EPL Guest Picks: 25 Years of Governor General's Award Winners (2000-2025)Like this list

22 items

• Imagine a Day

  Gonsalves, Rob

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  Can you imagine a day where the ordinary becomes extraordinary? Accompanied by stunning optical illusions, the thought-proving text invites readers to ponder a world where anything is possible. 2005 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ancient Thunder

  Yerxa, Leo, 1947-

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  With unique art that makes paper look like leather, this book celebrates the connection between wild horses and First Peoples. 2006 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• Northwest Passage

  James, Matt, 1973-

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  Illustrator Matt James brings Stan Roger's 1981 song "Northwest Passage" to life through rich paintings telling the story of the search for a route through the Artic Ocean to the Pacific. 2013 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sidewalk Flowers

  Lawson, JonArno

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  In this wordless picture book, a little girl transforms the world around her through the small gift of flowers. 2015 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• Tokyo Digs a Garden

  Lappano, Jon-Erik, 1983-

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  Living in a small house between large buildings, Tokyo's grandfather tells him of the hills and forests that used to surround their home. When Tokyo is gifted three seeds and told that they will grow into whatever he wishes, what will he ask for?…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• When We Were Alone

  Robertson, David, 1977-

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  A grandmother shares her story of resilience and resistance in a residential school, emphasizing the importance of cultural identity and family bonds. 2017 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• They Say Blue

  Tamaki, Jillian

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  Experience colour through the eyes of a child as they explore the mystery and wonder of colours in nature. 2018 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• Small in the City

  Smith, Sydney, 1980-

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  As a small child walks through a downtown wintery landscape, they search for what is lost and offer an invitation to find your way back home. 2019 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• The Barnabus Project

  Fan, Terry

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  Barnabus dreams of exploring the outside world. Will he and his friends - the other "Failed Projects" - find a place where they can be accepted for who they really are? 2020 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• On the Trapline

  Robertson, David, 1977-

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  A boy learns about family, land, culture, and food as he travels with his Moshom (Grandfather) to visit the trapline. 2021 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• À qui appartiennent les nuages?

  Brassard, Mario, 1978-

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  Quand Mila avait 9 ans, la guerre est arrivée à son village. Des illustrations évocatrices et un texte clairsemé racontent une histoire de peur, d'exil, de reconstruction et d'espoir. / When Mila was 9, war arrived in her village. Evocative…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Sour Cherry Tree

  Hrab, Naseem

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  This book captures a child's perspective on grief as they walk through a house filled with memories of their grandfather, Baba Bozorg. 2022 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• When You Can Swim

  Wong, Jack, 1985-

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  By capturing the wonder of waterfalls, sandpipers, and toes wriggling in the sand, this book celebrates the joy of learning to swim with a focus on exploring the natural world. 2023 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Skating Wild on An Inland Sea

  Pendziwol, Jean E.

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  Lake Superior sings to the children, calling them to venture out into the cold, lace up their skaes, and step out onto the ice. What will they discover in the early winter morning? 2024 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• This Land Is a Lullaby

  Simpson, Tonya

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  Told through beautiful pointillism artwork, a mother soothes her child to sleep through the wonders of the Prairies and the Plains. 2025 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Illustration (English).

• The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen

  (who Is Only Writing This Because His Therapist Said He Had To, Which Stinks)

  Nielsen-Fernlund, Susin, 1964-

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  With a balance of humour and grief, Henry journals his experiences living through the aftereffects of a life-changing tragedy involving bullying and suicide. 2012 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Text (English).

• The Marrow Thieves

  Dimaline, Cherie, 1975-

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  In this dystopian future, a group of Indigenous youth learn of the power of dreams as they seek safety and survival. 2017 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Text (English).

• Sweep

  the Story of a Girl and Her Monster

  Auxier, Jonathan

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  After an 11-year-old chimney sweep's life is saved by a golem made from ash and coal, the pair of outcasts create a life together in Victorian London. 2018 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Text (English).

• Stand on the Sky

  Bow, Erin

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  Will Aisulu's nontraditional relationship with Toktar, an eagle, enable her to save her brother and her family's nomadic life? 2019 winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Juvenile Text (English).

• The Summer of Bitter and Sweet

  Ferguson, Jenny, 1985-

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  A Métis teen must deal with the fallout of long kept secrets - both her family’s and her own - amidst the backdrop of summer working at her family's ice cream shop in a small prairie town in Canada. 2022 winner of the Governor General's Literary…Read moreRead more of this annotation