Who among us can't relate: the protagonist of Debbie Ridpath Ohi's latest picture book wants to read all the books! 

I Want to Read All the Books is out now, and to celebrate its arrival in the world, Ridpath Ohi shares some of her favourite books that she's been reading along the way. 

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There are so many fantastic Canadian children’s books that I had a lot of trouble choosing. Here is a selection of just a few of my faves, both new and not-so-new. 

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One Tiny Bubble, written by Karen Krossing, illustrated by Dawn Lo
I confess I had never heard of LUCA (our Last Universal Common Ancestor) until I read this book. The book creators explain a scientific concept to young readers in wonderfully poetic language and vibrant art—I’d love to see more from this duo! The back matter gives more details as well as highlighted vocabulary and sources.

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Moon Wishes, written by Patricia Storms & Guy Storms, illustrated by Milan Pavlović
“Imagine if you were the moon…” This is one of my favourite calming comfort books. I love slowly paging through the gorgeously illustrated art, and I read it out loud just to hear the lyrical prose. I find a new source of joy each time I reread it.

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Mira and Baku, written by Sara Truuvert, illustrated by Michelle Theodore
Sara is my niece and this is her debut picture book, so auntly pride is part of the reason this book is one of my favourites. Even if I wasn’t related to the author, however, I would still be captivated by this story of a child whose father is sent to a Japanese Canadian internment camp during the Second World War, and the artist’s beautiful dream-like illustrations.

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Spell Sweeper, by Lee Edward Fodi
Spell Sweeper is such a fun read! Love how it pokes gentle fun at wizarding schools and “The Chosen One” tropes, with plenty of action and plot twists. i especially enjoyed one of the underlying messages, which is a reminder not to make snap judgements about people based on their appearance or initial impressions. Fingers crossed for more books about Cara and friends!

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I'm Good and Other Lies, by Bev Katz Rosenbaum

I’ve been a fan of the author’s work since early days, and this book lived up to my high expectations! Despite the cover illustrations, the pandemic is just a backdrop; I’m Good And Other Lies is a thoroughly engaging story that tackles difficult topics like loss, an unstable home life, and mental health, with an ending full of hope.

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Apartment 713, by Kevin Sylvester

This book has SO many of my favourite story elements: time travel, mystery, humour, secret places, moving moments. Love the character relationships. Love the details about architecture. Love the narrative voice. Just LOVE.

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Plague Thieves, by Caroline Fernandez 

I’m in the middle of reading this and am totally hooked on this survival-adventure story during the time of the plague. I also can’t help but think that this would be a great book to help young readers put our post-pandemic world in context. I’m really seeing 12-year-old Rose’s character develop as she learns how to fend for herself and protect those she cares about.

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Learn more about I Want to Read All the Books: 

An insatiably curious girl decides the only way to answer all her questions is to read all the books in this funny and charming picture book in the spirit of The Library Fish and Tom Chapin’s The Library Book.

Hana wants to know everything about the world around her. When she starts asking questions, her mother gives her a book. She learns so much, but now she has even more questions! She also has a big mission: she will read all the books—every single one! She reads every book in her house…and then her friends’ houses…and then the whole block. Nonfiction, fiction, romance, mysteries, and science fiction.

But when her mother takes her to the downtown library, she realizes there are a lot more books than she thought…way more. Maybe she can’t really read all the books—now what?