2026 Governor General's Literary Awards: Winners announced

 

Last month, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for its highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards. Of the seven categories of books, which are presented for both French and English titles, two categories are specific for books for young people, one for text and one for illustration. On November 12, 2026, the winners of these awards were announced.

Hearty congratulations to all winners 

of this year's Governor General's Literary Awards.

WINNER
English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Touching Grass
Written by Kristy Jackson

Illustrated by Rhael McGregor 
HarperCollins Canada

 

 

 

 WINNER

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

Aggie and the Ghost
Written and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Simon & Schuster 

 

 

WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Comment convaincre un fantôme de déménager
Écrit par Maude Ménard-Dunn
Illustré par Sophie Bédard
Éditions Québec Amérique 

 WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

À l’enVERRE
Écrit et illustré par Orbie
Éditions Les 400 coups   

  

• • • • • • •

 

The announcement of this year's winners is posted at the Canada Council for the Arts website.

 

 

Tuutarjuk: The Spirit of String Figures

Written by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher

Edited by Jaypeelee Arnakak 

Illustrated by Kagan McLeod

Inhabit Media 

978-1-77227-664-0

40 pp.

Ages 9–13

September 2026 

 

While few children could relate to an obsessive passion for string games, they may recognize those activities in which they engage excessively according to their parents and teachers. As such, the story of an Inuit girl who does not heed the lessons of her grandmother and the instruction of her mother is a true cautionary tale of spending too much time on one activity. 

Illustration by Kagan McLeod from Tuutarjuk: The Spirit of String Figures, written by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher

In Tuutarjuk: The Spirit of String Figures, told in both Inuktitut and English, two sisters, Nyla and Sima, spend much of their time at their Baffin Island outpost camp challenging each other at string games. Though both had learned how to create animal forms with the strings from their Nanngaaq (grandmother), Nyla, the older sister, is the more experienced and often wins these competitions. Unfortunately, she has also become too proud of her skills.

 

When the girls' play begins to keep them from helping the family out, their mother, Maata, and grandmother try to rein them in. Nanngaaq tells them the story of Tuutarjuk, the spirit of string figures, who would come and challenge those children who were playing instead of sleeping. If Tuutarjuk won, he would take the children away and was rumoured to eat them. Sima heeds her grandmother's warning, but Nyla disregards her story, until her Maata stops her from playing for a few days. 

Illustration by Kagan McLeod from Tuutarjuk: The Spirit of String Figures, written by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher

But Nyla is both angry and determined to play. That night when everyone is asleep, Nyla awakens and practises the string figures she'd dreamed about creating. And, just as Nanngaaq warned, Tuutarjuk appears and challenges her to a game. Each would create a string figure that the other has to recreate quickly. If she cannot replicate his creations, he would take her.

Illustration by Kagan McLeod from Tuutarjuk: The Spirit of String Figures, written by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher

Though she is frightened, Nyla matches Tuutarjuk's string figures. But it becomes more and more challenging as Nyla cannot see how he creates elaborate string animals. (He has more fingers than she and he works so quickly.) Will her skill keep her safe, or will Tuutarjuk, the spirit of string figures, be victorious and collect his reward?

 

The idea that losing a game could cost you your life is frightening, but it is very much a metaphor for those who succumb to the temptations of obsessive behaviours, whether it be gambling, drugs, or overuse of digital media. Those who cannot break free of their destructive habits do lose parts of their lives, whether it be respect, love, finances, or health. Nyla's arrogance keeps her from giving her elders the due they have earned and from heeding their wisdom. They only want to keep her safe, but she sees it as control. Tuutarjuk may be a mythological creature, but he was created to help guide children's behaviour and to explain that which may not be explained, such as children disappearing. So Louise Flaherty (author of The Gnawer of Rocks, illustrated by Jim Nelson, Inhabit Media, 2017) and Neil Christopher (author of Those That Cause Fear, illustrated by Germaine Arnaktauyok, Inhabit Media, 2016) have given us a tale that connects the Inuit community to their culture and ancestry but also provides a moral lesson about obsession, arrogance, and respect. 

 

Kagan McLeod, a Toronto illustrator of comics and for newspapers and magazines, keeps all the right elements for an Inuit legend. Kagan McLeod takes us into an Inuit qarmaq (sod house) in winter in which the women and children spend much of their time by creating an organic environment of a qulliq lamp, stone walls, and parkas. His choice of colours, all warm browns and greys, gives us warmth and is offset well with the darkness that Tuutarjuk brings.

 

I know that many children do not know the pleasure of string games, especially now that tech is so prominent in their lives. But perhaps a reading of Tuutarjuk: The Spirit of String Figures will pique their curiosity, though not to the extent that the game becomes a distraction from real life responsibilities. If it does, this book is a reminder that listening to one's elders is essential, especially when they warn you about doing too much of something because they know the detriment it can cause to relationships and to other responsibilities. 

Meet Rosemarie Kuptana (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Written by Elizabeth MacLeod

Illustrated by Mike Deas

Scholastic Canada

978-1-0397-0787-0

32 pp.

Ages 6–9

November 2026

 

Rosemarie Esther Kudlak Kuptana, born in 1954, lived a traditional Inuit life with her family. She was born in an igloo on the Prince of Wales Strait as her family hunted seal. When they moved to Ikaahuk on Banks Island, they continued sharing traditional knowledge and speaking Inuinnaqtun. 

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

 But when Rosemarie was eight, she was taken to a residential school where she was forced to speak English and could not speak Inuinnaqtun when she went home for summers. It wasn't until she was 18 that she worked to relearn her language.  

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

As an adult, Rosemarie worked in the service of others, such as on the settlement council in Ikaahuk, as a nanny, and in putting on the Northern Games. But, hosting a radio show for the CBC Northern Service gave her an important chance to help bring news and opportunities, including hearing their own languages, to her community. That led to a move to television and establishment of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, known as APTN. 

 

Always determined to protect and promote Inuit ways of life, Rosemarie worked with the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) and volunteered with the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC). She and other Inuit leaders were determined to help the Inuit establish their own territory. In 1999, the territory of Nunavut was created.

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

But Rosemarie's activism for the Inuit and her community did not stop there. She's rallied against climate change, emphasizing the need for traditional Inuit knowledge to work with modern science. She helped residential school survivors get some compensation. Along with others, she helped get Inuit languages and their dialects taught in schools.

 

As a child, Rosemarie had decisions thrust upon her, separated from her family, losing her familial language, having her hair cut, and more. As an adult, she worked hard to bring decision-making back to the Inuit. She helped them get their own territory, their right to govern, their languages back, and to help fight climate change. Elizabeth MacLeod shows us an extraordinary woman who relentlessly managed to reinvigorate traditional practices of the Inuit and move them forward in establishing their rights to land, languages and traditions. Elizabeth MacLeod's words impress upon readers the outstanding accomplishments of Rosemarie Kuptana, always emphasizing the breadth of her work and her determination to work for the Inuit.

Illustration by Mike Deas from Meet Rosemarie Kuptana, written by Elizabeth MacLeod

Illustrator Mike Deas takes the reader easily from northern territories of snow and ice, of northern lights and of traditional Inuit communities, to studios, conference halls, and activist organizations. Rosemarie Kuptana goes from a child of the land to an advocate of the Inuit people. And Mike Deas's illustrations blend the use of digital tools with gouache, watercolours, and ink to tell Rosemarie Kuptana's story completely. A  story of residential school and of struggles that the Inuit faced for self-determination could be heavy, but Mike Deas stresses the accomplishments and lifts the story to one of tribute, just as Elizabeth MacLeod's words do.

 

Meet Rosemarie Kuptana is the newest addition to the Scholastic Canada Biography series, and it's a stellar one for its historical and social significance. Thanks to Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas, I now know Rosemarie Kuptana's story, and I'll be looking deeper into her life, knowing that a woman such as her will always be looking to do good and honour the traditions of her people. 

 

 • • • • • • •

 

Scholastic Canada Biography

 

Meet Viola Desmond (2018)
Meet Chris Hadfield (2018)
Meet Tom Longboat (2019)
Meet Elsie MacGill (2019)
Meet Willie O'Ree (2020)
Meet Terry Fox (2020)
Meet Thérèse Casgrain (2021)
Meet David Suzuki (2021)
Meet Mary Ann Shadd (2022)
Meet J. Armand Bombardier (2022)
Meet Buffy Sainte-Marie (2023)
Meet Clara Hughes (2024)

Meet Jim Egan (2024) 
Meet Frederick Banting (2025) 

Meet Rosemarie Kuptana (2026) 

Hello, Beautiful Animal

Written by Lauren Soloy

Illustrated by Janie Hao

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1433-9

32 pp.

Ages 3–7

October 2026 

 

There are countless days in the calendar that recognize pets and animals, whether to walk them, to honour those who have passed, or to love them. October is an especially important month as October 4 is recognized as World Pet Day and World Animal Day. That day would be well served by a reading of Lauren Soloy and Janie Hao's Hello, Beautiful Animal, a picture book that reminds us of how we should treat all the animals with kindness and appreciation. 

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

Lauren Soloy begins by reminding young readers that all animals are amazing and should be treated well. That could include getting them medical care, showing them affection and attention, grooming them, feeding them good food, giving them opportunities for fresh air and exercise, and keeping them happy. Being a responsible caregiver to an animal is filled with joys and requires much from us, not the least of which is kindness.

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

Illustrator Janie Hao shows us a variety of animals, from pets like a dog and a cat and a lizard, but also animals in the wild like fish, otters, birds, and apes. The stars of Hello, Beautiful Animal are the family Corgi and orange tabby upon which two children shower much attention and love.

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

I have reviewed books both by Lauren Soloy, who wrote and illustrated Every Leaf on Every Tree (Nimbus Publishing, 2025), and by Janie Hao (Mad at Dad, Kids Can Press, 2024), and I am surprised by how distinct this story from their earlier works. Lauren Soloy, who has illustrated for others (e.g., A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis by Kathy Stinson) as well as authored and illustrated her own stories diverges with Hello, Beautiful Animal by not illustrating it. Instead, she focuses on sharing positive messages about being an animal caregiver, instructing young readers what it takes to be compassionate and responsible towards animals, domestic and others. 

Illustration by Janie Hao from Hello, Beautiful Animal, written by Lauren Soloy

Janie Hao's digital illustrations let us see animals both as foci in our lives as well as a part of the larger world. Whether watching a Corgi howl for food or depicting a world of animals of land, sky, and water, Janie Hao takes us into their worlds. It may also be our world, but through the use of perspective, Janie Hao's colourful art depicts them as they see, feel, and are.

 

Hello, Beautiful Animal has all the charm of a storied picture book, but it is actually an engaging guide to help children understand our responsibilities to animals so that we can keep their lives fulfilling, just as they enrich ours.

Red Cedar and Salmonberry Book Awards: 2026/2027 Nominees announced

Readers' choice awards are a very special kind of book award. There are juries or selection committees that chose nominees or shortlists, but it's young readers who choose the winners. In British Columbia, the readers' choice awards are the Red Cedar Book Award, and now also the Salmonberry Book Award. As 2027 is the 30th Anniversary of the creation of B.C.’s Red Cedar Book Award which was designed to award books of fiction and non-fiction for readers in Grades 5–7. To celebrate this anniversary, they've expanded their awards to include an award for book aimed at younger readers, those in Grades 3–5. It's named the Salmonberry Book Award and has its own new logo.

 

 

Red Cedar Book Award for Fiction

Way Off Track    

Written by Carl Brundtland  

Illustrated by Claudia Dávila  

Kids Can Press

Saving Wolfgang

Written by Gregor Craigie    

Orca Book Publishers

Maggie Lou Meets Her Match    

Written by Arnolda Dufour Bowes    

Groundwood Books

 

Go

Written by Deborah Ellis    

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here 

 

Robot Island    

Written by Cary Fagan    

Tundra Books

 

Briarwood    

Written by Natalie Hyde    

DCB Young Readers

Reviewed here 

 

Touching Grass    

Written by Kristy Jackson  

Illustrated by Rhael McGregor  

HarperCollins

 

The City of Lost Cats    

Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi    

Tundra Books

 

The Setback    

Written by Lynn Leitch    

Pajama Press

 

No Purchase Necessary    

Written by Maria Marianayagam    

HarperCollins

Reviewed here
    

The Anxious Exile of Sara Salt    

Written by Gabrielle Prendergast    

Orca Book Publishers

The Book of Jupiter    

Written by Robin Stevenson    

Kids Can Press

Reviewed here 

 

Time Surfers 

Written and illustrated by Kevin Sylvester

HarperCollins 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Cedar Book Award for Information 

Bison: Community Builders and Grassland Caretakers    

Written by Frances Backhouse    

Orca Book Publishers
    

Green Cities: How Green Infrastructure Helps Urban Centers Thrive

Written by Sheila Boudreau  

Illustrated by Katie Dockrill  

Owlkids Books
    

Sticking to the Facts: 10 ways to Fight Misinformation    

Written by Gregor Craigie 

Illustrated by Bithi Sutradhar   

Orca Book Publishers
    

The Sustainable School: A Journey Through Time and Energy    

Written by Erica Fyvie

Illustrated by Scot Ritchie    

Kids Can Press

Reviewed here
    

Feeling Your Feelings: The Head-to-Toe Science of Emotions    

Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi  

Illustrated by Phil Nicholls   

Kids Can Press
    

Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep    

Written by Mark Leiren-Young    

Orca Book Publishers
    

All About Us: 20 True Tales of Courage and Disability    

Written by Hannalora Leavitt 

Illustrated by Stef Wong   

Orca Book Publishers
    

Why Communities Need Engineers: Helping Humans Live Together    Written by Helen Liang   

Illustrated by Arden Taylor 

Orca Book Publishers
    

Making a Splash: How Humans Consume, Control and Care for Water 

Written by Colleen Nelson 

Illustrated by Sophie Dubé   

Orca Book Publishers
    

Microbes to the Rescue: Using Bacteria, Algae and Fungi to Clean Up the Planet    

Written by Yolanda Ridge    

Orca Book Publishers
    

You Were Made For This World: Celebrated Indigenous Voices Speak to Young People    

Edited by Stephanie Sinclair and Sara Sinclair    

Tundra Books
    

Soccerology: Unbelievable Facts and Stories about the Beautiful Game  

Written and illustrated by Kevin Sylvester    

Annick Press

Reviewed here
    

Never Silent: A Hiroshima Survivor’s Story    

Written by Setsuko Thurlow and Kathy Lowinger   

Illustrated by Michelle Theodore 

Annick Press

Reviewed here 

 

 

 

Salmonberry Book Award

Julia on the Go!: The Big Splash    

Written by Angela Ahn 

Illustrated by Julie Kim    

Tundra Books

 

Two Tricksters Find Friendship    

Written by Johnny Aitken and Jess Willows

Illustrated by Alyssa Koski    

Orca Book Publishers
    

One Goal: How Soccer can Save the Planet    

Written by Heather Camlot

Illustrated by Drew Shannon    

Groundwood Books

 

Star Sailor, the Story of Words    

Written by Sara Cassidy

Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin    

Orca Book Publishers

Reviewed here 

 

Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge    

Written by Dian Day

Illustrated by Amanda White    

Second Story Press

 

Howler Reef (Sueño Bay Adventures)    

Written by Nancy Deas

Illustrated by Mike Deas    

Orca Book Publishers

 

The Cedar Mother (Mothers of Xsan)    

Written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw

Illustrated by Natasha Donovan    

Highwater Press

Reviewed here 

 

The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands    

Written by Deborah Hodge

Illustrated by Karen Reczuch    

Groundwood Books

 

The Land Knows Me: A Nature Walk Exploring Indigenous Wisdom

Written by Leigh Joseph 

Illustrated by Natalie Schnitter    

becker&mayer! kids

 

How to Save a Library    

Written by Colleen Nelson    

Pajama Press

 

The Man in Motion: How Rick Hansen’s World Tour Helped Break Down Barriers for People with Disabilities

Written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson with Rick Hansen 

Illustrated by Emma Fitzgerald    

Owlkids Books

Reviewed here  

 

Shirley: An Indian Residential School Story    

Written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson with Shirley (Fletcher) Horn  

Second Story Press

Reviewed here 

 

One Beaded Earring    

Written by Pat Lamondin Skene

Illustrated by Natalie Laurin    

Orca Book Publishers

 

Springtime in Kitkatla    

Written by Kim Spencer

Illustrated by Karlene Harvey    

Orca Book Publishers

 

The Three Wolves    

Written by Eric Walters

Illustrated by Olga Barinova 

Orca Book Publishers