Ben Clanton, the author of the Narwhal and Jelly series, will be doing Miximal Mondays on his Instagram live at 12:30 pm EST.
Virtual Story Times and Singalongs
Important information for teachers, librarians and booksellers: Penguin Random House Open License Online Story Time and Classroom Read-Aloud Videos and Live Events
If you’re a Tundra, Puffin Canada, or Penguin Teen Canada author or illustrator, and you want to get involved during this time, please reach out to your publicist (Evan or Sam).
In times of need, you can always depend on the KidLit community to band together and help out. Many authors and illustrators are doing live events on social media for kids to tune into from home! We will be compiling a list of our authors and illustrators who are pitching in with virtual events for families to enjoy:
Monday, March 16, 2020 – ongoing
- Emily Arrow, the author of Studio, will be doing singalongs on her YouTube channel at 1:00 pm EST (10:00 am PST).
- Tara Lazar, author of Your First Day of Circus School, will be doing daily Instagram live streams starting at 12:00 pm EST (9:00 am PST).
Monday, March 16, 2020
- Esme Shapiro, the author-illustrator of Alma and the Beast, will be reading her picture book on Instagram Live at 5:00 pm EST (2:00 pm PST).
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
- Vikki VanSickle, the author of Teddy Bear of the Year, will be reading her picture book on Tundra’s Facebook Live at 10:30 am EST (7:30 am PST).
- Ben Clanton, the author-illustrator of the Narwhal and Jelly graphic novel series, will be doing Facebook Live author visits at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST).
Thursday, March 19, 2020
- Sharon Hampson and Randi Hampson, two of the authors of Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Skinnamarink, will be doing a singalong on Facebook Live at 3:00 pm EST (12:00 pm PST).
- Esme Shapiro, the author-illustrator of Ooko and Alma and the Beast, will be reading her picture books on Shop Mercimilo‘s Instagram Live at 5:00 pm EST (2:00 pm PST).
Friday, March 20, 2020
- Ben Clanton, the author-illustrator of the Narwhal and Jelly graphic novel series, will be doing Facebook Live author visits at 5:00 pm EST (2:00 pm PST).
Monday, March 23, 2020 – ongoing
- Ben Clanton, the author of the Narwhal and Jelly series, will be doing Miximal Mondays on his Instagram live at 12:30 pm EST (9:30 am PST).
- Susin Nielsen, the author of No Fixed Address, will be reading a chapter a day on her Twitter live at 1:00 pm EST (10:00 am PST).
- David A. Robertson, the author of The Barren Grounds, will be reading a chapter a day on his Twitter live at 1:30 pm EST (10:30 am PST).
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
- Elly MacKay, the author-illustrator of Red Sky at Night, will be reading her picture book and demonstrating a craft on Tundra’s Instagram Live at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST).
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
- Vikki VanSickle, the author of If I Had a Gryphon, will be reading her picture book on Tundra’s Facebook Live at 10:30 am EST (7:30 am PST).
- Jeff Zentner, the author of The Serpent King, will be reading his novel on his Instagram Live at 8:00 pm EST (5:00 pm PST).
Thursday, March 26, 2020
- Kallie George, the author of Goodnight, Anne, will be reading her picture book on Tundra’s Instagram Live at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST).
Monday, March 30, 2020 – ongoing
- Dan Bar-el, the author of Audrey (cow), will be reading a portion a day of his middle grade novel on his Facebook Live at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST). Download the Character List to follow which of the thirty-three narrators are speaking!
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
- Vikki VanSickle, the author of Teddy Bear of the Year, will be reading her picture book on Mastermind Toy’s Instagram Live at 10:00 am EST (7:00 am PST)
- Kass Reich, the illustrator of Carson Crosses Canada, will be reading her picture book on her Instagram Live at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST).
- Sharon Hampson and Randi Hampson, authors of Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Skinnamarink, will be celebrating Sharon’s birthday on Facebook at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST).
- Sharon Hampson, one of the authors of Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Skinnamarink, will be reading her picture book on Bedtime Stories with‘s Facebook at 8:00 pm EST (5:00 pm PST).
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
- Lorna Schultz Nicholson, author of Puckster’s New Hockey Teammate, will be reading her picture book on Hockey Canada’s Instagram Live at 11:30 am EST (8:30 am PST).
Friday, April 3, 2020
- Sharon Hampson and Randi Hampson, authors of Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Skinnamarink, will be reading their picture book on Mastermind Toy’s Instagram Live at 10:00 am EST (7:00 am PST).
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
- Print: A Bookstore will be reading Story Boat by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh on their Instagram Live at 10:00 am EST.
- Sharon and Randi Hampson, authors of Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Skinnamarink, perform as part of the National Arts Centre’s #CanadaPerforms series at 11:00 am EST (8:00 am PST) on their Facebook Live.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
- Kevin Sylvester, the illustrator of Great, will be reading his picture book on Hockey Canada’s Instagram Live at 11:30 am EST (8:30 am PST).
Thursday, April 9, 2020
- Kyo Maclear and Esme Shapiro, the creatures of Yak and Dove, will be reading their picture book on Esme Shapiro’s Instagram Live at 3:00 pm EST.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
- Vikki VanSickle, the author of Teddy Bear of the Year, will be reading her picture book on Penguin Random House Canada’s Instagram Live at 10:00 am EST as part of their Shelf-Care Saturday.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
- We are hosting a Zoom lunch at 12:30 pm EST with Anna Humphrey and Kass Reich to celebrate the Megabat series. RSVP here to get the Zoom link!
Please refer to THIS PAGE for the most up-to-date event information.
Last updated on: Monday, April 13, 2020 at 10:27 am EST.
CTV Your Morning Kids’ Book Segment on I Read Canadian Day
Our Marketing & Publicity Associate Director, Vikki VanSickle, was on CTV’s Your Morning today to honour of #IReadCanadian Day by providing Canadian “readalike” choices for kids. Check out our titles from her recommended list below and don’t forget to watch her segment!
AGES 3-7
For fans of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond read:
How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps
By Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by John Martz
ISBN 9780735263543 | Hardcover
40 Pages | Tundra Books
In this hilarious and clever “how-to,” a little girl and a know-it-all narrator are thwarted by a cat who refuses to take a bath. Watch as the steps keep changing, the cat keeps escaping, the girl keeps eating cookies and the mess keeps escalating. Soon it’s not just the cat who needs a bath–it’s the whole house!
AGES 6-9
For fans of the Narwhal and Jelly series by Ben Clanton, read the Disgusting Critters series by Elise Gravel:
The Bat
By Elise Gravel
ISBN 9780735266483 | Hardcover
32 Pages | Tundra Books
Hilarious illustrated nonfiction about bats perfect for beginning readers. Conversational text and silly illustrations will have you up all night reading about the only flying mammal on Earth!
AGES 8-12
For fans of the Guinness Book of World Records and National Geographic, read: 
Innovation Nation: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, Happier
By David Johnston and Tom Jenkins
Illustrated by Josh Holinaty
ISBN 9780735263017 | Hardcover
128 Pages | Tundra Books
Successful innovation is always inspired by at least one of three forces – insight, necessity and simple luck. Innovation Nation moves through history to explore what circumstances, incidents, coincidences and collaborations motivated each great Canadian idea, and what twist of fate then brought that idea into public acceptance.
For fans of realistic fiction master Judy Blume, read:
Me and Banksy
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
ISBN 9780735266919 | Hardcover
272 Pages | Puffin Canada
Dominica’s private school is covered in cameras, and someone is hacking into them and posting embarrassing moments for the whole school to see. Who has access to the school security cameras and why are they doing this? Dominica and her best friends, Holden and Saanvi, are determined to find out, and in the process start an art-based student campaign against cameras in the classroom.
For fans of mystery queen Agatha Christie, read:
Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body Under the Piano
By Marthe Jocelyn
Illustrated by Isabelle Follath
ISBN 9780735265462 | Hardcover
336 Pages | Tundra Books
A smart and charming middle-grade mystery series starring young detective Aggie Morton and her friend Hector, inspired by the imagined life of Agatha Christie as a child and her most popular creation, Hercule Poirot.
For fans of the classic survival story Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, read:
The Skeleton Tree
By Iain Lawrence
ISBN 9781101918371 | Paperback
288 Pages | Tundra Books
Less than 48 hours after twelve-year-old Chris casts off on a trip to sail down the Alaskan coast with his uncle, their boat sinks. The only survivors are Chris and a boy named Frank, who hates Chris immediately. Chris and Frank have no radio, no flares, no food. Suddenly, they’ve got to find a way to forage, fish and scavenge supplies from the shore.
