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The Snow Knows
Artist: Josée BisaillonPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95A lyrical prose poem with whimsical, hide-and-seek illustrations, The Snow Knows introduces readers of all ages to animals both domestic (a tabby cat by the wood stove) and wild (a slinking lynx; a choir of coyotes), celebrating wilderness and outdoor play.
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If I Were a Zombie
Artist: Eric OrchardPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95If I were a zombie
I’d package my drool
put it in Mason jars
sell it at school.This hilarious picture book written by Hackmatack Award-nominated Kate Inglis has two children trying to outdo one another, imagining what they could do if only they were a zombie, a ninja, or a robot. With outrageously entertaining rhyming text and brilliant illustrations from artist Eric Orchard, this is sure to be a favourite with readers of all ages.
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Santa Never Brings Me a Banjo
Artist: Murray BainPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Santa never brings me a banjo
And I can never understand why
Every Christmas Eve I see it in my dreams
But every Christmas morning I cry…The celebrated holiday song from multi-talented and multiple-award-winning Halifax-based roots musician David Myles is now available as a bright and fun children’s picture book. Young David writes frantic letters to Santa every year, requesting a banjo, but to no avail: “How does he miss / the one thing on my list / in the letter that I sent to him?” Follow the ups and downs of the holiday season with David, his furry friends, and his family, as he pines for his most-wished-for holiday gift.
Featuring illustrations from the animation studio that created the song’s well-loved YouTube music video, a special holiday message from David Myles, and original sheet music for those who wish to play along, Santa Never Brings Me A Banjo is sure to inspire many a holiday singalong.
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Wildflower
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95You cannot own a wildflower.
An old woman’s wish for a child is granted in the form of a thumb-sized girl born inside a flower. Though the child brings the woman much joy, Wildflower cannot be planted in one place; she must go where the wild wind blows. And if her mother really loves her, she must let her go.
In Wildflower, artist Briana Corr Scott (The Book of Selkie) brings her whimsical illustrations and gentle poetry to the beloved Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “Thumbelina.” Maintaining the original spirit of Andersen’s tale, celebrating love between mother and child, kinship between humans and animals, and bravery—no matter your size or shape—this refreshing retelling gives newfound agency to Wildflower, and offers young readers a tender lesson about the importance of respecting nature.
Wildflower is the perfect gift for new mothers and mothers-to-be, recent graduates, and anyone with a love and appreciation for nature.
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A Giant Man from a Tiny Town A Story of Angus MacAskill
Artist: Christopher HoytPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$13.95Angus MacAskill, known far and wide as the Cape Breton Giant, travelled the world performing for crowds, but never stopped longing to return to the place he loved the best: his Cape Breton home.
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Forest Magic
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing Limited$16.95What do you notice when you walk in the forest? Different types of trees, plants, and mushrooms? Maybe you hear a squirrel chattering or birds singing. Can you feel all the different kinds of moss? And look there! Hidden animal homes and interesting bugs.
With this compact non-fiction guide, young readers will be equipped to seek out, identify, and appreciate the woodland magic that exists all around them. Featuring rich vocabulary words like “nurse log,” “lichen,” and “sapling,” this beautifully illustrated book is the ideal companion for little forest explorers. Incorporating all five senses and encouraging imaginative play, it even includes pixies and fairies (pixie cup lichen and fairy slipper wildflowers)! Forest Magic will be the book you reach for on the way out the door to explore your own backyard.
There’s so much to see in a forest. What will you discover?
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Skunks for Breakfast
Artist: Brenda JonesPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$11.95Everyone knows there are no skunks in Nova Scotia…right? Well, that’s what Pamela thinks, until she wakes up one morning to a terrible smell.
Now Pamela stinks, her father stinks, her sister stinks, and her mother stinks. Soon her life stinks—her friends at school won’t come near her! And no matter how many skunks her father catches underneath the house, there always seems to be another.
Join Pamela and her family as they confront the odorous onslaught—and watch Pamela slowly start to like the unexpectedly cute creatures.
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The Land Beyond the Wall An Immigration Story
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$13.95The struggle to find one’s place in the world is beautifully rendered in this new paperback edition of The Land Beyond the Wall. Emma is a young girl who journeys from behind the Iron Curtain to Halifax and finds her voice through art in this touching perspective on the harsh realities of immigration.
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The Land Puffin
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Pete was an unusual parrot.
He wanted to be a puffin.
So he decided to leave town, and head for the coast.When Pete the parrot looks back on his seafaring family history—including his grandmother, Polly Pirate, and his grandfather, Paul Privateer—he decides to leave his cozy city home in search of the rugged puffin life on the coast. The puffins are friendly and welcome Pete with fish—which he doesn’t like to eat—and a swim in the ocean—which he doesn’t like to do—and they seem to do little more than sit on the rocks all day and night—which doesn’t interest him. Worst of all, they don’t seem to have much to say. Can Pete really live like a puffin, or is he just too different?
A charming story from the critically acclaimed author-illustrator behind The Puffin Problem and Mallard, Mallard, Moose, featuring folk art–inspired illustrations, The Land Puffin is a good-humoured yarn with a subtle message about the importance of celebrating our differences.
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Come Back to Earth, Esther!
Artist: Josée BisaillonPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95Prepare for liftoff! Award-winning illustrator Josée Bisaillon makes her authorial debut with the story of fun-loving, space-obsessed Esther, who dreams of building a spaceship to explore the galaxy. This STEM-friendly book, featuring an exceptional protagonist and a loving, diverse family, shows young readers there is no outer limit to the imagination.
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Wild Pond Hockey
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Ravens and wolves slip on a pond of ice and the game is on! A fun reimagining of the origin of Canada’s favourite sport with vivid artwork by veteran nature artist and writer Jeffery Domm.
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The Boy Who Moved Christmas
Artist: Carloe (Shan) LiuPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Based on a true story, Evan is sick and may not make it to December. His town decorates for Christmas in October so they can celebrate with him but will everything be ready? Will Santa know to come?
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The Book of Selkie
Artist: Briana Corr ScottPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Stories about the selkie have been told for hundreds of years by those who live near the North Atlantic and North Sea. Sometimes called “seal folk,” the selkie, as humans, are tall and strong with dark hair and eyes. Extremely private, they keep their seal coats hidden away until they get restless and are called to the sea, and take on their seal forms.
In her lyrical follow-up to She Dreams of Sable Island, artist and author Briana Corr Scott explores the Selkie legend in a book of short, whimsical poems. Find out what Selkie likes to eat, where she lives, how she spends her time on land and in the sea, and learn a Selkie lullaby. Lilting and lyrical, with acrylic paintings that recall the ocean?s depths, this magical book is ideal for both bedtime and playtime. Features a paper doll, clothes, and seal.
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Seaside Treasures A Guidebook for Little Beachcombers
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95A day of beachcombing is a day filled with salty sea air, enchanting seashells, and exciting discoveries. The ocean holds so much beauty and adventure, and it leaves so many treasures on its shores. Let’s explore these seaside treasures.
An essential sea glass–hunting handbook for kids. With helpful advice, like “make sure no one’s home!” before taking a snail shell, and fascinating facts, like how sea glass is formed and where glass fishing floats come from, the gentle and flowing text invites young readers to explore and wonder about everything that washes up on the sand.
Author and illustrator Sarah Grindler’s images are vivid and realistic, showing readers what to look for by the ocean—from purple sea urchin shells (that otters love to much on) to mussel shells, sand dollars, and every colour of sea glass—and encouraging all of us to imagine where those treasures may have come from. A beautiful keepsake as well as a practical guidebook for the young beachcomber.
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I’m Finding My Talk
Artist: Pauline YoungPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95I’m Finding My Talk reflects on the destructive effects on colonialism, rediscovering community and finding culture. Former Halifax Poet Laureate and second-generation residential school survivor Rebecca Thomas writes honestly and powerfully in this companion piece to Rita Joe’s I Lost My Talk. With vibrant illustrations from Mi’kmaw artist Pauline Young.
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A Pocket of Time The Poetic Childhood of Elizabeth Bishop
Artist: Emma FitzGeraldPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$23.95The childhood of Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979) is painted onto the canvas of Great Village, Nova Scotia in this gentle ode to the poet’s early life. Before becoming a Pulitzer—Prize winning writer, young Bishop lived with her Gammie and Pa, learning to walk, to read and to write. Snippets of Bishop’s own words and charming artwork from illustrator Emma FitzGerald teach young readers to see the poetry all around them.
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So Imagine Me Nature Riddles in Poetry
Artist: Chrissie Park-MacNeilPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$15.95From award-winning poet Lynn Davies comes her first collection for children. And there’s a twist: each of the poems in So Imagine Me has a secret.
The lyrical and playful text describes something from nature—flora or fauna or another phenomenon—that’s also hiding in the illustrations. Readers will puzzle over the words and pore over the detailed illustrations looking for clues. Some of the riddles might be easy, and some are definitely tricky. All of them will delight, entertain, and challenge, leaving readers of all ages with new facts to share and an urge to get out into nature to discover more mysteries.
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She Dreams of Sable Island
Artist: Briana Corr ScottPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95She dreams of Sable Island
She goes there in her sleep
The fog comes softly to her
and she drifts across the deep.Nova Scotia–based paper-doll artist Briana Corr Scott’s first children’s picture book explores the wilds of the childhood imagination and of the shape-shifting Sable Island.
Written as a gentle, lyrical poem, She Dreams of Sable Island is a wonderful read-aloud for bedtime, and a fact-filled exploration for curious readers who dream of adventuring to one of Nova Scotia’s most remarkable—and untouched—landscapes. Includes an illustrated map of Sable Island, descriptions of flora and fauna found on the island, a paper doll and accessories—even a Sable Island horse!
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I Lost My Talk
Artist: Pauline YoungPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95Rita Joe’s essential poetry is presented anew in this children’s picture book with illustrations from Pauline Young. Joe, known as the Poet Laureate of the Mi’kmaw, tells her childhood story of losing her language at Shubenacadie’s residential school. Mi’kmaw culture and language are celebrated in this collection, which joins current conversations about Canada’s shameful history, truth and reconciliation.
Published simultaneously with the companion book I’m Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas.
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A Great Big Night
Artist: Josée BisaillonPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95When three travelling frog musicians roll through the forest the grumpy old grouse is sure they are nothing but riffraff making a foolish racket. But when a storm makes a mess of the grouse’s home, he may find that music can be more than just for a party.
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If I Were the Moon Twentieth – anniversary edition
Artist: Leslie WattsPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95If I were the moon
I’d shine down my light
Right into your bedroom
To warm up the night.A timeless bedtime book that “beautifully captures that perfect moment when a child is tucked up in bed, spellbound by the voice of an older sibling or an adult sharing a special book” (Books in Canada).
With lyrical text, lit up by soft and gentle illustrations, If I Were the Moon makes its triumphant return to print in a beautiful hardcover just in time for its twentieth anniversary.
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The Thundermaker
Artist: Alan SyliboyPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$14.95Mi’kmaw artist Alan Syliboy’s The Thundermaker is based on Alan’s spectacular mixed-media exhibit of the same name. In the book, Big Thunder teaches his son, Little Thunder, about the important responsibility he has making thunder for his people. Little Thunder learns about his Mi’kmaw identity through his father’s teachings and his mother’s traditional stories. Syliboy’s spectacular, vibrant artwork brings the story of Little Thunder to vivid life.
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A Change of Heart
Artist: Erin Bennett BanksPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Finally, the remarkable story of honourary Newfoundlander Lanier Phillips is available for young children in this heartwarming picture book.
A young African American and the son of sharecroppers, Lanier Phillips escapes the violence, racism, and segregation of his Georgia home by joining the navy during the Second World War. But tragedy strikes the USS Truxtun one February night off the southeastern coast of Newfoundland, and Lanier is the lone Black survivor of the terrible shipwreck. Covered in oil when he arrives onshore, the community’s kindness and humanity brings him back to health and changes his outlook on life. He would go on to march for Black rights with Martin Luther King, and remained forever grateful to the small town of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland.
With vibrant illustrations by celebrated artist Erin Banks, A Change of Heart vividly depicts Lanier’s life-changing experiences in Newfoundland that fateful February.
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My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother, and Me These Are the Things We Found By the Sea
Artist: Mathilde Cinq-MarsPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95And these are the things we find by the sea
My mommy, my mama, my brother, and me.With this gentle refrain, the debut picture book from celebrated author and playwright Natalie Meisner (Double Pregnant) reflects on her own two-mom, two-son family’s early days growing up in Lockeport, Nova Scotia.
Living by the sea offers myriad charms for the two young brothers in this poetic ode to beachcombing. When the fog disappears, the path to the beach beckons, with all the treasures it leaves behind: lobster traps, buoys, fused glass, urchins, a note in a bottle. But best of all is all the neighbours they meet along the way. An unforgettable instant classic for families of all shapes and sizes. Featuring glorious watercolours by Mathilde Cinq-Mars, which capture the warmth and magic of time spent with family by the sea.
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Always With You
Artist: Carloe (Shan) LiuPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Emily woke. On her night table, a letter was propped against her grandfather’s picture. Her name was printed in pencil crayon the way only her grandfather did it, with each letter a different colour.
He was always so kind and funny and silly…and now he was gone.
Carefully, she picked up the envelope and opened it….A heartfelt new picture book from bestselling children’s author Eric Walters (From the Heart of Africa) and Halifax-based artist Carloe Liu. In this poignant story, we follow young Emily who has recently lost her grandfather. As she grows, she discovers a series of letters he left behind for her, offering grandfatherly advice at life’s most pivotal moments: first day of high school, graduation day, wedding, and ending with the birth of her own child.
With gentle watercolours and fold-out letters for sharing with loved ones, Always With You is a timeless story about grief, growing up, and finding that those we love never truly leave us.
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Fiddles and Spoons (pb)
$14.95Cecile Souris and her mouse family live under the floorboards of a little Acadian house in Grand Pré, owned by the Dubois family. The house—above and below the floor—is full of good food, laughter, and wonderful music, made with fiddles and spoons. But one day soldiers arrive and take the Dubois family—and the Souris family with them—far away from Grand Pré. Join them on an unforgettable journey in this heartwarming tale of courage, love, and joy as the Acadians continue to celebrate life with fiddles and spoons!
This beloved story is now available in a second edition with a new design, including some new illustrations.
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The Fox and the Fisherman
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Barabas is a lonely fisherman. Every morning, alone, he goes out to sea on his small fishing boat, throws his net in the water, and hopes to bring some fish home (where no one is waiting for him). Then one day, Barabas discovers footprints near his home. To whom could they belong?
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The Walking Bathroom
Artist: Erin Bennett BanksPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95It’s Halloween and Amayah doesn’t have a costume to wear to school. She dressed as a ghost for the last three years in a row, witches are overdone, and fairies are not her style. She wants to be something different, something creative, something no one else in the world has ever been in the history of Halloween.
A sweet story of standing out and fitting in, The Walking Bathroom is the newest book from award-winning author and spoken-word poet Shauntay Grant (Up Home). With fun, vibrant artwork from Erin Bennett Banks (Change of Heart), this imaginative tale is bound to inspire some unique costumes and become a Halloween favourite!
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A Giant Man from a Tiny Town A Story of Angus MacAskill
Artist: Christopher HoytPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95When Angus MacAskill was still just a boy, he began to grow…and grow…and…grow! Known far and wide as the Cape Breton Giant, Angus was loved by his neighbours as much for his beautiful singing voice as for his renowned strength. But as much as Angus loved his little town of St. Ann’s, Cape Breton, he decided to leave and seek fortune and adventure.
With heartfelt text from critically acclaimed author Tom Ryan and meticulously researched and joyful illustrations from Christopher Hoyt (A is for Adventure), A Giant Man from a Tiny Town tells the story of a remarkable man who travelled the world performing for crowds, but never stopped longing to return to the place he loved the best: his Cape Breton home.
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A Halifax Time-Travelling Tune
Artist: Marijke SimonsPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95Grandma closed the piano lid. “I love singing those old tunes with you.
I wish you could have seen the Halifax I once knew.”This dreamy and whimsical story follows a young child who travels back in time to 1950s Halifax with a whimsical tune. Follow the pair through Point Pleasant Park, the Public Gardens, Spring Garden Road, Citadel Hill, and other historic Halifax landmarks, showing off all the sights and sounds of the city. With lively text from Governor General’s Literary Award finalist Jan Coates and vivid illustrations of mid-century Halifax by Marijke Simons, A Halifax Time-Travelling Tune is bound to conjure more than a few bedtime singalongs.
