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Books for the Littlest Reader (2-5)
Folk Art Animal Sounds, Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones, artwork by Barry Colpitts (Nimbus, 0-3) Like their earlier books, Maud Lewis Colours and Maud Lewis 1, 2, 3, these intrepid literacy advocates take early-concept books to a new level using Nova Scotia folk art to create a cultural connection in teaching young children their numbers, colours and, in this particular board book, animal sounds.
It Bears Repeating, Tanya Tagaq, illustrated by Cee Pootoogook (Tundra Books, 3-7) The award-winning writer, musician and artist delivers a brilliant counting book that’s sure to become a Canadian classic. Integrating the cultural and artistic traditions of the Inuit with that iconic symbol of the north, the polar bear, and featuring some simple Inuktitut words, this book will transport young readers to a magical world.
A Flock of Gulls, A Chorus of Frogs, Roy Henry Vickers and Lucky Budd, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers (Harbour Publishing, 0-3) This latest addition to Vickers and Budd’s First West Coast Book series introduces young readers to the different names of groups of animals such as a pod of orcas, a bob of seals, a raft of sea otters and a colony of beavers.
Sally’s Snow Day, Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Dawn Lo (Orca Books, 3-5) Sally’s back for another of her exciting Puppy Adventures where she can hardly wait to get to the park and play with her canine pals. But first her human has to make sure she’s dressed for a snowy day and it’s not easy to get a pup zipped into her warm winter coat or even get on her boots. A perfect book to celebrate winter fun.
Bannock in a Hammock, Masiana Kelly, illustrated by Amiel Sandland (Inhabit Media, 3-5) Inuk/Dene author Kelly offers young readers a delicious rollicking rhyming picture book that celebrates a staple – bannock – in many Indigenous cultures. And if you’ve never had bannock, an easy-to-follow recipe is included.
From the politico to the foodie, give the gift of reading
Books for the Picture Book Set (6-8)
Tove and the Island with No Address, Lauren Soloy (Tundra Books, 4-7) Soloy offers young readers a look into the childhood of one of the greats of children’s literature, Tove Jansson, whose most famous children’s books are the delightful Moomin stories, which celebrate their 80th anniversary in 2025. Soloy captures the sense of Jansson’s creativity in this homage as she takes us on a adventure as delightfully full of surprises as Jansson herself offered her readers in the books she wrote.
Mad at Dad, Janie Hao (Kids Can Press, 2-6) This one-of-a-kind lift-the-flap picture book features a protagonist who’s so mad at her dad that she loses control and slams doors, storms around the house and yells. But the madder she gets, the more she recognizes she doesn’t like being mad. But how do you be less mad? Hao’s bold illustrations, bright colours, vibrant squiggles, lightening bolts and spirals perfectly mirror our heroine’s big feelings. An understanding dad who’s not so bad and knows what to do is a perfect way to end.
Meet Jim Egan, Elizabeth MacLeod, illustrated by Mike Deas (Scholastic Canada, 6-9) The latest offering in the Scholastic Canada Biography series focuses on gay rights and environmental activist Jim Egan, who for more than 50 years fought for inclusiveness, understanding and equal rights. MacLeod, as we’ve come to expect, provides just the right information to give readers a sense of the times this remarkable Canadian lived in. She offers her young readers the perfect balance of biographical details and fascinating facts reinforced by Deas’s playful cartoon illustrations and black-and-white photographs.
Yours, Befana, Barbara Cuoghi, illustrated by Elenia Beretta (Greystone Kids, 5-8) In this delightful picture book, young readers meet a figure from Italian folklore who shares a letter to children as she’s about to set out on her broomstick. It’s the eve of Epiphany, Jan. 5, and not only is she delivering holiday treats but, more importantly, gifts of new weather, water and sun as the messenger of nature’s rebirth. Cuoghi’s storytelling is matched by Beretta’s shimmering illustrations, which have an almost old-fashioned cinematic feel.
The Three Sisters, Paul Yee, illustrated by Shaoli Wang (Tradewind Books, 6-8) To calm his nerves, war-mongering emperor Wang often summons his court musicians Lady Li and Master Yen to soothe his ferocious temper. When he discovers that their daughters are equally talented, he summons them to court as well. As each sister beguiles the emperor with her musical talents, he’s determined to keep her at court against her will, but each of the sisters manages to use their art to escape, outsmarting the emperor. But is the power of music enough to stop him from his passion for war-making and bring peace to the kingdom?
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Books for the Discerning Middle Grade Reader (8-10)
Bog Myrtle, Sid Sharp (Annick Press, 6-11) Like Sharp’s exquisite debut, The Wolf Suit, here’s a contemporary fairy tale that is delightfully strange and weirdly hilarious. Told in a graphic-novel style, this story showcases the ever-cheerful Beatrice, who clashes with her grumpy sister Magnolia in the decrepit old house they share along with a family of spiders. When Beatrice finds herself gifted magic yarn by Bog Myrtle, a giant forest spider obsessed with sustainability, we know there’s going to be a classic good-versus-evil clash but who’d expect that clash would focus on capitalism, environmentalism, labour rights and being a nice person.
Gamerville, Johnnie Christmas (HarperCollins, 8-12) Just when Max Lightning has qualified to compete in the Gamerville championship for Lone Wolf of Calamity Bay, the multiplayer video game he spends hours playing every night, his parents pull the plug on his gaming dreams and send him to Camp Reset. He can’t use electronics, has to socialize against his will, stop eating junk food and actually has to spend time outdoors. Max is determined to escape but maybe learning how to socialize and make friends and enjoy nature isn’t the end of the world after all.
The Racc Pack, Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Whitney Gardner (Simon & Schuster, 7-10) The Bins family are the ultimate dumpster divers: Dusty, the brains of this tricksy raccoon trio, ReRe, who’s the muscle, and Scraps, who’s the creative genius. When they discover an upscale grocery store that’s just tossing perfectly good food in the trash every day, the Bins are sure that will have enough to get them through the winter. But even the best-laid plans go awry.
The Outsmarters, Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 9-12) Kate, 12, is suspended from school for “behavioural issues,” (the uncontrollable rages and meltdowns she’s been prone to since her mother abandoned her three years ago, leaving her in care of her Gran). Convinced her mother will one day come back, Kate wants to earn money so life will be easier and decides to open a philosophy booth to provide answers. A hard-hitting story that also shows how young people can make a difference.
Lost at Windy River, Trina Rathgeber, illustrated by Alina Pete (Orca Books, 9-12) Rathgeber’s grandmother, 13-year-old Ilse Schweder from the Cree Nation, got lost in a snowstorm in 1944 while checking her family’s traplines in Windy River Trading Post, now Nunavut. Lost in a storm, Ilse has to survive for nine harrowing days. Ilse’s story inspired Farley Mowat’s 1956 Lost in the Barrens.
A Song for the Paper Children, Christopher Tse, designed by Nora Gold (Plumleaf Press, 9-12) “How did they feel? What did they think? What was the cost? Are they heard now?” are some of the questions that slam poet Christopher Tse asks in his moving tribute to the abuses suffered by Chinese Canadians from the late 1800s until 1947 when the Chinese Exclusion Act was rescinded. In June, 2023, Tse delivered this stunning poem to Ottawa’s Senate Chamber. Photographs, drawings, government forms and certificates as well as a timeline of important dates for Chinese Canadians are included.
