FOLD Kids Book-of-the-Month

Each month, FOLD Kids highlights one picture book and one middle grade or young adult title by a marginalized Canadian author. You can find past years’ Book-of-the-Month picks at the bottom of this page.

Previous years’ FOLD Kids Book-of-the-Month picks

ABOUT THE DARK BECOMES HER

Ruby Chen has always played the part of the dutiful eldest daughter: excelling in school; excelling in piano lessons; excelling at keeping her younger sister, Tina, focused on extracurriculars meant to impress college admissions officers.

But when a ghost from the spirit world attacks Ruby in the middle of Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood, her life is plunged into a darkness that no amount of duty can free her from. Overnight, Ruby’s sister seems to change. There are strange noises coming from her bedroom at all hours; and the once sweet, funny Tina has been replaced by something dark and unnatural.

As Ruby races to save her sister from demonic possession, she is thrown into an ancient battle over the gateway to the underworld. On one side, a sinister traveling temple known for making dark wishes come true has returned to Chinatown after many years—intent on breaking down the gateway and unleashing the wickedness within. On the other side, the guardians determined to stop this encroaching evil

And in order to survive, Ruby must not only face the horror taking over her community, but must also confront the horror within herself.

Chinese and Taiwanese mythology get the Junji Ito treatment in this bone-chilling, propulsive story that takes the horrors of the Asian diaspora experience to a whole new level.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Book of Tea duology (A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet), was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist and still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughters.

ABOUT LEMMING’S FIRST CHRISTMAS

When Lemming overhears some children singing about Christmas, she can’t help but wonder about this new holiday. Qimmiq the sled dog knows all about Christmas. It’s the time of year when Santa brings presents to put under your tree!

But…what is a tree? There aren’t any trees where Lemming lives, in the treeless Arctic, so she decides to go on the hunt for a tree in order to have her very first Merry Christmas.

Filled with charming holiday illustrations featuring sweet Arctic animals, this book offers a warm and inviting new take on beloved Christmas traditions.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

An Inuk raised in Denendeh, Jamesie Fournier’s work has appeared in Inuit Art Quarterly, Red
Rising Magazine, Northern Public Affairs, and the anthology Coming Home: Stories from the
Northwest Territories. His brother, Zebede Tulugaq Evaluardjuk-Fournier, illustrated Jamesie’s last two
projects with Inuit Art Quarterly. Jamesie was the guest author at the 2018 and 2020 Northwords
Writers Festivals and a runner-up for the 2018 Sally Manning Award for Indigenous Creative Non-Fiction. He lives in Thebacha/Fort Smith between Salt River First Nation, Smith’s Landing First Nation,
and the South Slave Métis Nation.

Tim Mack cannot fly, run super fast, or swim like a fish, so instead he draws those things. Tim is a Canadian-born illustrator living in Vancouver, British Columbia. He enjoys playing with colours and shapes and never misses an opportunity to swim in the ocean, though he still wishes he could swim as well as a fish.

ABOUT THE GULF

Staring down the final days of high school, a group of friends run away from home in order to join a commune in this YA graphic novel for ages 14 and up. Stand by Me meets Catcher in the Rye by way of Skim.

Ever since Oli found a pamphlet for a remote island commune as a kid, it’s all she can think about. Now that she’s nearing the end of high school, feeling frustrated with the mounting pressure to choose a career and follow a path she has no interest in, the desire to escape it all has been steadily increasing.

Everything comes to a head when Oli’s relationship with her best friend goes south and she claps back at a school bully with more than just words. Oli flees to find the commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver, taking with her Milo, who can’t help but hide his feelings behind the safety of a video camera, and Alvin, a shy teen who sees more than he lets on. Behind them trails Liam, Oli’s ex-best-friend and sometimes love interest, who wants to apologize for the way things went down. All four are grappling with a world that cannot be changed . . . and simply trying to find their place in it.

This YA anti-coming-of-age road trip adventure, by talented up-and-coming comic artist Adam de Souza, captures at once the angst and humor of being a teen during a time of great transition.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam de Souza is a Canadian cartoonist and illustrator. He has been drawing comics for as long as he can remember and self-publishing his work for the better part of a decade. His ongoing comic strip “Blind Alley” was 2022’s recipient of the Cartoonist Studio Prize for web comics. Outside of comics, he has illustrated children’s books and worked for publications such as the Globe and Mail.

ABOUT IT’S OKAY, JUST ASK

An uplifting immigration story about tackling new experiences with curiosity

A little girl and her family are emigrating to a new country. As they say goodbye to their home and move to an unfamiliar place, the girl is full of questions: Will they ever return? What if she doesn’t make new friends? Why does she look different than the other kids? Her mother’s supportive refrain encourages her to voice her curiosity: It’s okay, just ask!

Sometimes the answers lead to exciting discoveries. Other times, the answers are unclear, or prompt even more questions. But each time the girl chooses to just ask, she learns more about her community and herself.

Partially based on the author’s own experience moving her family from the Philippines to Canada, this is a thoughtful, child-centered look at being a newcomer. While exploring the specific experience of immigrants, it also shares a more universal message about speaking up when uncertain or confused. It welcomes readers to ask questions when they’re unsure, and approach different people and places with an open mind.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Monique Leonardo Carlos is a homeschooling mom, a former classroom teacher, and a long-time collector of picture books. Born in the Philippines, Monique now lives with her husband, three children, and two dogs in beautiful Surrey, British Columbia.

Salini Perera has been making art for as long as she can remember. Now, she gets to make art for picture books—a lifelong dream come true. She was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Scarborough, Ontario. She lives in Toronto with her husband Michael and their three cats, Victoria, Albert, and Alice.

ABOUT DANICA DELA TORRE, CERTIFIED SLEUTH

Harriet the Spy meets Small Spaces in this heartfelt new paranormal mystery series for middle grade readers.

Danica and her partner Jack are Renley Crow’s best kid detectives. Well, they’re the only kid detectives . . . until Kennedy Fang moves to town. Kennedy’s convinced his new house is haunted, and he needs Jack and Danica’s help to figure out what’s going on. The only catch? Kennedy wants to solve the case with them. Danica’s not wild about working with her competition, but there’s a bigger problem: her tita has forbidden her from meddling with the spirit realm. Not that Danica believes in spirits. But when Kennedy shows her a box of letters addressed to all three kids—letters that start to fly around his attic—Danica knows she can’t turn down their biggest case yet. Even if it means uncovering scary truths about the world . . . and about herself.

Illustrations by Joanna Cacao.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mikaela Lucido is a Filipina-Canadian storyteller, fangirl, and amateur birdwatcher. She grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, and is the poetry editor of Savant-Garde literary magazine. Danica dela Torre, Certified Sleuth is her debut novel.

ABOUT MANDEEP’S CLOUDY DAYS

A beautiful picture book exploring how to cope with difficult and complex emotions when we’re away from the people we love.

Spending time with her dad makes Mandeep’s days shine. They have cha parties, perform Bhangra shows, and best of all, they write jokes together in her favorite unicorn journal. But when Dad starts a job as a truck driver, he starts being away from home most of the week. Without Dad, storm clouds start taking over Mandeep’s sunny days, casting a shadow on all the things she used to love doing. Can anything help Mandeep feel better?

The dynamic author-illustrator team behind the National Council Teachers of English Notable Children’s Book winner My Name Is Saajin Singh brings a new poignant story about father-daughter relationships, how we cope with being separated from our loved ones, and how to find glimpses of light in our days even when clouds threaten to settle in.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Kuljinder Kaur Brar is passionate about diverse representation in books and education. She is currently an elementary school teacher in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Her debut picture book was an NCTE Children’s Book List winner, a CCBC Best Books starred selection, short-listed for the Next Generation Indie Book Award, and received a Purple Dragonfly Book Award commendation. Spending time with her family and friends, nature walks, and anything milk chocolate brightens up her day.

Samrath Kaur is a queer, American-born Punjabi illustrator currently based in Boston, MA, USA. This is his second picture book collaboration with Kuljinder Kaur Brar.

ABOUT MISADVENTURES IN GHOSTHUNTING

Emma Wong is struggling to tell her parents about a lot of things. Getting a D on her math test, for one. Seeing ghosts, for another.

When a mysterious figure sets Emma’s family altar on fire, that’s one more secret to add to her list, which is growing perilously long. At the top of the list is the spectral ghosthunter named Henry, who has an attitude problem and a special loathing for Emma. Next, there’s Leon, a mild-mannered ghost guardian who is as flighty as the pigeon he often turns into. There’s Michelle, Emma’s ride-or-die bestie, whose curiosity about ghosts often eclipses her instinct for survival. And then there’s Chinese calligraphy—the magical kind. In the hands of a skilled ghosthunter, words and intention transform into magical protections. But in Emma’s shaky hands, it’s shiny and ineffective.

The most stunning secret, however, is that Emma’s sweet, plant-loving grandmother has the power to shank ghosts! What’s more, her grandma is an exorcist with a secret of her own. A secret that is haunting the Wongs from the Underworld.

The only way for Emma to save her loved ones is to tap into the Wong family’s ghosthunting history. Easier said than done, of course. Hungry ghosts are one thing, but Emma’s bad calligraphy may be what dooms them all!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Yue loves all things spooky, and she can be found obsessively researching ghost stories, local lore and cultural mythologies over bubble tea. Her work is informed by her experiences in the Chinese-Canadian diaspora community, her previous career in English as a Second Language education, and all her nerdy interests, from Asian dramas to gaming. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a BA in applied linguistics, and she views her writing, like many of her endeavours, as a way to connect to her roots.

ABOUT GETTING GLAM AT GRAM’S

A colourful and celebratory picture book that embraces all gender expressions through a fun family fashion show

Alex, a young person who identifies as non-binary, eagerly awaits Sunday dinner with all their cousins at Gram’s house. It’s not just the yummy treats that Alex looks forward to – Sunday is when they get glamorous! Everyone is welcome at this fun family gathering, where gender diversity and expression are showcased on a homemade runway. Gram’s wardrobe is bursting with styles from different decades, and the kids have a blast as they build their ensembles, becoming anything they can imagine. This playful fashion show is filled with so much joy that even an “uh-oh” is saved by love and understanding.

Getting Glam at Gram’s is a warm and loving book that champions diversity, gender expression, and learning to love yourself. You’ll be dreaming up outfits before you reach the last page. Whoever you are, get glam!

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Sara Weed (she/they) is a dynamic queer secondary-level science educator. From a young age, they have had a passion for the creative arts. She lives with her partner and their two kids in rural Ontario.

Erin Hawryluk (she/her) is an artist and designer with a background in classical animation. She has always loved storytelling and the magic of imagination. Seeing a special story come to life is what it’s all about. She lives in Ontario with her family.

ABOUT LITTLE SANCTUARY

Little Sanctuary is the story of children from the Global South living in a world that is falling apart, wracked by war. They are sent to a school serving as a refuge on a distant island by their affluent parents, where they harbour growing suspicions and grave concerns about the people caring for them. After teenaged Sabel and her siblings witness unexpected violence, they must rally the others rally the others and plot an escape.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Randy Boyagoda is a novelist and professor of English at the University of Toronto. His novels, which include Original Prin and Dante’s Indiana, have been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize. He lives in Toronto with his wife and four daughters. Little Sanctuary is his first novel for young readers.

ABOUT ALL I NEED TO BE

From spiritual activist, racial justice educator, and bestselling author Rachel Ricketts comes an inspiring picture book guiding children in heart-centered and mindfulness-based practices in the face of fear, anxiety, and racial injustice.

Hold on to what matters;
to joy
and being free.

When the world gets to be too much, we can always take a moment to look within ourselves for love, support, and healing. This lyrical mindfulness guide filled with an inspiring, positive self-esteem message helps young ones, especially Black and Brown children, feel big feelings and celebrate their whole being.

Includes a special author’s note and guide for caregivers to help little ones get embodied when their feelings get too big to handle.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Rachel Ricketts is a global liberation leader, Afrofuturist, alchemist, and author of Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting & Healing White Supremacy. Rachel supports beings of all ages learning about and practicing embodied justice to create a healed and liberated world for all, especially Black and Indigenous femmes and others made most marginalized. She loves donuts, dancing, disruption, and all things metaphysical (ideally all at once). All I Need to Be is her first book for children. Rachel currently lives in Toronto, Canada. Find her work at RachelRicketts.com.

Tiffany Rose is a teacher, world traveler, and the left-handed author/illustrator of M is for Melanin. She is also the illustrator of Abdul’s Story, All I Need to Be, and Hurry Kate, or You’ll Be Late. Tiffany is passionate about creating art and meaningful stories that reflect the everyday experiences of underrepresented voices in children’s literature. Tiffany currently lives and works in Shanghai, China. She’s a lover of coffee, wanderlust, massive curly afros, and children being their imaginative, quirky, free selves. Visit her at ASouthPawDraws.com.

Luana Horry is a writer and editor of children’s books. When not writing, you can find her stargazing or drinking lots of coffee. She lives in New Jersey.

ABOUT ROAD OF THE LOST

Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince, this gorgeous young adult fantasy follows a girl who discovers she’s spent her life under an enchantment hiding her true identity on her quest into the magical Otherworld to unlock her powers and discover her destiny.

Even the most powerful magic can’t hide a secret forever.

Croi is a brownie, glamoured to be invisible to humans. Her life in the Wilde Forest is ordinary and her magic is weak—until the day that her guardian gives Croi a book about magick from the Otherworld, the world of the Higher Fae. Croi wakes the next morning with something pulling at her core, summoning her to the Otherworld. It’s a spell she cannot control or break.

Forced to leave her home, Croi begins a journey full of surprises…and dangers. For Croi is not a brownie at all but another creature entirely, enchanted to forget her true heritage. As Croi ventures beyond the forest, her brownie glamour begins to shift and change. Who is she really, who is summoning her, and what do they want? Croi will need every ounce of her newfound magic and her courage as she travels a treacherous path to find her true self and the place in the Otherworld where she belongs.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nafiza Azad is a self-identified island girl. She has hurricanes in her blood and dreams of a time she can exist solely on mangoes and pineapple. Born in Lautoka, Fiji, she currently resides in British Columbia, Canada, where she reads too many books, watches too many K-dramas, and writes stories about girls taking over the world. Nafiza is the coeditor of the young adult anthology Writing in Color and author of The Candle and the Flame, which was nominated for the William C. Morris Award, The Wild Ones, and Road of the Lost. Learn more at NafizaAzad.com.

ABOUT MY MOM IS NOT A SUPERHERO

A little girl whose mother has Multiple Sclerosis discovers that some superheroes are fighting invisible battles. With the help of her cat and some X-ray glasses, she learns just how strong her mom is and how she can help her.

Darcie Naslund has been fighting a rollercoaster of a battle for many years. Finally, she decided to write this story to explain her invisible owies to her children. She fights for herself, but also for her family. This touching picture book explores the love of a mother and daughter who, together, can do (almost) anything.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Darcie Naslund holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education After-Degree from Concordia University of Edmonton. She is a certified Early Childhood Supervisor and a trustee for her local public library. She has worked as an elementary teacher and preschool teacher for several years and is currently a substitute teacher, which has given her the opportunity to continue working with kids, write, and be home with her own three young children. Darcie is a member of the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP), The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge. When she is not teaching, writing, or reading loads of books to her kids and herself, she can be found outside with her growing collection of farm animals.

Dania El Khatib is a graphic designer and illustrator born in Beirut and now based in Ottawa. Her illustration journey started with a summer job as a comic illustrator while she was majoring in Arts and Archaeology. From there, a beloved childhood hobby swiftly and unexpectedly developed into an exciting career!

She has since worked as a graphic designer with Lebanese and international NGOs and institutions and designed diversified print and digital material for numerous educational projects, awareness campaigns, and events. She has even been the art director of a Lebanese children magazine, collaborated with Lebanese and Arab publishers and authors, and illustrated and designed more than 35 children’s books.

ABOUT LOCKJAW

Death is neither the beginning nor the end for the children of Bridlington in this debut trans YA horror book for fans of Rory Power and Danielle Vega.

Chuck Warren died tragically at the old abandoned mill, but Paz Espino knows it was no accident — there’s a monster under the town, and she’s determined to kill it before anyone else gets hurt. She’ll need the help of her crew — inseparable friends, bound by a childhood pact stronger than diamonds, distance or death — to hunt it down. But she’s up against a greater force of evil than she ever could have imagined.

With shifting timeframes and multiple perspectives, Lockjaw is a small-town ghost story, where monsters living and dead haunt the streets, the homes and the minds of the inhabitants. For readers of Wilder Girls and The Haunted, this trans YA horror book by an incredible debut author will grab you and never let you go.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matteo L. Cerilli is a transmasc author and activist who helped found Students for Queer Liberation (Toronto) and works with the No Pride in Policing Coalition. He writes widely across genres and age categories. Lockjaw is his debut book.

ABOUT I AM A ROCK

Pauloosie loves his pet rock, Miki Rock. Pauloosie’s Anaana, his mother, tells him a bedtime story about what Miki Rock sees, hears, and feels in his Arctic home. As part of the land, Miki Rock sees char and beluga, listens to chirps and howls, and feels the snow and sun.

Through lyrical text and ethereal landscape illustrations by Pelin Turgut, readers are taken on an Arctic journey from the point of view of a most unlikely object—a child’s pet rock.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Ashley Qilavaq-Savard is an Inuk writer, artist, and emerging filmmaker born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is the author of Where the Sea Kuniks the Land, which is about decolonizing narratives, healing from intergenerational trauma, and love of the land and culture. She has published two short stories relating to her Inuit culture, “My Very First Ulu” with Nipiit magazine and “Miki and the Aqsarniit” with Chirp magazine. Since attending the Vancouver Film School, Ashley has led acting and storytelling workshops for children and youth with the Qaggiavuut Performing Arts Society and the Labrador Creative Arts Festival. Ashley also creates sealskin and beaded jewellery, and is a dedicated student of Inuktitut.

Pelin Turgut is an illustrator, born and raised in Turkey. She completed her undergraduate studies at Yeditepe University of Fine Arts, Faculty of Graphic Design. Since 2018, she has illustrated many children’s books. In fact, she wants to be a children’s book one day, when she grows up. Pelin loves what she does and she continues to work in her studio in Bodrum to make her dreams come true.

ABOUT MORTIFIED

For fans of Remarkably Ruby and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, comedy and cringe come together in this sweet novel about facing your fears.

It’s nothing short of a catastrophe when someone secretly signs up Belinda Houle, the school’s shyest kid, to audition for a play.

Belinda turns to Sally—her unflappable best friend and resident witch—for help. Belinda doesn’t believe in magic, but if Sally says she has a spell for confidence…well, it couldn’t hurt to try it. Could it?

What follows the spell is a series of disasters so disastrous they would have been funny—if only they weren’t happening to Belinda! From eating dog food, to losing her hair in a straightening mishap, to wrecking a mural and ending up with globs of paint on her head, things get worse and worse for Belinda until she must face the facts: One piece of bad luck can be explained away, but this? This is a straight-up curse!

Can she break the curse before the dreamy Ricky Daniels takes notice of her crooked wig?

More importantly, can Belinda battle the very thing she hoped the spell would take away: her embarrassment?

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Kristy Jackson is a communications professional and the mother of two boys. Her work draws inspiration from her Cree and German background and a long list of embarrassing moments of her own. Her short fiction has been published by CommuterLit, Kids Short Stories and Quick Brown Fox. Kristy Jackson runs a program that delivers books to children in seven remote Indigenous communities in Canada. She also volunteers for a non-profit dedicated to improving literacy in her community. Mortified is her debut novel.

Rhael McGregor is a Métis and two-spirit/queer comic artist based in Winnipeg. Since 2018, Rhael has been passionately telling stories in which they hope all readers can see themselves. Their work includes illustrations and stories published by Iron Circus Comics, Quindrie Press and Highwater Press, along with several self-published works. Rhael McGregor loves winter, sweet treats and doing beadwork for family and friends. 

ABOUT SOCCER SCARIES

Brandon pulled on his Blue Strikers soccer uniform. The smell of his grandma’s cooking floated up the stairs. Usually, his mouth would be watering by now, but not today. His tummy feels queasy. Today is the big game against the Warriors. And he’s the goalie …

Soccer Scaries explores the anxieties children face in sports, and reminds them of the importance of talking about their fears and learning to accept both setbacks and victories.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Sunshine Punzalan is based in Oakville, Ontario. She wears many hats! She is a mom to twin boys, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advocate, a Digital Content Creator and a Human Resources Leader. She is always on the go and loves sharing family adventures with her community. Sunshine is also using her voice to educate on DE&I to not only help raise her kids but to equip others to do the same.

Mike Deas’ love for illustrative storytelling comes from an early love of reading and drawing while growing up on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Capilano College’s Commercial Animation Program in Vancouver helped Mike fine tune his drawing skills and imagination. Work as a concept artist, texture artist and art lead in the video game industry took Mike to England and California. Mike lives with his family on sunny Salt Spring Island.

ABOUT AND THEN THERE WAS US

A mother’s death forces a teen girl to reevaluate their tumultuous relationship in this powerful coming-of-age novel for teens. For fans of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

After years of physical and verbal abuse from her mother, fourteen-year-old Coi moved in with her father, and together they created a peaceful life. But now, four years later, that peace is shattered when her mother dies.

While Coi struggles to find kindness in her heart for the woman who did nothing but hurt her, her mother’s passing does help reopen the door to her mother’s side of the family. It’s only through reconnecting with her estranged family members, especially her younger half-sister Kayla, that Coi’s long-held views about her mother are challenged.

And when Coi begins to see visions of her mother in her dreams, she is forced to ask herself what it means to forgive and be forgiven, and, most importantly, what it means to be family.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kern Carter is the author of Boys and Girls Screaming, along with two self-published novels, Thoughts of a Fractured Soul (novella) and Beauty Scars. In addition to his writing, Kern is a filmmaker and also teaches professional writing at a local college, committed to supporting emerging writers and helping them find their voice. He lives in Toronto.

ABOUT WE NEED EVERYONE

Everyone has a gift. Every gift is different, and every gift is special. Our world needs you to share your gift.

What is your gift? How can you use your gift to help others?

We Need Everyone empowers children to identify their gifts and use them to overcome challenges, achieve goals, and strengthen communities. Inspiring and uplifting, this interactive picture book celebrates diverse cultures, perspectives, and abilities through playful illustrations. Perfect for reading aloud.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Michael Redhead Champagne, born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, is an award-winning community organizer, public speaker, and a proud member of Shamattawa First Nation. Michael believes we all have a gift and shows youth the path to discover their own. He is solution oriented and passionate about building system literacy, encouraging volunteerism, and engaging communities to be involved in the design, delivery, and evaluation of any initiative that affects them.

Michael leads by example and travels across Canada sharing his gift with others. Whether he is speaking to educators, youth, the business community or the not-for-profit sector his goal is the same, to help heal, shape and create a call to action for everyone.

Tiff Bartel is an award-winning Viet-Canadian multimedia artist based in Winnipeg. Her body of work includes illustration, filmmaking, design, animation, music, sculpture, and more.

ABOUT CATFISH ROLLING

A debut young adult coming-of-age book with magic realism elements, Catfish Rolling is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films and Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap.

There’s a catfish under Japan, and when it rolls, the land rises and falls. At least, that’s what Sora was told after she lost her mother to an earthquake so powerful that it cracked time itself. Sora and her father are some of the few who still live near the most powerful of these “zones” — the places where time has been irrevocably sped up, or slowed down.

When high school ends, and her best friend leaves for university, Sora finds herself stuck and increasingly alone. She begins secretly conducting her own research, tracking down a time expert in Tokyo. She also feels increasingly conflicted in her quasi-romantic feelings for her best friend — and for the time expert’s assistant, a striking and confident girl named Maya, another hafu (half-Japanese, half-non) girl with whom Sora forms an instant bond.

But when Sora’s father disappears, she has no choice but to return home and venture deep into the abandoned time zones to find him, and perhaps the catfish itself . . .

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clara Kumagai is from Canada, Japan and Ireland. Her fiction and non-fiction for children and adults has been published in The Stinging Fly, The Irish Times, Banshee, Room, The Kyoto Journal and Cicada, among others. She is a recipient of a We Need Diverse Books Mentorship, and was a finalist for the 2020 Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award. Catfish Rolling is her debut novel.

ABOUT BUTTERFLY ON THE WIND

A magical picture book about a Deaf girl who creates a butterfly with Sign Language and sends it on a journey around the world.

On the day of the talent show, Aurora’s hands tremble. No matter how hard she tries to sign, her fingers stumble over one another and the words just won’t come. But as she’s about to give up, she spots a butterfly.

Using her hands to sign the ASL word for “butterfly,” Aurora sends a magical butterfly of her own into the world, inspiring Deaf people across the globe to add their own. The butterflies grow in numbers and strength as they circle back to Aurora, bolstering her with the love and support of her worldwide Deaf community.

Deaf picture book creators author Adam Pottle and artist Ziyue Chen combine powerful text and sweeping art into a moving story of resilience and self-belief.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Born Deaf and raised in a hearing family, Adam Pottle spent much of his childhood searching for magical portals and pretending to be Godzilla. He is an award-winning Canadian writer, with books in multiple genres, including the acclaimed memoir Voice and the adult novel The Bus. His groundbreaking fantasy play The Black Drum was performed to rave reviews in Canada and France and is the world’s first all-Deaf musical. He has a PhD in English Literature and has taught English and Creative Writing for nearly twenty years. When not writing, he is usually found at the boxing gym, the library, or the park with his goldendoodle Valkyrie.

Born deaf and raised in sunny island, Singapore, Ziyue Chen pronounced as Zzz yuair, lives with her husband and her two darling children. Her life goal has been to have an emotional connection with those who view her work. She loves visualizing stories through illustrations, working on mostly children’s books that resonate with her personal life experience.

ABOUT THE PROBABILITY OF EVERYTHING

A heart-wrenching middle grade debut about Kemi, an aspiring scientist who loves statistics and facts, as she navigates grief and loss at a moment when life as she knows it changes forever.

Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It’s how she understands the world and her place in it. Kemi knows her odds of being born were 1 in 5.5 trillion and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out.

But everything Kemi thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid hover in the sky, casting a purple haze over her world. Amplus-68 has an 84.7% chance of colliding with earth in four days, and with that collision, Kemi’s life as she knows it will end.

But over the course of the four days, even facts don’t feel true to Kemi anymore. The new town she moved to that was supposed to be “better for her family” isn’t very welcoming. And Amplus-68 is taking over her life, but others are still going to school and eating at their favorite diner like nothing has changed. Is Kemi the only one who feels like the world is ending?

With the days numbered, Kemi decides to put together a time capsule that will capture her family’s truth: how creative her mother is, how inquisitive her little sister can be, and how much Kemi’s whole world revolves around her father. But no time capsule can change the truth behind all of it, that Kemi must face the most inevitable and hardest part of life: saying goodbye.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Everett is the author of The Probability of Everything as well as several books for teens. Charlotte’s Web was the first book that ever made her cry, and while she despises spiders, she still has an abiding love of stories that move her. When she is not reading or writing, she is dreaming about summer, gearing up for her next travel adventure, perfecting her tree pose, or yodeling with her dog. She lives in western Canada.

ABOUT KHADIJA AND THE ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE EXPERIMENT

ABOUT ATANA AND THE FIREBIRD

A mermaid, a firebird, and a witch become entangled with the mysterious and powerful Witch Queen, who may hold the key to each of their past in this epic middle grade fantasy by debut author Vivian Zhou.

Atana’s island may be quiet and peaceful, but mostly, it’s lonely. With the outside world full of magic hunters who would stop at nothing to capture a mermaid like her, Atana has never been brave enough to swim far from her island’s shores and seek the answers to her mysterious past—until a firebird named Ren unexpectedly crashes into her life.

Ren’s arrival does not go unnoticed, as it has been hundreds of years since a firebird last landed on Earth. Determined to both protect Ren and finally chase the answers she’s longed for, Atana embarks on an adventure that takes her and the firebird to strange new islands and entangles them with the powerful yet secretive Witch Queen.

Generous though the Witch Queen’s offer of protection may be, an invitation to the Blue Palace can’t come without a price. And while the Palace’s splendid halls and library might hold the key to Atana’s past, will she be willing to pay the cost when it risks her chance of a bright new future?

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ABOUT THE CREATOR

Vivian Zhou is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Bachelor of Animation program. After working on a multitude of animated shows and award winning short films as storyboard artist and occasionally director, she is now following her dream of creating her own comic. Her short comics can be found printed in anthologies and zines. She currently resides in Nova Scotia, Canada, where she can be found trying to draw with squid ink. Visit her online at vivianzhou.ca.

ABOUT WHEN I WRAP MY HAIR

In the vein of I Am Enough and Hold Them Close, this inspiring and beautiful picture book celebrates how hair wrapping ties together past and present.

When I wrap,

my roots run deep.

As deep as an African marketplace

or a city sidewalk

or the stories between them.

With lyrical text by acclaimed author Shauntay Grant and vibrant illustrations by Jenin Mohammed, When I Wrap My Hair is both an act of joyful recognition and a demonstration of how knowledge is passed through generations.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Shauntay Grant is an author, poet, playwright, and multidisciplinary artist. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and is an associate professor of creative writing at Dalhousie University. A former poet laureate for the city of Halifax, her honors include a Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, a Joseph S. Stauffer Prize, and a Poet of Honour prize from the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. Learn more about her at shauntaygrant.com.

Jenin Mohammed, winner of the 2020 Summer Spectacular Illustration Grand Prize, is the illustrator of the picture books Naming Ceremony, Song in the City, Super Mom, and All the Places We Call Home. She also draws the slice-of-life comic Knot Write Now. She lives in Florida. You can find her online at jeninmohammed.com.