Interviews with these 50 Canadian illustrators and authors of books for children and young adults reveals information about their childhood, what motivates them to write and more. Also includes black-and-white photos and portraits.

Play the funniest game of hide and seek ever with Fergus, a bear who's very, very bad at hiding. The hilarious illustrator of I Don't Want to Be a Frog brings picture book fans a super-silly, interactive story that will have children giggling from start to finish. Follow huge, loveable Fergus and see all the many ways in which he is TERRIBLE at playing hide-and-seek, such as standing behind a VERY tiny tree ("Found you, Fergus! That was too easy!") or trying to camouflage in a giant crowd of bunnies and squirrels ("Try bears, Fergus. Bears!"). But wait! The game isn't over yet! The last two pages fold out into a giant panoramic look-and-find scene, where Fergus is well and truly hidden, and young readers can have fun looking for him and lots of other details in the the crowd. There are hours and hours of play value in this adorable book. Children will want to come back to it again and again. ★ Winner: Iowa Library Association Bridge to Reading Award, 2022 ★ Winner: Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2021 ★ Winner: Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award, 2022 ★ Nominee: Missouri Building Block Award, 2022

This poignant debut novel in verse is a portrait of healing, as a young girl rediscovers life and the soothing power of nature after being freed from her abusive father. For most of her life, Lacey has been a prisoner without even realizing it. Her dad rarely let her, her little sister, or her mama out of his sight. But their situation changes suddenly and dramatically the day her grandparents arrive to help them leave. It’s the beginning of a different kind of life for Lacey, and at first she has a hard time letting go of her dad’s rules. Gradually though, his hold on her lessens, and her days become filled with choices she’s never had before. Now Lacey can take pleasure in sketching the world as she sees it in her nature journal. And as she spends more time outside making things grow and creating good memories with family and friends, she feels her world opening up and blossoming into something new and exciting.

'. . . A VERY APPEALING ANIMAL STORY'-KIRKUS REVIEWS **Drawn and written by a 3-year-old Mensa prodigy** Long, long ago, there was a Great Big Lion. Tom and Lily were fascinated by him. They loved to hear him ROAR! But one day, the lion vanished without a trace. And so, off went Tom and Lily to find and bring back their friend, the Great Big Lion. Written by one of the youngest writers in the world, this board book will connect to your child and make them think about empathy, friendship, nature and conservation. Dive into this fun read that combines storytelling and learning through patterns and numbers.

An inquisitive fox sets off on a seafaring voyage with a crew of deer and pigeons in this enchanting tale of friendship and adventure. Marco the fox has a lot of questions, like: how deep does the sun go when it sinks into the sea? And why do birds have such lizardy feet? But none of the other foxes share his curiosity. So when a magnificent ship adorned with antlers and with a deer for a captain arrives at the dock looking for a crew, Marco volunteers, hoping to find foxes who are as inquisitive as he is that can answer his questions. The crew finds adventure and intrigue on their journey. And, at last, Marco finds the answer to his most important question of all: What's the best way to find a friend you can talk to?

The story of the beautiful relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. When she asks her grandfather how to say something in his language – Cree – he admits that his language was stolen from him when he was a boy. The little girl then sets out to help her grandfather find his language again. This sensitive and warmly illustrated picture book explores the intergenerational impact of the residential school system that separated young Indigenous children from their families. The story recognizes the pain of those whose culture and language were taken from them, how that pain is passed down, and how healing can also be shared.

A persevering penguin is determined to fly in this adorably inspiring Classic Board Book from the creator of Red Hat and Red Sled. Although little Penguin has the soul of an eagle, his body wasn’t built to soar. But Penguin has an irrepressible spirit, and he adamantly follows his dreams to flip, flap, fly! Even if he needs a little help with the technical parts, this penguin is ready to live on the wind.