A Canadian Christmas Tale: Book List

While there are many who think that the onset of the Christmas season is marked by Black Friday deals, I like to think that pulling Christmas-related tomes off the bookshelf would be a more appropriate way to start off a virtual advent calendar to mark off the days until December 25th.  While some of these books are hard to come by and others are new releases, they are all youngCanLit worthy of reading over this holiday season.  Please enjoy!


PICTURE BOOKS

An Aboriginal Carol
Written by David Bouchard
Illustrated by Moses Beaver
Music by Susan Aglukark
Red Deer Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2007

Annie’s Bright Idea: A Christmastime Adventure
Written by Audrhea Lande
Illustrated by Jenny Prest
Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2010

Aunt Olga's Christmas Postcards
Written by Kevin Major
Illustrated by Bruce Roberts
Groundwood
40 pp.
Ages 6-9
2005

Baseball Bats for Christmas
Written by Michael Kusugak
Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
Annick Press
24 pp.
Ages 6-9
1990

A Bluenose Twelve Days of Christmas
Written by Bruce Nunn
Illustrated by Doretta Groenendyk
Nimbus Publishing
26 pp.
Ages 7-9
2012

Buddy the Bluenose Reindeer and the Boston Christmas Tree Adventure
Written by Bruce Nunn
Illustrated by Brenda Jones
Nimbus Publishing
67 pp.
Ages 4-11
2007

Canadian Jingle Bells
Written by Troy Townsin
Illustrated by Jennifer Harrington
Polyglot Publishing
40 pp.
Ages 6-9
2011

Carl, the Christmas Carp
Written by Ian Krykorka
Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
2006

Chinook Christmas
Written by Rudy Wiebe
Illustrated by David More
Red Deer College Press
32 pp.
Ages 5 -11
1992

The Christmas Bear  

Written and illustrated by Nathaële Vogel

Scholastic Canada

36 pp.

Ages 3-6

2001

A Christmas Dollhouse
Written and illustrated by Richard Rudnicki
Nimbus
32 pp.
Ages 7-10
2011

Christmas La Pouchinn
Written by Deborah L. Delaronde
Illustrated by Virginia McCoy
Theytus Books
32 pp.
Age 8-10
2010

Christmas Eve Magic
Written by Lucie Papineau
Illustrated by Stéphane Poulin
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2006

The Christmas Orange
Written by Don Gillmor
Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 3-8
1998/2003

The Christmas Wind
Written by Stephanie Simpson McLellan
Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan
Red Deer Press
32 pp.
All ages
2017
Reviewed here

A Coyote Solstice Tale
Written by Thomas King
Illustrated by Gary Clement
Groundwood Books
64 pp.
Ages 5-11
2009

Dashing Through the Snow: A Canadian Jingle Bells
Written by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-8
2014

Deck the Halls: A Canadian Christmas Carol
Written by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-8
2016
Reviewed here

Elliot’s Christmas Surprise
Written and illustrated by Andrea Beck
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 2-7
2003

Finding Christmas
Written by Robert Munsch
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2012

A Forest for Christmas
Written by Michael Harris
Illustrated by Eric Orchard
Nimbus
40 pp.
Ages 6-9
2007

Forever: The Annual Hockey Classic
Written by Roy MacGregor
Illustrated by Brian Deines
Red Deer Press
56 pp.
Ages 7-9
2005

Fox and Squirrel, The Best Christmas Ever
Written and illustrated by Ruth Ohi
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 2-7
2016
Reviewed here

Franklin's Holiday Treasure
Written by Paulette Bourgeois
Illustrated by Brenda Clark
Kids Can Press
128 pp.
Ages 3-7
2002

Gadzooks: The Christmas Goose
Written by Jennifer McGrath Kent
Illustrated by Ivan Murphy
Nimbus Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2010

Hanna Bear's Christmas
Written by Monica Devine
Illustrated by Sean Cassidy
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 2-5
2007

The Huron Carol
Words by Jean deBrébeuf
Illustrated by Frances Tyrrell
Key Porter
32 pp.
Ages 6-12
2006

The Huron Carol
Words by Jean deBrébeuf
Illustrated by Ian Wallace
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2006

Jack and the Manger: A Christmas Jack Tale
Written by Andy Jones
Illustrated by Darka Erdelj
Running the Goat Books and Broadsides
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
2010

Listen, Said the Donkey: Tales of the First Christmas
Written by Jean Little
Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
38 pp.
Ages 3-10
2006

The Little Crooked Christmas Tree
Written by Michael Cutting
Illustrated by Ron Broda
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
19 pp.
Ages 4-9
1990

The Man Who Walked the Earth
Written and illustrated by Ian Wallace
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
2003

Merry Christmas: A Canadian Keepsake Collection
Scholastic Canada
176 pp.
Ages 4-9
2009
Incl. The Little Crooked Christmas Tree, Sadie the Ballerina, Moon and Star: A Christmas Story, One Special Tree, Woodland Christmas

Moon and Star: A Christmas Story
Written and illustrated by Robin Muller
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2005

A Moose in a Maple Tree: The All-Canadian 12 Days of Christmas
Written by Troy Townsin
Illustrated by Jennifer Harrington
Polyglot Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 5-7
2008

A Newfoundland Christmas
Written and illustrated by Dawn Baker
Pennywell Books/Flanker Press
21 pp.
Ages 5-8
2011

The Night Before a Canadian Christmas
Written by Troy Townsin
Illustrated by Jennifer Harrington
Polyglot Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 2-10
2011

The Night Before Christmas
Written by Clement Moore
Illustrated by Barbara Reid
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-8
2013

A Northern Nativity: Christmas Dreams of a Prairie Boy
Written and illustrated by William Kurelek
Random House
48 pp.
Ages 4-8
1976

On a Snowy Night
Written by Jean Little
Illustrated by Brian Deines
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 8-11
2013

One Christmas in Lunenburg
Written by Amy Bennet
Illustrated by Don Kilby
James Lorimer
24 pp.
Ages 4-8
2004

One Hundred Shining Candles
Written by Janet Lunn
Illustrated by Lindsay Grater
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2008

One Special Tree
Written and illustrated by Olena Kassian
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2010

One Splendid Tree
Written by Marilyn Helmer
Illustrated by Dianne Eastman
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2005

Pippin the Christmas Pig
Written by Jean Little
Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-10
2003

A Porcupine in a Pine Tree
Written by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann
North Winds/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 5-7
2010

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas: A Safety Guide for Scaredies
Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt
Kids Can Press
80 pp.
Ages 5-8
2012

Silver Threads
Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
1996

Snow for Christmas
Written and illustrated by Doretta Groenendyk
The Acorn Press
28 pp.
Ages 4-10
2010

A Star for Christmas
Written and illustrated by Trisha Romance
Tundra Books
40 pp.
Ages 5-10
2007

Steel Drums And Ice Skates
Written by Dirk McLean
Illustrated by Ho Che Anderson
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 6-9
1996

A Very Hockey Christmas
Written by Gilles Tibo
Illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 6-8
2013

Woodland Christmas
Written and illustrated by Frances Tyrrell
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
1995

Woodland Nutcracker
Retold by Avril Tyrell
Illustrated by Frances Tyrrell
Key Porter
32 pp.
Ages 6-12
2006








NOVELS

The Best Worst Christmas Present Ever
Written by Budge Wilson
Scholastic
104 pp.
Ages 8-11
1984

Bright Shining Moment
Written by Deb Loughead
Second Story Press
178 pp.
Ages 9-13
2018
Reviewed here

Christmas at Wapos Bay
Written by Jordan Wheeler & Dennis Jackson
Coteau Books
145 pp.
Ages 8-11
2005

The Christmas Demons
Written by Tom Henighan
Stone Flower Press
156 pp.
Ages 12+
2012

A Christmas to Remember: Tales of Comfort and Joy (Dear Canada)
Written by Jean Little, Carol Matas, Maxine Trottier, Julie Lawson and Sarah Ellis
Scholastic Canada
241 pp.
Ages 9-14
2009

Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories
Written by L. M. Montgomery
Edited by Rea Wilmshurst
McClelland & Stewart
224 pp.
Ages 9+
1995

Dancing Through the Snow
Written by Jean Little
Scholastic Canada
238 pp.
Ages 9-14
2007

Elizabeth: A Hornbook Christmas (Our Canadian Girl)
Written by Anne Laurel Carter
Penguin Canada
89 pp.
Ages 8-11
2005

Harley's Gift (Streetlights)
Written by Beth Pollock
James Lorimer
122 pp.
Ages 8-10
2007

Hidden
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Subterranean Press
193 pp.
Ages 14+
2011




House of Wooden Santas
Written by Kevin Major
Santa carvings by Imelda George
Photographs by Ned Pratt
Red Deer College Press
95 pp.
Ages 6-11
1997

Izzie: The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t (Our Canadian Girl)
Written by Budge Wilson
Penguin Canada
87 pp.
Ages 9-11
2002

Of Mice and Nutcrackers: A Peeler Christmas
Written by Richard Scrimger
Illustrated by Linda Hendry
Tundra Books
223 pp.
Ages 8-12
2001

Penelope: Christmas Reunion (Our Canadian Girl)
Written by Sharon E. McKay
Penguin Canada
118 pp.
Ages 9-11
2004

Rachel: An Elephant Tree Christmas (Our Canadian Girl)
Written by Lynne Kositsky
Penguin Canada
84 pp.
Ages 9-11
2004

A Season for Miracles: Twelve Tales of Christmas (Dear Canada)
Written by Jean Little, Kit Pearson, Michelle Trottier, Gillian Chan, Sarah Ellis, Barbara Haworth-Attard, Julie Lawson, Karleen Bradford, Janet Lunn, Carol Matas & Sharon Stewart
Scholastic Canada247 pp.
Ages 8-13
2006

NON-FICTION

Early Christmas
Written by Bobbie Kalman
Crabtree Publishing
63 pp.
Ages 8-11
1982

Christmas Crafts From Around the World
Written by Judy Ann Sadler
Illustrated by June Bradford
Kids Can Press
40 pp.
Ages 6-11
2003

Christmas Long Ago from A to Z
Written by Bobbie Kalman
Crabtree Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 8-11
1999

A Pioneer Christmas: Celebrating in the Backwoods in 1841
Written by Barbara Greenwood
Illustrated by Heather Collins
Kids Can Press
48 pp.
Ages 8-12
2003

Santa Claus from A to Z
Written by Bobbie Kalman
Illustrated by Barbara Bedell
Crabtree Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 8-11
2000

Victorian Christmas
Written by Bobbie Kalman
Illustrated by Barbara Bedell
Carbtree Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 8-11
1996









FILM

The Christmas Orange
Bardel Entertainment
Directed by Ian Freedman
2002
30 min

An Old Box
NFB
Directed by Paul Driessen
1975
9 min 11 s
http://www.nfb.ca/film/an_old_box

Noël Noël
NFB
Directed by Nicola Lemay
2003
22 min 30 s
http://www.nfb.ca/film/noel_noel_en

The Fall

Written by Colleen Nelson

Great Plains Teen Fiction

978-1-926531-65-6

192 pp.

Ages 13+

2013

I know that many misquote the proverb about pride going before the fall* but I believe a more apt saying should note that there are a few trips before that fall.  And that during those trips, you could catch and right yourself before that ultimate, consequential fall.  Most people know this, even Ben Olniuk, Colleen Nelson's 15-year-old protagonist in The Fall.  In fact, Ben makes note of this several times, after being faced with small decisions that result in him tripping.  Sadly, he doesn't heed any of these subtle warnings and he's not even the one who has the fall.

Ben's life is pretty simple. He lives with his mom and rarely sees his negligent and self-absorbed dad. His best friend is Tessa and he lives for skateboarding, which he does very well.  A seemingly inconsequential interaction in which Ben conceals a bag of pot dropped by another student brings him to the attention of Cory Anderson and Taz and Luke Dumont, a trio that rules the school through bullying and intimidation.

Although Ben initially rejects invitations to join Cory, Taz and Luke in partying, Luke seems to like hanging with Ben.  With an abusive father, weak mother and twisted older brother, Luke must see Ben's simple life as ideal, and Ben can't seem to stop himself from continuing to interact with Luke, Cory and Taz.  This is Ben's emotional tripping.  Sadly, one of the trio really trips and falls, leaving him dead and Ben is rumoured to be the cause.

Even though Ben realizes that "If you lie with dogs, you get fleas" (pg. 34), he can't seem to stop himself from making choices that lead to disastrous ends.  But author Colleen Nelson takes the reader beyond Ben and his choices to reveal that everyone is capable of making poor choices regardless of their motivations.  Anger, fear, jealousy, grief and guilt, as well as love, respect, and appreciation, can prompt a wide variety of responses, good and bad, and it's only the nature of our experiences, supports and personalities that will steer those decisions.  Still, Colleen Nelson demonstrates that, except in the case of death, there are opportunities to catch oneself and make things right.  While that may sound like The Fall ties up all loose ends, it's not that pat.  Just as we may not always know what we'd do under certain circumstances, such as witnessing a death, the boys and other characters seem surprised by how they handle circumstances.  Some are true to form, while others reach beyond themselves and out to others.  It's the breadth of her characters and their ability to transform or evolve that takes The Fall from an intriguing plot to a psychological page-turner.


*From the Book of Proverbs 16:18, the quote is "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

The Stowaways

by Meghan Marentette

Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Pajama Press

978-1-927485-33-0

240 pp.

Ages 8-12

October 15, 2013

Gone are the days of innocent children's stories in which anthropomorphized animals experience relaxed lives of friendly outings.  Maybe older readers will remember the animal novels more typical of earlier times, in which ordinary life was exciting enough.  There was The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame, 1908), Winnie-the-Pooh (A. A. Milne, 1926) and Charlotte's Web (E. B. White, 1952).  The Stowaways will return older readers to their memories of these favourite and introduce younger readers to a similarly delightful tale of a family of mice known as the Stowaways.

The Stowaways family, always known as an ancestral line of explorers and adventurers, currently centers around Papa and Mama, twin boys Rory and Morgan, their baby sister Bimble, and Gran.  With Grampa having disappeared long ago while on an adventure, Papa is very strict about the adventures they take beyond Biggle's Farm into the World Beyond, emphasizing a plethora of rules to keep everyone safe. But Gran is convinced that Grampa is still out there, and the adventure-craving Rory is happy to believe this as well.

While life in the country may seem charming, the mice of their community, known as Weedle mice, are less than welcoming to the Stowaways who had come from town originally.  The Weedles accuse them of hoarding, looking down on the Weedles and threatening their safety with their relationships with townies.  Surprisingly, when the Stowaways head to town for a family adventure at the market, Papa doesn't want them to trade with the town mice who disrespect the Weedle mice, calling them "naked country bumpkins" (pg. 47). Still, Rory purchases a book of mouse tales, particularly curious about "The Proud Mouse and the Trap", convinced that it's about his Grampa.

When Rory discovers the specifics about his grandfather's disappearance, he and his Gran slip away to the Museum of Natural Curiosity while the rest of the family have their own unexpected adventures at Sparkle's Toyshop.  An exhibit at the Museum and some new acquaintances direct Gran and Rory in their investigations, resulting in a new series of adventures, some life-threatening.  While Papa and Mama, Bimble and Morgan return home, they learn that sometimes safety is just an illusion and adventures can arise spontaneously, wanted or not.

Meghan Marentette re-introduces readers to the charm of family stories that don't rely on preachy social commentary, unending action, or shock and violence to grab readers' attentions.  The appeal of these books, as with The Stowaways, lies in the bonds of family and friendship, and steadfastness of loyalty and compassion.  With the inspired selection of Dean Griffiths as illustrator, the genial nature of the story and characters are even more compounded.  While the elements of fantasy allow the delightful Stowaways (the family) to speak, build bicycles, and make Juneberry Paste, it's their solidarity and amiability, courtesy of Meghan Marentette and Dean Griffiths, that elevates The Stowaways (the book) to its unconventional but quaint familial richness.

Little Chicken Duck: Book Launch (Toronto)

Join 

author Tim Beiser

 and 

illustrator Bill Slavin

for the launch of their newest picture book

Little Chicken Duck

Written by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Tundra Books

978-1-77049-392-6

24 pp.

Ages 3-7

Release date November 26, 2013 

Described as a lovingly illustrated, heartwarming tale in rhyme about facing childhood fears

Book launch page 

on

Sunday, December 1, 2013

at

1 pm 

Type Books

883 Queen St. W.

Toronto, ON

Meet Froggie and Little Chicken Duck there!

Game Plan

CanLit for LittleCanadians 

is pleased to join with

 

and 

author Natalie Corbett Sampson

 in their

Basketball and Babies Blog Tour

to celebrate the release of

GAME PLAN

Game Plan

by Natalie Corbett Sampson

Fierce Ink Press

978-1-927746097

351 pp.

Ages 12+

November, 2013
Reviewed from ebook 9781927746127

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
gang aft a-gley  
~ Robert Burns (from "To a Mouse")

Robbie Burns astutely wrote that, whether preparing for winter or for your future, plans do not always follow in a straight trajectory from beginning to end.  I'm not even sure whether it be best that they do.  Regardless, there are many times when you're on track and successfully following the steps of your plan when you may be catapulted off and onto a different road.  The trick is knowing how to adapt to your new plan and deciding whether returning to your original is a good idea, or even an option.

The life plans of two families are entwined from the start of Natalie Corbett Sampson's first novel, Game Plan.  Basketball is everything to teens Ella, older brother Ben and his best friend Charlie.  All on their school teams, along with Ella's friend Alex, the friends are always up for improving their skills and practising, and hopeful of being scouted and attending university.  And, though she has always been more comfortable being one of the guys, Ella is flattered when another basketball player at school, Sam Cleveland, shows an interest in her and asks her out.  That's the little penny on the tracks that will have Ella's plans teetering.

Katherine and Danny Frayne are a young couple who've been married for 7 years, and trying for a baby for the past 5.  Their plan of a family seems to be dissipating, after several tries at in vitro fertilization.  Katherine is desperate, having envisioned herself as a mother for so long, but Danny gets her thinking about other options, including adoption and fostering children.

While Ella and Sam's relationship becomes more serious, she is caught off-guard when they have sex at a party at which she'd been drinking.  Although she doesn't let that happen again (though she feels like a loser and worries about making Sam angry), that single random act catapults Ella into an unforeseen situation: pregnancy. 

While the reader may predict how the two story lines will converge, the Fraynes and the Parkers will not encounter each other till much later in the book.  Until that time, each family experiences repeated disappointments and hope, having been thrown off their game plans and attempting to adapt to their new circumstances, chosen or not. (Surprisingly or not, Sam has no problem telling Ella that the baby isn't part of his plan and that, if she doesn't get an abortion, it's game over for them.)

Natalie Corbett Sampson takes the time to develop the two story lines fully to ensure that the angst of Ella's pregnancy and the hardships Katherine and Danny experience in trying to conceive and then adopt are completely palpable.  The highs and lows of receiving unexpected news, unfathomable positive and negative reactions from close ones, and picking oneself up to continue to adjust are heartbreaking.  The consequences of having your Game Plan averted can be debilitating.  Ella's initial question about whether she's good enough for Sam soon transforms into whether she has ruined her whole life, and Katherine is wondering whether they're not getting pregnant because they'd be rotten parents and then whether they even dare to hope.

Game Plan makes it clear that those with the flexibility and courage to adapt their life plans, as needed, can make it through whatever life throws at them, whether they be basketballs or babies.

I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now.

Harry S. Truman

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/harrystru164081.html#Pu0Q7p41dc32sfLl.99

I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now.

Harry S. Truman

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/harrystru164081.html#Pu0Q7p41dc32sfLl.99

If you're in Nova Scotia this week, consider attending the

Book Launch  

for

Game Plan

on 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Canada Games Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia

to meet author Natalie Corbett Sampson, 

learn more about her book and 

get an autographed copy of Game Plan 

for yourself or a young reader

I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now.

Harry S. Truman

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/harrystru164081.html#Pu0Q7p41dc32sfLl.99

Out the Window

by Cybèle Young

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-370-4

30 pp.

Ages 1-4

October, 2013

It's hard to know what this little creature is (pika, perhaps?) but it doesn't really matter.  He is the small, playful, inquisitive one of Cybèle Young's newest book for children, Out the Window, and he or she could be anyone who has lost something out the window accidentally.

Oh, there's fun to be had by bouncing and throwing that polka-dotted ball but only until it flies out the window.  Then this little one (let's call it a "he") sees an odd assortment of shapes, structures, species as he struggles to reach, jump, grab at the window ledge, all without success.  Finally he pushes a chair into view and places it under the window, climbing upon it and changing the direction of the story in more ways than one.

You see, as that little one climbs upon that chair, the reader reaches the back page (as seen to the right here) which becomes the front cover of the back of the original pages and the continuation of the story.  It's sort of a flip book without any flipping over or rotation, just a reading of the other side of the accordion pages.  Now, from the perspective of outdoors, the reader witnesses the hodge podge parade of which our little pika (?) could only glimpse fragments earlier.  This parade of Seuss-like contraptions and creatures, instruments and acoustics delights him until his ball is returned in a most amusing manner.

Cybèle Young, whose paper sculptures and mixed media collages such as in Ten Birds (Kids Can Press, 2011), A Few Blocks (Groundwood, 2011) and A Few Bites (Groundwood, 2012) have garnered her multiple awards,  demonstrates the simplicity that can be achieved with mixed media while still providing the crisp details that complete the story's illustrations.  Out the Window is a wordless book, with only an occasional "Toot Toot" or "Ding Dong", relying on the illustrations to carry the storyline.  Astoundingly Cybèle Young is able to keep her graphics simple while plotting a rich story for very young children.  That takes skill.  As the recipient of a Governor General's award for children's illustration, I wouldn't expect anything less from Cybèle Young.