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Written by Darcy Whitecrow and Cail Judy Illustrated by Maya McKibbin Translated by Waskonegabowiik / Pamela Johnson Groundwood Books 978-1-77946-015-8 32 pp. Ages 3–8 August 2026 There is never one way to deal with fears. But Makade Asin / Black Stone is based on an Ojibwe story of dealing with fears through a vision quest. The text of the book is minimal, even when presented in two languages…
Written by Rochelle Strauss Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight Kids Can Press 978-1-525310881 40 pp. Ages 5–8 June 2026 Kids Can Press's CitizenKid series has brought world issues to the attention of young readers for over twenty years. The series is all about making children global citizens who are aware of how children live in other countries, of environmental issues, and of their own roles in…
Written by Naseem Hrab Illustrated by Kelly Collier Kids Can Press 978-1-5253-1439-1 40 pages Ages 3–7 May, 2026 School will be starting again soon and undoubtedly there are parents and guardians wondering how challenging it will be to get little ones to school. (Maybe not so little ones too.) Perhaps children are nervous about starting a new school or a new class, or maybe school has always been…
Written by Ian Boothby Illustrated by Pia Guerra Graphix (Scholastic) 978-1-5461-1117-7 208 pp. Ages 12+ August 2026 This isn't the Ian Boothby I've read and reviewed before. His Sparks graphic novel series (illustrated by Nina Matsumoto) is fun and bright and funny and perfect for middle-grade readers who like stories of superheroes, cats, and weirdness. Frostbite is for older readers who like…
Written by Deborah Ellis Groundwood Books 978-1-77946-133-9 224 pp. Ages 9–12 June, 2026 What does the word "go" mean to you? Is it related to travel, to movement, or to leaving somewhere? Is it having a go at something, or playing the game? Is it the euphemistic word for passing away? Or does it relate to how something is functioning? Deborah Ellis , as she did in her earlier short story…
Written by Vikki VanSickle Illustrated by Jennica Lounsbury Tundra Books 978-1774886182 48 pp. Ages 4–8 July, 2026 Mother Boo may sound a little scary but she's really a friendly old ghost and the titular character in one of Vikki VanSickle 's poems from October County and Spookytown. After a welcoming poem, "Welcome to October County," Vikki VanSickle shares 13 more poems about the fall season…
Written by Joseph Dandurand Illustrated by Elinor Atkins Nightwood Editions 978-0-889715004 32 pp. Ages 6–8 June 2026 As part of his series Kwantlen Stories Then and Now , author Joseph Dandurand , himself a member of the Kwantlen First Nation, tells the story of a clever young girl who helps her community through her relationship with a frog. Illustration by Elinor Atkins from Pipa:m̓: The Touch…
Written by Elaine Su Illustrated by Charlene Chua Orchard Books (An imprint of Scholastic) 978-1-5461-7958-0 32 pp. Ages 4–8 July 2026 Who wouldn't love to cuddle a super-squishy stuffie of a panda? Apparently Baby Lou does, but Panda, who has always been Benny's, is having none of it. After Panda gets left in the baby's room, Baby Lou is smitten. But Panda, distressed by the unfamiliar, from…
Logo of the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable The Vancouver Children's Roundtable (VCLR) is an organization that promotes Canadian children's literature with events, awards, and more. One of its awards is the Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picture Book of the Year Award which was first granted in 2021 and which was named for the late Sheila Barry, the esteemed Groundwood publisher and editor.…
Written by Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason Illustrated by Vienno (Vinicius Xavier) Inhabit Media 978-1772276411 28 pp. Ages 6–8 June, 2026 When Aesop wrote his fable titled "The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey," he wouldn't have been writing about a northern setting such as Nunavut, the home of author Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason (though perhaps more like the home of Brazilian illustrator Vienno…
