For those who prefer to read a post rather than watch a video, we are pleased to present a written transcript of the Fall 2024 Picture Book selections!

Hello everyone and welcome back to a new season of Top Grade.

My name is Spencer Miller and I'm so excited today to introduce you to a selection of brand new Canadian picture books for the Fall 2024 Season.

I've got so many great books to talk about today, so let's get started.

The Sharing Circle is now available in new hard cover edition from Medicine Wheel Publishing. It's written by Theresa Larsen-Jonasson and illustrated by Jessika Von Innerebner. Teachers can use this delightful story to talk about resolving conflict and to introduce the practices of sharing circles and talking sticks into their classroom. In the story, two red foxes have an argument which breaks apart their community. A gentle Buffalo approaches a local Elder and asks her help with the sharing circle for all the animals.

The animals are illustrated with a lot of emotion which makes it very easy to pause and ask students how the animals are feeling on each page and to keep track of how their feelings change throughout the story and as they start to talk and share their feelings. What's great is the back matter of the book includes additional teaching and learning for teachers on the meaning and practices of sharing circles and talking sticks so that they can appropriately bring them into their classroom.

Getting Glam at Gram’s from Arsenal Pulp Press is written by Sara Weed and illustrated by Erin Hawryluk. This colourful and inclusive picture book is full of fashion, family, and fun!

Readers join Alex, a non-binary child, as they dress up with their siblings and cousins and put on a fashion show after dinner at their Grandma's house. The illustrations are so bright and colourful they almost glow. Dressing up encourages creativity and strutting down the runway inspires a lot of confidence--so after reading why not get glam with your students and put on a classroom fashion show?

Broom for Two from Pajama Press is written by Jennifer Maruno and illustrated by Scot Ritchie. This charming choice for Halloween season read alouds is more sweet than scary. It's perfect for little readers.

The story follows a little witch with a malfunctioning broomstick who worries about passing her flying test and finds confidence thanks to a helpful rat. In Broom for Two, the expressive and rhythmic text, the whimsical illustrations, and the touches of humour combine for read aloud fun.

The Weedflower from Owlkids Books is written by Elizabeth Davaze and illustrated by Marianne Ferrer. This is a modern schoolyard fable about children and their relationship to nature.
 
The story follows a group of children who fall in love with a big, fluffy, beautiful flower on the playground. But the adults all think that the flower is a weed and yank it up. Don't worry though the flower grows back.

The moment I finished reading this picture book, I was so interested in what a group of first graders would have to say. I want to ask them why is it that all the adults in the story thought that the flower was a weed? And I want to ask them what are some other things that adults and children see differently? So if you could ask your students these questions for me and put their answers in the comments, I would really appreciate it.

Songs in the Sea from Breakwater Books is written and illustrated by Pheilm Martin. This carefully Illustrated picture book depicts busy marine life and the vastness of the ocean.

The simple story follows Little Whale as he searches for his mother and runs into many marine friends on his search, including all kinds of whales, sea turtles, and squids. Martin does fantastic work with scale and perspective to show the different sizes of marine animals and the endlessness of the ocean. His illustrations capture that wonder and feeling that there are whole other worlds in the waters that surround us.

Getting us to Grandma's from Groundwood Books is written by Nadia L. Hohn and illustrated by TeMika Grooms. This relatable story about a family on a road trip brings us deeper feelings about what it means to belong to family.

The story follows the perspective of a young girl named Nikki who loves maps and geography. While Nikki helps navigate her family's road trip from Toronto to New York, Nikki traces out routes to the other places her family lives, including Boston, Florida, Atlanta, England, Jamaica and Africa. What a beautiful way to illustrate that family is a big thing that can mean the people sitting next to us in the car, people who live a few hours away, people who live on the other side of the country, and people who live on the other side of the world. They're still our family no matter how far away they are.

If you have a big map in your classroom, you could have your students mark where their families live or where their families come from and all together create a beautiful visualization of all the places around the world that your students are connected to.

Muhammad's Recipe for Remembering from Annick Press is written by Maidah Ahmad and illustrated by Shruti Prabhu. This picture book will make a meaningful addition to your Remembrance Day learning and reading.

The story follows a young boy seeking to learn more about his ancestors and preparation for the Remembrance Day assembly by visiting with elder members of his community. Muhammad discovers the untaught history of Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu soldiers who served in the world wars. Rich historical details are included in both the story and the artwork.

This picture book is a resonant reminder that on Remembrance Day we remember those whose stories have been told and those whose stories are yet to be told.

Barefoot Skateboarders from Orca Book Publishers is written by Rina Singh and illustrated by Sophie Casson. This is the uplifting and true account of a group of children skateboarders in a small village in India based on the author's own visit to the community.

Young readers are introduced to the tine village of Janwaar in India and the children who live there including Ramkesh. Readers join Ramkesh and the other local kids on an adventure that starts when a new skate park is built in their small community.

The book highlights how sports and activities bring us joy and bring us together. It's a great way to encourage students to take the lead and try something new.

I Hear You Mountains from Greystone Kids is written by Kallie George and illustrated by Carmen Mok. Fall is my favourite season so I was so delighted by this picture book that captures all the beauty and excitement of a good fall hike.

Readers follow a group of friends up a mountain and pause with them to listen for the sounds of rushing waterfalls, chattering chipmunks, and falling snow.

This is an excellent resource for outdoor education as it invites students to practice mindfulness — to pause and listen and observe the nature that surrounds them. I hope that it encourages you and your students to get outside to go for a walk and look for signs of fall.

The Hawk Shadow from Kids Can Press is written by Jan Bordeau Waboose and illustrated by Karlene Harvey. This is a compelling story about sibling bonds and Anishinaabe cultural traditions.

In the story, a young girl named Serenity follows her big brother Ed to his fishing spot on Hawk River. When Ed falls into the river a hawk swoops down to guide Serenity in how to help.

I enjoyed the relatable sibling dynamic that was full of teasing and laughter and love. I also loved the illustrations and how they really captured that feeling of being out in the bush. This overall is a captivating sibling story that additionally introduces readers to words in the Ojibwe language and some elements of Ojibwe cultural practices.

Penny's Triumphant Turnaround from Monster House Publishing is written by Stacey MacLean and illustrated by Danelle Vautour. Written by a mental health therapist, this picture book deals directly with the topics of bullying and anxiety.

In the story, a young girl named Penny is picked on by a boy and has a bad day at school. At home she is filled with anxiety until her older sister notices and initiates a conversation and provide strategies for working through anxiety.

Having worked with a lot of older teens, I know how much they're involved in looking out and caring for their younger siblings. Which is why I always feel like there aren't enough good teenage characters in picture books. Definitely my favourite part of this one was the inclusion of a kind and caring older sister who's willing to pass on what she knows about anxiety and it's good advice for all young readers.

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And that's our last book for today. On behalf of the Association of Canadian Publishers, thank you so much for watching. We really appreciate your support. We hope that you'll like this video, comment, and most importantly share this video with a teacher friend of yours. We also want to give a big thank you to Ontario Creates for their continued support of the Top Grade program.

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What's next?

• Find out more about the Top Grade program
• Sign up to receive email updates
• Download the book list of the Fall 2024 Picture Books (.csv file)