Canadian Books

Ruby is curious about her world and has big ideas about how it works. A delightful picture book celebration of science and creativity, and a welcome companion to Sara O'Leary's beloved This Is Sadie.

Ruby is a little girl with a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm that's too big to contain! Ruby is always busy -- she loves to make things, watch things grow and figure out how things work, with her dog Teddy by her side. And Ruby has lots of ideas about what she wants to be: maybe an animal conservationist? Or an archaeologist? She's great at excavating (i.e. digging holes). Or maybe an inventor? She's already invented a book with smells instead of words (so dogs can read it) and a time machine (the dinosaurs did have feathers after all, and the future is looking wild). This is Ruby, and this is her world.

Esther the fairy is back, to investigate the water cycle! From the award-winning author of The Most Magnificent Thing, for fans of Ada Twist, Scientist and Hidden Figures.

Esther the fairy doesn't believe in magic. But fairies are all about magic, despite Esther's best efforts to reveal the science of their world. This time around, though, she's got her fairy pals Clover and Fig, along with trusty sidekick Albert the bird, to help create a more science-oriented entry for their school's "Magic Fair" -- Pixieville's magical answer to a science fair, which has never gone well for Esther before. When the local pond disappears, Esther realizes this might be the perfect opportunity for a real experiment! It's up to Esther and her fairymates to ask questions, make hypotheses, do research and show their conclusions -- this time, all about the water cycle. But when everyone Esther knows believes that Jack Frost is responsible for ice and that moon sneezes cause evaporation, she'll have to learn that sometimes discovery is its own reward.

Solid, Liquid, Gassy (A Fairy Science Story) is the second book in Ashley Spires' hilarious picture book series about a charming, determined heroine who celebrates the joys of curiosity and wonder.

Team Canada is facing the United States in a must-win game at the Vancouver Olympics. The score is 2-1 for Canada, and then disaster strikes—with only 24 seconds left in the game, the US scores. The game is tied and goes into overtime. The team that scores the next goal will win the Olympic gold medal. Seven minutes into overtime, Sidney Crosby gets the puck and shoots . . .

Ideal for young hockey fans and future stars, this level-2 I Can Read book is perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

A radically different approach to social and environmental justice work for fans of adrienne maree brown and Bessel van der Kolk

Instead of thinking about social justice as a process that starts with changing people's minds, Embodied Activism understands our bodies--how we feel in them and relate to others through them--as the sites of transformation

How do ordinary people with busy lives leverage our actions in support of liberation, justice, and authentic connection? How can activists and social change-makers avoid burning out? How does the body factor into what our social movements miss? 

Drawing on the somatic arts, trauma-informed psychology, and anti-oppressive movements, Embodied Activism helps us explore and transform the political realities of our everyday lives in a new way: by harnessing the felt experience of our bodies as the sites of our activism.

Rae Johnson teaches us to listen to our body language--and to question body image norms. They show us how to reconnect to our sensual capacities, which we can lose sight of in a non-stop, nervous-system-hijacking world. They give us tools and exercises to nourish ourselves and protect our bodies, minds, and spirits from the toll that activism can take. And they teach us about nonverbal communication styles and how to connect with each other in joyful, authentic community.

Embodied Activism is written for embodiment professionals, community organizers, and all readers looking for new tools and perspectives for changing the world, one body at a time.

With 75 brilliantly colorful and trendy, health-focused recipes, Adeline Waugh, creator of the viral Instagram account @vibrantandpure, proves that eating for wellness is delicious, easy, and fun.

Vibrant and Pure is a 360 degree food experience for all your senses--the recipes are as nutritious and delicious as they are photogenic. From trendy pressed juices and nutrient packed smoothie bowls to delicious, filling mains like Chimichurri Baked Salmon, Creamy Coconut Bolognese, Pink Caesar Salad, and Roasted Cauliflower Tacos, these recipes encourage you to treat your body to more boosted nutrition with bright, tasty, whole food. Adeline's colorful Instagram feed is testament to the fact that "healthy" doesn't mean "boring." Once you learn how to eat holistically, you'll be able to take off the training wheels and tailor Adeline's tips and tricks to fit your lifestyle. Maybe you will create the next viral food sensation!

Joel and Dana’s journey into preserving began with an innocent lesson in making jam. Almost a decade later, WellPreserved.ca is an extraordinary resource for both beginners and experts alike. Their much-anticipated first cookbook showcases seven different preserving techniques—waterbath canning, pressure canning, dehydrating, fermenting, cellaring, salting & smoking, and infusing—and takes readers on a trip to the market in twenty-five ingredients. Within each ingredient chapter, you’ll find multiple preserving recipes using the different methods. From apples, pears, peaches and rhubarb, to asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and covering a variety of meat and fish,  Batch teaches you everything you need to know to get the most out of your kitchen.

With their signature approachable and fun style, Joel and Dana showcase techniques for a variety of skill levels, explain how to batch your recipes to make two preserves at once, give you multiple options for preserving in ten minutes or less, and serve up mouthwatering center-of-the-plate meals that take your preserves from the pantry to the table. With personal anecdotes, creative and incredible recipes, and beautiful photography and illustrations, Batch will show you how to incorporate preserving into your life and your community.

Alma's beautiful, hairy world is turned upside down by the arrival of a stranger. From the utterly original imagination of the author-illustrator of Ooko comes a story about celebrating differences and making new friends. For fans of Where the Wild Things Are and Wild.

Alma lives happily in her hairy world, where she can braid the trees, comb the grass, pet the roof and feed her plumpooshkie butterfly. Until one day . . . a hairless, button-nosed beast appears in the garden! At first Alma is scared but when she realizes the beast is lost and misses her hairless home, Alma offers to help her find her way back. As the two take a fantastical journey through the red-headed woods and the bearded mushroom glen to the beast's bald abode, they discover that they are much more alike than different.

This quirky and charming story about friendship, empathy and perspective invites readers into a surreal, fantastical world that evokes Alice in Wonderland, Where the Wild Things Are and The Lorax.

Young readers will enjoy a personal tour of one of Canada’s loveliest provinces. This charming board book explores Ontario's most iconic landmarks and famous attractions, including Niagara Falls, Ripley’s Aquarium, Parliament Hill and Buildings, Toronto Island Park, Lake Ontario, Saint Lawrence River, Rideau Canal National Historic Site, CN Tower, and more.

This book is part of the bestselling Good Night Our World series, which includes hundreds of titles exploring iconic locations and exciting, child-friendly themes.

Little ones will love exploring all the fascinating things Ontario has to offer.

From Peter Mansbridge, the beloved former anchor of CBC’s The National, and Mark Bulgutch, former CBC producer, comes a collection of first-person stories about remarkable Canadians who embody the values of our great nation—kindness, compassion, courage, and freedom—and inspire us to do the same.

In this timely and heartwarming volume of personal stories, Peter Mansbridge and former CBC producer Mark Bulgutch bring together inspiring Canadians from across the country, who in their own way, are making Canada a better place for all.

Hear Gitxsan activist Cindy Blackstock describe her childhood in northern British Columbia where she straddled two communities—Indigenous and non-Indigenous—and her subsequent fight for equitable health care for all children as the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. Meet Matt Devlin, the US broadcaster who found a new home in Canada when he got a job with the Toronto Raptors, and read how he helped calm the crowd when a gunman began shooting in Nathan Phillips Square after the team’s NBA championship win. From the young woman living with Crohn’s disease—and proudly modeling her ostomy bag—to the rabbi whose family fled Nazi Germany—and who now gives the benediction on Parliament Hill each Remembrance Day—Extraordinary Canadians celebrates the people who have overcome adversity and broken down barriers to champion the rights and freedoms of everyone who calls Canada home.

Featuring voices from all walks of life—advocates, politicians, doctors, veterans, immigrants, business leaders, and more—this collection gets to the heart of what it means to be Canadian. These stories will change the way you see your country and make you fall in love with Canada all over again.

About the Author: 

Peter Mansbridge is one of Canada’s most respected journalists. He is the former chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of The National, CBC’s flagship nightly newscast where he worked for thirty years reporting on national and international news stories such as federal elections, foreign conflicts, natural disasters, the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, the 2014 Parliament Hill shootings, and numerous Olympic Games. From 1999 to 2017, he hosted Mansbridge One on One, a weekly program featuring conversations with world leaders, music legends, and sports heroes. Mansbridge has received over a dozen national awards for broadcast excellence, including a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Canadian Screen and Television. He is a distinguished fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. He is the former two-term Chancellor of Mount Allison University. In 2008, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada—the country’s highest civilian honour—and in 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is the author of the instant #1 national bestseller, Extraordinary Canadians, and Peter Mansbridge One on One: Favourite Conversations and the Stories Behind Them. He lives in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter @PeterMansbridge, visit him at ThePeterMansbridge.com, or listen to his weekly podcast, The Bridge, wherever you find your podcasts.

Hours of word-hunting fun, perfect for puzzle lovers!

Searching for fun? You’ve found it right here! This collection of more than 120 word search puzzles is just right for grab-and-go play. Look up, look down and all around—puzzles start out easy and get trickier as you go. Challenge yourself with extra bonus riddles for even more fun, all in a package that’s just the right size to toss in a backpack!

Canada’s most successful celebrity chef shows us how to make fun, delicious, anything-but-dull slow cooker food!

Ricardo proves that the slow cooker is simply the most useful kitchen tool ever. It can cook virtually anything. This amazing collection of recipes, initially published in Slow Cooker Favourites and Slower Is Better, shows you the incredible versatility of this humble appliance. Recipes for the comforting (Lentil Stew with Poached Eggs; Flemish Carbonnade), the unconventional (cheesecake and crème brûlée) and the completely fabulous (Veal Cheeks with Figs; Apple and Mustard Ham) vie for your attention alongside tips for winter and summer entertaining, ideas for vegetarian meals, reimagined French classics like duck confit and cassoulet, special brunches and amazing desserts. Over 130 recipes, gorgeous photographs and a fun design make this a cookbook to treasure.

Economical, energy- and time-saving, easy to use and always ready when you are, the slow cooker, with Ricardo’s help, finally takes its place front and centre in your kitchen.

Bernice Meetoos will not be broken.

A big, beautiful Cree woman with a dark secret in her past, Bernice (”Birdie”) has left her home in northern Alberta to travel to Gibsons, B.C. She is on something of a vision quest, looking for family, for home, for understanding. She is also driven by the leftover teenaged desire to meet Pat Johns--Jesse from The Beachcombers--because he is, as she says, a working, healthy Indian man. Birdie heads for Molly’s Reach to find answers, but they are not the ones she expected.

With the arrival in Gibsons of her Auntie Val and her cousin Skinny Freda, Birdie begins to draw from her dreams the lessons she was never fully taught in life. Informed by the lore and knowledge of Cree traditions, Birdie is a darkly comic and moving first novel about the universal experience of recovering from tragedy. At heart, it is the story of an extraordinary woman who travels to the deepest part of herself to find the strength to face the past and to build a new life.

National Winner for Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2019 - Cocktails category

From Geoff Dillon, founder of Dillon's Small Batch Distillers and leader of the craft distilling movement, a collection of cocktails for every season and recipes for the perfect snacks to enjoy with them.

Grounded in a belief in using fresh ingredients, this must-have collection of cocktails offers impressive yet simple modern cocktails with an elegant vintage feel. The 100 recipes, divided by season, range from the classics, like a warm-weather Whisky Sour and a cool-weather Manhattan, to custom creations inspired by seasonal produce and local barkeeps. Imagine a glass filled with the fresh aroma of spring strawberries alongside the clean, crisp taste of lemon, with herbal notes of absinthe and a hint of rich sweetness from white port, then recreate this award-winning drink called the Royal Velvet at home. Quick and easy large batch recipes like Summer Sangria and Holiday Pomegranate Punch are sure to please a crowd, and snacks like Rosemary Maple Pecans, Roasted Cranberry Flatbreads, and Blackberry-Topped Brie will be the perfect complement to any cocktail.

Whether you're craving a Plum Sparkler to refresh you on a sticky summer afternoon, or a Hot Toddy recipe to enjoy by the fire on a cold winter night, this complete collection of cocktails has the perfect recipe for every occasion and every season.

An inspiring, life-affirming board book about Black heroes for little ones, their families, and anyone who loves A is for Activist and Antiracist Baby.