The Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable (VCLR) has announced the winner of the 2026 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award. The prize, established in 2021, celebrates the picture book art form that highlights the interdependence of pictures and words. This year's winner is Little Shoes by David A. Robertson and illustrator Maya McKibbin (Tundra Books).
The three remaining finalist/honour books are:
Head Full of Clouds, written by Joanne Schwartz, illustrated by Afsaneh Sanei (Tundra Books)
The One About the Blackbird, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Matt James (Tundra Books)
A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests, written by Caroline Anderson, illustrated by Lauren Temaki (Groundwood Books).
All four books will be celebrated at VCLR's annual Fall Tea. Tickets go on sale in the coming weeks.
To learn more about the winner and finalist books, visit vclr.ca.