Here are all the books featured on the 2025 CBC Kids Reads shortlist. (Groundwood Books, Kids Can Press, HarperCollins, Inhabit Media, Owl Kids)The third edition of CBC Kids Reads, a literary celebration for young readers, will see CBC Kids friends joining up with celebrity readers Jay Baruchel, Anna Lambe, Andrew Phung, Kayla Grey and Josh Dela Cruz, to champion five Canadian picture books.The five book shortlist reflects the experiences and diversity of kids across Canada. The CBC Kids Reads 2025 longlist of 15 picture books was revealed in August. The winner of CBC Kids Reads 2025 will be announced in a half-hour special that will be available on Oct. 4, on CBC TV, CBC Gem and CBC Kids YouTube at 10:20 a.m. ET. An audience of kids and families will vote for the winning book in the live-to-tape special recorded at the Civic Centre Resource Library in Vaughan, Ont.The special will celebrate all five picture books on the CBC Kids Reads shortlist and will feature readings by each book’s celebrity champion. The CBC Kids Reads special will also be replayed as a CBC radio broadcast on Oct. 13.The 2025 CBC Kids Reads contenders and their champions are: Mad at Dad by Janie Hao is championed by comedian, actor and writer Andrew Phung with Gary the Unicorn Cone Dog by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Carmen Mok is championed by actor, writer and director Jay Baruchel with Stuffy the Dog I am a Rock by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, illustrated by Pelin Turgut is championed by North of North actress Anna Lambe with Mosey Monster The Hockey Skates by Karl Subban, illustrated by Maggie Zeng is championed by broadcaster, journalist and sports anchor Kayla Grey with Cottonball the Cat The Little Green Envelope by Gillian Sze, illustrated by Claudine Crangle is championed by Blue’s Clues & You! actor and singer Josh Dela Cruz with Mr. Orlando the Moose. Learn more about the 2025 CBC Kids Reads contenders below.Mad at Dad by Janie Hao, championed by Andrew Phung with Gary the UnicornMad at Dad is a lift-the-flap picture book that explores big feelings and managing anger in healthy ways. A little girl gets mad at her dad, but quickly realizes she doesn’t like the feeling of being mad — except she doesn’t know how to stop it. Mad at Dad is for ages 2 to 6.Gary the Unicorn is championing Mad at Dad because he is always full of feelings — mostly about how much he loves hugs, and sprinkles on everything!When asked about his favourite kind of story, Mad at Dad celebrity reader Phung said, “I love books about people’s lives. I love when they write about themselves and the things they have done. I think our lived experiences are so interesting and I love learning about people.” I think our lived experiences are so interesting and I love learning about people.- Andrew PhungAndrew Phung is an actor, writer and comedian. He received a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021 for his work on Kim’s Convenience.He is also the executive producer, co-creator and writer for the series Run The Burbs. He is a regular contributor on CBC Radio’s Now or Never, The Debaters and Because News. Andrew Phung: How I overcame my fear of failure and got a do-over Janie Hao is an illustrator and writer. She has a degree in illustration from Sheridan College and lives in Toronto. 24 Canadian books that represent fatherhood for Father’s Day 2025 Cone Dog by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Carmen Mok, championed by Jay Baruchel with Stuffy the DogAfter a visit to the veterinarian in Cone Dog, a dog named Emma has to wear a plastic cone and quickly learns that there are both advantages and disadvantages to wearing it — it dulls her digging, but also helps scare off the neighbourhood squirrel. She ultimately learns however, that cone or no cone, it’s her inventive spirit that makes her who she is. Cone Dog is for ages 3 to 7. Stuffy the Dog is championing Cone Dog because it’s good research, should he ever need to wear a cone himself. His neighbourhood nemesis is a pigeon, whom he looks forward to startling with a cone one day soon.When asked what he likes best about reading, celebrity champion for Cone Dog, Jay Baruchel, said “I love that when I open a book, I get taken on a journey. I get transported to another world, another planet, another time.” I love that when I open a book, I get taken on a journey.- Jay BaruchelJay Baruchel is an actor, writer and director born in Ottawa, raised in Montreal and currently living in Toronto. He’s best known for his roles in Blackberry, in which he won a 2024 Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actor, How to Train Your Dragon, Knocked Up, Million Dollar Baby and This Is the End.Baruchel is one of the writers of the upcoming anthology of essays, Elbows Up!. He also wrote the 2018 memoir, Born Into It. Baruchel championed the book Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan on Canada Reads 2013. Margaret Atwood, Jay Baruchel, Canisia Lubrin among writers of new anthology that explores Canadian identity Sarah Howden is an author from Toronto. Her previous works include Cone Cat, The Tunnel and 5-Minute Stories for Fearless Girls. Carmen Mok is a Toronto-based illustrator. Some of her other works of illustrations include When I Listen to Silence by Jean E. Pendziwol, Cone Cat by Sarah Howden and A Stopwatch from Grampa by Loretta Garbutt. 45 picture books to check out this fall I am a Rock by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, illustrated by Pelin Turgut, championed by Anna Lambe with Mosey Monster At bedtime, Pauloosie asks his Anaana, or mother, what rocks would say to us if they could. In I Am A Rock, Pauloosie’s pet rock, Miki Rock describes all that it can see, feel and hear as part of the land in the Arctic from the winds to the animals, the northern lights and more. I Am A Rock is for ages 3 to 5.Mosey Monster is championing I Am A Rock because he is always amazed by how awesome nature is. Although he has never met a talking rock, he loved the way Miki Rock described life in the arctic. Mosey hopes to visit one day!When asked why telling stories was important, I Am A Rock celebrity reader Lambe, said “it’s important to see how other people live their lives, what other people’s experiences are like and where they come from. Reading books from different places really allow you to have a bigger — and I think better — view on life.” Reading books from different places really allow you to have a bigger — and I think better — view on life.- Anna LambeAnna Lambe is an Inuk actress and television host from Iqaluit. She is best known for her role as the lead actress in the CBC, Netflix and APTN co-produced series North of North. Lambe received a Canadian Screen Award nomination in 2021 for her role in CBC’s mini-series Trickster based off of the novels by Eden Robinson.Her previous film and television credits include The Grizzlies and HBO’s True Detective. Lambe is also a host on the APTN documentary series Warrior Up!. 5 books that North of North star Anna Lambe loved reading Ashley Qilavaq-Savard is an Inuk writer and artist from Iqaluit. She is the author of Where the Sea Kuniks the Land and I Am A Rock is her first picture book. Qilavaq-Savard also makes sealskin and beaded jewellery and studies Inuktitut. CBC Books named Qilavaq-Savard a writer to watch in 2024. 16 Canadian children’s books to read as the summer winds down Pelin Turgut is a children’s book illustrator from Turkey. The Hockey Skates by Karl Subban, illustrated by Maggie Zeng, championed by Kayla Grey with Cottonball the CatInspired by his NHL hockey player son P.K. Subban, Karl Subban shares the story of young P.K. waiting for his new skates in The Hockey Skates. With each new delivery that arrives not being the right skates — whether it’s the wrong colour or size, P.K. learns to persevere and remain optimistic in this comical story. The Hockey Skates is for ages 4 to 7.Cottonball the Cat chose The Hockey Skates because she is the sportiest kitten on the block. Learning something new is her favourite thing to do, and she thought the themes of patience and perseverance in this book were purrrfect!When Kayla Grey, celebrity champion for The Hockey Skates, was asked what she liked best about reading, she said, “I love how my vocabulary expands the more that I read, and I learn new things every time that I pick up a book. It makes me feel a sense of wonder.” It makes me feel a sense of wonder.- Kayla GreyKayla Grey is a Toronto-based broadcaster, journalist and sports anchor. She is the host and co-executive producer of TSN’s The Shift with Kayla Grey and reports courtside for TSN’s Toronto Raptors coverage. In 2022, she won the Jahmil French Award at The Legacy Awards for being a “rising star” in the Canadian media world and she won the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s inaugural Changemaker Award.Karl Subban has been a coach, teacher, principal and the father to three NHL hockey players. Subban, who resides in Toronto, is also the author of How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School and Life.LISTEN | Karl Subban on The Next Chapter: The Next ChapterRaising superstar hockey players with Karl SubbanMaggie Zeng is a Montreal-based student at Concordia University. She is an illustrator, animator and concept artist of children’s books. The first picture book she illustrated is This Is the Boat That Ben Built. The Little Green Envelope by Gillian Sze, illustrated by Claudine Crangle, championed by Josh Dela Cruz with Mr. Orlando the MooseIn The Little Green Envelope, Olive has a little green envelope that wants to be chosen to be delivered to Olive’s friend that has moved away. Just like Olive, the little green envelope also longs to travel. But will the envelope’s wish come true? The Little Green Envelope is for ages 3 to 6.Mr. Orlando the Moose is championing The Little Green Envelope because he has a passion for postage. As a lover of all things analogue, Mr. Orlando is thrilled to see the magic of a handwritten letter be celebrated in this beautiful book.When asked how a good book makes him feel, celebrity reader of The Little Green Envelope, Josh Dela Cruz said, “a good book makes me feel like time just flies by. That I’m in this world that I have participated in creating because I’m imagining what things look like, and how things feel, and it’s exciting! Those are my favourite types of books.” A good book makes me feel like time just flies by.- Josh Dela CruzJosh Dela Cruz is an actor and singer. He is the host of Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues & You!. Before joining Blue’s Clues & You!, Dela Cruz was in several Broadway shows, including playing the titular role in Aladdin. He recently toured with Theatre Group Asia’s production of Into the Woods. Dela Cruz splits his time between Toronto and New York.Gillian Sze is a Montreal-based writer and teacher who is originally from Winnipeg. Some of her other books for children include The Night Is Deep and Wide, My Love for You Is Always and You Are My Favorite Color, which was a finalist for the Quebec Writers’ Federation Award. Her poetry collections include Quiet Night Think, which won the 2023 Pat Lowther Memorial Award.LISTEN | Gillian Sze shares her inspiration for the book with CBC Montreal’s Let’s Go: Let’s GoMontreal author named in CBC Kids Read 2025 longlistClaudine Crangle is a Toronto-based author and multidisciplinary artist whose previous picture books include writing and illustrating Priscilla Pack Rat, Woolfred Cannot Eat Dandelions and The House Next Door.
Jay Baruchel, Anna Lambe, Andrew Phung and more take part in CBC Kids’ annual literature celebration
