February 2022
Contents
News from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre & Friends
Book Reviews
Links We Love
February Reading List: Kindness
Podcasts
Author Corner: Leslie Gentile
Bibliovideo
Illustrator’s Studio: Holly Hatam
Experts’ Picks
News from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre & Friends
Celebrate Black History Month With Our Reading List
February is Black History Month and we’ve created a reading list full of books that are perfect for educators and librarians to use all year round. See the full list here.
Share the Love and Purchase One-Of-A-Kind Art to Support the CCBC!
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is excited to announce the launch of the virtual Picture Book Gallery. Award-winning Canadian illustrators are selling original art to support the CCBC’s annual Canadian Children’s Book Week program. Illustrators are donating 60% of the value of their original art in support of the CCBC.
Be a Friend, Share a Book!
Be a friend, share a book! Support the CCBC by purchasing this vintage style poster by celebrated children’s book illustrator Pierre Collet-Derby. Produced entirely in Canada, these prints are letterpressed by Everlovin’ Press and are signed by the illustrator. Proceeds go to the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Writing Contest for Canadian Kids in Grades 1-6 from DC Canada!
If you’ve ever dreamed about seeing your words published for kids around the world to read, this is your chance! Our second ever DC Canada One Story a Day Writing Contest is underway, and if you’re in grade 1 to 6 and live in Canada, we want to see what you’ve got.
Submit your short stories by March 31, 2022, 12 p.m. EST.
Grades 1 and 2: 50 to 100 words
Grades 3 and 4: 150 to 250 words
Grades 5 and 6: 250 to 350 words
Winners in each category will receive a cash prize and be published in an illustrated storybook. The school with the most participants will also win a prize – lots of our books!
Accessible Kids’ Books Survey
Teachers and librarians: we’re working on a new project all about #AccessibleBooks for kids. Please fill out our survey to help with the development of this resource, and be automatically entered to win a selection of great Canadian kids’ books! Fill out the survey by clicking here.
Promote Your Accessible Kids’ Books!
The CCBC is developing a resource for teachers and librarians on accessible books for young readers. We plan to:
• raise awareness of the need for accessible books,
• enhance discoverability, and
• market accessible books to readers across Canada and globally.
To start, we are creating a list of accessible kids’ books that are currently available (or forthcoming) from Canadian authors.
We would like to invite you to submit your accessible books for inclusion in this project. Please download this spreadsheet to learn more about the project and complete your submissions.
The deadline for submissions is February 18, 2022. Please send your completed spreadsheet to emma@bookcentre.ca.
Your School Can Apply To Be a Part of Canadian Children’s Book Week!
Canadian Children’s Book Week is the single most important national event celebrating Canadian children’s books and the importance of reading.
The upcoming tour will take place from May 1 to May 7, 2022, and will allow young readers to connect with highly acclaimed and emerging authors and illustrators. See the complete list of everyone touring here.
Your school, library or community centre can apply to take part! There are still a few spots available: apply here to take part.
Learn more about Canadian Children’s Book Week at bookweek.ca and at communication-jeunesse.qc.ca.
Create Your Own Junk Journal with Carol-Ann Hoyte
Presented in both English and French
Junk journals are made from an assortment of new and recycled types of papers. These useful and attractive books are a great papercraft, as they use multiple materials found at home. These creations can be used for writing stories, creating artwork, journaling, storing keepsakes, and more! Participants will learn how to make and decorate a junk journal cover as well as create and embellish pages for a junk journal.
Sign up before February 11 to receive materials for this event in the mail!
*Proceeds from the registration fees will support the work of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre
Canadian Titles Nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award
Mystery Writers of America Announces 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations, including Canadian titles Aggie Morton Mystery Queen: The Dead Man in the Garden by Marthe Jocelyn and The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur! Learn more here.
Celebrate Freedom to Read Week: February 20–26, 2022
Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.Show your support and order Freedom to Read Week 2022 posters.
Take your child or classroom on an adventure with MS Read-a-Thon
With over 40 years of fun, MS Read-a-Thon is a program you may remember from when you were a kid. Now you can share your childhood memories with your own kids in with the new and updated MS Read-a-Thon program. The rules are simple – read whatever you like, as much as you can!
Kids love MS Read-a-Thon and it’s never been easier or more exciting to take part. MS Read-a-Thon is more fun than ever before with a new, interactive website that lets kids track the books they read, download colouring pages and more.
Fundraising has never been easier and will help fund vital services for the MS community. You can register now to start fundraising and be ready for the official reading period from January 27th to February 28, 2022. Time to put your reading caps on and have loads of fun!
Annick Press is Looking for Indo-East African Illustrators
Share your portfolio by e-mailing submissions@annickpress.com!
First Page Writing Contest Coming Soon!
CBC Books’ national creative writing challenge for Grades 7 to 12 students is coming back!
The First Page will be open for the entire month of February 2022.
The Challenge: Write the first page of a novel (300-400 words) imagining how a current day issue or trend has played out in 150 years. The book could be from any literary genre, from mystery or thriller to literary fiction, from adventure or romance to satire or science fiction.
Prizes: The winner of each category will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which delivers monthly boxes of books and literary-related goodies. The school library of each winner will also receive a donation of 50 books.
Everything you need to know about the challenge can be found at cbc.ca/thefirstpage.
Empowering Youth, One Generation at a Time: Free Resources
The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program (RHFSP) is inspired by Rick’s belief in the power of youth and their ability to change the world. RHFSP raises awareness, challenges perceptions, and changes attitudes, through a variety of lessons and activities, empowering youth to take action on important issues.
RHFSP resources are designed for youth from K-12 and include age-appropriate lessons and interactive activities for every grade level. Free, bilingual, and connected to provincial curriculum, our resources are:
- Ready-to-use
- Deliverable online or in the classroom
- Developed by educators, for educators
- Grounded in Universal Design for Learning and incorporate Differentiated Instruction Strategies
Order the Newest Issue of Canadian Children’s Book News!
The Winter 2021 issue of Canadian Children’s Book News looks back on all of the good things that happened in the children’s book world this year! The Fan Brothers share their collaboration process, childhood aspirations and the inspiration behind their multi-award-winning picture book, The Barnabus Project. IBBY Canada launched the second edition of From Sea to Sea to Sea, a timely and important catalogue celebrating Canadian Indigenous picture books. Author June Hur is featured in our Keep Your Eye On column. Nadia L. Hohn and Irene Luxbacher, creators of this year’s TD Grade One Book Giveaway book Maliaka’s Costume, share their excitement at having their book selected as a giveaway book. Our Bookmark! column features a list of books about COVID-19 to help a young one in your life understand the pandemic or process the feelings they are having regarding isolation or the changes in their life.
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a young bookworm in your life, we asked Canadian children’s booksellers to recommend their favourite books of 2021. And, as always, our We Recommend section has over 40 new fabulous books for you to enjoy!
Want to stay updated on the world of Canadian children’s books all month long? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Canadian Children’s Book News Online Preview
Canadian Children’s Book News: Winter Reading
It’s time for winter reading! Published quarterly, our magazine Canadian Children’s Book News reviews books, interviews authors and illustrators, includes annotated reading lists, informs and updates readers about issues affecting children’s education and reading, and provides information and news about the world of children’s books in Canada.
We are currently featuring bonus reviews online. See them all here.
Links We Love
Articles and videos of interest to educators and parents.
7 Black Canadian writers to watch in 2022 (CBC)
Calgary Public Library’s new program encourages families to read together (CBC)
10 Graphic Novels by Indigenous Authors (Book Riot)
Winnipeg activist wants kids to share their gifts in debut children’s book (Global News)
Cree author’s poetry book meant to empower Indigenous kids (Toronto Star)
New Indigenous writers adding more representation to children’s literature (CBC)
Decolonizing your child’s bookshelf (Toronto Star)
February Reading List: Living With Kindness
Our February newsletter is all about living with kindness, inspired by Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17.
Picture Books |
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48 Grasshopper Estates Whether it’s a supersonic sandwich maker or a 12-tailed dragon, Sicily can make almost anything, gathering all her materials right at home, at Grasshopper Estates. But when it comes to making friends, Sicily has yet to find the perfect fit. This whimsical picture book emphasizes the power of imagination, spreading kindness, and finding friendship where you least expect it. |
AAAlligator! A boy who encounters an alligator in the woods discovers that all the alligator wants is companionship—and leftovers—and the two become good friends. The townsfolk want the alligator out until they see how kind he is (and how nice it is to have someone to eat all their leftovers!) Can they convince the mayor to let him stay? |
Alice & Gert: An Ant and Grasshopper Story While Alice the ant prepares for winter, her friend Gert the grasshopper entertains her, dancing through the long days of summer, singing, performing, and creating art out of flowers and leaves. This is a modern take on an old fable with a heartwarming twist that pays tribute to creativity, kindness and hard work in all its forms. |
Friends are Friends, Forever On a snowy Lunar New Year’s Eve in Northeastern China, it’s Dandan’s last night with Yueyue. Tomorrow, she moves to America. The two best friends have a favourite wintertime tradition: crafting paper-cut snowflakes, freezing them outside, and hanging them as ornaments. As they say goodbye, Yueyue presses red paper and a spool of thread into Dandan’s hands so that she can carry on their tradition. But in her new home, Dandan has no one to enjoy the gift with—until a friend comes along. |
Golden Threads Emi and her stuffed fox are happiest playing under the ginkgo tree. But then a storm sweeps Fox away. Are Emi and his home gone forever? Ripped and tattered, Fox wonders if Emi would even love him anymore. But Fox finds his way into the care of Kiko who mends him lovingly with golden thread. Stitch by stitch, Fox’s heart is mended. |
Melena’s Jubilee: The Story of a Fresh Start A jubilee is a day to forgive and be forgiven. Finding herself forgiven one morning after a difficult day, Melena seizes her fresh start and she decides to start over. She shares ice cream with friends, forgoes getting revenge on her brother and forgives a small debt, all with a song in her heart. This day of new beginnings is Melena’s jubilee. |
When We Are Kind/Nihá’ádaahwiinít’íj̨go This dual-language picture book—in English and Diné—celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. Beautifully illustrated by artist Nicole Neidhardt, this book encourages children to be kind to others and to themselves. |
You Are My Friend: The Story of Mister Rogers and His Neighborhood Little Freddie Rogers was often sick and had trouble making friends. His mother and grandfather encouraged him to ask for help and explore the world. As he grew up, he realized he could spread the message of compassion, equality and kindness through television. This picture book is an homage to Fred Rogers. |
Junior & Intermediate Fiction |
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Genius Jolene On their annual road trip, eight-year-old Jolene and her trucker father are headed to Los Angeles in an 18-wheeler. This year things are different. Jolene’s parents split up when her father came out as gay. These are big changes for Jolene, but she’s ready for new adventures and to stand up for what’s right — both on and off the road. |
No Vacancy When her family buys the run-down Jewel Motor Inn, 11-year-old Miriam makes it an adventure. She befriends Kate, whose grandma owns the local diner, as well as Maria, the motel housekeeper, and Father Donovan. When it becomes apparent only a miracle will save the motel—now her home—Jewish Miriam and Catholic Kate decide to create one of their own.
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Random Acts Zoey Dalton and her best friends, Bean and Jenna, make a pledge to begin performing random acts of kindness — anonymously. But what if their random acts of kindness are unwanted and misunderstood? What if, instead of spreading joy and good will, the trio’s actions stir up trouble, and wreak havoc? That, of course, would be a different story. This story, in fact.
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The Very, Very Far North Way up north, past the cold ocean and just below the hill that looks like a baby whale, you’ll find Duane. Duane is a sweet and curious young polar bear who makes friends with everyone he meets — from a bossy puffin and a rather vain musk ox to a very shy caribou. For these arctic friends, every day is a new adventure!
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Young Adult Fiction |
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The Agony of Bun O’Keefe It’s Newfoundland, 1986. Fourteen-year-old Bun O’Keefe has lived a shuttered, lonely life with her negligent mother, who is a hoarder. One day, Bun’s mother tells her to leave, so she does. Hitchhiking out of town, Bun learns that the world extends beyond the walls of her mother’s house and discovers the joy of being part of a new family — a family of friends who care. |
Bent Not Broken: Madeline & Justin Since her traumatic brain injury, Madeline has grown apart from her twin sister. Her Best Buddy Justin is coping with troubles at school and his mother’s depression since the death of his autistic sister. Together, Justin and Madeline find peace at the miniature-horse therapy barns, helping each to face their fears — and reconnect with the lives that they thought they’d lost.
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Trail of Crumbs After moving into a basement apartment with her father, malicious stepmother and twin brother, 17-year-old Greta doesn’t have high expectations for her last year of high school. While dealing with the aftermath of being sexually assaulted at a party, her stepmother and father disappear, abandoning the twins to the mercy of their peculiar landlord. Despite everything, Greta discovers kindness still exists — and hope.
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Non-Fiction |
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Home Sweet Neighborhood: Transforming Cities One Block at a Time Placemaking — personalizing public and semi-private spaces like front yards — is a growing trend in cities and suburbs around the world, drawing people out of their homes and into conversation with each other. Kids are natural placemakers, building tree forts, drawing on sidewalks and setting up lemonade stands, but anyone can be a placemaker — strengthening community and making life more fun. |
What Kids Did: Stories of Kindness and Invention in the Time of COVID-19 In early 2020, the COVID-19 virus changed the world. We had to stay apart, away from work, school, and our everyday routines. But, all around the world, kids came up with creative and thoughtful ways to help others. From making 3-D printed medical equipment to food bank fundraising, kids made a difference in their communities. This book highlights some of their stories. |
Author’s Corner: Leslie Gentile
Leslie Gentile’s novel Elvis, Me and The Lemonade Stand Summer was released by Cormorant Books in February 2021. Her debut MG book won the 18th annual Victoria Children’s Book Awards, and is a finalist in both the Rocky Mountain and Silver Birch Book Awards.
Gentile lives on Vancouver Island with her husband Dan, as well as a German Shepherd who is convinced that he’s a lap dog, and a cat who snores. Gentile is of Salish, Tuscarora and Scottish heritage and lives on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people.
First, tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get your start as an author?
Even before I could read, I was fascinated by the mysteries that chapter books held inside them. I was the youngest of seven kids, and can remember watching my older siblings read ‘big kid books’ filled with this secret, magical code that I couldn’t crack. When I was about four, I stapled some blank papers together to make a book and drew a cover picture. I was determined that I would write a book – even though I couldn’t read or write. I asked my older sister (Karen Lee White, author of The Silence) to print the title for me: The Little House in the Big Woods. I was so proud of it! Even before I could read and write, I had this burning desire to be an author.
How did your background as a musician lead to you becoming an author?
It’s all about storytelling, really. Song writing is just a different medium, which is a great training ground for learning to write sparingly. With a song, you just get a few verses and a chorus to tell a story. And after all these years, I still wanted to write a book, so I felt it was time to sit down and try. And forty thousand words – what a luxury!
We love Elvis, Me and The Lemonade Stand Summer: what inspired 
you to tell Truly’s story?
I had a friend who had been raised right down in the legendary Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco by a very free-spirited mother, and she had some VERY fascinating stories to tell about her childhood. Her mother was obsessed with Elvis Presley, sewed Elvis styled costumes for entertainers, and eventually married an Elvis Impersonator. Hearing this made me wonder if a young child would understand the difference between the real and the fake Elvis. As I pondered this, I had the image of a young girl sitting on the side of a country road, waiting as a Sun Bug pulled up and Elvis stepped out. I sat down to write, and asked her “why are you sitting here waiting?” and she began to tell me her story.
The theme of kindness has a strong presence in your novel, why do you think that it’s important for kids to read books like this?
I wanted to show that kindness can be a choice. Being kind is something that we can control in a world that sometimes feels so out of control. I come from both settler and Indigenous heritage, so I wanted to show young readers how racism – which is extreme unkindness – can manifest. Because Truly has a hard life, it was important to me that I balance it by showing how much kindness and love there was for her that she wasn’t really aware of at first. It was also important to me that it was the Indigenous characters who came to Truly’s rescue when her family abandoned her. We have such a huge separation between Indigenous and settler people here in Canada that it’s so easy to believe the misconceptions about Indigenous people. One of the most powerful things to come out of publishing this book was when an adult reader contacted me to tell me that I had made them do some real soul-searching about their misconceptions and preconceived ideas about Natives.
What projects are you working on now? Can you tell us about any upcoming books?
I’m working on a middle grade novel told from the perspective of an ‘Urban Rez Dog’, who helps his kids solve a mystery. It’s very different than Elvis, Me and The Lemonade Stand Summer; (hopefully) funnier, and a bit lighter. I’m having a lot of fun writing from a dog’s perspective! I have also started to draft out a sequel to Elvis. I really thought that Truly’s story was complete when I wrote it, but I’ve had so many requests from readers for a sequel that I began to think about what comes next for Truly and Andy El. They’re letting me know!
Find out more about Leslie by following her on instagram.
Watch Your Favourite Book On Bibliovideo
Subscribe to Bibliovideo today to watch videos made specifically for booklovers! Don’t forget to push the bell to receive updates when new videos are uploaded.
Featured Video
Illustrator Demonstrations / Démonstrations des illustrateurs
TD Summer Reading Club / Club de lecture d’été TD
Stay Home, Read Together / Lisons ensemble à la maison
Author Interviews / Entretiens avec des écrivains
Book Readings / Séances de lecture
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Illustrator’s Studio: Holly Hatam
Holly Hatam has been an artist since she could first hold a pencil. She would hold art gallery openings featuring her work in her tiny bedroom and charge her parents and brother an admission price of $0.25 to attend.
Today she is an illustrator and graphic designer who illustrates in a whimsical and quirky style. She loves to combine line drawings, photography and texture to create endearing illustrations that burst to life with personality and emotion. She is the illustrator of #1 New York Times Bestselling Picture Book, DEAR GIRL, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Paris Rosenthal, and has illustrated books for Dial Books, little bee books, Annick Press, and Tilbury House. She also debuted as an author/illustrator with the MAGICAL CREATURES board book series published by Random House.
First, tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get your start as an illustrator and author?
Since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of becoming a book illustrator.But along the way, I lost confidence in myself as an artist and instead studied graphic design in college. I was a graphic designer for years and even owned my own stationery company. It wasn’t until 2013 that I found the courage to shut down my business and follow my dreams. During the years, I was always drawing, so I posted some of my work on a website, began emailing publishers and not soon after that I got my first book deal. In 2015 I signed with my current agent and my career has took off since.
What artists or illustrators have inspired you or even influenced your art style?
The one artist I always look to for inspiration is Mary Blair. Other artists I’m inspired by are Oliver Jeffers, Peter H Reynolds, Isabelle Arsenault and Brittney Lee.
Where do you draw inspiration for your art from?
All of my art is inspired by my own experiences and emotions, nature, magic, music and my amazingly quirky 8 year old son.
What projects are you working on now? Can you tell us about any upcoming books?
I can’t share everything, as it hasn’t been announced yet! But I am in the process of finishing two more books that I wrote and illustrated called, If You Met Santa and If You Met the Easter Bunny. I’m also developing a few concepts for animated tv series.
Find out more about Holly at her website, hollyhatam.com.
Experts’ Picks
Booksellers’ Picks
Canada’s independent booksellers share their recommendations for kids and teens. To find a local independent bookstore, visit findabookstore.ca.
Woozles Children’s Bookstore in Halifax, NS:
I’s the B’y: The Beloved Newfoundland Folk Song, illustrated by Lauren Soloy (Greystone Kids, 2022) Ages 3-8
This well-known and dearly loved Newfoundland folk song is beautifully brought to life in the pages of this gorgeous book illustrated by Lauren Soloy. From cover to cover, every single page is a visual feast (including the delightful endpapers!) The rich, sumptuous palette, sketchy lines and energetic compositions capture the lively and infectious spirit of the song while exuberantly depicting the rugged, majestic beauty of Newfoundland itself. The illustrator’s note at the back provides helpful information and explanations of numerous words and phrases and give readers (even those of us who have grown up singing this song) new insight into its origins and meaning. Icebergs, whales and fishing boats, laundry hanging on the line, puffins and Newfoundland dogs…all of these make appearances here amidst the rollicking dancers and musicians whose energy leap off the page. A magnificent celebration of a place that is clearly very dear to the illustrator’s heart.
—Lisa Doucet, Co-manager
Woozles Children’s Bookstore: 6013 Shirley St, Halifax, NS B3H 2M9 www.woozles.com
Librarians’ Picks
Canadian librarians share their recommendations for kids and teens.
Eight Days by Teresa Toten (Scholastic Canada, 2022) Ages 10-14
In this outstanding novel, fourteen-year-old Sami searches for the truth about her recently deceased mother, who she thought died years ago. The eight-day road trip from Toronto to Chicago she takes with Carl, her alcoholic and taciturn grandfather, and Aggie, their indominable next-door neighbour (who brings along a suitcase full of wigs she calls “the girls”) is an emotional journey into the secrets of her family’s past. Themes of forgiveness and embracing community run throughout this tour de force. Sami’s crystal-clear first-person narration is honest and funny and spot on. The characters all travel far and their homecoming will grab readers by the heart. Eight Days is a memorable ride.
—Linda Ludke, Collections Management Librarian, London Public Library
If you are a librarian that would like to participate in this feature, please contact us.
Staff Picks
Staff of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre recommend their favourite books for kids and teens.
A Queen like Me! (The Amazing Zoe, Book 2) written by Valene Campbell, illustrated by Arooba Bilal (published by ZouZoumedia, 2020), Ages 5-9
Young Zoe is excited to visit her best friend Kaitlyn’s house and play dress up together, until they start arguing over who gets to wear the coveted princess outfit. Kaitlyn, who is white, tells Zoe, who is of African descent, that princesses always have hair and skin like her, not like Zoe. When Zoe arrives home in tears, her parents explain to her the ignorance behind Kaitlyn’s statement. They share with her the rich history of royalty in Africa and describe many strong African queens including in modern-day countries. Zoe’s family then visits with Kaitlyn’s family and teaches them more about African nations. The two friends make up and Zoe shows Kaitlyn her new beautiful African-style gown. Zoe now embraces her ethnicity and heritage and is happy to share it with her friend. This is a book full of important messages on friendship, the racist micro-aggressions that even children endure and the importance of being educated on the history of black people. A must-read and especially for Black History Month!
Hockey with Dad, written by Willie Sellars, illustrated Kevin Easthope (Caitlin Press, 2021), Ages 3-8
Chief Willie Sellars of Williams Lake First Nation and illustrator Kevin Easthope have once again paired up to create a fun and engaging picture book, this time about a championship hockey game. This winter must-read combines a star female hockey player, energetic and joyful illustrations, Indigenous linguistic and cultural references and, of course, a winning goal. Whether you are a hockey fan or not, this fantastic read-aloud story will keep kids and adults engaged from start to finish, and it might even inspire you to strap on a pair of skates and hit the ice!
—Amanda Halfpenny, Events and Program Coordinator for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre