Zoe and the Fawn by Catherine Jameson

“Zoe and her father are delighted to come across a fawn in the forest. But the fawn is alone-where is its mother? Join Zoe on her quest for the deer, as she encounters animals and learns their Okanagan (syilx) names along the way.

Repetition of phrased questions will enhance success for beginning readers while creating a playful rhythm for young listeners.

This sweet story is by Catherine Jameson, a mother who studied Children''s Fiction Writing at the En''owkin Centre''s Indigenous Creative Writing Graduate Program.” - from chapters.indigo.ca

Sometimes I Feel Like A Fox by Danielle Daniel

What animal do you feel most like? This picture book explores the Anishinaabe First Nation’s tradition of totem animals. These creatures can guide us and help us better understand ourselves and others.

Danielle Daniel is a Métis author who lives in the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnaabeg, (Sudbury, Ontario, Canada). Her first novel for kids, Forever Birchwood, is coming out in 2022.
What totem animal would you choose? Explain why that animal represents who you are.

Thao by Thao Lam

“Thao Lam has been creating pictures for as long as she can remember. For her, drawing has always felt as natural as breathing. She has an insatiable love for coloured and textured papers, which she uses to create her exuberant collages.

Passionate about children’s books, Thao is especially interested in visual storytelling. She draws inspiration from the stories she hears, from the beauty in everyday things, and from the work of the many illustrators she admires. As an art buyer for an educational publishing company, she has the opportunity to work with thousands of different artists from all around the world.

Since studying illustration for three years at Sheridan College in Toronto, Thao has developed her dual careers of illustrating and art buying. Her art works have appeared in publications such as Cricket and Highlight magazines. In 2008, she won the Highlights Five Pewter Plate award for verse illustration of the year. She has twice been chosen for the American Illustration Awards.” from Thaolam.com

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

In The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, a Korean girl arrives at school in North America. The kids at school struggle to say her name and start suggesting new names for her. In the end, she chooses to keep her own name.

Yangsook Choi grew up in Korea and now lives in New York. She is an author and illustrator and started telling stories at age four to try and scare her grandma!

Write down the story of how you got your name. Does your name have a meaning in a different language? Is it the same name as one of your ancestors? Why did your parents choose that name for you?

Ojichan's Gift by Chieri Uegaki

Ojichan's Gift explores the relationship between a grandfather, Ojichan, who lives in Japan and a grandaughter, Mayumi, who lives in North America. When Mayumi was born, Ojichan built a garden for her, one that they tend together every summer when Mayumi visits Japan. When Ojichan gets too old to care for both his home and garden, Mayumi hasto find a way to keep their tradition alive.

What is a responsibility you have that started at a very young age?

Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade by Lyla Lee

Mindy Kim is excited to celebrate Lunar New Year, and to share the event with one of her new friends! But things get a little bit complicated when she feels forced to choose between special traditions and new experiences.

Author Lyla Lee was born in South Korea, but lived in many areas of the United States. There are now 6 books in the heartwarming Mindy Kim Series.

What is a holiday that you celebrate? Does everyone you know celebrate it? If you were to share it with someone new, what would you want to tell them about it?

Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

Joanna Ho has written a brilliant book celebrating her Asian heritage, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners. The daughter of immigrants from Taiwan and China, Ho describes the book to Publishers Weekly as, "[not] just a story about physical appearances, but a story of how appearances are passed down and what they can represent: family, history, culture, relationships, love.” The text is poetic and empowering.

Write your own poem about what you love about your heritage.

Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou

“Maya Angelou, an inspirational American poet, crafted a poem from a child’s perspective about all the frightening things in her world. Although this poem showcases many things that frighten a child, the greater theme in this poem is that no matter the obstacles we face in life, we can overcome them. The repetition of “life doesn’t frighten me at all” reinforces that theme.” - from family friend poems

Words That Make Me Smile by Laura Mucha

Funny poem about sounds. Laura Mucha - in her own words - I’m an ex-lawyer turned award-winning poet, author and children’s advocate. Some of my writing is funny (or at least I hope it is…), but some is serious and addresses important things that aren’t always talked about. I often think about how we live and what we can do to make our lives, and the lives of others, a little bit better. My writing has won multiple international awards and been featured on TV, radio and public transport, as well as in hospitals, hospices, prisons, books, magazines and newspapers around the world, including virtually every newspaper in the UK. My books include Rita’s Rabbit, Dear Ugly Sisters, Being Me, and We Need to Talk About Love / Love Factually (which Richard Curtis describes as ‘much better and more useful than my film’). I’m currently working on several books for children and adults (due to be published by Walker, Nosy Crow, Bloomsbury and Audible). When not writing, I spend my time visiting schools around the world, teaching creative writing and working with organisations such as the such as the National Literacy Trust, Royal Society of Medicine and UNICEF to try to improve the lives of children.

Just one by Laura Mucha

For the love of poetry

I Opened a Book by Julia Donaldson

April 2 is International Children's Book Day, so what better way to celebrate both Poetry Month and International Book Day than by reading a poem about books? Read the poem "I Opened a Book" by Julia Donaldson. Then, think of one of your favourite books you've ever read. Can you write a poem about what it was like to enter into that book, that story, that world?

The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler and David Lee Csicsko

In The Skin You Live In, author Michael Tyler and illustrator David Lee Csicsko use powerful rhythms and rhymes to talk about the importance of loving ourselves no matter what we look like on the outside.

Imagine you woke up one day and discovered your skin had changed. Maybe it changed colour, texture, or thickness. Maybe it grew fur or scales! Write a story about what happens the day you have a new skin. How did others react? Did they treat you differently? Were you able to get your old skin back?

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung

Arree Chung’s book Mixed: A Colorful Story shows how beautiful it is when different colours mix together instead of staying apart. It reminds us how our world is happier and healthier when people from many different cultures can mix together in friendship.

Arree Chung is a Chinese-American author and artist. He has written many picture books and runs a company called Storyteller Academy, which helps other people become authors too!

Write a story about two very different people, animals, or objects who become friends in the end.

Magnificent Homespun Brown by Samara Cole Doyon

Samara Cole Doyon hails from Maine, descended from Haitian migrants to the United States. This beautiful poem articulates the author's hope that "all children [can] embrace and celebrate the many vibrant pieces of themselves". The poem is made even more moving through lovely, exuberant illustrations by Kaylani Juanita.
Prompt: With what colour do you most identify? Why? What does your favourite colour say about you?

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama

This book, written by Barack Obama, former president of the United States, recognizes significant Americans and their contributions to America's history. He speaks on how he sees their traits in his daughters and in the rest of the children of America as well.

What is a trait of a noteworthy person that you feel you have within yourself.

Plenty People Chasing One Ball by DK Osei-Yaw

DK Osei‐Yaw is an artist who romanticizes everyday life experiences and extrapolates their melodies into a multiplicity of art forms including poetry, theatre and music. He is a Ghanaian who uses his artistic self expression in a variety of ways to project everyday African life, especially taking inspiration from childhood influences of his upbringing and education in Ghana.

Write a poem about your favourite sport!

Of Bullies and Monsters (from Just Like Me) By Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was the first time she saw herself in a children’s book. It was a defining moment in her life, and has made her into the artist she is today. As an illustrator, Vanessa includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader. The children she draws can be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely across the page in an expression of happiness. Music is a constant celebration, no matter the occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations bring joy to others, with the same magic of a beautiful melody.

Can you write about things that scare you and how you will overcome this fear? Can you draw a picture of you taming scary things?

You Can Do It by Jabari Asim

An accomplished poet, playwright, and writer, Jabari Asim has been described as one of the most influential African American literary critics of his generation. Asim has served as the editor-in-chief of Crisis magazine—the NAACP’s flagship journal of politics, culture, and ideas— and as an editor at The Washington Post, where he wrote a syndicated column on politics, popular culture, and social issues. His writing has appeared in Essence, The Baffler, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, The New Republic, American Prospect, Yale Review, and elsewhere. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in Creative Arts and is the author of seven books for adults—including We Can’t Breathe: On Black Lives, White Lies, and the Art of Survival —and eleven books for children. His debut book of poems, Stop and Frisk, was published in 2020. His latest books for young readers’, Mighty Justice and My Baby Loves Valentine’s Day, will be released on December 15, 2020. Asim is currently an Elma Lewis Distinguished Fellow and Associate Professor at Emerson College. He is both the Graduate Program Director of the MFA Program in the Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing, and the Program Director for the James Baldwin Writers Colony.

Write a poem about what you want to do in your life.

From Far Away by Saoussan Askar

From Far Away is Saoussan Askar’s story of immigrating to Toronto as a child, fleeing civil war in Lebanon. The transition was new and scary, and Saoussan struggled at first with how different everything was. She even wanted to change her name to Susan, but her mother made her change it back. With the assistance of Robert Munsch, her story was first published when she was only in grade 5!

New beginnings – whether they are new classes, new places, or new people – can sometimes feel scary. Write about a time that you were nervous to try something new, but it ended up being great!

On the Pulse of Morning by Maya Angelou

This small part of the poem On the Pulse of Morning perfectly describes the start of the New Year. The first step is filled with all the promise and hope of what might be and we have the ability to pick a path and chart our destinations. Where do you hope this year will take you? How will you sculpt and shape your experiences?