Amazing Picture Books to Gift Teachers This June

The following list features diverse stories by diverse authors and illustrators. They are certain to hold a welcome place in school and home libraries, and become popular with readers of all ages.

Roger and Matthew by Michel Thériault (Author) and Magali Ben (Illustrator) (Fitzhenry and Whiteside)

Recommended Age: 5+ 

Roger and Matthew is a gentle story about two people who met in elementary school. They are lifelong friends and also life partners.  One taught English, and the other was a shop owner.  “Everyone in the village knows them. They are part of the neighbourhood.” Together, they have weathered the good, the bad and the cruel.  The story touches on the hurt the two endured and got through together. Both are now retired. They living a quiet life in a country town and growing old together. 

Roger and Matthew is the English translation of renowned French Canadian singer-songwriter Thériault’s Ils sont and a gentle introduction to the idea of same-gender couples that focuses on the love the two share. It normalizes the relationship using language that the youngest readers will understand. Ben’s watercolor illustrations in earth tones capture a picturesque lakeside town and bring a tone of nostalgia to a tender story.

This touching and poetic picture book is perfect for primary teachers. It will contribute to nurturing a caring, reflective classroom where diverse relationships and families are acknowledged and respected. It will promote discussion about identity, inclusion, belonging, and the steadfastness of love.

Rise Up and Write It by Nandini Ahuja (Author) and  Anoosha Syed (Illustrator) (HarperCollins Canada) 

Recommended Age: 6+

Farah Patel is an inquisitive, perceptive girl who notices that there are no butterflies in her urban neighborhood. She wonders why, and her mother tells her that it is because their community lacks greenery. One day, Farah and her mother walk by an empty lot with a sign asking citizens to contact Mayor Khan with their ideas for it. Farah comes up with an ingenious plan to turn it into a community garden. Not only would this attract butterflies, it would also provide families with locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Excited by this idea, Farah writes a letter to the mayor proposing it. However, she is dismayed when the mayor replies with the city’s plan to turn the space into a parking lot. Refusing to accept this decision, Farah mobilizes the neighbourhood residents to advocate for a community garden. 

This cheerfully illustrated picture book is ideal for teachers who promote inquiry-based learning as well as activistivism and civic engagement in their schools and communities. They will utilise the examples of child-friendly actions, like writing letters to politicians, organizing rallies or protests, canvassing for a cause, and testifying at public meetings. The book provides fun,  real pull-out examples of activism tools shaped like envelopes containing a letter to the mayor, a ready-to-sign petition, a community meeting poster, and a protest sign that students can use as hands-on templates for their own community activism. Ahuja writes in language that is empowering and easy to understand, without being didactic, and the plot is energetically paced to keep readers engaged. South Asian students will see themselves reflected in Farah as well as in Syed’s bright and lively illustrations depicting the harmonious diversity of Farah’s neighborhood.

Spark  by Ani Castillo (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) 

Recommended Age: 4+

Spark is a visually-arresting story that takes the reader through the journey of life, starting from birth,  to explore what it means to be human and alive. Each soul in Spark is a touching depiction of human life and what it means to embrace everything that life brings, whether it is living in the present or maintaining hope for the future. The book culminates in an inspiring message of optimism, joy, gratitude, love and the wonder of life. 

Spark introduces young readers to the sentience that unites us all: the miracle of life, with all its potential. Its uplifting message and visually ingenious illustrations will make it a welcome addition to an early-years teacher’s collection. The young readers will enjoy hearing it read aloud and also spending time with it alone, poring over Castillo’s whimsy-filled illustrations.

In My Mosque by M. O. Yuksel (Author) and Hatem Aly (Illustrator) (HarperCollins Canada) 

RecommendedAge: 5+

What is a mosque? In M.O Yuksel’s debut picture book, children welcome readers into their mosque to explore the space of religious observance and the religion that is practised by over 1 billion Muslims around the world. Each refrain of “In my mosque” offers an observation:  “In my mosque, aunties’ hijabs sway like a sea of flowers as we move through our prayers” complemented by a child’s response: “I try to pay attention, although sometimes I get distracted”. 

Young readers will recognize that the mosque is not only a place of worship, but a place of community.  It is a gathering place for people to find each other and be inspired by sermons: “in my mosque, we pray for peace, love, and joy…just like my friends who worship in churches, temples, and synagogues.” book that shows parallels between different religious places of worship, and highlights both universality of faiths and uniqueness of Islam and its places of worship.

Aly’s  artwork is intricate, vibrant and lively. Each scene is conveyed from the perspective of Muslim children and portrays people of varying ages, abilities, sizes, and skin tones. Calligraphy in an Arabic style is incorporated throughout the book. The simple text depicts the people, practices, activities, and environment in a mosque from a child’s point of view. Additional information about mosques, a glossary, and an author’s note are also included. Primary and Junior teachers will find lots to mine from a wide range of mosque experiences. In My Mosque will strike a chord with those already familiar with them, engage those new to them, spark conversations, and affirm Muslim identity and culture. 

On the Trapline by David A. Robertson (Author) and Julie Flett (Illustrator) (Penguin Random House) 

Recommended Age: 5+

A little boy, who is the narrator, and his Moshom — his Swampy Cree grandfather — travel north to Moshom’s community and his trapline — a place “where people hunt animals and live off the land”. At the trapline, Moshom shows the little boy where he used to live. They walk through a forest and see an old school building. “Most of the kids only spoke Cree, but at the school all of us had to talk and learn in English.” They travel in a small motorboat to an island, where “Moshom’s eyes light up.” He says, “That’s my trapline.” Moshom tells how everyone “slept in one big tent, so they could keep warm at night”. Everyone shared the work, so even the youngest children had chores. He tells the boy how they caught muskrats, ate the meat, and sold the pelts “to buy…things you couldn’t get on the trapline.” Before leaving the island, the boy holds Moshom’s hand. His grandpa is quiet. “Kiskisiw means ‘he remembers’.” Swampy Cree words and their definitions conclude each page and provide a summation of the themes. Back matter includes a glossary and moving notes from the author and illustrator. 

On The Trapline is inspired by a trip the Governor-Award winning author took with his late father. The evocative book celebrating Indigenous culture and traditions will resonate widely with teachers, especially those who are sons, fathers or grandfathers. Teachers of writing (or who are themselves writers) will appreciate the richness of Robertson’s spare text complemented by Cree-Métis author and illustrator Julie Flett’s striking artwork. Both provide room for readers to feel the emotions that they stir, and evoke a calm that is conducive to honouring connections to memories, to the land and the past. The emotional resonance of On The Trapline will linger in the memory for a long time and invite repeated readings.

Poetry in My Pocket by by Chris Tougas (author) and Josée Bisaillon (Illustrator) (Kids Can Press) 

Recommended Age: 6+

In this captivating picture book, an unnamed protagonist comes home with a poem in their pocket. Unaware of a rip, the poet loses words and verses, which slip out of the pocket into the neighbourbood and scatter in the wind: “I had a poem in my pocket,/but my pocket got a rip./Rhymes tumbled down my leg/ and trickled from my hip.” Soon, the runaway words coin new words, create silly puns and form new rhymes, prompting the poet to chase after them. Eventually, the wind dies down, but rain starts, scattering the words once more. So begins a rhythmic adventure to recapture the words, which is also an allegory of the creative process. As the wind whirls the protagonist’s carefully crafted words along the streets, attempts to retrieve the words give way to rhymes and puns in unexpected places: unfurling in the leaves of trees, on the umbrellas of push-carts, on canopies, on the sides of moving trucks and painted on walls. With the elusive words swirling all around and everywhere, how will the protagonist ever be able to reform their poem?

Teachers of language and literacy will adore Poetry in My Pocket! Bisaillon’s clever, detailed illustrations will enthrall readers while Tougas’ rhyming text will open their imaginations to the potential of words in a sweet and fanciful way. The clever (and sometimes silly) wordplay within the poetic structure will prompt giggles and make an often-requested read aloud. Young readers (and their teachers) will discover something new with every reading. The details in each individual page will lend themselves to discussions about language’s ability to be precise and flexible. (Each page on its own can lend itself to a language lesson!) The writing process is depicted as inherently slippery, demanding determination and tenacity. The book subtly implies the benefit of spending time with words for productive results – a message that all budding writers, regardless of their age, can take to heart. A diversity of readers will see themselves reflected on the plucky protagonist whose race and gender are left ambiguous.

© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2021