Celebrating Canadian books, the Forest of Reading is our country’s largest recreational reading program. Each year, 10 books are nominated in each age category and readers across the country get to pick the winners! On May 16 and 17 of this year, the 2023 winners were announced at the Forest of Reading Festival in Toronto. Check out the wonderful Canadian picture book nominations in this year’s Blue Spruce program for ages 4 -7!
Abuelita and Me by Leonarda Carranza, illustrated by Rafael Mayani
A little girl feels scared, angry and powerless when strangers are rude to her beloved abuelita, but her abuelita shows her how to find strength in the face of daily microaggressions. An empowering book that poignantly illustrates racism through the eyes of a child.
Are You A Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo
Seed meets Grub, a lonely raccoon who desperately hopes Seed will grow his favourite food — cheeseburgers! A humorous, endearing book about friendship that will tickle the funny bones of young and old alike.
Be A Good Ancestor by Leona Prince, illustrated by Carla Joseph
This beautifully illustrated book written in rhyming prose celebrates the interconnectivity of all living things. Based on Indigenous teachings, it challenges readers of all ages to think about environmental stewardship, sustainability and our responsibility to future generations.
Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes by Mahak Jain, illustrated by Anu Chouhan
At home, Paro loves dancing Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance, with her mother. However, when Paro struggles to learn basic ballet techniques in class, she feels embarrassed and thinks she can’t do both types of dance. A fantastic book to read to young children about embracing and celebrating cultural differences.
Friends Are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu, illustrated by Lynn Scurfield
Every Lunar New Year’s Eve, Dandan and her best friend, Yueyue, make beautiful red snowflakes. But when Dandan moves from China to America with her family, she has no one with whom to share her New Year’s tradition. A heartwarming story about immigrating, cultural traditions and the importance of friendship.
Granny’s Kitchen by Sadé Smith, illustrated by Ken Daley
Shelly-Ann and her Granny live in Jamaica. Granny is trying to teach Shelly-Ann how to cook traditional Jamaican recipes, but something always seems to go wrong for Shelly-Ann. Kids will identify with Shelly-Ann’s struggles to learn a new skill, and adults will appreciate the message of perseverance in this lively, colourful book.
Meena’s Mindful Moment by Tina Athaide, illustrated by Asa Gilland
Young Meena’s got so much energy that it turns into a hurly-burly hullabaloo, causing all sorts of chaos. Then she visits her grandfather who patiently shows her how to control her hurly-burly hullabaloo with deep breathing and meditative poses. This is a fun yet thoughtful book that will appeal to families with their own hurly-burly hullabaloos running around!
Rodney Was A Tortoise by Nan Forler, illustrated by Yong Ling Kang
Bernadette feels so sad and alone at the death of her beloved pet tortoise, Rodney, and no one seems to notice. This loving book is a sensitive introduction to the topic of death both for children who have lost a loved one and children who want to comfort those who are grieving.
A Sky-Blue Bench by Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins
From the author of The Library Bus comes another touching and inspiring story set in Afghanistan. A young girl named Aria, who lost her leg to a land mine, is determined to build benches for herself and her classmates so that they may sit more comfortably at school. With themes of resilience and accessibility, this book highlights the devastating effects of war and the importance of education in a compassionate, age-appropriate manner for young children.
That’s Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed
A precocious kindergartener named Mirha is dismayed when her new friends cannot pronounce her name properly and she thinks about changing her name. Parents, teachers and children who loved Kevin Henke’s classic Chrysanthemum will also love this book about identity, belonging and the importance of names.
