2026 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picture Book of the Year Award: Shortlist announced

Logo of the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable

The Vancouver Children's Roundtable (VCLR) is an organization that promotes Canadian children's literature with events, awards, and more. One of its awards is the Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picture Book of the Year Award which was first granted in 2021 and which was named for the late Sheila Barry, the esteemed Groundwood publisher and editor. The $2500 cash award is given to an English-language picture book written by a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and published by a Canadian publisher. The winner will be announced in late August.

 

Here are the titles of exceptional picture books shortlisted for this year's Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picture Book of the Year Award: 

 

Head Full of Clouds

Written by Joanne Schwartz
Illustrated by Afsaneh Sanei
Tundra Books
978-1774881613
40 pp.
Ages 4–7

 2025

 

A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests

Written by Caroline Adderson
Illustrated by Lauren Tamaki
Groundwood Books
978-1-773068930
32 pp.
Ages 3–7

2025

Reviewed here 

 

Little Shoes

Written by David A. Robertson
Illustrated by Maya McKibbin
Tundra Books
978-1-77488-172-9
48 pp.
Ages 3–7

2025 

Reviewed here

 

The One About the Blackbird 

Written by Melanie Florence
Illustrated by Matt James
Tundra Books
978-1-774882665
40 pp.
Ages 4–8

2025  

Reviewed here 

 

The Old Man, the Boy, and the Dog: An Inuit Retelling of an Aesop's Fable

Written by Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason 

Illustrated by Vienno (Vinicius Xavier)

Inhabit Media

978-1772276411 

28 pp.

Ages 6–8

June, 2026 

 

When Aesop wrote his fable titled "The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey," he wouldn't have been writing about a northern setting such as Nunavut, the home of author Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason (though perhaps more like the home of Brazilian illustrator Vienno). By adapting one of Aesop's fables to a northern landscape, Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason is able to teach an important moral lesson in a fresh and northernly way.

Illustration by Vienno from The Old Man, the Boy, and the Dog, written by Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason

Anguti is a boy who helps his grandfather, Ittuq, raise sled dogs. When Anguti's aunt needs a dog to help her with her work, they select one of their most promising sled dogs, hitch him to a small qamutiik (sled) and head off to deliver the animal.

Illustration by Vienno from The Old Man, the Boy, and the Dog, written by Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason

But, as proud as Anguti is of this strong and clever animal, he listens to others they pass who all have something to say. First, a man building an iglu questions why the dog isn't pulling anyone on the sled. When Anguti gets on the sled, two women comment that the older grandfather shouldn't be walking while Anguti sits. So, at Anguti's urging, his grandfather gets on the qamutiik instead. Of course, someone has another opinion about the dog and how much it can pull, and Anguti gives in again. His grandfather has some wise words about not being able to please everyone—“Grandson,” said Ittuq, “when you try to please everyone, you please no one.” (pg. 13)—which is a lesson his grandson learns too late.

Illustration by Vienno from The Old Man, the Boy, and the Dog, written by Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason

As with all Aesop's Fables, Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason wraps an important message in the story. It doesn't matter whether the story is told in Ancient Greece, in Nunavut, or in Toronto, because everyone knows how common it is to have others impose their opinions on us and for us to want to please them. Often we trust others before that which we already know to be true. (Anguti knew the dog was smart and strong but continued to feel the need to prove it to others.) But, by setting the story in Nunavut, Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason speaks to those children for whom the Arctic is home and familiarizes others with its landscape and its people. 

Illustration by Vienno from The Old Man, the Boy, and the Dog, written by Kevin Kaukuarjuk Qamaniq-Mason

Illustrator Vienno (a.k.a. Vinicius Xavier) puts the reader directly into that wintery landscape of snow and cold. But, even more so, he puts us into an Indigenous community where a man uses a pana (snow knife) to build an iglu, where a girl dries fish, and where boys chip ice for drinking water. These are people who are just going about their day, and Vienno's bright art helps the reader feel part of it.

 

With a timeless lesson about trusting your own judgement and disregarding opinions that may be harmful, The Old Man, the Boy, and the Dog respects the classic while giving it new life with a northern setting, with an Indigenous community, and with a handsome dog that will captivate children.

 

Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly (Scaredy's Nutty Adventures, Book 4)

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-884-1 (pb)

84 pp.

Ages 4–8 

July 2026

 

I didn't get a chance to review this book of Scaredy's Nutty Adventures when it was released as a hardcover in 2024, so I'm pleased to review it now that a paperback edition was just released this month. When Scaredy Squirrel was first released in 2006, he became a beloved character. Mélanie Watt brought us a little squirrel who was overwhelmed, seeing threats everywhere. Now the star of his own animated series, as well as picture books and this early reader graphic novel series, Scaredy Squirrel is a much beloved character to helps young children see beyond their worries by laughing with him.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

In Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, Mélanie Watt shares five short graphic stories about Scaredy and his relationship with Halloween. In the first chapter, titled "October 31st," our sciurine friend is actually looking forward to the un-scary aspects of the holiday. He likes the decorations and the lighting, but he's terrified of haunted houses, crows, vampire bats, and more. So, he's happy to stay in his cheerfully decorated tree, along with some unusual preventative measures.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

The next stories have Scaredy planning a cute, but not scary pumpkin carving activity with his friends, working on his costume, considering going trick-or-treating—hard candy, gummy worms, and chocolate all have drawbacks—before heading out in search of candy apples.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

It may seem a little early to be thinking of Halloween, but I suspect there are many for whom the holiday is a big deal and who are already planning their costumes and parties. Whether you get Scaredy Squirrel now in anticipation of the holiday or keep it to read in October, Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly will give young children a lot of laughs about his wacky but legitimate worries. Scaredy Squirrel may seem like an excessive bundle of anxiety, but he emulates the many children who have misgivings and fears about the familiar and the unknown. With a lighthearted approach and quirky and colourful illustrations, Mélanie Watt will let children see that many anxieties can be lessened and even alleviated with some friendly intervention and a new perspective.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel will always charm. She has created him as sweetly guileless—check out his toothy grin—and oddly expressive. And with detailed illustrations that give young readers much to enjoy, from costumes to decorated homes, readers will be looking forward to their own nutty Halloween adventure and all that it entails.

 

🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 

 

This is Book 4 in Scaredy's Nutty Adventures series. Here are all published titles:

Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell (2021)
Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise (2022)
Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive (2023)

Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly (2024) 

Eon: My Pet Tardigrade

Written by Cybèle Young

Illustrated by Cybèle Young and Nell Jocelyn

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-041-8

56 pp.

Ages 3–7

Releases August 11, 2026 

 

Don't be surprised if you've never seen or heard of a tardigrade. They're very tiny. Very, very tiny. At about 0.5 mm in length, they are barely visible to the naked eye. Ah, but a microscope reveals this tiny creature to a young scientist with a new tool and captures her heart.

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

Once she spots the micro-animal with his two little eyes and his ambling, plodding gait, she wants to take care of him. Actually, she wants to hug him but that's impossible so she plans to make that which he might appreciate. A bed? A chair? A slide? 

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

But this young scientist knows it's best to ask questions, so she researches the little guy she names Eon, and learns he's a tardigrade a.k.a. a water bear or a moss piglet. She learns of the extremes at which it can live, and the diversity of habitats it can occupy. So, she prepares a wide variety of dioramas in which to live. And when she loses sight of him—he is very small—she learns more about what a tardigrade needs and gives him an opportunity for a new life where he might have a new home that is "the most magical most-est yet." (pg. 42)

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

As small as Eon, the tardigrade, is, Eon: My Pet Tardigrade tells a big story. It's a story of scientific discovery, creativity, and benevolence. It's seeing what is almost not seen and educating oneself to help guide one's actions. Cybèle Young has garnered much attention and many awards with the intensity of her simple texts and the complexity of her mixed media illustrations. With Eon, she and collaborator Nell Jocelyn will charm readers into discovery, into looking deeper and smaller, and finding ways to express creativity. They've blended pencil drawings (Cybèle Young) with paper sculptures made with Japanese papers (Cybèle Young) and a variety of western papers (Nell Jocelyn). This blending of media gives substance and texture to a story of something almost imperceptible. Because Eon is so small, young readers may have to hunt for him on the many pages, especially when he's dressed in scuba equipment, hiding among stalagmites, or basking on a cactus. The creativity of the child—or rather Cybèle Young and Nell Jocelyn—to create miniature scenes of wondrous detail and movement brings Eon, the tardigrade, from insignificant to something substantial, a star of her displays and a superstar on the planet. (Read about tardigrades in Cybèle Young's "The story behind Eon" or do your own research. It will fascinate.)

From Eon: My Pet Tardigrade, illustrated by Cybèle Young & Nell Jocelyn, written by Cybèle Young

The story of Eon: My Pet Tardigrade is as much about the child and her response to Eon as it is about learning about tardigrades. I'd never heard of tardigrades and am now excited to learn more. Teachers might love to create lessons on adaptation, habitats, life cycles, and more based on these little invertebrates, but they shouldn't limit themselves to STEM lessons. Eon: My Pet Tardigrade gives opportunities for teaching about compassion, understanding, and letting go as well. For a little guy, Eon has a lot to give.

The Scariest House on the Street

Written by Joel A. Sutherland

Illustrated by Terry Pearson

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-1917-0

32 pp.

Ages 3–8

July 2026 

Author Joel A. Sutherland is known for scary. He has written the Haunted Canada series, the Haunted Canada Graphic Novel series (e.g., Haunted Canada Graphic Novel: Four More Terrifying Tales, 2025), titles in the Haunted series like Field of Screams (2020), and his standalone stories like Summer's End (2024) and Screamers (2022). He delights middle-grade readers and teens with stories that frighten, twist, and terrorize. Joel A. Sutherland is our Canadian version of R. L. Stine. And now he's ready to amuse our youngest readers with a story of monsters that will entertain without frightening.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

Monsters Willow and her friends Violet, Harry, and Gill love playing at the abandoned house at the end of Shivers Street. But they are aghast when someone moves in and cleans up the place. There are no spiderweb anymore, or rats, or holes. And it smells lemony fresh. 

It was much scarier than Willow could have imagined. (pg. 9)

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

They imagine who might have moved in. Could it be gnomes, or zombies, or perhaps a sasquatch? When they're invited to a Halloween Party at 13 Shivers Street and compelled to go—parents can be so unrelenting—they dress up in their most terrifying costumes, and head out to meet Bronwen, a bubbly swamp creature, a tiny vampire named Fiona, and a werewolf named Charles. But it is Halloween. And our monsters and their new neighbours may be surprised to learn they are not what the other expected.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

In a story about the scariest house on the street, Joel A. Sutherland won't scare little ones as much as amuse them with a story about monsters who think dressing as a doctor, astronaut, business person, and fisherman is scary. What will be funny to those readers will be monsters frightened of humans and vice versa, sort of. Without telling kids to accept others who might be different, Joel A. Sutherland twists their perceptions about those who are different—reminds me a lot of Frederic Brown's 1954 short story, Sentry—and shows them finding interest in their differences. Differences give richness to a community, and the new neighbours on Shivers Street definitely give it life. (Pun intended.) 

This is Joel A. Sutherland's first picture book, and he sets the tone perfect for young children. Nothing scary, lots to charm, and a story with an understated message about acceptance of those who are different. That same aspect comes through Terry Pearson's digital illustrations which give us not-so-scary monsters, a Halloween party of epic games and food, and characters that are colourful, a little naive, and sweetly distinct. Kids will definitely want to try to emulate those costumes and that party this Halloween, and, with Terry Pearson's artwork, they'll have all the visuals needed to pull them off.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

I know it's a little early to be thinking about Halloween but, for many kids, the anticipation is part of the fun. Bring them some hilarity early with ideas for that holiday from The Scariest House on the Street and with a story that will remind them to see past differences and find the authentic, human or monster.

Cat Shapes

Written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1327-1

24 pp.

Ages 1–3

June 2026 

 

Aidan Cassie recognizes that cats can be very different, but she means more than just their sizes, colours, and personalities. Because cats are so curious and playful, they can also produce wonderfully eclectic shapes.

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Aidan Cassie, known for her charming picture books Sterling, Best Fork Dog Ever (2018) and Little Juniper Makes It Big (2019), seems to know cats well. She knows the curious ones who can jump in boxes and take on the shape of a square. She knows that a hungry one may want to jump into a goldfish bowl and become the shape of a circle. There's a fancy cat, a thirsty cat, a sneaky one, and a sleepy one too. And each one becomes the shape of what it enters. But Aidan Cassie knows the best shape that cats become, as do all cat lovers.

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Many concept books—those that teach a simple concept like letters, numbers, or colours—can become formulaic. Sometimes the author has a theme and wants the concept to fit into that theme. But Aidan Cassie does not do this. Cat Shapes is more than a book about shapes. Children will learn the basic shapes of square, circle, triangle, oval, rectangle, diamond, and more, but, because it's all based on the silly behaviours of cats, Cat Shapes does more than teach a concept. It delights with its authenticity and humour, speaking to cat lovers young and old. 

From Cat Shapes, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie

Aidan Cassie's previous books have shown us the breadth of her illustrative style, but she's matched her digital artwork perfect to a concept book for very young children. There are just enough details to set the scene, whether it's a hungry cat eyeing a goldfish or one hiding in a drawer, so that little ones know what's going on. Even if they don't have cats, young readers will be able to look for the shapes in familiar settings and start to understand why cats do what they do. Cat Shapes may be about identifying common shapes but it's also a quick lesson in cat behaviour.

 

I wonder if the six distinct cats in Aidan Cassie's book are the same six that she names in her dedication because they are so unique. If so, I suspect she's seen a lot of adorable cat action over the years. With Cat Shapes, those cats can now add educators and shape-masters to their accomplishments. Of course, I always knew cats were clever. Cat Shapes just proves it.

Wait Like a Seed

Written by Erin Alladin

Illustrated by Tara Anderson

Pajama Press 

978-1-77278-359-9

32 pp.

Ages 4–8 

March 2026  

 

Understanding life cycles, particularly of plants, can be a challenge for young children because of the extended time needed for a seed to progress through its stages. Kids may get the idea of a flower but knowing how a flower came to be and what it can produce is far more difficult. Using simple rhyming verses, bold words, and additional info pages, Erin Alladin leads young readers through the parts of a plant and how that plant can produce a new plant or hundreds.

From Wait Like a Seed, written by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Tara Anderson

The story is set up with text and a drawing of the seed or plant as it is developing opposite an illustration of the children, and occasional orange tabby, watching the plant grow. From a seed waiting for the spring rains to fall, through rooting, sprouting, and growing leaves, buds, flowers, and pods, the milkweed plant goes through its life cycle. 

Smile like a flower,

Giving and grand.

Smile like a flower

'Til the butterflies land. (pg. 14)

The children wait and watch and delight in what they get to witness over the seasons, from spring rains to winter dormancy. And because the monarch butterfly is tied to milkweed plants, children can also witness the development of eggs to larvae, to caterpillars and further. 

From Wait Like a Seed, written by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Tara Anderson

While I don't usually review paperback releases of previously published hard copy books, I never got to see Wait Like a Seed when it was released last year. And seeing this new edition, I really wanted to share Erin Alladin's latest. She has a lovely talent of telling stories, particularly those related to the natural world. (See her Outside You Notice, 2021.) By blending the life cycles of the milkweed and the monarch butterfly with the experiences of two young children, Erin Alladin gives us a personal story with which young children may be familiar. And with her rhyming text, she makes an educational book into a charming read with a tempo that balances with the pace of the plant's development.

From Wait Like a Seed, written by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Tara Anderson

But without Tara Anderson 's coloured pencil illustrations, Wait Like a Seed would not have the colour and shape to carry readers effortlessly through the milkweed's life stages. Instead of a book of non-fiction, Wait Like a Seed is the story of two playful children as they swing, pop milkweed pods, build a snowman, and play with their cat. She gives them joy and curiosity.

From Wait Like a Seed, written by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Tara Anderson

I know that teachers and parents will want to use Wait Like a Seed as a teaching tool for life cycles and the seasons, but don't forget the soft poetry that sweeps through the book. It tells its own story of imaginative and educational play, helping children to grow in their own way.