40 Canadian picture books to watch for in fall 2022
Here are the Canadian picture books and early chapter books we are excited about this season.
Luna's Green Pet by Kirsten Pendreigh, illustrated by Carmen Mok
Luna's Green Pet tells the story of Luna, a child who wishes for a pet but lives in an apartment building where pets are not allowed. But when she spies a wilted plant in the trash, she helps nurse it back to health. Her new plant friend is named Stephanie; it starts growing and Luna learns that having something to care for can be the best feeling in the world.
Luna's Green Pet is for ages 6 to 8.
Kirsten Pendreigh is an author, poet and journalist based in British Columbia.
Carmen Mok is the Ontario-based illustrator of numerous books, including Waiting for Sophie by Sarah Ellis, Look at Me Now by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones and Percy's Museum by Sara O'Leary.
My Name Is Saajin Singh by Kuljinder Kaur Brar, illustrated by Samrath Kaur
The picture book My Name Is Saajin Singh is a colourful and heartfelt look at the power of identity and standing in your truth. On his first day of school, a child named Saajin is excited. But when his teacher mispronounces his name, Saajin has to decide if he should correct her.
My Name Is Saajin Singh is for ages 4 to 7.
Kuljinder Kaur Brar is an elementary teacher from Abbotsford, B.C. She has a son named Saajin, who inspired My Name Is Saajin Singh, Brar's first book.
Samrath Kaur is an American artist and illustrator.
Boobies by Nancy Vo
Boobies is a humorous picture book about the blue-footed Booby, a bird. It's also a quirky look at how mammals feed their young — and where the milk comes from. Boobies sparks curiosity as it teaches young readers the wonders of human and animal diversity.
Boobies is for ages 3 to 8.
Nancy Vo was born on the prairies and now lives in Vancouver. She studied fine arts and architecture, and now works as a facility planner and a picture-book maker. She is the author and illustrator of the first two books in the Crow Stories trilogy.
Out of the Way! Out of the Way! is a book by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy
This reissued picture book Out of the Way! Out of the Way! features a young boy who spies a small tree growing in the middle of his village community. He is determined to protect it and help it grow, shouting "Out of the way! Out of the way!" as people, animals and cars get too close. As the tree grows bigger, the community learns about the magic of the natural world.
Out of the Way! Out of the Way! is for ages 4 to 7.
Uma Krishnaswami is a writer and author based in Victoria. She is also the author of the children's book Two at the Top.
Uma Krishnaswamy is an Indian illustrator and art instructor. She has illustrated many books, including A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom by Chitra Soundar, Dancing on Walls by Shamim Padamsee and The Boastful Centipede and Other Creatures in Verse by Zai Whitaker.
Returning to the Yakoun River by Sara Florence Davidson & Robert Davidson, illustrated by Janine Gibbons
Returning to the Yakoun River is a picture book about Haida traditions and culture. Featuring detailed illustrations, the book looks at fish camp as a Haida girl and her family travel up the Yakoun River on Haida Gwaii, following the salmon.
Returning to the Yakoun River is for ages 6 to 8.
Sara Florence Davidson is a Haida/settler author and assistant professor in Indigenous education at Simon Fraser University.
Robert Davidson is one of the most respected and important contemporary artists in Canada. A Northwest Coast native of Haida descent, he is a master carver of totem poles and masks and works in a variety of other media as a printmaker, painter and jeweller.
Janine Gibbons, a Haida Raven of the Double-Fin Killer Whale Clan, Brown Bear House, is a multi-disciplinary artist and award-winning illustrator. She has illustrated three books in the Sealaska Heritage's Baby Raven Reads series, including Raven Makes the Aleutians.
The Most Magnificent Idea by Ashley Spires
The Most Magnificent Idea, the awaited sequel to The Most Magnificent Thing, continues the story of a girl with big ideas. But one day, she isn't able to think of a single good creation — beginning a quest to discover why she has seemingly lost the ability to generate her next big idea.
The Most Magnificent Idea is for ages 3 to 7.
Ashley Spires is a B.C.-based author and illustrator of a number of books for children, including Small Saul and the Adventures of Binky the Space Cat series. She was the recipient of the 2011 Silver Birch Express Award and the 2011 Hackmatack Award for Binky the Space Cat and was shortlisted for a Joe Shuster Comics for Kids Award and an Eisner Award for Binky Under Pressure.
When Spider Met Shrew by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Geneviève Côté
In the picture book When Spider Met Shrew, Spider and Shrew are animals who are having a bit of trouble. Spider lost her web and Shrew just lost her home. The pair decide to work together and discover that overcoming adversity is easier when you are not alone.
When Spider Met Shrew is for ages 3 to 6.
Deborah Kerbel is a children's book author from Ontario. Her other books include the picture books Before You Were Born and Sun Dog, both illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo, the middle-grade books Feathered and Bye-Bye Evil Eye and the YA books Mackenzie, Lost and Found and Girl on the Other Side.
Geneviève Côté has illustrated books by several authors, including Jean Little, Cary Fagan and Gilles Tibo. She also writes stories of her own, including the Pig and Bunny series, and the Mr. King series, which has been adapted for television.
Izzy's Tail of Trouble by Caroline Adderson, iIllustrated by Kelly Collier
Izzy's Tail of Trouble is an early chapter book that continues the adventures of Isabel, Zoë and Rollo. Isabel's small pet is growing into a dog and becoming a challenge to manage. Rollo the dog teaches Izzy about taking responsibility when she is forced to find ways to keep the pet in check.
Izzy's Tail of Trouble is for ages 6 to 9.
Caroline Adderson is the author of five novels, including The Sky is Falling, Ellen in Pieces and A Russian Sister. Adderson is also a three-time winner of the CBC Literary Prizes. She has published two short story collections, including the 1993 Governor General's Literary Award finalist Bad Imaginings.
Kelly Collier is a Toronto artist and illustrator. She is the creator of two picture books, A Horse Named Steve and Team Steve, and the illustrator of Sloth and Squirrel in a Pickle.
Ta-Da! A Story of Egg Donation by Ella Kay, illustrated by Farida Zaman
Ta-Da! A Story of Egg Donation explores curiosity and the many ways children can join a family. The picture book celebrates differences as it tells the story of how a child came to be, by way of an egg donor.
Ta-Da! A Story of Egg Donation is for ages 3 to 5.
Ella Kay is a Toronto author and mother of two children. Ta-Da! A Story of Egg Donation is her first children's book.
Farida Zaman is a Toronto artist and illustrator of several children's picture books. She has also illustrated educational publications.
It's My Body! by Elise Gravel
It's My Body! celebrates the fact that each and everyone is unique in their own way. Featuring quirky illustrations and monster characters of all shapes, colours and sizes, the picture book looks at why everybody's body is special and should always be respected.
It's My Body! is for ages 3 to 8.
Elise Gravel is a Quebec author and illustrator. She is the author of several books for children, including The Bat, The Worst Book Ever, The Mushroom Fan Club, I Want a Monster! and What Is a Refugee.
The Brass Charm by Monique Polak, illustrated by Marie Lafrance
The Brass Charm is a picture book inspired by a real-life experience at Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic. When a child named Tali is staying at her grandmother's after losing her home, she is upset. But when her grandmother tells her a story of surviving the Second World War and the Holocaust, Tali is able to put her experience into perspective.
The Brass Charm is for ages 4 to 9.
Monique Polak is a Montreal-based author of books for children and young adults. Two of her YA novels, What World Is Left and Hate Mail, both won the Quebec Writers' Federation Award for children's and young adult literature in 2009 and 2014.
Marie Lafrance is an artist and illustrator from Quebec. She also illustrated Oscar Lives Next Door by Bonnie Farmer and Bunny the Brave War Horse by Elizabeth MacLeod.
Kumo: The Bashful Cloud by Kyo Maclear and Nathalie Dion
Kumo: The Bashful Cloud is the story of a cloud who wishes to be invisible. But when Kumo has cloud duty one day, fears of self-doubt and being noticed grow overwhelming for her. But Kumo learns that facing one's fears, and making new friends along the way, can be for the best.
Kumo: The Bashful Cloud is for ages 4 to 8.
Kyo Maclear is an essayist, novelist and author of children's books. Her books have been translated into 15 languages, won a Governor General's Literary Award and been nominated for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, among others. Her memoir Birds Art Life was a finalist for the 2017 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction and won the 2018 Trillium Book Award.
Nathalie Dion is an author and illustrator based in Montreal. She also illustrated the picture books The Biggest Puddle in the World by Mark Lee and I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree by Jean E. Pendziwol.
If You Could Be Anything by Jennifer Britton, illustrated by Briana Corr Scott
If You Could Be Anything uses a lyrical lullaby and oil illustrations to highlight how children can be anything they wish to be in life. Featuring an East Coast setting, the book looks at the natural and cultural life of the region while exploring all the potential life adventures children can have.
If You Could Be Anything is for ages up to 7.
When you can read it: Oct. 25, 2022
Jennifer Britton is a Halifax-based author, teacher and musician.
Briana Corr Scott is a writer and painter from Dartmouth, N.S. She is also the author of Wildflower, The Book of Selkie and She Dreams of Sable Island.
Kindness Is a Golden Heart by Jessica Kluthe, illustrated by Charlene Chua
Kindness Is a Golden Heart is a picture book that highlights the magic of being kind to others. The board book helps children understand that using a "golden heart" is the key to using kindness each and every day.
Kindness Is a Golden Heart is for ages up to 2.
Jessica Kluthe is a writing instructor and author based in Alberta. Her first book was Rosina, the Midwife. Her writing has been featured in Avenue Magazine, Little Fiction and Blank Spaces Magazine.
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.
Fiona the Fruit Bat by Dan Riskin, illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi
Fiona the Fruit Bat is a story of how bat echolocation works, geared for young readers. Fiona is a fruit bat who is scared to fly at night. But when she hears a strange sound in her dark cave, she must decide that it's time to be brave.
Fiona the Fruit Bat is for ages 3 to 7.
Dan Riskin is a Toronto author, broadcaster and biologist. Riskin's first book was Mother Nature is Trying to Kill You. He is obsessed with bats, and has spent decades researching the biomechanics of how bats move.
Rachel Qiuqi is a Toronto-based animator, designer and illustrator of children's books.
I Hope by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
I Hope is a picture book about the love and hope we hold for the younger generation. The story explores the powerful bond that caregivers and children share and why love and understanding will lead the way for the next generation of young people.
I Hope is for ages 4 to 7.
Monique Gray Smith is a mixed-heritage — Cree, Lakota and Scottish — author who often writes and speaks about the resilience of Indigenous communities in Canada. She is also the author of the children's books Speaking Our Truth and You Hold Me Up and the novels Tilly and Tilly and the Crazy Eights.
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 The Magic Boat by Kit Pearson and Katherine Farris.
The Line in the Sand by Thao Lam
The Line in the Sand is a wordless picture book about communication and understanding differences. When two monsters have a misunderstanding one day at the beach, the pair grow curious about the literal line in the sand that separates them. The two must learn that resolving conflict helps everyone in the long run.
The Line in the Sand is for ages 4 to 8.
Thao Lam is an author and illustrator from Toronto. Her picture books include Thao, Wallpaper and My Cat Looks Like My Dad.
How to Party Like a Snail by Naseem Hrab, illustrated by Kelly Collier
How to Party Like a Snail is a tale about a snail who loves to have a party — just not loud ones. Snail wishes for a quiet party but his animal friends have other ideas. They all soon learn just what it takes to have a get-together that all can enjoy.
How to Party Like a Snail is for ages 4 to 7.
Naseem Hrab is a Toronto-based writer and storyteller. She is also the author of Ira Crumb Makes a Pretty Good Friend and Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings. Her picture book Weekend Dad was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General's Literary Prize for young people's literature — illustrated books.
Kelly Collier is a Toronto artist and illustrator. She is the author-illustrator of two picture books, A Horse Named Steve and Team Steve, and the illustrator of Sloth and Squirrel in a Pickle.
Benny the Bananasaurus Rex by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen
Benny the Bananasaurus Rex is a picture book about a boy named Benny and the power of imagination. Benny loves bananas and hopes one day to turn into one. But when it comes to imagination, just about anything is possible!
Benny the Bananasaurus Rex is for ages 3 to 5.
Sarabeth Holden is an Inuk author who grew up between Nova Scotia, Nunavut, New Brunswick and Ontario. She is currently the president of the Toronto Inuit Association. Her debut picture book was 2020's Please Don't Change My Diaper.
Emma Pedersen is a storyteller and illustrator from Ontario. She also illustrated the picture books The Blizzard, written by Heather Main, and Life Cycles of Caribou, written by Monica Ittusardjuat.
Leaves! by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Leaves! is a funny picture book about a family cleaning up leaves that have fallen around their property. When a father asks his kids to rake them up, discovering the family's new leaf blower leads to a messy situation.
Leaves! is for ages 4 to 8.
Robert Munsch is one of Canada's iconic storytellers. Originally from the United States, he moved to Canada to work as a nursery school teacher and began telling stories there. He went on to become a bestselling children's author. His titles include Love You Forever, Mortimer, The Paper Bag Princess, A Promise is a Promise and many more. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2009.
Michael Martchenko is a Canadian artist and illustrator of several of Munsch's books. Their books together include Mortimer, The Paper Bag Princess and many more.
How to Teach Your Cat a Trick by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by Zoe Si
How to Teach Your Cat a Trick is the follow-up to the book How to Give Your Cat a Bath. This comedic take on an instruction manual follows what can, and does, go awry when one attempts to bathe a fidgety feline.
How to Teach Your Cat a Trick is for ages 3 to 7.
Nicola Winstanley is a children's book author based in Hamilton, Ont. Her book How to Give Your Cat a Bath was a finalist for the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration.
Zoe Si is a cartoonist, illustrator and lawyer based in Vancouver. She is the creator of the picture book Wolfie & Fly.
I Hear You, Ocean by Kallie George, illustrated by Carmen Mok
I Hear You, Ocean is the follow-up to the 2021 picture book I Hear You, Forest. I Hear You, Ocean reminds children that the ocean has plenty to say, if you only listen. From the sounds of rushing water to the sound a shell makes, the outdoors is a wondrous place to feel connected to the world.
I Hear You, Ocean is for ages 3 to 5.
Kallie George is a Vancouver-based writer for children whose books include the Heartwood Hotel series and Anne Arrives.
Carmen Mok is the Ontario-based illustrator of numerous books, including Waiting for Sophie by Sarah Ellis, Look at Me Now by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones and Percy's Museum by Sara O'Leary.
Still This Love Goes On by Buffy Sainte-Marie, illustrated by Julie Flett
Still This Love Goes On is a picture book about the power of love and of Cree traditions. It is an artful look at how love will always live on, across generations.
Still This Love Goes On is for ages 3 to 8.
Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie's long career includes an expansive catalogue of music, art and work in activism. Hey Little Rockabye was her first children's picture book, published in 2020.
Julie Flett has illustrated several picture books including Richard Van Camp's Little You and We Sang You Home, Monique Gray Smith's My Heart Fills with Happiness and David A. Robertson's On the Trapline. She also is the creator behind the picture book Birdsong.
Night Runners by Geraldo Valério
Night Runners is a picture book about the wonders of the natural world at night. When a stag is chased by wolves in the forest at night, the stars are his guide along the way. The magical night soon turns musical as the forest animals learn more about friendship and song.
Night Runners is for ages 3 to 6.
Geraldo Valério is a children's book creator who was born in Brazil and now lives in Toronto. He started his career in children's publishing in 1995 with A Cobra Zola. Some of his other books include Friends; Blue Rider, Turn On the Night, My Book of Birds, Moose, Goose, Animals on the Loose and Jump, Leap, Count Sheep.
Pebbles to the Sea by Marie-Andrée Arsenault, illustrated by Dominique Leroux, translated by Shelley Tanaka
Pebbles to the Sea is a picture book that was inspired by the geography and coastal community of La Grave heritage site on Quebec's Îles de la Madeleine. It's about two children who are caught between the separation of their parents and don't know where they belong. But they soon learn more about the mighty connection between the land and family.
Pebbles to the Sea is for ages 3 to 6.
Marie-Andrée Arsenault is a Montreal author, teacher and writer of children's books. Her publications include the novel Les souvenirs du sable, the picture book Mingan les nuages, which was illustrated by Amélie Dubois, and a book of children's poetry, Un chemin dans la mer, illustrated by Catherine Petit.
Dominique Leroux is a multidisciplinary artist and puppeteer who lives on Quebec's Îles de la Madeleine. She founded La Petite Théâtrerie, a space for puppetry and creative projects for young children.
Shelley Tanaka is an Ontario author, translator and editor. She has written or translated more than 30 books for children and young adults.
Boney by Cary Fagan, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova
Boney is the latest children's book by Canadian author Cary Fagan. When a child named Annabelle finds an animal bone in the forest, she names it Boney and takes it home. But there is magic and mystery surrounding Boney and Annabelle soon loves that the natural world has a mind of its own.
Boney is for ages 3 to 6.
Fagan is an Ontario author of books for adults and children. His children's books include the popular Kaspar Snit novels, the two-volume Master Melville's Medicine Show and the picture book Mr. Zinger's Hat. He is also the author of the novel A Bird's Eye and the short story collection My Life Among the Apes.
Dasha Tolstikova is the American-based author and illustrator of The Bad Chair and A Year Without Mom. Tolstikova has illustrated several picture books, including Violet and the Woof by Rebecca Grabill, Friend or Foe? by John Sobol and The Jacket by Kirsten Hall.
My Ittu by Laura Deal, illustrated by Thamires Paredes
My Ittu is a picture book about a girl and her ittu (short for ittupajaaq, an Inuktitut word for grandfather). He is her everything and he shows her to love herself and the world around her.
My Ittu is for ages 3 to 5.
Laura Deal is a children's book writer originally from Nova Scotia. She has been living in Nunavut since 2005. Her other books include In the Sky at Nighttime.
Thamires Paredes is an artist and illustrator from Brazil.
Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One by Willie Poll, illustrated by Chief Lady Bird
Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is a picture book about a young Anishnaabe girl on a quest of courage and adventure. The headstrong child faces monsters along the way but with the power of the drum and her Indigenous ancestors, she is able to face whatever comes her way.
Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is for ages 3 to 8.
Willie Poll is a Métis author from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., who has spent the last decade working in Indigenous education. Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is her first book.
Chief Lady Bird is an Anishinaabe artist and illustrator from Rama First Nation. She is also the illustrator of Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenesco and has illustrated for Audible and Vice.
To My Panik by Nadia Sammurtok, illustrated by Pelin Turgut
In To My Panik, a mother speaks to her child about love, family and their Inuit traditions. As her daughter's eyes glisten like the fire of a seal oil lamp, the mother speaks of an ancestral bond that will last forever.
To My Panik is for ages 3 to 8.
Nadia Sammurtok is an Inuk writer who lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She's written several picture books inspired by Inuit life and stories, including The Owl and the Two Rabbits and Siuluk: The Last Tuniq.
Pelin Turgut is a Turkish artist and illustrator.
Hooray for Trucks! by Susan Hughes, illustrated by Suharu Ogawa
Hooray for Trucks! is a picture book about hardworking trucks and the construction site they work at. These trucks work hard and get dirty fast. And when the trucks discover getting clean helps them get to work faster, it's time to get shiny.
Hooray for Trucks! is for ages 3 to 6.
Susan Hughes is a Toronto editor and author who has written more than 30 books for children, including Off to Class, What Happens Next and Carmen and the House That Gaudí Built.
Suharu Ogawa is a Toronto artist and instructor originally from Japan. She teaches illustration at OCAD University and has done various work for magazines, children's books and public art projects.
Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Matte Stephens
Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart is a picture book that highlights the real story of how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was inspired by the humble creature known as the starling. Featuring vibrant illustrations, the story explores the grandeur of 18th century Vienna and the budding unlikely friendship between a famous musician and a little bird.
Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart is for ages 4 to 8.
Mireille Messier is a children's book author of more than 20 books for children. She was born in Montreal, grew up in Ottawa and is now based in Toronto. She is also the author of Nutcracker Night and The Branch. The French-language version of her children's book Sergeant Billy won the Forest of Reading Festival's Le prix Mélèze in 2021.
Matte Stephens is an Ontario artist, painter and illustrator. He has illustrated several children's books, including Mr. Flux by Kyo Maclear and Tigers and Tea with Toppy by Barbara Kerley and Rhoda Knight Kalt.
Phoenix Gets Greater by Marty Wilson-Trudeau, illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith, with Phoenix Wilson
Phoenix Gets Greater is a tale of love and acceptance. Phoenix is an Anishinaabe child who loves to dance ballet and play with his dolls. When Phoenix is bullied at school and struggles with feeling different, his family helps him better understand his two-spirit identity — and that he is always loved.
Phoenix Gets Greater is for ages 3 to 5.
Marty Wilson-Trudeau is an Anishinaabe Kwe writer originally from M'Chigeeng, Ont. She is a drama teacher at St. Charles College in Sudbury, Ont.
Megan Kyak-Monteith is an Inuk illustrator and painter. She currently lives and works in Halifax.
Phoenix Wilson is an Anishinaabe actor and dancer. He can be seen onscreen in Longmire, Letterkenny and Wild Indian.
Beautiful You, Beautiful Me by Tasha Spillett-Sumner, illustrated by Salini Perera
Beautiful You, Beautiful Me is a picture book with themes of understanding and loving who we are at all times. It's about a multiracial child named Izzy and her mother. One day the child notices that they have different skin tones: hers is the colour of chocolate, while Mama is the colour of sand. Mama uses this opportunity to help Izzy to see her own unique beauty.
Beautiful You, Beautiful Me is for ages 3 to 7.
Tasha Spillett-Sumner is an educator, poet and scholar of Nehiyaw and Trinidadian descent. She is also the author of the bestselling picture book I Sang You Down from the Stars and the graphic novel Surviving the City.
Salini Perera is a Sri Lankan Canadian artist and illustrator based in Toronto.
Revenge of the Raccoons by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld
Revenge of the Raccoons is a fun-filled story about raccoons who decided to take over the city. Featuring art inspired by classic horror film posters, Revenge of the Raccoons makes a statement about the human-animal dynamic living in the big city.
Revenge of the Raccoons is for ages 4 to 8.
Vivek Shraya is a Canadian artist and author who works in music, writing and visual art. Her books include the novel The Subtweet, the longform essay I'm Afraid of Men and graphic novel Death Threat.
Juliana Neufeld is an Ontario artist and illustrator.
My Promise by Dr. Jillian Roberts, illustrated by Slavka Kolesar
My Promise is a board book with a message of teaching problem solving, resilience and unconditional love. The book aims to strengthen the parent-child bond by way of love and understanding.
My Promise is for ages up to 2.
Dr. Jillian Roberts is a B.C.-based child psychologist, author, professor and parent. Her work includes the picture book On Our Nature Walk.
Slavka Kolesar is a B.C.-based artist, illustrator and painter. She has illustrated books such as La Légende de Carcajou.
Two Crows by Susan Vande Griek, illustrated by Emma FitzGerald
Two Crows retells the Scottish Gaelic ballad Twa Corbies as a child-friendly counting book. It follows a country dweller and their dog on a cold November's day as they observe the wild, wooded landscape all around them.
Two Crows is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 25, 2022
Susan Vande Griek is a Halifax author of books for children. Her work includes Loon, Go Home Bay, An Owl at Sea and Hawks Kettle, Puffins Wheel.
Emma FitzGerald is a South African-born writer and illustrator based in Halifax. She wrote and illustrated Hand Drawn Halifax, Sketch by Sketch Along Nova Scotia's South Shore, Hand Drawn Vancouver, and has illustrated EveryBody's Different on EveryBody Street and A Pocket of Time.
The Girl Who Built an Ocean by Jess Keating, illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter
The Girl Who Built an Ocean tells the story of Jeanne Villepreux-Power, the daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler who created beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But she truly dreamed of exploring the ocean and living by the seaside. The Girl Who Built an Ocean is about how Villepreux-Power developed the world's first aquarium — helping lead the way for scientific discoveries in the years to come.
The Girl Who Built an Ocean is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Oct. 25, 2022
Jess Keating is an Ontario author, illustrator and zoologist. Her books include the World of Weird Animals nonfiction series and the biographies Shark Lady and Ocean Speaks.
Michelle Mee Nutter is an American artist and illustrator.
While You Sleep by Jennifer Maruno, illustrated by Miki Sato
The picture book While You Sleep features collage art and rhyming couplets to depict the world of dreams as little ones get ready for bed. The magical tale sees night-helper bunnies busy at work to help make bedtime a wonderful place to be.
While You Sleep is for ages 2 to 5.
When you can read it: Nov. 8, 2022
Jennifer Maruno is an educator and author. She is also the author of the novel When the Cherry Blossoms Fell.
Miki Sato is a Japanese Canadian illustrator originally from Ottawa. Her work has previously appeared in Today's Parent, Reader's Digest and The Walrus.
Night Lunch by Eric Fan, illustrated by Dena Seiferling
Night Lunch is a picture book set in a Victorian city at night under the watchful eye of the hungry Night Owl. As the animals and people set down to eat under the midnight sky, Mouse is wary. Owl has spotted Mouse... will he be next on the menu?
Night Lunch is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Nov. 8, 2022
Eric Fan is a writer and frequent collaborator with brother Terry Fan on children's books. Their books include The Night Gardener and Ocean Meets Sky. They also illustrated The Darkest Dark by astronaut and author Chris Hadfield.
Dena Seiferling is a Canadian illustrator of children's books and needle-felt artist based in Calgary.
Maakusie Loves Music by Chelsey June and Jaaji (Twin Flames), illustrated by Tamara Campeau
Maakusie Loves Music is a picture book about Maakusie, a young person living in the Arctic who practices katajjaniq (throat singing) and also about music and culture. The book explores the history of traditional music and instruments in the North.
Maakusie Loves Music is for ages 4 to 8.
When you can read it: Nov. 15, 2022
Twin Flames is an Ottawa band led by husband and wife Jaaji and Chelsey June. In 2019, Twin Flames created Human, a song for UNESCO's International Year of Indigenous Languages. Maakusie Loves Music is their first children's book.
Tamara Campeau is a Montreal-based artist who works digitally to create her painterly storytelling illustrations.
