Our Top 12 Kids’ Books

Good For: Babies and kids aged 0 to 2 This lovely book with limited text and gorgeous illustrations follows an owl on a moonlight journey as he watches the nocturnal habits of other creatures. A Book of Sleep might answer “How do some animals sleep?” but it can't tell you why your baby refuses to. (Sorry.)

Good For: Kids 2 to 6 When is a duck not a duck? As you ponder that question as an adult, kids who have read this book will have the answer for you: when it's a rabbit! Confused? Don't be. Pick up this delightful book for younger kids or inspire older ones to practice the deceiving drawings within the story to try and create their own ‘slight of hand' for the eye.

Good For: Ages 2 to 6 Watch your toddlers and young school-aged kids laugh themselves silly trying to convincingly mimic cat habits (purring, meowing and stretching) in an attempt to outwit the trio of felines who want to keep their cat secrets safe from humans and a pesky mouse

Good For: Ages 3 to 6 Matt Napier's wonderfully illustrated novel celebrates, in rhyme, the game of hockey through each letter of the alphabet. The book is written for North American (not strictly Canadian) audiences and almost every aspect of the sport is covered from equipment to teams and how the game started—even penalties get their due. If it's true that kids learn by doing things they love, a generation of youngsters should have their alphabet—and rink rules—down pat.

Good For: Ages 3 to 8 Munsch has written over 50 books and the appeal for kids that comes from every Munsch book is contained in his latest; hapless adults, heroic kids and a crazy story. Luke wakes up to find a moose in his treehouse, and after getting little help from his parents (and three sisters) creatively solves the problem himself. It's always a bunch of fun in a Munsch world.

Good For: Ages 4 to 9 ‘Weird Al' has certainly grown up, but his imagination and amusing view of the world have not been dampened as proven by his first children's book. This is a creative and whimsical story following the entertaining thoughts and dreams of a young boy who wonders what he'll be when he grows up—inspiring your school-age kids to dream outside of the box, turning your potential neurosurgeon into a professional pickle inspector or a gorilla masseuse. You're welcome.

Good For: Ages 3 to 7 Unlike most sequels (take note, Hollywood), this follow up to the wildly popular Pinkalicious book promises to delight the same audience of children as its predecessor. Pinkalicious loses a tooth—but to her dismay it's her sweet tooth and nothing tastes the same. A chorus of familiar characters (the Easter Bunny and Cupid, to name two) try to help resolve the problem, but it's up to the tooth fairy to fill in the gap.

Good For: Ages 4 to 7 What's it like to be the odd girl out? Regina knows—she just joined Miss Lina's group of eight ballerinas and is disrupting their perfect order of two lines of four. This ballet-themed rhyming story about how the dancers overcome their issues and welcome the ‘new girl' imparts a great message for young girls about the benefits of being inclusive and will delight any future prima donna's in your life.

Good For: Ages 7 to 11 It was about time Geronimo Silton's younger sister, Thea, grabbed some real estate on bookshelves. Thea travels to Paris with friends for a high fashion foible. The pages are filled with colourful images, fonts and illustrations…and some tantalizing descriptions of the city of lights…yes, it's normal to be envious of a fictitious mouse.

Good For: Ages 4 to 99 A non-fiction storybook, My Princess Boy is a thought-provoking narrative for parents and kids about a 4 year-old boy who loves dresses, jewellery, sparkles and the colour pink. It's told from a mom's point of view about her son, Dyson. It tells the story of his true-life experiences living his “authentic self”. The book's words and illustrations are simple for children to understand but the message will resonate with anyone, at any age. It might generate conversations in your home about acceptance, happiness and being yourself in the outside world.

Good For: Ages 9 to 12 Older kids who loved the movie Tangled will enjoy this clever and very entertaining graphic novel, released several years before the recent movie. This Rapunzel, like her big screen counterpart, is smart, competent, witty and strong. We follow her through fast paced adventures, always one step ahead of those trying to thwart her—the Grimm Brothers themselves would be impressed.

Good For: Ages 9 to 12 Don't let the title turn you off. This latest release from Norwegian author Jo Nesbo promises to be just as much of a gas as his first (Doctor Proctor Fart Powder). The protagonists from the first book are back—and they're on a mission to save a zany friend, Dr. Proctor, from nefarious foes thanks to the help of a time-travelling bathtub. It even covers a healthy portion of French history (seriously) but big kids will want to read it for the title alone.