April is National Poetry Month in Canada and has been since 1999. Promoted by the League of Canadian Poets, this month celebrates poetry in all its forms. You will note that Canada has many children's poets but our all-stars are definitely Sheree Fitch, Robert Heidbreder, Dennis Lee, Loris Lesynski and Robert Priest who have multiple volumes of poems ranging from the silly and fun to the profound and emotional. Though there are many books in which the story is told in verse, including novels in verse and many picture books told in rhyme, I've chosen to focus on books that are collections of poems. This explains why many books that are one long poem, such as Robert Service's The Cremation of Sam McGee, have not been included here. Still, this book list of over 50 titles celebrates rhyme, verse, metre and more completely. Enjoy these collections this month and always!
Written by Dennis Lee
Illustrations by Frank Newfeld, Juan Wijngaard, David McPhail
HarperCollins Canada
183 pp.
Ages 2-10
2020
This is a collection of three books: Alligator Pie, Jelly Belly, and The Ice Cream Store
Written by Lois Simmie
Illustrated by Anne Simmie
Orchard Books
70 pp.
Ages 8-10
1988
Written and illustrated by Loris Lesynski
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 7-11
2003
Edited by Jen Hamilton
Illustrated by Merrill Fearon
Subway Books
64 pp.
Ages 9-12
2005
Carry On
Poetry by Young Immigrants
Compiled and illustrated by Rogé
Owlkids Books
36 pp.
All ages
2021
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Emily Dove
Greystone Kids
40 pp.
Ages 3-8
2020
Written by Shannon Bramer
Illustrated by Cindy Derby
Groundwood Books
44 pp.
Ages 4-9
2019
Written by Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Gerry Rasmussen
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
2013
Written by Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Gerry Rasmussen
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
2015
Written by Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Gerry Rasmussen
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages
2012
Written by Robert Priest
Illustrated by Keith Lee
Groundwood Books
31 pp.
Ages 2-5
1993
Written and illustrated by Loris Lesynski
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2002
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Karen Patkau
Oxford University Press
48 pp.
Ages 4-7
1985
Written by Dionne Brand
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 8-13
2006
Written by Sue Ann Alderson
Tradewind Books
65 pp.
Ages 8-12
2007
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Scot Ritchie
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
1996
Written by Dennis Lee
Illustrated by Frank Newfeld
HarperCollins Canada
64 pp.
Ages 0-7
2012
Written by Haitian schoolchildren
Compiled and illustrated by Rogé
Fifth House
44 pp.
Ages 7-11
2014
Written by Susan Vande Griek
Illustrated by Mark Hoffmann
Kids Can Press
36 pp.
Ages 8-12
2019
Written by JonArno Lawson
Illustrated by Alex Dempster
The Porcupine's Quill
96 pp.
All ages
2016
Written by Kari-Lynn Winters and Lori Sherritt-Fleming
Illustrated by Peggy Collins
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
Illustrated by Peggy Collins
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2015
Written by Kari-Lynn Winters and Lori Sherritt-Fleming
Illustrated by Peggy Collins
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 6-9
Illustrated by Peggy Collins
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 6-9
2018
Written by Sheree Fitch
Illustrated by Kim LaFave
Doubleday Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
1997
Written by Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Annick Press
64 pp.
Ages 8-12
2006
Edited by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by David Shaw
Houghton Mifflin
39 pp.
Ages 4-8
1992
Written by Sheree Fitch
Illustrated by Yayo
Tradewind Books
64 pp.
Ages 9-12
2005
If You Could Wear My Sneakers
Written by Sheree Fitch
Illustrated by Darcia Labrosse
Nimbus Publishing
36 pp.
Ages 4-8
2017
Selected by David Booth
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
All ages
1995
Written by George Elliott Clarke
Illustrated by Susan Tooke
Nimbus Publishing
64 pp.
Ages 9-13
2013
Written by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by John Beder
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
28 pp.
Ages 4-8
2001
Written by Innu schoolchildren
Compiled and illustrated by Rogé
Fifth House Publishers
42 pp.
Ages 7-11
2014
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Lori Joy Smith
Kids Can Press
40 pp.
Ages 4-8
2012
Written and illustrated by Loris Lesynski
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 8-12
2003
Written by Barbara Wyn Klunder
Groundwood Books
48 pp.
Ages 8-11
2007
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Chelsea O’Byrne
Groundwood Books
64 pp.
Ages 7-11
2020
Written by Caroline Pignat
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Red Deer Press
32 pp.
All ages
2018
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Karen Patkau
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
48 pp.
Ages 5-8
1999
Written by Kalli Dakos
Illustrated by Erin Mercer
Canada Educational Publishing
45 pp.
Ages 5-10
2019
Written by Robert Priest
Illustrated by Joan Krypsman
Wolsak & Wynn
56 pp.
Ages 7-10
2013
Selected by Fran Newman
Scholastic
163 pp.
Ages 8-12
1980
Written by Robert Priest
Illustrated by Tineke Visser
Ekstasis Editions
144 pp.
Ages 6-12
2001
See Saw Saskatchewan: More Playful Poems from Coast to Coast
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Scot Ritchie
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
2003
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Marc Mongeau
Tradewind Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
2012
Written by Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2007
Written by Lynn Davies
Illustrated by Chrissie Park-MacNeil
Nimbus Publishing
32 pp.
All ages
2020
Written by JonArno Lawson
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Kids Can Press
64 pp.
Ages 10+
2010
Edited by David Booth
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Kids Can Press
96 pp.
All ages
1989
Written by Sheree Fitch
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Nimbus Publishing
48 pp.
Ages 4-8
2016
Written by John Spray
Illustrated by Mies van Hout
Pajama Press
44 pp.
Ages 6-9
2019
Written by Julie Fogliano
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Roaring Brook Press
56 pp.
All ages
2016
Written by Robert Priest
Illustrated by Joan Krygsman
Wolsak & Wynn
96 pp.
Ages 7-9
2017
Collected by Janet Wilson
Illustrated by Cory Wilson
Scholastic Canada
104 pp.
Ages 7-12
1993
Written and illustrated by Loris Lesynski
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2005
Such a great collection of books for kids written in poetry!
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