45 picture books to check out this fall
Here are the Canadian picture books we can't wait to read in the second half of the year.
The Little Green Envelope by Gillian Sze, illustrated by Claudine Crangle
In The Little Green Envelope, Olive has a little green envelope that wants to be chosen to be delivered to Olive's friend that has moved away — will its wish come true?
The Little Green Envelope is for ages 3 to 6.
Gillian Sze is a Montreal-based writer and teacher who is originally from Winnipeg. Some of her other books for children include The Night Is Deep and Wide and You Are My Favorite Color, which was a finalist for the Quebec Writers' Federation Award. Her poetry collections include Quiet Night Think, which won the 2023 Pat Lowther Memorial Award.
Claudine Crangle is a Toronto-based author and multidisciplinary artist whose previous picture books include writing and illustrating Priscilla Pack Rat, Woolfred Cannot Eat Dandelions and The House Next Door.
Hopscotch by Marie-Louise Gay
In Hopscotch, Ophelia uses her imagination — creating images of different creatures like giant rabbits with sharp teeth, to help her adjust to the daunting event of moving to a new school where she is also the only student who doesn't speak French.
Hopscotch is for ages 3 to 6.
Marie-Louise Gay is an author and illustrator of children's literature from Montreal. She has won the Governor General's Literary Award for children's literature — illustration twice, for Rainy Day Magic and Yuck, A Love Story. Her other children's books include Mustafa, Any Questions? and the Stella & Sam series.
Maybe a Whale by Kirsten Pendreigh, illustrated by Crystal Smith
After her grandpa dies, a girl and her mother kayak along the Pacific west coast in Maybe a Whale to find his favourite whales, the humpbacks. In this journey, they learn how to grieve the loss of grandpa and realize that even if they can't see him anymore, he is still always with them.
Maybe a Whale is for ages 3 to 6.
Kirsten Pendreigh is a Vancouver-based children's writer, journalist and poet. She is also the author of Luna's Green Pet and When a Tree Falls. Her poetry has been published in publications such as This Magazine and Room Magazine.
Crystal Smith is a Victoria-based illustrator with an interest in depicting the natural world. Her second children's book that she is currently illustrating, will be published in Fall 2024.
Every Child Matters by Phyllis Webstad, illustrated by Karlene Harvey
Every Child Matters honours the history and resiliency of Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island and moves everyone forward on a path toward Truth and Reconciliation. Readers will learn the meaning of the phrase "Every Child Matters" on the annual Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30, which honours residential school survivors, their families and communities, and commemorates those who did not return home.
Every Child Matters is for ages 6 to 10.
Phyllis Webstad was born on Dog Creek Reserve and is Northern Secwepemc from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation. Based in British Columbia, she travels around the country to tell her own orange shirt story. She won the YA/adult category of the 2021/2022 First Nation Communities Read Awards for her book Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.
Karlene Harvey is a Tsilhqot'in and Syilx illustrator and writer who grew up on territories of the Semiahmoo and Kwantlen Nations.
LISTEN | Phyllis Webstad on inspiring Orange Shirt Day:
Fluffy and the Stars by T'áncháy Redvers, illustrated by Roza Nozari
In Fluffy and the Stars, Shay learns how to say goodbye to their dog, Fluffy, who is sick, and learns to process feelings of grief with love and healing.
Fluffy and the Stars is for ages 3 to 5.
T'áncháy Redvers is from the Deninu K'ue First Nation in Treaty 8 territory. They live in Toronto, and is a Dene/Métis two-spirit writer, speaker, creator, advocate and multidisciplinary performer.
Roza Nozari is Toronto-based queer illustrator and writer of colour. Her other works of illustration include the picture book Mindy Kaling by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara.
The Imaginary Alphabet by Sylvie Daigneault
From agile alligators attempting an arabesque, to sleepy slots swinging by the sea, whimsical art based on each letter of the alphabet allows the alphabet to come to life in The Imaginary Alphabet picture book.
The Imaginary Alphabet is for ages 5 to 10.
Sylvie Daigneault is a Toronto-based writer and illustrator. She is the illustrator of 15 books, which include The Good Garden by Katie Smith Milway, the Bruno series which she also wrote, and Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw by Jo Ellen Bogart.
Sharon, Lois and Bram's Peanut Butter and Jelly, by Randi Hampson, illustrated by Qin Leng
Sharon, Lois and Bram's Peanut Butter and Jelly involves an adventure with children and animals coming together to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and is based on the sandwich song by the Canadian children's musical group of Sharon, Lois & Bram.
Sharon, Lois and Bram's Peanut Butter and Jelly is for ages 3 to 7.
Randi Hampson is the daughter of Sharon Hampson, who was a part of the Canadian children's musical group Sharon, Louis & Bram. Together with her mother, Hampson also wrote One Elephant Went Out to Play and Sharon, Lois and Bram's Skinnamarink.
Qin Leng is a Toronto illustrator, writer and visual development artist. Her recent books include I Am Small, which Leng wrote and illustrated, and she has illustrated numerous books including A Kid is a Kid is a Kid and A Family Is a Family Is a Family by Sara O'Leary.
Garden of Lost Socks by Esi Edugyan, illustrated by Amélie Dubois
Garden of Lost Socks is a story about friendship, curiosity and the magic of community. Akosua who is a budding Exquirologist, and a new friend find a remarkable world hidden right in her very own community.
Garden of Lost Socks is for ages 4 to 7.
Esi Edugyan is a Victoria-based author of Half-Blood Blues and Dreaming of Elsewhere. Her book Washington Black was a finalist on Canada Reads 2022, shortlisted for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Man Booker Prize and won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
Amélie Dubois grew up in Montréal and currently lives in Mauricie, Que. She has illustrated children's books such as Rien du tout! by Marie-Hélène Jarry, Mingan les nuages by Marie-Andrée Arsenault and copine et Copine by Kim Nunès, Marie-Chantal Perron and Tammy Verge which was the French-language finalist for the 2020 Governor General's Award. She has also illustrated for magazines and television.
LISTEN | Esi Edugyan speaks about her children's book The Garden of Lost Socks:
Shizue's Path by Mark Sakamoto
Inspired by Mark Sakamoto's great aunt Shizue, Shizue's Path is told as a conversation between a grandmother and her granddaughter, and follows what it was like for a young Japanese Canadian girl to grow up in Canada during and after the Second World War.
Shizue's Path is for ages 5 to 8.
Mark Sakamoto is a Toronto and Prince Edward County based writer, entrepreneur and investor in digital health and digital media. His first book, Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents won Canada Reads 2018, when it was defended by Jeanne Beker.
Rachel Wada grew up in Japan and Hong Kong and is currently living in Vancouver. Her first children's book project, The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden, won the Freeman Book Award for Children's Literature.
The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z by Ashley Spires
The newest addition to the The Most Magnificent series, Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z, is a vocabulary book that highlights words about making in the order of the alphabet.
Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z is for ages 4 to 8.
Ashley Spires is a B.C.-based author and illustrator. In addition to The Most Magnificent series, some of her other works include the Binky the Space Cat series and Small Saul.
More than Words by Roz MacLean
In More than Words, Nathan, who is a quiet boy, observes in school how people can communicate in different ways. From peers that use sign language, to peers that sing, there are many different ways of communicating. More than Words is a story about understanding each other to create belonging and friendship.
More than Words is for ages 4 to 8.
Roz MacLean is a B.C.-based visual artist and writer and illustrator of children's books. Some of her other works include Violet's Cloudy Day and The Body Book.
Benjamin's Thunderstorm by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette
In Benjamin's Thunderstorm, Benjamin loves to play in the rain and hear the sound of thunder because it sounds like his grandfather's drum. With elements of Cree powwow culture and Cree words, the story is about family traditions and experiencing nature.
Benjamin's Thunderstorm is for ages 3 to 7.
Melanie Florence is a writer of Cree and Scottish heritage. Based in Toronto, she is the author of Missing Nimâmâ, which won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award in 2016 and the 2017 Forest of Reading Golden Oak Award. Some of her other works include Stolen Words that won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, He Who Dreams and The Missing.
Hawlii Pichette is a Mushkego Cree (Treaty 9) urban mixed-blood illustrator and artist. She was born in Cochrane Ont., and now lives in London, Ont.
LISTEN | Melanie Florence discusses her book Missing Nimâmâ on The Next Chapter:
The Hockey Skates by Karl Subban, illustrated by Maggie Zeng
Inspired by his NHL hockey player son PK Subban, Karl Subban shares the story of young PK waiting for his new skates in The Hockey Skates. With each new delivery that arrives not being the right skates — whether it's the wrong colour or size, PK learns to persevere and remain optimistic in this comical story.
The Hockey Skates is for ages 4 to 7.
Karl Subban has been a coach, teacher, principal and the father to three NHL hockey players. He is also the author of How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School and Life.
Maggie Zeng is a Montreal-based student at Concordia University. She is an illustrator, animator and concept artist of children's books. The first picture book she illustrated is This Is the Boat That Ben Built.
Friends Find a Way by Heather M. O'Connor, illustrated by Claudia Dávila
In Friends Find a Way, the sequel to Fast Friends, friends Suze and Tyson must find a way to reunite back with their class when they get separated from them on a field trip to the zoo. Suze knows the way, but can she lead them back? A story about inclusion and friendship, readers will learn about non-verbal communication.
Friends Find a Way is for ages 3 to 7.
Heather M. O'Connor is an Ontario-based freelance writer and editor. She won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award for her debut picture book Fast Friends, which was also selected for the 2022 TD Grade One Book Giveaway.
Claudia Dávila is an Ontario-based author and illustrator who was formerly Chirp and Chickadee magazine's art director. Some of her other works that she illustrated include Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War by Michel Chikwanine & Jessica Dee Humphreys, The Canadian Kids Guide to Outdoor Fun by Helaine Becker and The Future According to Luz graphic novel series which she also wrote.
Otter Doesn't Know by Andrea Fritz
Set in Coast Salish Traditional Territory, Otter Doesn't Know is about a sea otter and salmon who learn that it is okay to not know something, and ask for help. The Hul'q'umi'num'-speaking Peoples' culture and language is also shared in this story.
Otter Doesn't Know is for ages 6 to 8.
Andrea Fritz is from the Lyackson First Nation of the Hul'q'umi'num'-speaking Peoples. A Coast Salish storyteller and artist, she works in different artistic mediums such as acrylic on wood and canvas and multimedia. Her work has been displayed in galleries such as Eagle Feather Gallery and the Place Gallery.
Once, a Bird by Rina Singh, illustrated by Nathalie Dion
When a bird builds a nest and takes residence outside of an apartment building in Once, a Bird, the residents of the building are reminded of the interconnectedness of nature and the happiness that it can bring. Even when there are unpredictable things that can happen in the world, there is consistency in nature which brings comfort.
Once, a Bird is for ages 3 to 4.
Rina Singh is a Toronto-based author of children's books. Some of her other works include Grandmother School, which won the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize in 2021 and 111 Trees, which won the Social Justice Literature Award and was a finalist for the 2022 Yellow Cedar Award. She was also nominated for the Red Cedar Award for her book Diwali: A Festival of Lights.
Nathalie Dion is a Montreal-based illustrator. She has illustrated several picture books, including Kumo, the bashful cloud by Kyo Maclear, The Dog's Gardener by Patricia Storms and The Big Bad Wolf in My House written by Valérie Fontaine and translated by Shelley Tanaka which won the Prix Espiègle in 2021. The Big Bad Wolf in My House was also a finalist for the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award, Governor General's Literary Award and the Harry Black Picture Book Award.
I'm Hungry! by Elise Gravel
A hungry little monster in I'm Hungry! will eat everything and anything to satisfy its hunger — a slice of pizza, the plate it came on and the box it was delivered in! What happens in this funny tale, when the hungry little monster notices the child reading the book?
I'm Hungry! is for ages 0 to 2.
Elise Gravel is a Quebec author and illustrator who has written and illustrated over 50 books for children. Her books include The Bat, The Worst Book Ever, The Mushroom Fan Club, I Want a Monster! and What Is a Refugee. Gravel won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People in 2022 for her body of work. She lives in Montreal.
Everyone is Welcome by Phuong Truong, illustrated by Christine Wei
In Everyone is Welcome, a little girl is determined to make a positive difference amidst incidents of anti-Asian hate in her community. When her grandma's friend Mrs. Lee is pushed on her way to the Asian market, the little girl is supported by her family and friends to do something kind for her.
Everyone is Welcome is for ages 6 to 8.
Phuong Truong is an author and book publisher. She grew up in Ottawa and currently lives in Toronto.
Christine Wei is a Taiwanese artist living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in Vancouver. She graduated from Emily Carr University of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Major in Illustration.
Cone Dog by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Carmen Mok
After a visit to the veterinarian in Cone Dog, a dog named Emma has to wear a plastic cone and quickly learns that there are both advantages and disadvantages to wearing it — it dulls her digging, but also helps scare off the neighbourhood squirrel. She ultimately learns however, that cone or no cone, it's her inventive spirit that makes her who she is.
Cone Dog is for ages 3 to 7.
Sarah Howden is an author from Toronto. Her previous works include Cone Cat, The Tunnel and 5-Minute Stories for Fearless Girls.
Carmen Mok is a Toronto-based illustrator. Some of her other works of illustrations include When I Listen to Silence by Jean E. Pendziwol, Cone Cat by Sarah Howden and A Stopwatch from Grampa by Loretta Garbutt.
Jeffrey Loves Blue by Loretta Garbutt, illustrated by Lily Snowden-Fine
In Jeffrey Loves Blue, a boy named Jeffrey likes to sometimes fixate on certain likes and dislikes — including liking the colour blue. However, when his classmate Keiko wants to use the blue paint, Jeffrey learns how to process his emotions with the support of his caregiver, and widens his perspective through empathy and compromise so that he can help his friend.
Jeffrey Loves Blue is for ages 4 to 7.
Loretta Garbutt is a Toronto-based author of children's books that include A Stopwatch from Grampa and And J.J. Slept. She has also worked as a bookseller, reviewer and storyteller.
Lily Snowden-Fine is a Vancouver-based illustrator and painter. Her previous works include The Deepest Dig by Mark David Smith and illustrations for The New York Times and The Globe and Mail.
The Words We Share by Jack Wong
The Words We Share explore an experience that's shared by many children of immigrants — helping their parents with language translation.
In this picture book, a girl named Angie decides to help others in her community with translating, after becoming a successful translator for her dad. However, when one of her clients says that he's not happy with her work, Angie looks to her dad for help, and together, they come up with a surprising solution.
The Words We Share is for ages 4 to 7.
Jack Wong is a Halifax-based author and illustrator who was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Vancouver. His debut picture book is When You Can Swim.
Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Bridget George
Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior is about the water activist named Autumn Peltier who, at the age of fourteen years old, became the youngest Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation in 2019. The story of her great aunt Josephine Mandamin, who held that title before Peltier, is also included in this picture book biography. The Anishinaabe acts with the next seven generations in mind and has a culture of educating and caring for our future generations' welfare.
Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior is for ages 4 to 8.
Carole Lindstrom is an Anishinabe/Metis writer and a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians. Her previous works include We Are Water Protectors and My Powerful Hair. She was born in Nebraska and currently lives in Maryland.
Bridget George is an illustrator from London, Ont. She was raised on the Anishinaabe nation of Kettle and Stony Point, and she belongs to the bear clan. Her first picture book that she also wrote was It's a Mitig!.
Bompa's Insect Expedition by David Suzuki, with Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Qin Leng
Bompa's Insect Expedition follows a pair of twins as they go on an insect expedition with their grandfather. Inspired by David Suzuki's adventures with his grandchildren, the picture book showcases a part of nature that can sometimes be overlooked — the world of bugs.
Bompa's Insect Expedition is for ages 4 to 8.
David Suzuki is an environmentalist, scientist and science broadcaster. He was the host of CBC's The Nature of Things since October 24, 1979 before retiring from the show in spring 2023. The Vancouver-based environmentalist is a father of five and grandfather of 10, including twins Nakina and Kaoru. He is also an author of over 50 books, including Letters to my Grandchildren and The Sacred Balance.
Tanya Lloyd Kyi has written more than 30 books for children and teenagers, including The Best Way to Get Your Way, This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes, Under Pressure and Mya's Strategy to Save the World. Kyi lives in Vancouver.
Qin Leng is a Toronto illustrator, writer and visual development artist. Her recent books include I Am Small, which Leng wrote and illustrated, and she has illustrated numerous books including A Kid is a Kid is a Kid and A Family Is a Family Is a Family by Sara O'Leary.
Auntie's Rez Surprise by Heather O'Watch, illustrated by Ellie Arscott
Cree receives a new puppy as a special surprise from her Auntie Rez in Auntie's Rez Surprise. She not only has a new friend who she names "Atim", the Nehiyaw word for dog, Cree gets to learn about the importance of dogs in her culture from her Auntie.
Auntie's Rez Surprise is for ages 6 to 8.
Heather O'Watch is a Nakota and Nehiyaw writer from Okanese First Nation, located in Treaty 4 Territory. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan, pursuing a Masters in Public Policy.
Ellie Arscott is a Toronto-based illustrator. Her first picture book that she illustrated was Night Walk by Sara O'Leary, which received an SCBWI Canada East Crystal Kite award.
You Do You-nicorn by Erin Vanessa
In You Do You-nicorn, a gender-fluid child teaches their friends about inclusivity and staying true to oneself by showing them that they can do and be whatever they want.
You Do You-nicorn is for ages 4 to 8.
Erin Vanessa is a Canadian illustrator, painter and former video game producer.
The Raven Boy by Rosemarie Avrana Meyok, illustrated by Marcus Cutler
The Raven Boy is a retelling of a traditional Inuit story from the Western Arctic. When a doll made by a poor old woman comes to life as a boy with a raven's beak, she raises him as her own son. Once he grows up, he goes on an adventure to fight an ocean beast to establish his own island world.
The Raven Boy is for ages 6 to 8.
When you can read it: Sept. 26, 2023
Rosemarie Avrana Meyok lives in Kugluktuk, Nunavut. She was born on Reid Island in the Northwest Territories and has worked in education, language research and translation. She is also the author of I Can See You which was nominated for the 2023-2024 First Nation Communities Read Awards in the children's category.
Marcus Cutler is a Windsor-based children's writer and illustrator. Some of his other works include The Three Canadian Pigs by Jocelyn Watkinson, Dear Polar Bears by Gabrielle S. Prendergast and Pirate Bill by Katie Woolley.
Mira and Baku, by Sara Truuvert, illustrated by Michelle Theodore
Mira and Baku teaches the history of Japanese Canadian internment during the Second World War. When Mira's Papa goes missing, she journeys through different landscapes — forests, farms and mountains with a Japanese folklore creature friend named Baku, and gathers clues to find him.
Mira and Baku is for ages 4 to 7.
When you can read it: Sept. 26, 2023
Sara Truuvert is a Ottawa-based author of Japanese-Estonian descent who grew up in Toronto. Mira and Baku is her debut picture book.
Michelle Theodore is an Edmonton-based illustrator. She is yonsei — fourth generation Japanese, and Black Canadian. She also illustrated the picture book Sitting Shiva by Erin Silver.
Ethan and the Strays by John Sullivan, illustrated by Hatem Aly
In Ethan and the Strays, a boy named Ethan rescues stray kittens that he finds in the alleyway on the way to school. Even though his father doesn't allow him to have pets, he works with his brother to do what he can in rescuing them. He learns how caring for others brings happiness.
Ethan and the Strays is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 3, 2023
John Sullivan is a Chicago-based author. His first picture book Kitten and the Night Watchman won the Ezra Jack Keats Award and Margaret Wise Brown Prize. The Boston Globe, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly and BookPage also named it a best book of the year. He is also the author of Stanley's Secret.
Hatem Aly is an illustrator who was born in Egypt and currently lives in New Brunswick. Some of his other works include The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz which won the Newbery Honor and The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali, that was on the New York Times bestseller list.
The Only Way To Make Bread by Cristina Quintero and Sarah Gonzales
From bannock to bao, The Only Way To Make Bread explores different types of bread and how they are all uniquely made.
The Only Way To Make Bread is for ages 3 to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 3, 2023
Cristina Quintero is a writer and anti-racist educator who is a first-generation Colombian-Canadian. She is of both Afro-Colombian and Indigenous-Colombian descent, and currently lives in Alberta.
Sarah Gonzales is a Montreal-based Filipino-Canadian illustrator. She was born in Saudi Arabia and raised in Alberta. Some of her other illustration works include Maribel's Year by Michelle Min Sterling and the forthcoming You'll Always Be My Chickadee by Kate Hosford that will be published in spring 2024.
The Boy and the Banyan Tree by Mahtab Narsimhan, illustrated by Dharmali Patel
In The Boy and the Banyan Tree, a little boy in a small village asks an old banyan tree to grant him his wishes. However, instead of giving him what he desires, the banyan tree teaches him a more valuable gift — learning to gain his own skills so that he knows how to do things for himself.
The Boy and the Banyan Tree is for ages 3 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 3, 2023
Mahtab Narsimhan is a Vancouver-based author originally from Mumbai, India. Some of her other works include Careful What You Wish For, Mission Mumbai and The Third Eye which received the Silver Birch Fiction Award.
Dharmali Patel is a Toronto-based illustrator who was born in Mumbai, India. She also illustrated the picture book That's Not Fair! Getting to Know Your Rights and Freedoms by Danielle S. McLaughlin.
Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith
A boy and his mother talk about their memories, like having a picnic with dad who is no longer with them. Do You Remember? is a picture book that explores how memories are made, whether they're happy or sad.
Do You Remember? is for ages 3 to 6.
When you can read it: Oct. 3, 2023
Sydney Smith is a writer and illustrator from Halifax. Some of his other works include illustrating Town Is by the Sea which won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award in 2017 and the Kate Greenaway Medal, and Small in the City which he also wrote. Small in the City won the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Ezra Jack Keats Award.
We Belong Here by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by Ruth Ohi
We Belong Here takes place after the second world war in Canada, and is about a friendship between a Jewish girl named Eve and a Japanese boy named Mark. The power and importance of friendship, community and family is explored as they support each other in different challenges that they face.
We Belong Here is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 3, 2023
Frieda Wishinsky is a Toronto-based writer and educator. Some of her other books include A Flower is a Friend and Jennifer Jones Won't Leave Me Alone which won the Sheffield Children's Book Award, the Stockport Children's Book Award and the Portsmouth Children's Book Award. Wishinsky also won the 2008 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award for her picture book Please, Louise!.
Ruth Ohi is a picture book author and illustrator from Toronto. She has created more than 60 books for kids, including the Fox and Squirrel series, Scribble and Choose Kindness.
Class Trip by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
When Stephanie and Sean's class goes on a field trip to watch baby chickens hatch at the museum in Class Trip, they decide to play a prank on their class when they notice that the biggest egg in the museum has hatched.
Class Trip is for ages 3 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 3, 2023
Robert Munsch is one of Canada's iconic storytellers, and has published over 80 books for children. Some of his titles include Love You Forever, Mortimer, The Paper Bag Princess and A Promise is a Promise. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2009. He lives in Guelph, Ont.
Michael Martchenko lives in Burlington, Ont., and is a Canadian artist and illustrator of several of Robert Munsch's books. Their books together include Mortimer, The Paper Bag Princess and many more.
Asha and the Toymaker by Sakshi Mangal
Set in the Blue City of India, a girl named Asha helps her Papa with making art in Asha and the Toymaker, when her Papa's wooden toys become insufficient to help fund her studies.
Asha and the Toymaker is for ages 3 to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 3, 2023
Sakshi Mangal is a Vancouver-based author and illustrator who grew up in Mumbai, India. Her other works of illustration include Best Behaviour by Patricia Hegarty and The Bright Spot by Aimee Chase.
Zander Stays by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Scot Ritchie
In Zander Stays, a goose named Zander finds ways to stay warm — meeting new friends along the way, when he decides to stay put and not migrate south.
Zander Stays is for ages 4 to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 10, 2023
Maureen Fergus is a Winnipeg-based author of many books for children. She is most known for the Buddy and Earl picture books and the early graphic novel series, Weenie featuring Frank & Beans.
Scot Ritchie is a Vancouver author-illustrator of over 60 books including Join the No-Plastic Challenge!, Follow That Map! and Look Where We Live!.
All the Faces of Me by Laura Alary, illustrated by Salini Perera
In All the Faces of Me, a little girl draws different expressions on her Nana's wooden nesting dolls to explore what it means to have different emotions, moods, feelings and faces.
All the Faces of Me is for ages 4 to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 15, 2023
Laura Alary is a Toronto-based author whose books include What Grew in Larry's Garden, Sun in my Tummy, Mira and the Big Story, Victor's Pink Pyjamas, How Do I Pray for Grandpa? and Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter.
Salini Perera is a Sri Lankan Canadian artist and illustrator based in Toronto. She is also the illustrator of Beautiful You, Beautiful Me by Tasha Spillett-Sumner.
Love Is in the Bear by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Nahid Kazemi
In Love Is in the Bear, a Bear and a Bird become unlikely friends through rehearsing and singing songs together to prepare for the forest opera's audition. However, when only Bird gets cast in the opera, the true meaning of friendship is explored as Bear chooses to celebrate Bird's accomplishment and comes out to her show.
Love Is in the Bear is for ages 4 to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 15, 2023
Judith Henderson is a Montreal-based, award-winning children's TV composer and producer.
Henderson is also the author of the Big Words Small Stories series and Dee and Apostrofee.
Nahid Kazemi is an Iranian Canadian multi-disciplinary artist, author-illustrator from Montreal. Some of her other works include I'm Glad That You're Happy which she also wrote, and The Sour Cherry Tree by Naseem Hrab which Kazemi illustrated and won the 2022 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustrated books.
My Cat Does Ballet by Robert Heidbreder, illustrated by Matt Schu
Instead of pouncing, snoozing or climbing, a young boy's cat in My Cat Does Ballet dances ballet with him. As the duo dances together, readers will also learn about famous dancers and different ballet terms.
My Cat Does Ballet is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 17, 2023
Robert Heidbreder is a children's poet and author from Vancouver who has been writing children's books for over 30 years. Some of his works include A Sea-Wishing Day, Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, Catch the Sky and Our Corner Store.
Matt Schu is an illustrator based in Portland, Oregon. He also illustrated Cut! How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation by C.E. Winters.
If You See a Bluebird by Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
If You See a Bluebird is a story about a young former refugee named Ali, who misses his homeland, Afghanistan. With the support of his Nana, he realizes that home is not a place, but it's where you are with the love of your family.
If You See a Bluebird is for ages 5 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 17, 2023
Bahram Rahman is an Ontario-based author and activist who was born in Kabul and grew up during the civil war and the Taliban regime. Rahman came to Canada as a refugee in 2012. His debut picture book The Library Bus was a Governor General's Literary Award finalist and a 2022 Blue Spruce Award finalist.
Gabrielle Grimard is an author and illustrator from Quebec. She wrote and illustrated the picture books Lila and the Crow and Nutcracker Night and illustrated the books Stolen Words by Melanie Florence and A Long Way Home by Jean Little.
Freddie the Flyer by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail and Fred Carmichael, illustrated by Audrea Loreen-Wulf
Freddie the Flyer pays homage to the first Indigenous commercial pilot in the Arctic named Fred Carmichael by sharing highlights from his seventy-year flying career. The story and moments are organized by the months they happened in, and readers will learn the names of months in Gwich'in and Inuvialuktun.
Freddie the Flyer is for ages 3 to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 24, 2023
Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail is a Nova Scotia/Mi'kma'ki-based author. Her debut picture book was Alis the Aviator. She also wrote the nonfiction books For the Love of Flying and Polar Winds.
Fred Carmichael was the first Indigenous commercial pilot in the Arctic and is a Member of the Order of Canada and Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. He founded multiple aviation companies and was a leader and Elder who served the people of the Mackenzie Delta. He currently lives in Inuvik, N.W.T. Freddie the Flyer is his debut book.
Audrea Loreen-Wulf is an artist who was born in the area of Tuktoyaktuk and currently lives in Salmon Arm, B.C. Her paintings are an expression of her love for the North.
When the Ocean Came to Town by Sal Sawler, illustrated by Emma FitzGerald
In When the Ocean Came to Town, a girl named Gretchen experiences the effects of climate change when a storm churns the ocean tides high enough that they threaten her home. Can she help come up with solutions to support her community?
When the Ocean Came to Town is for ages 4 to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 24, 2023
Sal Sawler is a writer from Kjipuktuk/Halifax. They are also the author of 100 Things You Don't Know About Atlantic Canada — For Kids that was on the Hackmatack Award shortlist, and 100 Things You Don't Know About Nova Scotia. Along with Frankie MacDonald, they co-wrote Be Prepared: The Frankie MacDonald Guide to Life, the Weather, and Everything which received a Moonbeam Children's Award. When the Ocean Came to Town is their debut picture book.
Emma FitzGerald is a South African-born writer and illustrator who grew up in Vancouver and is now based in Lunenburg. N.S. She wrote and illustrated Hand Drawn Halifax, Sketch by Sketch Along Nova Scotia's South Shore, Hand Drawn Vancouver, and has illustrated the Ann Connor Brimer Award-winning EveryBody's Different on EveryBody Street and A Pocket of Time, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award.
The Tragically Hip ABC by The Tragically Hip
A love letter to The Hip for music fans of all ages that features art from four acclaimed Canadian illustrators, The Tragically Hip ABC combines decades of the band's hit singles and iconography. It features four renowned Canadian illustrators and takes readers on a journey from "A is for Ahead by a Century" to "Z is for Frozen in My Tracks."
The Tragically Hip ABC is for ages 5 to 7
When you can read it: Oct. 24, 2023
The Tragically Hip are a critically acclaimed band that has been a fixture in Canadian music for over 30 years and are beloved by fans across the country and the world. They've won 15 Juno awards and sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.
Drew Macklin is a real estate agent who lives in Cobourg, Ont.
Clayton Hanmer is a cartoonist, writer and animator from Bloomfield, Ont. He's also illustrated several picture and middle-grade books including Trending: How and Why Stuff Gets Popular by Kira Vermond.
Julia Breckenreid is a Toronto-based illustrator whose work includes An Eye for Colour by Natasha Wing and A Room of Your Own by Beth Kephart.
Bridget George is an Anishinaabe author and illustrator from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. It's a Mitig! was her first picture book.
Monika Melnychuk is an illustrator from Whitehorse. She is also the illustrator of Girl in the Know by Anne Katz.
LISTEN | Monika Melynchuk speaks about illustrating The Tragically Hip ABC:
Boys Don't Fry by Kimberly Lee, illustrated by Charlene Chua
In a culture where only girls normally cook, gender expectations and roles are defied in Boys Don't Fry, when a boy named Jin helps his family cook for the Lunar New Year feast.
Boys Don't Fry is for ages 4 to 6.
When you can read it: Nov. 14, 2023
Kimberly Lee is a lawyer and writer who lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She is the managing editor of makchic, an online parenting site in Malaysia. She also co-wrote the picture book What If? with Liyana Taff.
Charlene Chua is a Singapore-born Canadian author and illustrator. She has illustrated several picture books, including The Pencil by Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula, Shubh Diwali! by Chitra Soundar and Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang. She currently lives in Hamilton, Ont.
When the Stars Came Home by Brittany Luby, illustrated by Natasha Donovan
The power of tradition and story are explored in When the Stars Came Home, when Ojiig and his family move to the city, and what provides him with comfort is a quilt that is stitched with family stories. It allows Ojiig to know his origin and who he is — making the new place feel like home.
When the Stars Came Home is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Nov. 21, 2023
Brittany Luby is a history professor at the University of Guelph, an author of children's books and the great-granddaughter of Chief Kawitaskung, an Anishinaabe leader who signed the North-West Angle Treaty of 1873. Some of her other books include Encounter and Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This Is How I Know which was shortlisted for a 2021 Governor General's Literary Award.
Natasha Donovan is a Métis illustrator originally from Vancouver. She has illustrated several graphic novels, including the Surviving the City series by Tasha Spillet and Huson's animal series, which includes The Sockeye Mother, The Grizzly Mother and The Eagle Mother. She also illustrated the cover for The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills and her work appears in the anthology This Place: 150 Years Retold. She currently lives in Washington State by the Nooksack River.
Black Girl, Black Girl by Angela Bowden, illustrated by Letitia Fraser
Black Girl, Black Girl is a spoken word poem with colourful and vivid illustrations that celebrates Black girl power. Featuring famous Black women such as Simone Biles, Carrie Best and Mayann Francis, and local heroes from Nova Scotia's historic Black communities, Black Girl, Black Girl inspires Black girls everywhere to support each other and claim their space in the world.
Black Girl, Black Girl is for ages 4 to 9.
When you can read it: Feb. 12, 2024
Angela Bowden is an African Nova Scotian writer, poet, TEDx speaker and activist. She is a descendent of the stolen Africans sold through the transatlantic slave trade, with roots preserved through the Black Loyalists who arrived in Birchtown, and migrated to Guysborough County and New Glasgow in Nova Scotia, where Bowden was born and raised. Black Girl, Black Girl is her debut book for children.
Letitia Fraser is a Halifax-based interdisciplinary artist who mainly works in textile and painting. Her work has been featured in magazines, books and exhibitions at the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia and Freedom Festival Art Exhibit. She received the Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship and was on the 2022 Sobey Art Award longlist.
Corrections
- The publication date for Black Girl, Black Girl by Angela Bowden, illustrated by Letitia Fraser, has moved from Sept. 2023 to Feb. 12, 2024.Sep 21, 2023 12:51 PM ET
