and the wait for the perfect, sublime friend.-- Kirkus Reviews

The water colored paper illustrations using gouache, oil paint, and aquarelle pencils, are quite beautiful. --Betty Liverman Tucson Unified School District (07/26/2011)

The water colored paper illustrations using gouache, oil paint, and aquarelle pencils, are quite beautiful. --Betty Liverman Tucson Unified School District (07/26/2011) In this modern fairy tale, the power of traditional evil archetypes is removed by a young girl's inner confidence in herself, her value and her destiny...The beautiful, warm illustrations greatly add to the text. Glowing full and double page watercolour washes are filled with oil, gouache and pencil illustrations...Referencing many symbols and figures from [the fairy tale] tradition, [it] is of interest to a wide audience. Recommended. -- (02/04/2011) The artist's skillful use of space for bold closeups give the book persuasive power...Demers's tale has a confidential, knowing air that some readers will like very much. -- (02/01/2011) Demers plays with familiar fairy-tale tropes, imbuing her heroine with confidence, purpose, and charm. Grimard's demure paintings fill the large-trim pages, with vines, fruits, and teapots recalling the work of Mary Engelbreit, while bones and fangs add a tempered edge. The result is a work of clever, poetic sweetness, with familiar folktale imagery giving way to tender surprise. A whimsical choice for both family sharing and gift giving. -- (04/15/2011) Demers' tale is wonderfully crafted and exquisitely translated into English by Sheila Fischman. The illustrations, in soft shades of colour, blend ideally with a story that resonates as a dream on a cool summer night. -- (04/01/2011) Filled with whimsy and grand imagination, this lovely story is a gentle read...A story of gentleness and the benefits of patience as well as an excursion into the land of make believe. The illustrations are beautifully rendered in water colors supporting the calm movement of the story...A beautiful piece of art. -- (08/06/2011) Expansive gouache, oil, and watercolour paintings reveal the fairy-tale quality of this lyrical story...Beautiful to look at and listen to. -- (11/01/2011) Grimard's beautiful artwork perfectly matches the story with moody colors and detail-rich images. Perspectives change often to add interest and hold the listener's attention. There is danger and fear, wit and courage, beauty and grace....and oh yes, a happy ending! -- (01/02/2012) Perhaps one of the most imaginative and beautifully executed picture books so far of 2011...The lilting text has a sophistication to it that's as comforting as a cup of hot chocolate. And young readers will love nods to familiar fairy tale characters while enjoying a new, delightful tale. The illustrations in Today, Maybe are top notch with great attention to detail paired with just a touch of whimsy. The expressive looks on each character's face are spot on, and the muted tones are warm and welcoming...A definite must when adding to your home library. -- (07/18/2011) [Starred review] As evocative and mysterious as a traditional fairytale, Today, Maybe is an unusual picture book with strong emotional impact. Sheila Fischman's able translation...leaves subtle echoes of the French original that add to the magical atmosphere...The mood of Demers's poetic story is beautifully matched by Grimard's images with their rich colours, exquisite and sometimes quirky details. -- (03/01/2011) The illustrations are beautiful and a bit surreal...Watercolor, gouache, oils and pencils make layers of color with depth and translucence...[Today Maybe is] lovely in itself, with its promise of the power of story and imagination, and the wait for the perfect, sublime friend. -- (03/01/2011)

-The water colored paper illustrations using gouache, oil paint, and aquarelle pencils, are quite beautiful.---Betty Liverman-Tucson Unified School District- (07/26/2011)

Author Information

Dominique Demers has a PhD in children's literature and has written nearly thirty books for children. Many of her stories have become films. Dominique taught children's literature classes at the Université du Québec à Montréal for fifteen years and continues to give conferences across Canada on the joy of reading. She lives in Montreal, Quebec. Gabrielle Grimard has been drawing since she was young. Her passion for drawing and painting led her to pursue studies in fine arts and arts education at Concordia University. After she had her first child, she began her career as an illustrator. She is the illustrator of The Library Bus, which is a Governor General's Literary Award finalist, and Stolen Words, which was a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year, and the winner of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. She lives in Waterville, Quebec, with her family.

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