I READ CANADIAN DAY, February 17, 2021, is a national day to celebrate Canadian books for young people (and everyone). This is a day dedicated to ‘reading Canadian.’ The purpose is to raise awareness of Canadian books and celebrate the richness, diversity and breadth of Canadian literature. We have a wealth of talent in our country.

Here are some great titles for younger readers.

CHAPTER BOOKS

Badir and the Beaver by Shannon Stewart & Sabrina Gendron (Illustrations)

Badir and his family are new immigrants to Canada. While on a walk with his mother he spied a large rat swimming in a pond. When Badir learns that the the rat is actually a beaver, he begins to research this new to him animal. When the beaver is threatened by a local park enthusiast who is worried about the trees, Badir and his friends have to come up with a way to save the beaver and the park.

Just a Kid by Rie Charles

Meerin Hoy is just an ordinary kid who discovers that the city is planning to turn the vacant farmland across from her home into a housing development. She is determined to stop it.

This satisfying story about a strong little girl is sure to inspire readers with courage and determination to make necessary changes in their own communities.

Ruckus by Laurie Elmquist David Parkins (Illustrations)

Ruckus is a well named Jack Terrier pup. Reece, the narrator of this book, worries about a lot of things. Will their father ever come back and live with them. Will their mother make Reece return Ruckus to the breeder. Will Ruckus ever poop out Mom's diamond earrings that he ate?

Scallywag on the Salish Sea by Sara Cassidy & Mike Deas (Illustrations)

This charming chapter book is full of rollicking fun. A young boy ends up as kitchen boy on a pirate ship. While cleaning fish he discovers all kinds of jewels and deduces that where this pollock was caught, there must be a treasure.

Super Detectives by Cale Atkinson (series)

The comedic duo of Simon and Chester now star in their own graphic novel series. Chester plays straight man to Simon's outlandishness. The images are a treasure trove of wit. To fully appreciate all the bits of fun, you almost need to pore over the pages. Children might not get the film noir hints in this, but as a fan of the classic detective genre, I enjoyed them.

The Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el

Duane, the polar bear likes nothing more than sleeping, eating, exploring and making friends. He is especially talented at picking just the right name for his pals. The most important thing you need to know about them is that Duane accepts all of them for who they are, even though sometimes, they can be very annoying.

Willa the Wisp by Jonathan Auxier (series)

Auggie is the keeper of the Fabled Stables, home to one of a kind magical beings. One morning the earth shakes. When Auggie rushes to the stables he discovers a new stall. The back of it opens into a swamp where, unbeknownst by him, some hunters are chasing down a magical creature. This is a little bit creepy, a little bit fanciful and a whole lotta delightful.

PICTURE BOOKS

Africville by Shauntay Grant

A young girl visits the space where Africville, a thriving black community in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was destroyed by city officials in 1960. She imagines what it was like before, and then emerges out of this day dream to see her grandmother's name carved into a sundial. If you haven't read Shauntay Grant's books, you are in for a visual delight!

Anne Arrives by Kallie George & Abigail Halpin (Illustrator) (series)

This stunningly illustrated reader pays homage to the famous Anne of Green Gables. I am impressed by how rich this version is and how is captures the essence of story so authentically.

Anonymouse by Vikki VanSickle & Anna Pirolli (Illustrations)

In this nod to Banksy, an anonymous mouse creates art for creatures in an unnamed city. Anonymouse provides a unique perspective for these animals.

The Barnabus Project by Eric Fan, Terry Fan, Devin Fan (Illustrator)

Barnabus, half mouse and half elephant, is a genetically modified creature built for the pet market. Unfortunately, he lives under a bell jar on a shelf with other animals like himself. Deemed failures, they are scheduled to be recycled. In spite of being told it's impossible, Eric breaks his jar and frees the rest of the beasts.

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S.K. Ali & Hatem Aly (Illustrator)

Faizah tells of her older sister, Asiya's first day of wearing a hijab to school. While she sees the harassment, she is proud of how her sister deals with it by following their mother's advice, "Don't carry around the hurtful words that other say. Drop them. They are not yours to keep. They belong only to those who said them." What is obvious through this book is how much Faizah loves and wants to be like Asiya. The beauty in these illustrations just wowed me.

Fairy Science by Ashley Spires

Esther is an unusual fairy. She doesn't believe in magic. Esther believes in science. She prefers "facts, data, and hard evidence to wishing on stars." She has a scientific explanation for all the enchantments the other fairies experience.

Flare by Kallie George & Geneviève Côté (Illustrations) (series)

Young Flare never cries, so the Sun, the wind, and the rain take it upon themselves to teach him how to cry. As Flare learns empathy, he also learns to cry. It turns out that his tears have magical powers.

Helen’s Birds by Sara Cassidy & Sophie Casson (Illustrations)

This is the wordless story of a friendship between Saanvi and her elderly neighbour Helen. It's a glorious bonding. They laugh, play games, and read together. Helen introduces Saanvi to the world of birds. Together they build bird houses and bird feeders. They watch eggs hatch and chicks grow.

I Lost My Talk by Rita Joe & Pauline Young (Illustrator)

This poem by Rita Joe, tells of how she lost her language, her culture, and ways of knowing the world while in residential school.

I'm Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas & Pauline Young (Illustrator)

I'm Finding My Talk is a poem about healing and recovering as much of that which was taken away as possible.

Mi'kmaw Animals by Alan Syliboy

This board book showcases petroglyph style illustrations different animals. Each creature paired with its name on the next page. The names are given in Mi’kmaw with a pronunciation guide and in English.

Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco & Chief Lady Bird (Illustrator)

Nibi goes searching for clean water to drink. Her search takes her into a nearby white community where there is plenty of water. She ends up becoming an activist to get water for her Indigenous community.

Not My Girl by Christy Jordan-Fenton, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Gabrielle Grimard

Following When I Was Eight, this picture book continues Margaret Pokiak-Fenton's true story as she returns from two years away at a residential school.

Ojiichan's Gift by Chieri Uegaki & Genevieve Simms (Illustrations)

Mayumi spends two months each summer in Japan staying with her Grandfather and helping him tend his garden.

Outside Art by Madeline Kloepper

Animals look inside a window and watch an Artist at work. All of them respond to the question, what is art? Each one understands it through their own perspective of their world.

Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl by Susin Nielsen & Olivia Chin Mueller (Illustrator)

Poor Princess Puffybottom is one pampered cat (with two mommies) until her subjects bring Darryl, a rambunctious puppy, home. No matter what she does, Princess can not get them to get rid of him.

The Ranger by Nancy Vo (series)

Annie finds a fox who is in a bad way, rescues it, and in turn the two become friends. What we readers eventually come to understand is that friendship is not about keeping score, it's about supporting each other when we need help without any expectation of payment.

Salma the Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan & Anna Bron (Illustrator)

This is a story about being forced to leave a land you are love. It's about what we miss when we are away from our roots, and reminds us to be thankful for the diverse, multicultural communities we are lucky to live in.

Saturday at the Garage by Nancy Hundal, Angela Pan (Illustrator)

In this nostalgic look at a different time, a young girl spends the day with her father at his garage.

The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry & Eric Fan & Terry Fan (Illustrators)

Rhyming picture books don't always work for me, but when, like this one, they do - Wow!
A scarecrow is renowned for its ferocity until a baby crow lands at its feet. What ensues is the development of a profound relationship for the scarecrow and the crow. It celebrates the power of connection and friendship. This book is so heartfelt it's difficult not to tear up.

Small in the City by Sydney Smith

Sometimes the city is overwhelming even for adults. Smith captures this in wordless graphic novel type panels and in one single page spread where the images are fractured. I love this surprise ending.

Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear & Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator)

This tale of a young girl attempting to cheer up her unhappy sister is a story for all ages. Arsenault's illustrations and hand lettering of the text facilitate a profound interpretation of Maclear's words.

When We Are Kind by Monique Gray Smith & Nicole Neidhardt (Illustrations)

This simple book explains in what kindness is. Each page makes statement explaining one aspect of kindness and is accompanied by an illustration. The book talks about how we can be kind to each other, to our families, friends and neighbors, and to the planet. It continues on explaining the feelings we get when we are actively kind.

Wild Berries by Julie Flett