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 

 

2025 Lane Anderson Award: Winner announced

 

The Lane Anderson Award for excellence in Canadian science writing was awarded on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 in Toronto. The event, hosted by Carol-Ann Hoyte and Winston Stitwell, presented the winners from shortlists selected by independent juries of experts in science, science writing and literature. The awards created and sponsored by the Fitzhenry Family Foundation, and named for the mothers of its two founders, Robert and Hilda Fitzhenry, were given in two categories, one for adults and the other for young readers, with each winner receiving a generous $10,000.

 

 

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Congratulations to this year's winner

in the Young Reader category

 

 

A Planet Is a Poem
Written by Amanda West Lewis
Illustrated by Oliver Averill
Kids Can Press
56 pp.
Ages 8-12
2024

Reviewed here

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2025 Lane Anderson Award: Shortlists

Yesterday, the finalists for the Lane Anderson Award, a book award that celebrates excellence in Canadian science writing, were announced. The Lane Anderson Award, created and sponsored by the Fitzhenry Family Foundation, is given in two categories, one for adults and the other for young readers. Each winner receives a generous $10,000.

 

 

The basic criteria for submissions are the following: 

• The author must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
• The book must be published by a Canadian-owned publishing house, have an ISBN, and be available for sale in bookstores in Canada.
• All entries must be published in English between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. 
  

 

The 2025 Lane Anderson Award Ceremony will take place on Thursday, January 29, 2026 in Toronto. Details about tickets have been posted below.

 

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Congratulations to this year's finalists 

in the Young Reader category

 

I Am Wind: An Autobiography
Written by Rachel Poliquin

Illustrated by Rachel Wada
Tundra Books

80 pp.

Ages 8-12

2024

A Planet Is a Poem
Written by Amanda West Lewis

Illustrated by Oliver Averill

Kids Can Press

56 pp.

Ages 8-12

2024

Remember This: The Fascinating World of Memory
Written by Monique Polak

Illustrated by Valéry Goulet

Orca Book Publishers

96 pp.

Ages 8-12

2024 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Update:

 

Details about the Lane Anderson Award Ceremony have been announced. Register here through Eventbrite.

 

Date:            Thursday, January 29, 2026

 

Time:           7:00–9:30 p.m. 

 

Location:     Palm House at Allan Gardens

                    160 Gerrard Street East

                    Toronto, ON 

                    M5A 2E5 

 

Tickets are free but you must register. 

 

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2024 Lane Anderson Award: Shortlists for Canadian science books

This fall, the finalists for the Lane Anderson Award, a book award that celebrates excellence in Canadian science writing, were announced. The Lane Anderson Award, created and sponsored by the Fitzhenry Family Foundation, is given in two categories, one for adults and the other for young readers. Each winner receives a generous $10,000.

 

The basic criteria for submissions are the following: 

• The author must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
• The book must be published by a Canadian-owned publishing house, have an ISBN, and be available for sale in bookstores in Canada.
• All entries must be published in English between January 1st, 2023 and December 31st, 2023. 
  

 • • • • • • •

 

This year, the 2024 Lane Anderson Award Ceremony will be a free event and open to the public though you must register for a ticket through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-lane-anderson-award-ceremony-tickets-1111735323279

Date:        Wednesday, January 29, 2025 

Time:        7-10 PM

Location:  Concourse Event Space, North York Central Library

                   5120 Yonge Street 

                   Toronto, ON 

                   M2N 5N9

 

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Congratulations to this year's finalists 

in the Young Reader category

 

Bompa’s Insect Expedition

Written by David Suzuki with Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Greystone Kids

48 pp.

Ages 4-8

2023

 

Operation Cupcake: How Simple Machines Work
Written and illustrated by Bambi Edlund

Kids Can Press

44 pp.

Ages 7-10

2023

 

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth
Written by L. E. Carmichael
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler 

Kids Can Press

48 pp.

Ages 7-11

2023

2023 Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award: Winners announced

This weekend, the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable announced the winners of its biannual Joan Betty Stuchner award for funniest children's books. Here are the shortlists for the two categories, picture or board book and chapter book, as well as the winners, all of which are a ready book list of titles to tickle your funny bones and make life a little better. 

 

• • • • • • •

 

Picture or Board Book category:

 

This Is a Dog Book!

Written by Judith Henderson

Illustrated by Julien Chung

Kids Can Press

Reviewed here

How to Party Like a Snail

Written by Naseem Hrab

Illustrated by Kelly Collier

Owlkids Books

Quiet, Please! 

Written and illustrated by Russ Willms

Orca Book Publishers

Crocodile Hungry 

Written by Eija Sumner

Illustrated by John Martz

Tundra Books

How to Teach Your Cat a Trick in Five Easy Steps

Written by Nicola Winstanley

Illustrated by Zoe Si

Tundra Books 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the WINNER is...

 

Quiet, Please! 

Written and illustrated by Russ Willms

Orca Book Publishers

32 pp.

Ages 3-5

2022

 

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Chapter Book category:

Izzy’s Tail of Trouble 

Written by Caroline Adderson

Illustrated by Kelly Collier

Kids Can Press

Babble! And How Punctuation Saved It 

Written by Caroline Adderson

Illustrated by Roman Muradov

Tundra Books

Simon and Chester: Super Sleepover

Written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson

Tundra Books

Weenie featuring Frank & Beans: Mad About Meatloaf

Written by Maureen Fergus

Illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Tundra Books

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole

Written by Mark David Smith

Illustrated by Kari Rust

Owlkids Books

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the WINNER is... 

 

Weenie featuring Frank & Beans: Mad About Meatloaf

Written by Maureen Fergus

Illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Tundra Books

56 pp.

Ages 6-9

2021 

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