It’s our penultimate stop on the world tour today, and we’re heading north to visit the vast beauties of Canada.
From the Rockies
to its cosmopolitan cities
to the rocky cliffs of the Atlantic, all of Canada is on display in these great overviews. Plus one title about life in Canada’s newest province, Nunavut.
Canada in Words, by Per-Henrik Gürth
published in 2012 by Kids Can Press
For the youngest travelers, Per-Henrik Gürth has a number of titles out like this one with his bold, stylized artwork illustrating a variety of preschool concepts.
Each of the pages in this book is labeled with just one, very-Canadian, word. Beaver. Toque. Stanley Cup. If you’re not acquainted enough with Canadian culture to know what or why these items are here — then I guess you’ll have to do a bit more rummaging on your own. For those of us who love Canada, each page is a joy. Ages 18 months and up. Look for more of his work if you like this.
Carson Crosses Canada, written by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Kass Reich
published in 2017 by Tundra Books
The newest book I’ve seen — and so delightful — is this trans-Canada road trip with white-haired Annie Magruder and her friendly dog, Carson.
Annie and Carson live amid towering pines along the Pacific Coast. One day a letter arrives. Annie’s sister Elsie, way out in Newfoundland, is sick. Pack the car! Fill the cooler! Grab Carson’s squeaky chicken! We’re off to the rescue, driving all across Canada. Vibrant illustrations, a charming dog, and maps on the endpapers. What more could you want? Perfect for ages 3 and up.
You can also cross Canada in much more depth with one of the many fabulous titles from Vivien Bowers. Here are two to start with:
Hey Canada!, by Vivien Bowers, illustrated by Milan Pavlovic
published in 2012 by Tundra Books
Constructed around another road trip, this book goes into much more depth following along with Alice, age 9, her brother Cal, age 8, and their Gran, as they take the trip from east to west.
Beginning in Newfoundland, “The Rock” you’ll be treated to photographs, kid-friendly illustrations, and upbeat narrative about some of the top sites, sounds, tastes, of each of the provinces. Historical U-Turns along the way present bits of Canadian history in comic book style. It’s an ideal amount of information presented in a nicely casual tone, for kids ages 7 and up. Some of Bowers’ other books in this series take a similar approach but go into much more depth for even older readers. They’re all very well done.
That’s Very Canadian, by Viven Bowers
published in 2004 by Maple Tree Press
Formatted like a school report — well! it’s quite a dandy school report! — this book feels like looking at a fantastic scrapbook of Canadiana. You’ll get the scoop on Canadian cultural icons, trivia, history, food, hockey lore, provincial sites — there’s a ton o’ info stuffed inside here.
We throughly enjoyed wandering through this book when we studied Canada in our old homeschool days. For kids ages 7 or 8 and up, it’s a fantastic resource for painting a picture of Canadian culture.
Eh? to Zed: A Canadian Abecedarium, written by Kevin Major, illustrated by Alan Daniel
published in 2000 by Red Deer Press
A very clever, happily-rhyming poem forms the text of this book. Each line of it lists words dear to a Canadian’s heart. Thus:
Arctic, apple, aurora, Anik
Bonhomme, Bluenose, beaver, bannock
Colorful illustrations flood the pages with these images.
Don’t know what bannock is? Or why insulin is in the list? Never fear, pages crammed with notes by author and illustrator reveal the significance behind all these word and image choices. It’s a fantastic survey of Canada that adapts well to ages 3 through adult.
I is for Inuksuk: An Arctic Celebration, written and illustrated by Mary Wallace
published in 2009 by Maple Tree Press
We enjoyed this book years ago in our Canada studies as well. Gorgeous illustrations reveal the majestic beauty of the far north — every page is stunning.
Along the way we learn about the inuksuk — stone sculptures used by Arctic peoples for thousands of years as guides, markers, celebratory pieces. Learn, too, about some Inuit ways and the creatures that share their magnificent Arctic life. Included are Inuktitut words written in their fascinating script, a visual guide to the variety of inuksuit so you can try to spot the different ones in various illustrations, and a pronunciation guide. A gem for ages 5 and up.
Nunavut
Fishing with Grandma, by Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula, illustrated by Charlene Chua
published in 2015 by Inhabit Media Inc.
This is one of several books I’ve seen from this publisher telling stories set in contemporary Nunavut which simultaneously inform us about Inuktitut culture.
orange marmalade 
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