Monthly Highlights
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
February: Middle Grade
ABOUT THE KIDS BOOK OF BLACK HISTORY IN CANADA
An important and comprehensive exploration of 400 years of Black history in Canada.
This narrative journey through Black history in Canada begins with the arrival in 1604 of Mathieu Da Costa, the first known African in the country, and continues through the Black Lives Matter movement and the ongoing fight for social justice. A one-of-a-kind book, it contains inspiring and thought-provoking stories of the people involved in Canada’s legacy of slavery, the Black Loyalist and Exoduster movements, the Underground Railroad and the fight for civil rights. Separate from the chronological history, the book also examines key issues that have affected the lives of Black Canadians, including slavery, racism and prejudice, and representation.
The definitive children’s guide to Black history in Canada, this book is an essential update to the bestselling and award-winning The Kids Book of Black Canadian History, which was first published in 2003. With informative and engaging text, author Rosemary Sadlier honors the proud history of Black Canadians on every page. Sidebars with interesting facts, quotations and profiles of historical figures appear throughout the book, making this a perfect fit for social studies lessons on Canadian heritage and history. The back matter includes six pages of profiles of important Black figures in the arts, sciences, sports, politics and more, as well as a glossary of key terms and an index. Redesigned for a new generation of readers featuring Arden Taylor’s contemporary style using blocks of color and vivid illustrations, this book is a must-have resource for every classroom and library across the country.
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ABOUT THE CREATORS
Rosemary Sadlier is an author and the president of the Ontario Black History Society. She was instrumental in establishing Black History Month in Canada. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Arden Taylor is a freelance illustrator residing in Toronto, Ontario. She graduated Sheridan College with an Honours Bachelor of Illustration. She enjoys working with beautiful color palettes to create visually appealing, fun and sophisticated graphic illustrations of architecture, people, wallpaper, patterns and more. Her clients include Hazlitt Magazine and the California Institute of Technology. Arden’s work has been featured in magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns and websites. The Kids Book of Black History in Canada is her first book.
February: Picture Book
ABOUT A RAMADAN NIGHT
Celebrate the beginning of Ramadan with a young boy and his father in this nighttime sensory picture book that celebrates the wonder, excitement, and peace of the holiday!
The call for prayer hugs tight the sky of Damascus on the first night of Ramadan. As steps flutter to fill spaces in mosques, Sami sets out on a nighttime walk with Baba to answer his question: what does a Ramadan night feel like?
Through an evening full of sounds and sights and scents, Sami feels the celebration of community. He feels the connection and calm of prayer. He feels the delight of a late-night dessert. He feels the joy of generosity.
He feels…a Ramadan night.
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ABOUT THE CREATORS
Nadine Presley is a Syrian Canadian author who loves everything about Ramadan. Her earliest memories of Ramadan go back to her days in Damascus, where she joyfully awaited the month to begin. She now resides in Canada with her husband and three boys, working as a literacy educator. Passionate about anti-racism work and promoting pride in Arab Muslim heritage, she is also a speaker for children, youth, and adults. Her favorite things in the world are big hugs, kind words, and delicious Syrian food—especially during Ramadan.
Asma Enayeh, grew up in Damascus, Syria and is a full-time children’s book artist. She has illustrated several books including Olive and Charlotte, Swimming Toward a Dream, The Unbreakable Thread, and A Ramadan Night. Besides creating art for her next book, Asma enjoys crafting sweet treats in the kitchen and playing her sport of choice: tennis. She currently lives in Dubai with her husband, two daughters, and son.
January: Middle Grade
ABOUT I WON’T FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER
It’s the summer of 1989, and Mia is on her own—adjusting to life without her ex-best friend, Lara.
Summer vacation starts off well enough as Mia binges MuchMusic and learns how to jar fish with her aunty and uncle. Then her grandma starts feeling unwell. At first, Mia isn’t too worried, but when a call comes in from the clinic to say her grandmother has to go to the hospital in Vancouver, everyone realizes this is serious.
Mia and her mom and aunties head to the city to be by her grandmother’s side. Mia mostly ping-pongs from the hospital to the motel, but she also gets to see some of the city and eat (too much) takeout. She even joins a basketball camp at the Friendship Centre, where she meets a teen coach who inspires her to get back into the game she loves and delve deeper into what it means to be Indigenous. As time passes, Mia’s grandmother’s health doesn’t improve, and she has to face the fact that her beloved grandma might not get better.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Spencer is an award-winning, bestselling author. Her debut novel, Weird Rules to Follow, received a Kirkus starred review and was a 2023 Governor General’s Literary Award finalist. The book won multiple awards, including a 2023 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, a 2023 Jean Little First-Novel Award and a 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Award. It was also on the IBBY 2024 Honour List and the USBBY Outstanding International Books List in 2023. Kim is from the Gitxaała Nation and lives in northwest BC.
January: Picture Book
ABOUT LABRADOR SKIES
Hush my sweet one, close your eyes,
let me tell you a story of the Labrador skies.
This poem, written by Labrador Inuit author-illustrator Kayla Williams, takes readers on a lyrical journey through the skies of Labrador, showcasing all the beauty that makes “the Big Land” unique.
From snowmobiles gliding through silent forests to the snowy crunch of fur mukluks on the ice, the sights and sounds of Labrador are lovingly recreated for young readers.
This is our home of Labrador, the most beautiful place we could be!
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ABOUT THE CREATORS
Kayla Williams is a mixed Inuk artist, author, and designer from Goose Bay, Labrador. Her father’s family is Nunatsiavut Inuit, and her mother is Scottish/French. She spent many of her summers growing up on the coast of Labrador in Cartwright with her grandmother, connecting to her culture and learning how to live off the land. She writes and illustrates children’s books that celebrate Indigenous identity, ensuring young readers see themselves in stories. She also paints murals that reclaim Indigenous narratives and brighten public spaces in Labrador. Through her work, Kayla shares the beauty and resilience of Labrador’s people. When she’s not creating, she’s raising her two children and running her artistic business, Big Land Design.
Thamires Paredes lives and works as a freelance illustrator in Brazil and has a great passion for telling stories through her art. Her main focus is on editorial illustration, books, and advertising. She has a special love and affection for the universe of illustrations aimed at children and youth.