Interviews & Articles
Meet Artist Dawn Lo: Big-Hearted Magic
Read more: Meet Artist Dawn Lo: Big-Hearted Magic“Dawn aims to create works that are high-spirited and whimsical while retaining a certain degree of simplicity and humor. Most of her work is inspired by little, everyday moments and personal multicultural experiences.” I first encountered Dawn Lo’s artwork in the windows of the Marpole Library. I didn’t know her …
The Enchanting Emily Hughes
Read more: The Enchanting Emily HughesThe Bookmobile is an invitation—tender and mischievous all at once. When the Bookmobile transformed from vision to reality, its purpose was clear: it would be more than just a traveling bookshop. It would be an experience, a space that children would delight in visiting, a place they’d want to linger, …
Get Out and Read 2025
Read more: Get Out and Read 2025The most exciting summer reading program is back! Starts on July 7th and will run until September 1st, you can adventure and read at your own pace. Part reading program, part scavenger hunt– the most fun reading you’ll have all year. Locations to unlock:Granville IslandBoundary BayCentral ParkDeep CoveLighthouse ParkTerra Nova …
Dragon Books and Quotes
Read more: Dragon Books and Quotes“No, I would not want to live in a world without dragons, as I would not want to live in a world without magic, for that is a world without mystery, and that is a world without faith.”― R.A. Salvatore What would a world be like without dragons? When my …
Secret Society of Books – A Traveling Bookshop
Read more: Secret Society of Books – A Traveling Bookshop“you will begin to collect words yourself, and you will be grateful, as I am, to all the people who collect odd words and edit odd dictionaries, out of sheer astonishment and affection.”Alastair Reid I’m a children’s bookshop owner!It may have felt like I disappeared from the book world, but …
Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
Read more: Vancouver Comic Arts FestivalVancouver has a vibrant literary scene, and one of our favorite events is starting this weekend on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th at The Roundhouse Community Centre. The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival is a great place to meet some of your favorite children’s literature authors in person. Last …
Begin Again in 2024 with a message of hope
Read more: Begin Again in 2024 with a message of hopeTell me, what is it you plan to do With your one wild and precious life? —Mary Oliver From the wonderful mind of Oliver Jeffers, Begin Again is a thought provoking story about where our story began as humans and what may lie ahead of us in the future. “A …
How Does Santa Go Down The Chimney?- A Modern Classic
Read more: How Does Santa Go Down The Chimney?- A Modern ClassicMac Barnett and Jon Klassen attempt to answer the age-old question – how does the jolly man in red deliver presents? “Does he go head first?Or feet first?Or neither? Does Santa ever get stuck partway down and need one of his reindeer to give him a kick?Maybe Santa can turn …
The Skull by Jon Klassen- Introducing Kids to the Dark Side Since 2011
Read more: The Skull by Jon Klassen- Introducing Kids to the Dark Side Since 2011Perhaps we have lost why kids need to read in a push for what our kids should read.The why – is magic.A reader who doesn’t find magic in reading will never love to read. Enter Jon Klassen and The Skull, a beautifully illustrated adaptation of a Tyrolean folktale that takes …
Ruth Krauss: Exceptional Storyteller for Children
Read more: Ruth Krauss: Exceptional Storyteller for ChildrenAny vintage children’s book collector will have undoubtedly been on a hunt for books by the exceptional storyteller Ruth Krauss. “Everything Under a Mushroom” showcases Krauss’ wordplay and ability to capture children’s imaginative play.It’s the first of her books to adorn my collection, and I now have two copies. Both …
Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone – Sister Illustrators
Read more: Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone – Sister IllustratorsHunting for vintage books is a thrill because you never know what books you will unearth, like the delicate images and whimsical style of Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. Each book has enchanting woodland animals and dreamy landscapes.Immediately drawn to the vibrant colors, I knew I had stumbled upon something …
Crimson Twill: Witch in the City by Kallie George
Read more: Crimson Twill: Witch in the City by Kallie GeorgeTitle Crimson Twill: Witch in the CityAuthor Kallie GeorgeAge Recommendation 7-9Published by Penguin Random House Find it on: A bewitching chapter book perfect for the season. Crimson Twill is a unique young witch. She prefers polka dots and colour to black and a bow to adorn her pointy hat. Crimson …
Skunk and Badger series by Amy Timberlake
Read more: Skunk and Badger series by Amy TimberlakeTitle Skunk and Badger seriesAuthor Amy TimberlakeIllustrations Jon Klassen Age Recommendation 8-12Published by Algonquin “fastest way to win a kingdom is by being kind and gentle instead of using violence and cruelty.” Find it on: Skunk and Badger seriesIn the first book, Badger is happy living alone in his aunt’s …
Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte
Read more: Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotteCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
Read more: The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamilloCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Read more: The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly BarnhillCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera
Read more: Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela RiveraCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
Time is a Flower by Julie Morstad
Read more: Time is a Flower by Julie MorstadTime is a Flower by Julie Morstad is a beautiful book featuring the concept of time through many perspectives. Find it here and here.
Picture Books with Big Feelings
Read more: Picture Books with Big FeelingsThese last eighteen months have been a rollercoaster of emotions and I have ridden a few of them. Swept up in a terrible mood, tightness in your chest, a sadness that lingers longer than we want – these can be big yet normal feelings. Picture books can be a therapeutic …
Books for an Endless Summer
Read more: Books for an Endless SummerWe are soaking in all the summer we can and yes, summer does feel different this year. We want to catch sunsets, swim in the clear lakes with our eyes open, have chlorinated tea parties with friends, and late-night sticky smores’ with family. We want to fill our bellies with …
BC Yukon Bookmail with Julie Flett & Joy Kogawa
Read more: BC Yukon Bookmail with Julie Flett & Joy Kogawa“The handwriting in the letter was as even as waves along the beach, row on row of neat curls and dots, perfect pebbles and shells on an ordered shore.” ― Joy Kogawa A tree, a seed, a kind elderly friend, these things hold generations of stories. The anticipation and gift of …
The Rock From the Sky by Jon Klassen
Read more: The Rock From the Sky by Jon KlassenThe master of the side eye returns! At first sight, this turtle might look familiar but this one comes packing much attitude! Change of hat or different turtle, you decide. Which is one of the reasons we love Klassen books so much after all, isn’t it? The characters never tell …
World Read Aloud Day 2021
Read more: World Read Aloud Day 2021“If every parent understood the huge educational benefits and intense happiness brought about by reading aloud to their children, and if every parent- and every adult caring for a child-read aloud a minimum of three stories a day to the children in our lives, we could probably wipe out illiteracy …
2020 – The Year We Protected Childhood
Read more: 2020 – The Year We Protected Childhood“I think it is unnatural to think that there is such a thing as a blue-sky, white-clouded happy childhood for anybody. Childhood is a very, very tricky business of surviving it. Because if one thing goes wrong or anything goes wrong, and usually something goes wrong, then you are compromised …
Books to spread joy and cheer
Read more: Books to spread joy and cheer“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” – The Hobbit Breathing in the brisk air, the smell of pine as we walk through our front door, baking cookies, and twinkling lights – the holiday season is palpable. A …
Scary Stories to Share Together
Read more: Scary Stories to Share TogetherTelling scary stories is something people have done for thousands of years, for most of us like being scared in that way. Since there isn’t any danger, we think it is fun.” ― Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Reading on your own in the warmth of …
Banned Books
Read more: Banned BooksIt’s banned books week! Today looks different from when The Paper Bag Princess was challenged for being “anti-family”. The banned books in our home arrived because we love reading. Most are considered classics, and as I placed them together for this photo, I did notice the lack of representation. Another …
Frida Kahlo
Read more: Frida Kahlo“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she …
Share Mail – Stay Connected with Book Mail
Read more: Share Mail – Stay Connected with Book MailMake a new friend, discover a new book – stay connected through a love of stories. Books & Mail go together and have a powerful way of keeping us connected.As we begin a new school year with many children moving to online schooling, this is a fun way to stay …
Letter Volume 5: Shadow Makers
Read more: Letter Volume 5: Shadow MakersHello, Friends! You received your letter. To make some fun silhouettes for your shadow puppets, I suggest downloading these fonts! Animals click here Fairy Tales click here If you are new and have found this post- you can join the fun here.
Literary Moms to Inspire Your Mother’s Day
Read more: Literary Moms to Inspire Your Mother’s DayMothers come in all forms and while these inspirational ladies are from pages in books their unconditional love and imperfections remind us what motherhood is all about. I have included classic books with characters like Marmee, the gentle listener who isn’t afraid to admit her faults, or Marilla Cuthbert who …
Read & Eat- The Food Edition
Read more: Read & Eat- The Food EditionPresenting the Food Edition. Truthfully I don’t have editions but I’ve always wanted to say that. Switching it from Read & Make to inspire you with Read & Eat through these delicious picture books. image from Apple Cake A lot, but not all these books have real recipes you can …
Eat some cake and stay inside
Read more: Eat some cake and stay insideCheers to all the March and April birthdays! Two birthdays in our home will be celebrated under quarantine. This cake box is easy to make and fun to fill & gift! You could drop one off on door step, ring the bell and sing Happy Birthday from 6 feet away! …
We get you Cactus, we could all use a hug right now
Read more: We get you Cactus, we could all use a hug right nowToday’s Read + Make This fun and easy project requires no shopping as long as you have paint and cardboard. I’ve included a fun pattern that slips right into the other like a puzzle, feel free to change up the shape, get creative. Maybe it needs arms, it definitely needs …
King Mouse and the crowns of quarantine
Read more: King Mouse and the crowns of quarantineI’m optimistic friends. I live in the world of children, it’s impossible to not have hope. It’s strange to think there is a time when someone might come across this post and remember our time of quarantine. We did it because we cared about each other and we came together …