100 best Canadian kids' books of all time

Kit Pearson, Puffin

During World War II, 10-year-old Norah and her brother are sent away from their parents in England to navigate a new life in Canada, in this touching historical account.

L.M. Montgomery, Penguin Canada

Melodramatic and relatable Anne-with-an-E is an 11-year-old orphan who finds love, loss and belonging in picturesque Prince Edward Island. 

Robert W. Service, Ted Harrison, Kids Can Press

Famed Canadian painter Ted Harrison illustrates the haunting classic gold rush–themed poem. 

Marie-Louise Gay, Groundwood Books

Stella is eager to swim in the sea, but her little brother, Sam, has some reservations in this whimsical first book of the Stella series. 

Kenneth Oppel, David Franklin, HarperTrophy Canada

In this exciting fantasy novel, a young Silverwing bat named Shade is separated from his family and must embark on a dangerous journey to find them. 

Roch Carrier, Sheldon Cohen, Tundra Books

In a small Quebec town, life revolves around playing hockey and the Montreal Canadiens, but trouble brews when Roch outgrows his Habs sweater and receives a Toronto Maple Leafs one as a replacement. 

Farley Mowat, Emblem Editions

A Cree boy and a Caucasian orphan living with his uncle set out on an exciting—and, at times, nail-biting—Arctic adventure. 

Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press

A little fish steals a large sleeping fish’s teeny bowler hat. He’s pretty sure the big fish won’t catch him!

Robert Munsch, Michael Martchenko, Annick Press

In this classic girl-power tale, Elizabeth’s betrothed, Prince Ronald, is captured by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. She uses her wits to save him, but was it worth it?

Nicola I. Campbell, Kim LaFave, Groundwood Books

Based on true events, this bittersweet tale follows a young Aboriginal girl through her last few days with her family before she’s sent to a residential school. 

Dennis Lee, Frank Newfeld, HarperCollins

A fun collection of poetry by Canada’s Father Goose includes classic rhymes like “Skyscraper” and “Wiggle to the Laundromat.” 

Mordecai Richler, Dušan Petriu010diu0107, Tundra Books

Misunderstood Jacob Two-Two finds himself at the mercy of the mean Hooded Fang after insulting a grown-up. 

Brian Doyle, Groundwood Books

In 1945, a Jewish night watchman is assaulted at Christmastime in Ottawa, where the spectre of anti-Semitism is still looming large post-World War II. 

Mélanie Watt, Kids Can Press

The perfect character for kids with fears to conquer, this teeny rodent is afraid of everything. But one day, he has to leave his comfort zone. How will he ever make it through?

Barbara Reid, Scholastic Canada

A backyard family party is seen through the eyes of a child. Accompanied by Reid’s signature Plasticine images, it’s the perfect depiction of a family’s love.

Phoebe Gilman, Scholastic Canada

As a boy’s homemade blanket gets tattered, his grandfather creates something new from the fabric again and again. But what happens when there’s no fabric left? 

Bonny Becker, Kady MacDonald Denton, Candlewick Press

No, thank you, no visitors for bear, he likes to be alone—until one day, when a sneaky little mouse knocks on his door. 

Shizuye Takashima, Tundra Books

The author reflects on how her family and thousands of other Japanese Canadians were forced to live in internment camps during the Second World War. 

Kyo Maclear, Isabelle Arsenault, Kids Can Press

Virginia is in a foul mood, but her sister, Vanessa, helps her out of it using a bit of paint and imagination. Based loosely on the true-life relationship of Virginia Woolf and her artist sister, Vanessa Bell. 

Christopher Paul Curtis, Scholastic Canada

In 1860, 11-year-old Elijah, a black boy born into freedom in Ontario, embarks on a journey to America, where he sees the horrors of slavery. 

Paulette Bourgeois, Brenda Clark, Kids Can Press

Everyone’s favourite turtle, Franklin, sets out to find help with his fear of the dark and meets friends who are overcoming worries of their own along the way. 

Paul Yee, Simon Ng, Groundwood Books

This is a collection of eight unique stories by historian and author Paul Yee about the Chinese people’s experiences in Canada during the gold rush.

Kathy Stinson, Robin Baird Lewis, Annick Press

Much to her mother’s dismay, a stubborn little girl insists on wearing red all the time. Red stockings make her jump higher, and red mittens shape snowballs better!

Deborah Ellis, Groundwood Books

In the first book of a trilogy, 11-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so she can earn money for her poverty-stricken family in Afghanistan. 

Celia Barker Lottridge, Ian Wallace, Groundwood Books

In the classic folk tale, animals seek food as drought threatens the land, but they’ll have to learn to work together and combine their talents to survive. 

Mélanie Watt, Kids Can Press

Chester the cat and writer-illustrator Mélanie Watt duke it out to be the primary storyteller in this cheeky picture book that will entertain grown-ups as much as the kids. 

Farley Mowat, Emblem Editions

Most kids want a pet, but what happens when your menagerie includes a pesky owl who terrorizes the neighbourhood? 

Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press

When Bear can’t find his hat, he asks around to see where it could have gone. Someone is going to be in big trouble…

Joy Kogawa, Ruth Ohi, Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Told through a child’s eyes, this is the story of a Japanese-Canadian family torn apart after being separated and forced to live in internment camps during WWII. 

Kathy Stinson, Dušan Petriu010diu0107, Annick Press

A little boy is dragged by his busy mom as they hustle past a violinist in a crowded subway station only to later learn they’d rushed by a renowned performer. 

Kit Pearson, Puffin

Living with a poor and irresponsible mother leaves Theo dreaming of life with a different family. 

Phoebe Gilman, Scholastic Canada

In this famous illustrated story, Princess Leora’s father must leave for a tournament, but he tells her to release balloons as a signal if there’s trouble. 

Jean Little, Scholastic Canada

Nine-year-old Anna is awkward and clumsy—how will she ever learn English and adjust to life in Canada after her family escapes Nazi Germany?

Barbara Reid, Scholastic Canada

This collection of much-loved rhymes like “Georgie Porgie” and “Sing a Song” are accompanied by beautifully detailed Plasticine images. 

Pamela Porter, Groundwood Books

After a farming accident, Emaline’s family is in shambles. To everyone’s initial dismay, her mother hires a man with mental health issues to tend the fields. 

Ruth Ohi, Annick Press

Cow, Pig and Chicken live in a doorless barn made out of Popsicle sticks. Life is grand, except for the slobbery dog that keeps drooling on them. 

Janet Lunn, Seal Books

Mary, a telepathic pioneer girl from Upper Canada, embarks on a quest to save her cousin from the battlefield. 

Wallace Edwards, Kids Can Press

Exotic animals from A to Z—like an alligator waking from a dream and a zebra taking a bath—live together in a Victorian mansion. 

Barbara Smucker, Puffin

In the 1800s, two enslaved girls are offered an escape from the States to Canada via the Underground Railway, but slave catchers are hot on their trail. 

Phoebe Gilman, Scholastic Canada

Jillian Jiggs’ mother just wants her to clean up her room, but there’s no stopping this energetic and imaginative girl. 

Sharon E. McKay, Puffin

No one expects that weak, club-footed Charlie will amount to much. He aims to prove them wrong by becoming an ace fisherman, but the boat he stows away on is actually headed to a World War I battlefield in France.

Jean E. Pendziwol, Isabelle Arsenault, Groundwood Books

This lovely wintry lullaby depicts a snow-laden forest and the woodland animals that make it their home. 

Sheryl McFarlane, Ron Lightburn, Orca Book Publishers

In this touching tale, a lonely old man waits on his West Coast porch each year for the whales. But his life takes on new meaning when his daughter returns and he meets her baby. 

L.M. Montgomery, Tundra Books

Emily Starr’s world is shattered with the death of her father. Now she’ll have to start fresh in a new place with her stern aunt and cruel classmates. 

Raffi, Ashley Wolff, Crown Publishers

The lyrics of Raffi’s 1980 hit song supply the text for this illustrated book, perfect for his littlest listeners. 

Ian Wallace, Groundwood Books

One little boy must overcome his fear in order to perform the dragon’s dance for Chinese New Year to bring prosperity and honour to his family.

David Booth, Kady MacDonald Denton, Kids Can Press

This eclectic collection of Canadiana-themed poems tells stories of royal visits, playing baseball in Toronto and sticky summer heat. Colourful sketches accompany works by the likes of A.M. Klein, Dennis Lee and Margaret Atwood. 

Barbara Reid, North Winds Press

It’s snowing, and Scott and Jim are eager to get outside for recess to play! 

Gordon Korman, Scholastic Canada

Boots and Bruno attend a prestigious school for boys. The headmaster splits the two boys up, but they’re determined to room together again. 

Teddy Jam, Eric Beddows, Groundwood Books

Wide-awake Baby and sleepy Daddy look out the window at the nighttime city life below, sweetly described in rhyming couplets.

Iain Lawrence, Yearling Books

An evil village prays for shipwrecks so they can loot the remains. Fourteen-year-old John survives a wreck—but can he survive the villagers?

Julie Flett, translated by Earl N. Cook, Simply Read Books

Grandmother and Baby spend the day picking berries and meet many woodland creatures along the way. Written in English and Cree.

Robert Munsch, Michael Martchenko, Annick Press

Mortimer doesn’t want to go to bed. All he wants to do is sing, sing, sing! 

Dennis Lee, Frank Newfeld, HarperCollins Publishers

With 42 silly and perfectly constructed sing-a-long rhymes, kids will love reciting the tongue-twisting stanzas. 

Jeremy Tankard, Scholastic Canada

Grumpy little ones will relate to Bird, who wakes up on the wrong side of the nest only to realize that, sometimes, grumpiness loves company.

Celia Barker Lottridge, Joanne Fitzgerald, Groundwood Books 

This collection of international stories inspired by fairy tales features witty animals, imaginative children and wise lessons. 

Janet Lunn, Kim LaFave, Groundwood Books

Amos is an old sheep who’s tired of giving up his wool so everyone else can be warm. Enough is enough! He’s ready to reclaim his woolly coat—even if it’s now in the form of a brightly coloured sweater. 

Linda Bailey, Bill Slavin, Kids Can Press

Stanley is a good dog—most of the time. But when his people go out, he throws a party! 

Margaret Laurence, Muriel Wood, Tundra Books

While visiting her grandmother at Christmas, 10-year-old Sal is transported to the past when she tries on a coat she finds in a weathered trunk. 

Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak, Vladyana Krykorka, Annick Press

Set in a small village in the Northwest Territories, the author reminisces about a childhood Christmas holiday in 1955. 

Frieda Wishinsky, Marie-Louise Gay, Groundwood Books

When Louise won’t leave her brother alone, he wishes she would turn into a dog. What happens if his wish comes true? 

Frank Viva, HarperCollins Publishers

Hop on your bike and cruise a road that goes by the sea and around the countryside in this book by famed graphic designer Frank Viva.

Sara O’Leary, Julie Morstad, Simply Read Books

A father and son reflect on the boy’s life when he was littler (and able to fit in a teacup!), in this magical picture book. 

Helaine Becker, Werner Zimmermann, North Winds Press

It’s a very Canadian Christmas where loons canoe, the Toronto Maple Leafs leap and squirrels curl. 

Pierre Berton, Patsy Berton, Doubleday Canada

The five Berton siblings explore a world under the trap door of their clubhouse called Og that’s inhabited by tiny green creatures. 

Deborah Underwood, Renata Liwska, HMH Books for Children

There are many types of quiet—from “making a wish” quiet to “top of a roller coaster” quiet to “bedtime kiss” quiet. 

Ashley Spires, Kids Can Press

House cat Binky has quite an active imagination. He plans a mission to “outer space” (a.k.a. outside) in this humorous graphic novel. 

Cary Fagan, Dušan Petriu010diu0107, Tundra Books 

A little boy knocks the town storyteller’s hat off his head, but together they come up with a new story to tell. 

Loris Lesynski, Michael Martchenko, Annick Press

A giant has a cold, and his medical book calls for soup made from little boys. Will the kids he captures be able to outsmart him?

Eric Walters, Puffin

Troubled Winston accompanies his journalist father to the East Coast to cover a story about a man who plans to run across Canada. When the article sparks interest across the country, Terry Fox becomes a household name.

Sheree Fitch, Sydney Smith, Nimbus Publishing

This tongue-twisting poem is about a girl who imagines a life that’s entirely purple. 

Robert Munsch, Sheila McGraw, Firefly Books

After losing two stillborn children, Munsch wrote this sniffle-inducing book about a mother’s never-ending love for her son—no matter how old he gets. 

Barbara Nichol, Barry Moser, Tundra Books

Based on a letter written by a girl named Margaret and discovered in the Toronto archives, this book is her fantastical account of some strange happenings during the summer of 1912. 

Julie Lawson, Paul Morin, Stoddart Kids

In this story based on Chinese folklore, a hard-working boy from a poor family discovers a magical pearl that changes his life. 

Tim Wynne-Jones, Eric Beddows, Groundwood Books

Water-loving cat Zoom earns his sea legs when he visits a mysterious woman who can bring the ocean into her home. 

Elizabeth Cleaver, retold by William Toye, Oxford University Press

A blind man feels he’s not able to provide for his family, so his friend Loon swoops in to help. 

Roy MacGregor, Tundra Books

Hockey’s greatest trophy is in danger. Will the Screech Owls hockey team be able to save it? 

Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert, Dušan Petriu010diu0107, Annick Press

Bored with his home in a suburban subdivision, Matt lets his imagination take over as he draws a fun new land in the dirt. 

Kyo Maclear, Julie Morstad, Tundra Books

Simca and Julia are best friends who love to cook. This delightful tale is based loosely on the relationship between real-life friends chef Julia Child and Simone (Simca) Beck.

Richard Scrimger, Tundra Books

Alan is bullied at school, until an alien from Jupiter lands in his nose and teaches him how to stick up for himself. 

Jean Little, Marisol Sarrazin, Scholastic Canada

All the animals on the farm are having babies, and now there are sweet fuzzy ducklings and dear little kittens. 

Jonathan Auxier, Puffin

Orphaned siblings are sent to a creepy English manor to be servants. It doesn’t take long for them to discover this eerie house has some dark secrets. 

Roslyn Schwartz, Annick Press

When rain dampens the sisters’ outdoor plans, they make the best of it by turning their mole hole into a swimming pool. 

 Laurel Croza, Matt James, Groundwood Books

A little girl from rural Saskatchewan who must move to bustling Toronto reflects on everything she loves and will miss about her home. 

Kit Pearson, HarperTrophy

In 1932, two sisters are sent from Manitoba to British Columbia to live with their grandmother. But the girls have a big secret—will they be able to hold it in and adjust to their new lives? 

Barbara Reid, Scholastic Canada 

In this beautiful spin on the story of Noah’s ark, Fox has always been alone, until the day everything changes. 

Eugenie Fernandes, Kids Can Press

In the first book of the Kitten series, Kitten ventures out into the farmyard to meet all the animals and their new babes. 

Andrew Larsen, Dušan Petriu010diu0107, Kids Can Press

Two brothers who used to do everything together have grown apart. But when a blackout occurs, they spend a summer night up in their tree house, just like old times. 

Anne Villeneuve, Kids Can Press

A relatable read for big brothers and sisters, Loula is fed up with her bothersome triplet brothers and asks her mother’s chauffeur to take her to Africa. Thankfully, getting back home isn’t too hard. 

Kim Bellefontaine, Per-Henrik Gürth, Kids Can Press

C is for Calgary Stampede and S is for salmon swimming upstream. Bright and colourful illustrations greet tiny readers as they flip through a very Canadian alphabet. 

Marie-Louise Gay, Pajama Press

Pistachio receives a mysterious gold crown for her birthday, but she’ll still have to eat spinach and go to school until her “real” regal parents show up to rescue her. 

Geneviève Côté, Kids Can Press

Two friends bicker and come up with a list of things they can do without each other, only to realize that things are much better when done together. 

Nicholas Oldland, Kids Can Press

A friendly bear who loves to hug embarks on a mission to preserve his forest home when he meets an axe-wielding woodsman. 

Werner Zimmermann, Scholastic Canada

Silly Henny Penny is hit on the head by an acorn, and chaos ensues as she tries to let the king know the sky must be falling.

Richardo Keens-Douglas, Annouchka Galouchko, Annick Press

Two friends learn that selfishness and greed aren’t rewarded, but that there’s richness in being kind. 

Annika Dunklee, Matthew Forsythe, Kids Can Press

Her name is Elizabeth, so please don’t call her Lizzy or Beth. And don’t even think about calling her Betsy. 

Loris Lesynski, Michael Martchenko, Annick Press

This book of cleverly written poems is primarily dedicated to feet and shoes, and all the wonderful places they take you. 

Aubrey Davis, Dušan Petriu010diu0107, Kids Can Press

Benny’s grandpa makes bagels that everyone loves. Benny decides to leave a bag of the doughy goods for God in the synagogue each week. But who’s actually eating them?

Richard Van Camp, Julie Flett, Orca Book Publishers

Lively drawings of parents and their child accompany sweet text about the joy a new baby brings. 

Jean Little, Geneviève Côté, North Winds Press

The best thing about a wish is that there are no limits, and this whimsical poem demonstrates just that. 

Read more: 26 best Canadian books for big kids 8 best Canadian books for babies and toddlers 35 best Canadian books for preschoolers