Oh, Canada — home to the maple leaf, poutine, Double-Doubles, the 2019 NBA Champions, Justin Beiber, beavers and diverse people from all over the world who immigrate to call Canada home.
But did you know that Canada is also home to some of the finest children’s authors? Check out our list below of some of our favourite children’s books written by Canadians!
The Sharing Circle: Stories About First Nations Culture
Author: Theresa Meuse-Dallien
Sharing Circle includes seven children’s stories about First Nations culture and spirituality practices. All seven stories — The Eagle Feather, The Dream Catcher, The Sacred Herbs, The Talking Circle, The Medicine Wheel, The Drum, and The Medicine Pouch — explore First Nations cultural practices and teach children about Mi’kmaq beliefs and heritage. Researched and written by Mi’kmaw children’s author Theresa Meuse-Dallien and beautifully illustrated by Mi’kmaw illustrator Arthur Stevens, this book will engage and inform children of all ages.
Something From Nothing
Author: Phoebe Gilman
Based on the Yiddish folktale “Joseph’s Overcoat,” Phoebe Gilman’s gorgeous artwork in Something From Nothing charts the transformation of the blanket and the progress of Joseph’s family through the years, subtly teaching young readers about a lost way of life.
Baby Beluga
Author: Raffi
Baby Beluga is based on the signature song by the artist Raffi in book form to sing along to!
Baseball Bats for Christmas
Authors: Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak and Vladyana Krykorka
This book is set in a small village in the Northwest Territories reminisces about a childhood Christmas holiday in 1955.
Love You Forever
Author: Robert Munsch
It’s hard to pick our favourite Robert Munsch book out of the many, but Love You Forever is a classic (and a tearjerker!).
Malaika’s Winter Carnival
Author: Nadia L. Hohn
In Malaika’s Winter Carnival, Malaika is happy to be reunited with Mummy, but it means moving to Canada, where everything is different. It’s cold in Québec City, no one understands when she talks and Carnival is nothing like the celebration Malaika knows from home! It takes a video chat with Grandma to help Malaika see the good things about her new home and family.
A Trio of Tolerable Tales
Author: Margaret Atwood
Wordplay and outrageous adventures rule the day in these three humorous stories from Margaret Atwood.
Scaredy Squirrel
Author: Mélanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It’s way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he’s well-prepared. Scaredy Squirrel’s emergency kit includes antibacterial soap, Band-Aids and a parachute. Day after day he watches and waits, and waits and watches, until one day ? his worst nightmare comes true! Scaredy suddenly finds himself out of his tree, where germs, poison ivy and sharks lurk. But as Scaredy Squirrel leaps into the unknown, he discovers something really uplifting.
Wild Berries
Author: Julie Flett
Spend the day picking wild blueberries with Clarence and his grandmother. Meet ant, spider, and fox in a beautiful woodland landscape, the ancestral home of author and illustrator Julie Flett. This book is written in both Enlglish and Cree, in particular the n-dialect, also known as Swampy Cree from the Cumberland House area.
Did we miss one of your favourites? Comment below with the title and author to share!
Hi, wondering if you can help me. I am looking for a children’s book by a British Columbian Author. I saw it years ago and cannot remember the name of the book or the author. But it is told from the child’s perspective. They are going to their grandparents cabin on a lake and the child notices that many of the cabins have names…one is called the Loony Bin.
the author of @lingobabies is also Canadian
Thanks so much for the addition! Do you have a website for them? Would love to learn more!