Maison Rouge
Liliane Leila Juma was sixteen years old when her family home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was destroyed by rebel soldiers. She gives an account of her life before and after her family was torn apart. Maison Rouge is a story of war and unspeakable loss. It is also the story of survival. Eventually, through the United Nations refugee prog …
Kiddo
Katherine Wisteria Warble (otherwise known as Kiddo) knows her family depends on her for information. Kiddo devours the Town Crier newspaper for its news, contests, community events, Caring Carol's advice column and the annoying opinions of the Junior Journalist. When she grows up, she is going to be the publisher, but first she needs to wrest the …
The Princess Dolls
Vancouver, 1942. When best friends Esther and Michiko spot beautiful Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret dolls, in vogue at the time, in the local toy-store window, they long to get the dolls for their shared birthday. But when Esther receives a doll and Michiko doesn't, their friendship starts to unravel.
The story is set against the backdrop …
On My Swim
On My Swim, the fourth in a popular under-five series, is another delightful collaboration between Winters and Leist. Set on the waterfront in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, this book features a very young child frolicking on the beach and learning to swim. Toddlers will take delight in this whimsically illustrated rhyming story.
Seeking Refuge
In this follow-up to the successful Goodbye Marianne, Irene Watts explores what it is like for a young refugee girl to flee Nazi-occupied Austria alone. The poignant story is relatable to the terrible situation facing refugees in Europe and around the world today.
On My Skis
Set in the mountains overlooking Vancouver, British Columbia, and its surroundings, this under-five follow-up to the hugely popular On My Walk features a very young child learning to ski.
Another delightful collaboration between Kari-Lynn Winters and Christina Leist, On My Skis takes very young children on a little journey around Vancouver. Whimsica …
The Riddlemaster
Anouk, Ben and Cara dream of a fabulous treasure buried on the golden island across the harbor. A mysterious and grizzled old man offers them passage on his boat, but only if they can solve seven vexing riddles. If they succeed, a strange and magical prize awaits them.
Enchanting illustrations by Stéphane Jorisch illuminate this story by one of Bri …
The Bone Collector's Son
Fourteen-year-old Bing-wing Chan must conquer his fear of ghosts as his father?'s gambling debts force him to dig for human bones in a graveyard and then to work as a houseboy in a haunted house. Set in Vancouver's Chinatown, The Bone Collector's Son is a moving study of racism and the struggle of Chinese immigrants at the turn of the century.
Crocs at Work
“Reminiscent in tone of the 1958 classic What Do You Say, Dear? by Sesyle Joslin and Maurice Sendak, this happy double message gives child readers plenty of freedom to create their own alliances.” —Quill & Quire
In Crocs at Work, the team that created the children’s Crocodiles Play! and Crocodiles Say… tackle the world of work—again with …
The Blue Vase
Before and after school, while her parents work, Sonia stays with her next-door neighbor, Mrs. Kaminski, and her granddaughter, Marta. When Sonia accidentally breaks Mrs. Kaminski’s precious blue vase, Marta offers to keep it a secret for a price. But Sonia is not able to satisfy Marta’s escalating demands—more gifts and more money—and when …
Dolphin SOS
Based on true events, Dolphin SOS recounts the story of three dolphins trapped in an icecovered cove off the coast of Newfoundland. After the government fails to provide assistance, local children take matters into their owns hands in order to save the distressed dolphins.
Anna Carries Water
Anna fetches water from the spring every day, but she can’t carry it on her head like her older brothers and sisters. In this charming and poetic family story set in Jamaica, Commonwealth Prize-winning author Olive Senior shows young readers the power of determination, as Anna achieves her goal and overcomes her fear.
The Lewton Experiment
Seventeen-year-old Sherri arrives in Lewton excited to start a summer job working as a student reporter. Instead of a thriving community, she finds a creepy ghost town. Most of the local stores have been boarded up, and their now zombie-like owners are working at the new big-box superstore, Shopwells. Sherri takes it upon herself to investigate wha …
Rainbow Shoes
Poet Tiffany Stone and artist Stefan Czernecki imagine a silly world filled with colors of every hue. You'll find purple pants, blue hair, orange socks, pink pajamas and robots with red rubber boots.
Night Sky Wheel Ride
Poet Sheree Fitch and artist Yayo take readers young and old on a spectacular ride through the imagination. We fly past illustrations displaying a kalaidoscope of colors. Magical, fun fair creatures appear and disappear in a jungle of cotton-candy trees.
Lucy and the Pirates
Lucy sets off on an adventure to find her father who has been captured by pirates. Lucy and the Pirates is a rollicking, rambunctious adventure story set in the days when pirates sailed the seas and no traveller was safe. Glen Petrie's text and Matilda Harrison's richly-detailed illustrations combine to create a period piece of great authenticity a …
The Secret Keepers
Set in San Francisco's Chinatown before and after 1906, this novel portrays a young Jackson Leong coping with the ghost of his brother who died in the earthquake, as well as the mysterious ghost of a young woman. Jackson must find out the reasons why the ghosts are haunting the world of the living. If he fails, his family will face disgrace and rui …
Shake-Awakes
Humorous rhymes that will be enjoyed by young children and parents alike.
Black Dog Dream Dog
Sam finds a big black dog in her backyard. She wants to keep him, but she can't let her mother find out. So she hides him in the shed. Meanwhile, Stella wakes up in a strange room after having had a stroke. She can't move and she can't talk. So how can she ask what happened to her dog? This is a story about a magical dog who changes Sam's life in w …
Once Upon a Bathtime
The tub bubbles over with fairy tales as a little girl gets ready for bed with her favorite toys. This tender story is illustrated with Sima Elizabeth Shefrin's beautiful collages and is sure to become a nightly bedtime ritual.
City Kids
From street hockey to baguette duels, award-winning poet X.J. Kennedy captures what it means to be a kid in a city full of zany characters and urban adventures waiting to happen. Philippe Béha's whimsical illustrations add delight to these lighthearted rhymes. These poems are set in cities around the world from London to Toronto to New York. Funny …
Roxy
Roxy is a tale of secrets and lies, sex and death. The story unfolds in Greece—an ancient land where myth and fact have coexisted for centuries. Sent there on a mission of mercy to meet her estranged grandfather, Roxy uncovers the truth about her family and must unravel the longtime consequences of a tragic love story. At the same time she has a …
Henry Chow and other stories
Set around the world—in Canada, the UK, India, Japan and Jamaica—these fascinating stories by emerging and established writers, such as Evelyn Lau and Governor General's Award winner Paul Yee, will captivate and entertain teens of all ages.
On My Walk
In this beautiful picture book, illustrated by Christina Leist, a mother and her toddler are caught up in a summer rainstorm on their walk through the city. This simple story, poetically told by Kari-Lynn Winters, will be a fun bedtime—or anytime—read for toddlers and parents alike.
Shu-Li and Diego
Shu-Li and Diego tells the story of how these two classmates meet the challenge of taking care of Baxter, a neighbor's dog. The two friends face disaster when Baxter runs away and they have to break the news to its owner.
Viva Zapata
This humorous story is about a fictional incident in the childhood of the Mexican revolutionary hero, Emiliano Zapata. After Emiliano's pony is stolen, he manages to track down the bandits and recover his horse.
Shu-Li and Tamara
This contemporary story of the true friendship between two girls is set in Vancouver’s Commercial Drive neighborhood. Shu-Li’s parents run a local Chinese deli and much of the story revolves around food. There is a helpful compendium of recipes at the end of the book for kids to try out. Beautifully illustrated throughout with line drawings.
Eco-Diary of Kiran Singer
The Camosun Bog has existed for 2000 years, but, like wetlands everywhere, it has been encroached on by an expanding urban landscape. In The Eco-Diary of Kiran Singer, Sue Ann Alderson chronicles one child's encounter with the bog and the Crazy Boggers who are working to protect and restore it. Full of humor and gentle irony, this is an intimate, c …
Baaaad Animals
You're guaranteed to giggle at the naughty capers of the critters in Tiffany Stone's second book of silly poems.
What Happened this Summer
This new collection of short stories by Governor General's Award winning author Paul Yee confronts the secret lives of Chinese-Canadian teenagers as they battle with their parents over schooling, carreers, sexuality, religion and integration into North American culture. Once again Paul Yee offers a rare glimpse into the conflicted world of Chinese …
A Telling Time
A rabbi begins the story of how Queen Esther saved her people from a plot to destroy them. This holiday book is a good discussion started about racism and anti-semitism.
If I Had a Million Onions
This exciting new collection by Sheree Fitch poetry will tickle the funny-bones of children and adults alike. Yayo's delightful illustrations perfectly match the whimsy of these capricious poems.
For Sure! For Sure!
In Mus White's skillful adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's story There Is No Doubt About It, the news that a hen has lost a feather is blown out of proportion into an enormous scandal.
Floyd the Flamingo and His Flock of Friends
Sneezing birds, complaining flamingos, warrior Vikings and radioactive cats! All these entertaining characters and a host of child friendly themes are found in the pages of Floyd the Flamingo and His Flock of Friends, a lively, appealing book of poetry that should find its way onto the bookshelf of every family. Catchy rhymes and clever word-play m …
The Island of the Minotaur
This chapter book of Greek myths presents the epic history of the Minoan civilization. The novel connects famous myths; Zeus and Rhea, Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur, Icarus and Daedalus, Jason and Medea with little known tales of the Bronze Giant, Phaedra and the Ash tree spirits.
Island of the Minotaur weaves together the famous and the forgott …
Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts
Here you'll find Yolen's dynamic, enchanting retellings of Jewish tales from around the world paired with Stemple's recipes for everything from challah to matzo brei to pomegranate couscous, tzimmes chicken, and rugelach, in creative versions of classic dishes that any family will delight in cooking together. And Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts is filled …
The Jade Necklace
The story begins in China at the turn of the 20th century and follows the life of a servant girl who longs to bring her mother and brother to join her in the New World. The exquisite and highly authentic illustrations were meticulously researched by Grace Lin.
Aziz the Storyteller
In this enchanting tale set in the Middle East, all the stories are woven into a magic carpet waiting to be told. When young Aziz learns that he is to become the new storyteller, he is forced to make a decision that will change his life forever.
The Girl Who Lost Her Smile
In the wonderous city of Baghdad lives a young girl called Jehan. One morning, Jehan wakes and sees that her smile is lost. She looks everywhere. Jugglers and fire-eaters come to help her find it. Artists paint murals on the walls of her room. They all try their hardest to entertain Jehan, but still, she cannot find her smile. Derived from a collec …
Wherever Bears Be
This irresistabe prose poem is a charming story of two sisters on a berry-picking outing in bear country.
Where Are My Onions?
This charming story is based on a true-life lovable onion peddler from France who sells chain-onions from his bicycle in London. In this story, Quizz, the cat, steals the onions and everyone in the neighbourhood joins a search to find them.
Mama God, Papa God
This creation tale from the Caribbean shows Mama God and Papa God creating a world filled with love and wonder. Richardo Keens-Douglas has dedicated this remarkable retelling of the oldest story in the world to a time of hope when people everywhere will be able to live together in peace and harmony.