Going into Annie Mack’s debut middle grade novel, I didn’t expect a goopy little monster to be the reason main character James Dawson makes a good friend at his new school. But when the family moves from Vancouver to a little town outside Kamloops, BC, to set up their bookstore—one that sells crystals and special […]

Have you ever been to the circus? Seen people breathe fire, swallow swords, and get shot out of canons? These amazing acts are part of little Adam’s daily life as the youngest member of a famous circus family. And while his family tries to get him interested in their craft, it takes a while before […]

Regardless of whether you’re a fan of avocado toast, you’ll surely be entranced by Avocado Magic, a touching story about growth by Israeli author-illustrator Taltal Levi. The story follows a young girl who, a bit impatient to grow up, learns to slow down and enjoy life as she waits for her avocado pit to turn […]

In an era of globalization, climate change, and natural disasters, it’s easy to feel small and insignificant in the face of much larger world events. But the truth is that one person can make an enormous difference! The Forest Keeper by Rina Singh is the true story of Jadav Molai Payeng from Majuli, India, who […]

I am not American. I am not Black. I am not the target age for a children’s picture book. But none of this lessened the impact That Flag by Tameka Fryer Brown—an outstanding writer, by the way—had on me as a reader. The story follows two best friends, one Caucasian (Bianca) and one African American […]

Are your kids hooked on their tablets? Do they whine that they’re bored when you shoo them outside? Do they like superheroes? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, we have the graphic novel for you! The Jack Squad by indie author Marcus Eaddy and illustrator Stacy Hummel follows a young […]

If you were a tumbleweed rolling across a Texan desert, where would you go? The expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” takes on a new meaning in Tumble by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom. With only two to four words per page, the focus is on the author/illustrator’s beautiful images done in soft strokes and […]

Warning: don’t read this book if you’re hungry! Zain, his mother, and his grandmother are busy making some beautiful ka’ak cookies to share with Zain’s class. By the time you get to the end of the story, author Aya Khalil’s description of the tasty treats will have your mouth watering. Thankfully, she includes her family’s […]

By Danica Best Everyone has their bad days: kids, adults, and even unicorns! In a colourful world where every day is a perfectly happy one for the unicorns, Kevin has the strangest morning: he wakes on the floor with the messiest mane imaginable! Kevin is determined to stay positive (when is a unicorn ever NOT […]

If you’ve never been to Egypt, this is the book you need to read—it’ll make you hear, see, smell, and taste Cairo like you’re really there. When Aunty Fatma comes to visit, the little girl is transported back to her homeland through all her senses, especially during the bedtime song her aunt sings. And even […]

When someone knocks at your door, odds are it’s a delivery. But at Mr. Thatcher’s house, every knock is a new bunch of storybook characters looking for a place to stay! The three little pigs’ homes collapsed, and the old woman who lived in a shoe simply can’t keep so many children in such a […]

An American study by the MacArthur Foundation discovered that children moved an average of 2.5 times by age 13—needless to say, the experience of packing up your family home and moving your life to a new location is widespread. While some kids may embrace this change, others will find it more difficult… and therein lies […]

Lactose-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, GMO-free… a decade ago, you never heard about all these different eating restrictions. But that’s when my mother was diagnosed with celiac disease—in 2010—and suddenly she couldn’t eat anything! Go to a restaurant? No chance! Nobody knew what gluten was, let alone what meals had none of it. Now, menus often have […]

You’ve probably had a really bad cold a few times in your life. But have you sneezed and accidentally burned a village to the ground? Such is the case for a poor baby dragon. Without any dragon parents around, he falls sick—his symptoms affect not only him, but also the townspeople who are furious at […]

“There is no one right way to blend a family,” writes author Sarah Aronson in the afterword of her beautiful (and delicious) book, Brand-New Bubbe. But main character Jillian has a hard time letting her stepfather’s mother find a place in her heart. What about her Noni and Gram? She already has grandmas—awesome ones with […]

Ever heard the expression “marching to the beat of your own drum”? For Ladie B. Marie, ladybug rockstar in the making, nothing could be closer to the truth. But the insects in the forest aren’t quite on board with all her singing, dancing, and guitar-playing—in fact, even her dad wishes she would just be quiet […]

Have you ever told a lie that got out of hand? Has it cost you a friendship with someone important? Is it difficult for you to tell the difference between lying and exaggerating? In Roo Parkin’s July 2022 picture book Sid’s Big Fib, two friends compete to outdo each other with news of their weekend […]

More and more children’s books these days show different types of families: gay parents, multicultural, biracial, single parent, adoptive, divorced… but, like author Joni Halabi realized, far fewer are about single mothers by choice who conceive using a donor. What did she do to fill this void? She wrote and published Sweet Little You (2022), […]

Whether you have experienced the loss of a child, know someone who has, or simply want to reflect on grief and healing, this book is the one you should read. Dear Rainbow Baby by Samantha Gassman is a heartfelt letter to a future baby after the loss of a child. The book uses free verse […]

If you pay attention when you go outside, you’ll notice squirrels scampering across the grass and finding shelter in the trees. But have you ever stopped to feed them? To gain their trust and become friends? In Hat Cat by Troy Wilson, Grandpa goes out to feed the squirrels all the time, setting peanuts on […]

If you look out your window, you’ll probably see a tree somewhere—on your lawn, in the park across the street, in the nearby forest. But did you ever stop to think that this tree might be yearning for adventure? Nadja Springer’s The Big Adventures of a Little Tree – Tree Finds Friendship is the heartwarming […]

If you’ve been to an aquarium, you’ve probably seen coral, sharks, and even manta rays. Maybe you’ve studied hermit crabs or helped rescue a dolphin or two. But have you ever seen a grandma turn into the extinct ocean giant Megalodon? In The Adventures of Grandmasaurus – At the Aquarium Rescue Centre by Caroline Fernandez, […]

Imagine boarding a ship headed for a new land. Imagine leaving behind part of your family, the country you love, the person you were before. For the immigrants among us, it isn’t a matter of imagining but rather of remembering our own families’ journeys. Paper Son tells the inspiring story of a Chinese immigrant with […]

Alright, I’m not going to lie: this one had me in tears. If you’re searching for a children’s book that addresses the hybridity of identity, the struggles of immigration, and the familial love that knows no boundaries, look no further than Areli Is a Dreamer, a true story by Areli Morales. From the protagonist’s childhood […]

Run faster. Jump higher. Swim farther. Cycle, surf, punch, shoot, ride, row. For millennia, humans have been training to go above and beyond their bodies’ limits. Overcoming obstacles is basically a requirement in the age-old Olympic tradition. Paralympic athletes are no stranger to overcoming obstacles—since the first Paralympics in Italy, 1960, thousands of people with […]

As adults, we have loved and lost and learned to smile again. But for a child, a loved one’s passing is much more difficult to imagine, let alone to process. How do we approach heavy topics like mortality, sickness, and death with our little ones? What should we say to a kid who lost a […]

Most of us, as least in North America, have never ventured into the rainforest. What animals might we find there? What plants bloom, what birds sing, and what bugs crawl through the trees? Dive into Zonia’s Rain Forest and explore the mysteries of the Peruvian Amazon through the eyes of a curious young Indigenous child. […]

When it comes to family, nothing is more important than love and mutual respect. In Lindsay B’s A Mother’s Day Surprise (available in French as Joyeuse fête des Mères!), little Rainbow reaches out to family and friends for help planning the sweetest Mother’s Day surprise for her two wonderful mothers. When the celebration doesn’t go […]