llustrations can bring stories to life in the most unexpected ways, and some books go far beyond traditional drawings. This list highlights board books, picture books and non-fiction titles that showcase truly unique illustration styles—from intricate paper collages to vibrant Plasticine artwork. Each book is a visual feast, offering young readers not only engaging stories and facts but also a chance to explore the endless possibilities of artistic expression.
This list originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of Canadian Children's Book News.
Fiction
Bea's Paper Imaginarium
written and illustrated by Rachael Speirs
Plumleaf Press, 2024
Bea is an artist who will only work with clean white paper. When she runs out of a supply of pristine paper, she is forced to discover—reluctantly—that with imagination and creativity, she can still make art with used paper and other odds and ends.
* * *
Birds on Wishbone Street
written and illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo
Pajama Press, 2021
Moe’s neighbours on Wishbone Street come from all over the world, and she’s excited to meet the new boy who just arrived from Syria. Sami isn’t quite ready to talk about his past, but he loves birds just as much as Moe does. When the children discover a female cardinal stunned by the cold, Sami uses his experience caring for pigeons back home to help rescue the bird. Illustrated with polymer clay, the story reminds us that we’re all more similar than we are different.
* * *
Chidori
written by Jennifer Murano
illustrated by Miki Sato
Pajama Press, 2025
Hana’s school sits on the side of a hill with a view of the ocean. One day, while in class, a tsunami drags the ocean across her village. When she is finally reunited with her family, Hana learns that the wave has taken more than she could have ever imagined. To cope with her grief, she begins to paint chidori (a thousand birds). Sato’s collage art creates a three-dimensional world that is rich in emotion, detail, and texture.
* * *
Coco and the Caterpillars
written and illustrated by Geraldo Valério
Groundwood Books, 2024
A boy must keep a clutch of butterfly eggs he finds in his garden a secret from his pet chicken Coco, who finds all the insects in the garden yummy! But one day, when his back is turned, Coco gobbles up the hatched caterpillars and falls ill. The boy is torn between worry for Coco and sorrow that the caterpillars have been eaten. But then he makes a wonderful discovery—his dream of butterflies in the garden just might come true after all.
Everybelly
written and illustrated by Thao Lam
Groundwood Books, 2025
Maddie and her mom spend a sunny day at the local public pool, where she meets and greets friends and neighbours. Maddie is waist-high on most of them, and she knows there’s an interesting person behind every belly she passes. Lam’s celebrated cut-paper collage portrays bellies and bodies of all shapes and sizes, proving that every belly deserves its place in the sun.
* * *
I Love You More
written by Emil Sher
illustrated by Barbara Reid
Scholastic Canada, 2025 © 2022
This playful book opens up infinite possibilities for saying ‘I love you’ that carry on long after the book closes. Follow along as young Des’s day winds him through his busy, diverse neighbourhood, highlighting different relationships across age, gender and race, and moments bound together by love. Sher’s delightful wordplay, paired with Reid’s vibrant Plasticine art, creates a rich experience for young readers and brings a wonderful, affirming feeling to storytime.
* * *
Little Moments in a Big Universe
written and illustrated by Todd Stewart
Owlkids Books, 2025
An explorer and a robot are travelling the universe in their spaceship when their engine malfunctions and they crash-land on an unknown planet. How will they fix their ship? Will they ever explore again? And who are the strange light-filled creatures who are beckoning to them? Lyrical text and out-of-this-world screen-printed and digital artwork invite readers into a rich universe to explore.
* * *
Read Me a Book
written and illustrated by Barbara Reid
Scholastic Canada, 2025 © 2016
Barbara Reid has created a colourful celebration of the pleasures of reading to babies and young children, anytime and anywhere. Warm and detailed Plasticine illustrations of adults and children reading together join with bouncy, rhythmic verse to invite children and parents to share the joy of reading indoors and out, at any time of day!
* * *
Rumie Goes Rafting
written and illustrated by Meghan Marentette
Owlkids Books, 2024
Rumie dreams of adventuring far down the stream and decides to build a raft! With Uncle’s help, the raft is built, and plans are made to take it out the following day. But early next morning, Rumie is too excited to wait and decides to test the raft out on their own. Photographs of cuddly plush critters on a real-life forest backdrop bring Rumie’s woodland adventure to life.
* * *
Skating Wild on an Inland Sea
written by Jean E. Pendziwol
illustrated by Todd Stewart
Groundwood Books, 2023
Two children wake up to hear the lake singing… or is it a wolf? They bundle up and venture out to the bay where the ice is solid and thick. Pendziwol describes the exhilarating experience of skating on the wild ice of Lake Superior, including the haunting singing that occurs as the ice expands and contracts. Paired with Stewart’s breathtaking illustrations, this book will make readers all long to skate wild!
* * *
Three City Kitties
written and illustrated by Ashley Barron
Owlkids Books, 2024
Meet three city kitties: Nori, Yeti, and Flo. They live in an apartment on a busy street and can often be seen sitting side by side in the window, watching the world go by. And the world going by likes to watch them, too. This rhythmic tale follows these three adorable kitties as they make mischief in their apartment. Barron’s vibrant paper-collage illustrations offer lots to explore on every page.
* * *
While You Sleep
written by Jennifer Murano
illustrated by Miki Sato
Pajama Press, 2023
For while you sleep, there’s work to be done. Someone has to polish the sun. As the day ends and a little girl is tucked into bed by her mother, night-helper bunnies work their magic to tidy and polish the world. Bunnies paint flowers, dust butterflies, and recharge rainbows to make the world a beautiful place to wake up to. Sato’s collage art—combining paper, textiles, and embroidery silk—creates a three-dimensional dream world rich in detail and texture.
* * *
Non-Fiction
Chomp-O-Rama: The Strange Ways Animals Eat
written by Maria Birmingham
illustrated by Kyle Reed
Owlkids Books, 2025
Crunch… munch… slurp… CHOMP! The animals of Chomp-O-Rama are hungry, and each creature has its own way of eating. Some dine in ways similar to humans, while others definitely do not. This playful non-fiction book, illustrated with vibrant digital art, offers creative comparisons between the way humans eat and the mealtime habits of a dozen other creatures.
* * *
If You Go Walking
written by Erin Alladin
illustrated by Miki Sato
Pajama Press, 2025
Time spent in the outdoors during fall and winter stirs a child’s curiosity. A thoughtful thread of questions invites young readers to explore the world around them with wonder. In nature, questions are everywhere, and answers can be too, if you know the right places to look. Sato’s textural collage art recreates the wonder of the outdoors in paper, felt, and embroidery silk, creating masterpieces that invite readers to look again and again.
* * *
My Book of Butterflies
(Big Books for Little Naturalists)
written and illustrated by Geraldo Valério
Groundwood Books, 2021
In this vibrant title, Geraldo Valério presents his favourite butterflies from around the world. Young readers will discover facts about each species, from familiar Monarchs to dazzling Blue Morphos and endangered Queen Alexandra’s Birdwings. Paint and paper collages depict butterflies in flight, sipping nectar and laying eggs. This informative book is sure to inspire young naturalists!
* * *
My Book of Frogs and Toads
(Big Books for Little Naturalists)
written and illustrated by Geraldo Valério
Groundwood Books, 2025
Leap into this stunning exploration of frogs and toads from around the world! Dazzling paint and paper collage illustrations introduce young readers to a wide range of creatures: meet the frog who can grow to the size of a small housecat, and the toad who spends most of its life in an underground burrow. Learn fascinating frog and toad facts about what they like to eat, how they grow and reproduce and why one particular toad smells like garlic!
* * *
The Noisy Puddle: A Vernal Pool Through the Seasons
written by Linda Booth Sweeney
illustrated by Miki Sato
Owlkids Books, 2024
Two curious siblings observe the hidden world of a vernal pool—a wetland habitat that forms in the spring, dries up by summer, reappears in autumn, freezes over in winter and returns again next spring. With buoyant, lyrical text and beautiful cut-paper collage illustrations, young naturalists are encouraged to listen, watch, and wait to witness the seasonal changes of this ever-changing habitat and its inhabitants.
* * *
Stitching Science
written by Lauren Wright Vartanian and Keltie Thomas
illustrated by Lauren Wright Vartanian
Firefly Books, 2024
Science gets the stitched treatment in this stunning science book from textile artist Lauren Wright Vartanian. Scientific topics ranging from Atom to Zenith come to life at the end of Lauren's skilled needle, and lively and informative text by Keltie Thomas explains key concepts and delivers interesting facts for each subject. Readers will explore topics in physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics and more.