Margriet Ruurs
Author of My Librarian is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World
About the Author
Image credit: Margriet Ruurs
Series
Works by Margriet Ruurs
My Librarian is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World (2005) 533 copies, 14 reviews
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey (Arabic and English Edition) (2016) 328 copies, 20 reviews
My School in the Rain Forest: How Children Attend School Around the World (2009) 51 copies, 4 reviews
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Ruurs, Margriet
- Legal name
- Ruurs-Bodbyl, Margriet
- Birthdate
- 1952
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Simon Fraser University (MA|Education)
- Occupations
- children's book author
columnist - Organizations
- Reading Today (columnist)
- Awards and honors
- 2005 Region West Presidential Award for Reading & Technology of the International Reading Association
- Short biography
- Margriet Ruurs writes children's and educational materials. She has a Master's Degree in Education from Simon Fraser University and has studied the use of technology in teaching reading and writing to children. "I love to use my imagination and to dream up stories" says this creator of many books for children.
Margriet also loves to work in schools - to tell children about being a writer and to share her love of playing with language. Her favorite genre of writing is poetry and she likes to make silly rhymes!
Margriet, her husband and two sons have lived in many places - including California, Oregon, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. They like hiking and camping in the mountains and traveling. Once they traveled for a whole year!
Margriet conducts author visits to international schools around the world. But she also loves to stay home to write new books. - Nationality
- Canada
- Birthplace
- The Netherlands
- Places of residence
- Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada
Yukon, Canada
California, USA
Oregon, USA
Alberta, Canada - Associated Place (for map)
- Canada
Members
Reviews
Margriet Ruurs, whose subsequent title, My School in the Rain Forest: How Children Attend School Around the World, is an exploration of the diverse educational venues to be found around the globe, focuses here on the traveling libraries of the world, and the result is a picture-book that is both educational and inspirational. From the elephant-carried tomes that travel to the people of remote northern Thailand, to the solar-powered truck libraries of rural Australia; from the titular show more camel-led libraries of Kenya, to the mail-delivered library books of Canada's arctic region, the systems discussed in My Librarian Is a Camel are diverse, but their goal is the same: to put books in the hands of young readers, no matter the logistical difficulties involved!
And boy, do those difficulties put my own library "issues" into perspective! I admit it: when it comes to books, I'm extremely fortunate. One might almost say... spoiled. I belong to one of the country's best public library systems, with the right to borrow titles from any of the (well-endowed) libraries in my county, and the ability to request titles from further afield. I've had rare books come to me from Bangor (Maine), Boulder (Colorado), and, in the case of a book I'm reading right now, Bemidji (Minnesota). I've even had a book come to me from the vaunted Library of Congress! (I admit it, that was a thrill!) I have also, over the years, worked in a college library, and in five bookstores (used and new), and have amassed a pretty incredible collection of my own. Except in fairly rare cases, I can probably put my hands on any book I want...
Not so with so many of the world's children! It's a sobering thought that I probably own more books (children's books, mind) than some of the young readers' in Ruurs' book will see in their entire lives! Obviously, despite my occasional griping, I'm very, very rich. And so are many of my fellow Americans, whether they realize it or not. It's really good to be reminded of the fact that, for most people, books are an incredible luxury, something (like education) to be treasured. Something so important and valuable that people are willing to go to great lengths to provide them, to haul them up mountains and through forests, to carry them down rivers, and across long stretches of land. Book are treasure. It seems incredible that I, with a life devoted to and surrounded by books, might occasionally forget that... but fortunately Margriet Ruurs is there to remind me (and young readers), with this highly recommended little book! show less
And boy, do those difficulties put my own library "issues" into perspective! I admit it: when it comes to books, I'm extremely fortunate. One might almost say... spoiled. I belong to one of the country's best public library systems, with the right to borrow titles from any of the (well-endowed) libraries in my county, and the ability to request titles from further afield. I've had rare books come to me from Bangor (Maine), Boulder (Colorado), and, in the case of a book I'm reading right now, Bemidji (Minnesota). I've even had a book come to me from the vaunted Library of Congress! (I admit it, that was a thrill!) I have also, over the years, worked in a college library, and in five bookstores (used and new), and have amassed a pretty incredible collection of my own. Except in fairly rare cases, I can probably put my hands on any book I want...
Not so with so many of the world's children! It's a sobering thought that I probably own more books (children's books, mind) than some of the young readers' in Ruurs' book will see in their entire lives! Obviously, despite my occasional griping, I'm very, very rich. And so are many of my fellow Americans, whether they realize it or not. It's really good to be reminded of the fact that, for most people, books are an incredible luxury, something (like education) to be treasured. Something so important and valuable that people are willing to go to great lengths to provide them, to haul them up mountains and through forests, to carry them down rivers, and across long stretches of land. Book are treasure. It seems incredible that I, with a life devoted to and surrounded by books, might occasionally forget that... but fortunately Margriet Ruurs is there to remind me (and young readers), with this highly recommended little book! show less
This is a fabulous book for children and for readers of all ages. It’s actually not exactly a picture book. It’s a biography and an art book and it’s done exactly how it should be done. The “pictures” are the artist’s actual art (and not some illustrator mimicking it!) and photographs and one other meaningful real life image.
I love this artist’s work. I hadn’t remembered that he’d designed the Yukon Pavilion for the Expo ’86 World’s Fair in Vancouver. I spent a lot of show more time at that Fair and remember loving the Yukon exhibit. There is a photo in this book of the entrance to that exhibit, beautifully and creatively designed & painted by this artist. I recognized it right away.
I like that the artist wrote a short Foreword for this book. He is an interesting person and has contributed a lot, especially through his art and his teaching. I enjoyed reading about his loving and supportive family of origin and about his travels and about the family he created. His wife is also remarkable with her accomplishments in the field of education.
I love that he was so observant and noticed how much sadness in the world and appreciated that he made a deliberate choice that “his paintings would show only positive images.” His quote: “There’s enough sadness and misery in the world without hanging it on our walls.” And a related quote: “We should all try to spread a little happiness wherever we may be."
This is a text heavy book but there are plenty of paintings and photos included.
I love all of his art, from everywhere he was, and his Yukon art in particular. I smile when looking at the colors and shapes of his paintings done in the Yukon. I love the subject matter that he chose.
I applaud his quote: “Art must be part of every child’s education. Painting is the last great freedom. You can paint what you like.”
At the back of the book there is a page of Sources & Resources and there is also a one page Index.
I shelved this on August 30 but I can’t remember how I found it. None of my Goodreads friends have this book shelved. I was motivated enough to read it that I ordered it from my library’s LINK+ program, a free service where I can borrow books that my library doesn’t have from most other public and university libraries in California and Nevada. Even though the books are free to borrow I’m anxious when I have one at home. They have to be returned to the desk and handed to a library staff member, if late the late fee is $1.00 a day, and if lost there is a $115.00 charge. I use the service only very occasionally. It was worth it for this book and I’m grateful that I could read it. Highly recommended!
ETA: The one thing about the book I didn't love was how the reader is invited to notice things about the art. It's instructional. It might be great for some readers but I wanted to look at the art on my terms and being asked to notice certain things (which might be appealing for many!) took me away from what I was viewing. show less
I love this artist’s work. I hadn’t remembered that he’d designed the Yukon Pavilion for the Expo ’86 World’s Fair in Vancouver. I spent a lot of show more time at that Fair and remember loving the Yukon exhibit. There is a photo in this book of the entrance to that exhibit, beautifully and creatively designed & painted by this artist. I recognized it right away.
I like that the artist wrote a short Foreword for this book. He is an interesting person and has contributed a lot, especially through his art and his teaching. I enjoyed reading about his loving and supportive family of origin and about his travels and about the family he created. His wife is also remarkable with her accomplishments in the field of education.
I love that he was so observant and noticed how much sadness in the world and appreciated that he made a deliberate choice that “his paintings would show only positive images.” His quote: “There’s enough sadness and misery in the world without hanging it on our walls.” And a related quote: “We should all try to spread a little happiness wherever we may be."
This is a text heavy book but there are plenty of paintings and photos included.
I love all of his art, from everywhere he was, and his Yukon art in particular. I smile when looking at the colors and shapes of his paintings done in the Yukon. I love the subject matter that he chose.
I applaud his quote: “Art must be part of every child’s education. Painting is the last great freedom. You can paint what you like.”
At the back of the book there is a page of Sources & Resources and there is also a one page Index.
I shelved this on August 30 but I can’t remember how I found it. None of my Goodreads friends have this book shelved. I was motivated enough to read it that I ordered it from my library’s LINK+ program, a free service where I can borrow books that my library doesn’t have from most other public and university libraries in California and Nevada. Even though the books are free to borrow I’m anxious when I have one at home. They have to be returned to the desk and handed to a library staff member, if late the late fee is $1.00 a day, and if lost there is a $115.00 charge. I use the service only very occasionally. It was worth it for this book and I’m grateful that I could read it. Highly recommended!
ETA: The one thing about the book I didn't love was how the reader is invited to notice things about the art. It's instructional. It might be great for some readers but I wanted to look at the art on my terms and being asked to notice certain things (which might be appealing for many!) took me away from what I was viewing. show less
It's one of my major career goals (for real!) to someday work as part of a bookmobile, so this book is pretty much a dream come true. It describes different ways that volunteers and librarians provide access to books for people in very rural parts of the world. Books travel by bike, wheelbarrow, elephants, etc. It's so inspiring to read about how happy the bookmobiles make the people that they reach. I'm a dork; I teared up a little.
A young boy named Michael lives in northern Canada with his family and two dogs, a white dog and a black dog. Michael has a problem: he keeps losing track of his fluffy white dog in the snow and his black dog on long dark winter nights! When he finds a purple cat, he thinks that he finally has a pet he won't lose sight of. This is a cute and whimsical but very simple story, with clear illustrations that emphasize the colours of the black and white dogs, purple cat, blue blueberries, etc. show more I've owned and enjoyed this book since I was a child, but as an adult reader, I am distressed by the fact that someone abandoned a cat outside a post office in the middle of a northern winter. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 38
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 2,034
- Popularity
- #12,635
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 83
- ISBNs
- 110
- Languages
- 5
- Favorited
- 1
