Groundwood Books

01/13/2025

🩵 A beautifully silly spread from MARCEL WITH A SPLASH by Julia Sørensen and translated by Shelley Tanaka!

📘 This tender and intimate exploration of a child’s life with Down syndrome is available February 4th. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/li7t50UFBW3

01/10/2025

💋 👀 FIRST TIMES: STORIES ABOUT SEX is a collection of nine stories by nine different authors about the many “firsts” we experience: first times with yourself. First times with another person. First times you look forward to. First times you wish you could forget. First times that are sexy as hell. First times that are definitely, definitely not.

📕 Exploring a vast range of experiences, cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations, these stories reveal how unreasonable it is to define ourselves by a single, overhyped moment. (What a relief!) 😅

🔗 Available April 1, 2025. Learn more at GroundwoodBooks.com.

01/09/2025

✨GIVEAWAY✨

📚 We're giving away 10 copies of THE REHEARSAL CLUB, a theatrical new middle-grade mystery by Kate Fodor and Laurie Petrou!

🔗 Enter now: https://ow.ly/hwu750UCxI2

01/09/2025

💖 “Gracefully eloquent ... A lovely, lyrical depiction of friendship.” — Kirkus Reviews

🐴 More praise for THE PONY AND THE STARLING written by Jennifer McGrath - Author and illustrated by Kristina Jones!

🔗 Available February 4, 2025. Learn more at https://ow.ly/25Ua50UBtNa

01/08/2025

🤩 A star is born!

🎭 Kirkus calls THE REHERASAL CLUB by Kate Fodor and Laurie Petrou “inventive, humorous, and delightful” in their ⭐ starred review ⭐ for the book! We can’t wait to peel back the curtain on this middle-grade mystery, publishing February 4th.

🔗 Learn more about this book here: https://ow.ly/gry950UCbNB

01/08/2025

💛 Claiming 2025 as the Year of Bellies!

🌟 Introducing EVERYBELLY by award-winning author and illustrator Thao Lam! In this poolside picture book, little Maddie meets and greets every belly she passes: bellies with scars, tattooed bellies, growing bellies, growling bellies, bellies with six-packs, stretch marks, insulin monitors, freckles and more!

😊 This joyful celebration of an oft-maligned part of the body proves that every belly deserves its place in the sun.

🔗 Available April 1, 2025. Learn more and preorder a copy from your favourite bookseller here: https://ow.ly/hcxR50UBtZS

01/08/2025

Thanks for the shout-out, JLG! 💛

Learn more about the book: https://houseofanansi.com/products/eyes-on-the-ice?_pos=1&_sid=2383e69c6&_ss=r

In 1963, under the brutal Communist regime, two hockey-loving brothers must throw a game in a Soviet-Czech tournament to help their imprisoned father... 🏒

Perfect for readers grades 5-8, this title is featured in our Sports Middle Plus Category in March. Add it to your monthly book box 📚📦 https://hubs.la/Q030Zl5r0

01/06/2025

✨“The illustrations ... work beautifully with the spare yet lyrical narrative to tell a simple story that is more than the sum of its parts. A handsome picture book introducing rural life and an unusual animal friendship.” — Booklist

🐴 A lovely review of THE PONY AND THE STARLING written by Jennifer McGrath and illustrated by Kristina Jones.

🔗 Available Feb. 4, 2025. Learn more and pre-order through our website: https://houseofanansi.com/products/the-pony-and-the-starling?_pos=1&_sid=0272aabf5&_ss=r

01/06/2025

Spotted on the TPL First & Best List for 2024! 💛

📙BOOZHOO!/HELLO! by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, translated by Mary Ann Corbiere
📙WALKING TREES by Marie-Louise Gay

Our annual First & Best list is here! 🥇📚

Discover our top picks for the best Canadian picture books designed to build reading readiness in kids under five. Share them with your child and create a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

Jumpstart your child's reading journey 👉 https://tpl.ca/firstandbest

Abrams Kids
Groundwood Books
Owlkids
Pajama Press
Tundra Books

01/03/2025

✨Time for another creator highlight!

⚡ We’ve been working with author and illustrator Ian Wallace for over 40 years! Here’s an excerpt from our recent interview with him about celebrating the anniversary of his first book with us, CHIN CHIANG AND THE DRAGON’S DANCE, originally published in 1984!

💬 “It means the world to me. It was my breakthrough book. After several frustrating and discouraging years trying to be published by a major Canadian house, CHIN CHIANG AND THE DRAGON’S DANCE became my first full colour, hardcover, jacketed, internationally published book that I had dreamed of for a decade, six years in the making, while living on less than five thousand dollars a year. It was edited and published simultaneously by Patsy Aldana (Groundwood Books), Margaret McElderry (Atheneum in the US) and Julia MacRae (Methuen in the UK). Three publishing legends. I was and still am privileged for the creative experience of working with the best who drew the best from me, while opening other doors of imagination and publishing opportunities. It is deeply gratifying knowing that the book is still in print.”

🔗 You can read the full interview with Ian, and check out the forthcoming new edition of his book THE YEAR OF FIRE by Teddy Jam, here: https://houseofanansi.com/blogs/anansi

[Headshot taken by Robert Lear.]

12/27/2024

✒️ ➡️ 🐴

Take a look at how illustrator Kristina Jones created the artwork for THE PONY AND THE STARLING, written by Jennifer McGrath - Author!

You can pre-order THE PONY AND THE STARLING through our website: https://ow.ly/NRfT50UvlqT

12/23/2024

Score some hockey-themed books for young sports fans from Groundwood Books! 🏒Find these 2024 titles at your favourite book store.

12/22/2024

✨ Introducing THE ONE AND ONLY QUESTION written by Norma Charles and Andrea Charles, illustrated by Ken Daley!

🎒 It’s Zeke’s first day at a new school, but all he can think about are the kids who used to bully him. His head is filled with one big question: what will he do when they call him the N-word like they did at his old school?

🍎 As little frustrations mount during the day—a boring class, a mustard stain on his favourite shirt— Zeke is prepared for the worst when a classmate approaches him in the schoolyard. But it’s not to bully him—it’s to spread kindness. Told with sensitivity and warmth, this story of a child finding safety and friendship in the classroom will help educators address racism-based bullying.

🔗 Available March 4, 2025. Pre-order your copy through the links on our website, GroundwoodBooks.com.

12/21/2024

✍️ New on the Blog

🌲 LOOP DE LOOP author Andrea Curtis shares some waste-reducing hacks and tips for purchasing gifts sustainably this holiday season!

🔗 Check out the full post: https://ow.ly/FwP750Uvm59

12/18/2024

🪨 Introducing ROCK, a new picture book from award-winning creators Laurel Croza and Matt James Illustration!

💛 This quirky, memorable story of a tense encounter between a gentle rock and an intimidating seagull celebrates the joy of staying true to oneself.

🔗 Available March 5, 2025. Learn more about this book and preorder it from your favourite bookseller through our website: https://ow.ly/7Sjl50Utwax

12/16/2024

🎁💛 Thanks to The Globe & Mail and Jeffrey Canton for including THE OUTSMARTERS by Deborah Ellis in their children's book gift guide!

These 16 titles are perfect for little readers just starting out and older book-lovers with more discerning tastes

12/12/2024

👋 Meet book three in the Emotions and Me series: SHY ME by Sandra V. Feder and illustrated by Ashley Barron, publishing March 4th!

💛 SHY ME is a compassionate exploration of a common feeling: shyness! In this gentle book, a little boy reflects on situations when shyness takes over, and what helps him engage more fully. With vibrant illustrations and a kid-focused narrative, this follow-up to ANGRY ME and PEACEFUL ME is the perfect addition to the classroom, library, or reading corner.

🔗 ShyLearn more about this book:https://houseofanansi.com/products/shy-me?_pos=1&_sid=2bc7bffa5&_ss=r