Kids Can Press is a Canadian-owned publisher of children's books, with a catalog near 1000
picture books
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...
and 500
e-books
An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
,
non-fiction
Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...
and fiction titles for toddlers to young adults. The Kids Can Press list includes characters such as
Franklin the Turtle which has sold over 65 million books in over 30 languages around the world.
It was chosen as the principal distributor of the ''
Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada
The Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada () is an English and French educational resource created by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, published by Canadian Geographic, and funded by the Government of Canada. It was created to address calls t ...
''.
Description
Kids Can Press started in 1973 as an initiative from the
Ontario College of Art
Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within d ...
to take advantage of growing nationalism within Canada during the '70s to provide locally relevant children's material. In 1986, the publisher became a privately owned business ran by Valerie Hussey and Ricky Englander.
In 1998, the company was purchased by Canadian animation firm
Nelvana for $6.1 million. Englander left that year.
In 2000, Nelvana itself was acquired by
Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from Shaw Communications, it has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. It is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Onta ...
, who has operated Kids Can Press since. Hussey remained at the company until 2006, when she stepped down and was replaced by Lisa Lyons.
Kids Can Press has published in partnership with more Canadian public institutions than any other children's publisher. Partners include: the
Royal Ontario Museum, the Ontario Science Centre, the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, the National Museum, the Museum of Nature, World Wildlife and the National Hockey League.
Kids Can Press books have received critical acclaim and numerous nominations and awards. Some highlights include:
* Winning the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Illustration in 2011 for Cybèle Young's ''Ten Birds''.
* Franklin the Turtle series of stamps issued by Canada Post in May 2012, on the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first Franklin book.
* Winning both Governor General's Literary Awards for children's literature in 2008 for
John Ibbitson
John Ibbitson (born 1955) is a Canadian journalist. Since 1999, he has been a political writer and columnist for ''The Globe and Mail''.
Career
Ibbitson graduated from the University of Toronto in 1979 with a B.A. in English. After university, ...
’s ''The Landing'' (English-language text) and
Stéphane Jorisch’s ''The Owl and the Pussycat'' (illustration)
* Mélanie Watt's multiple award-winning ''Scaredy Squirrel'' series
* The Independent Publisher Book Award for ''If the World Were A Village'' by David J. Smith
* ''Ryan and Jimmy And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together'' by Herb Shoveller, a featured selection on Oprah.com.
[ ]
* Receiving a
Kirkus Starred Review for ''My Name is Elizabeth'' by Annika Dunklee
See also
*
One Hen
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Book publishing companies of Canada
Children's book publishers
Companies based in Toronto
Publishing companies established in 1973
Corus Entertainment subsidiaries