From the Epic of Gilgamesh to The Little Mermaid, storytellers have always found adventure and enchantment in the ocean. In the Osborne Collection's spring exhibit, All at Sea: Pirates, Merfolk and Sea Creatures in Children's Books, you can set sail for Treasure Island, encounter terrifying (and friendly) sea serpents, and explore the seashore with Victorian […]
Posted on behalf of Taylor M. May is Jewish Heritage Month in Canada! Here at Toronto Public Library, we are celebrating this month by featuring new books by Jewish authors. These books focus on Jewish history and highlight different aspects of Jewish culture. The term Jewish can refer to a culture, a religion, a people […]
Born in 1922, Stan Lee would have turned 100 this year. He died in 2018, just one month shy of his 96th birthday. Lee presided over a period of intense creativity at Marvel Comics. With a talented team of artists, Stan Lee produced some of the most beloved comics characters in the world. Staff at […]
May 1st is known world wide as May Day, and celebrated as International Labor Day. To help celebrate May Day, I thought it would be interesting to look at some Canadian labour history. Working Lives: Essays in Canadian Working-Class History: Craig Heron is one of Canada's leading labour historians…Working Lives covers a wide range […]
April is Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation, and Prevention Month in Canada. It seems like now, more than ever, we need to take the time to recognize the pain and suffering caused by genocide. We must look at the root of such hate and seek to prevent these atrocities from ever happening again. Encyclopedia Britannica defines genocide […]
The 94th Academy Awards will air live on March 27, 2022. After years without a host, the Oscars return with three: Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer. Canadian nominees this year include Luis Sequeira for costume design for Nightmare Alley. As well, director Ben Proudfoot for his short documentary, The Queen of Basketball. Surprisingly, […]
Math phobia is nothing new. For centuries paren’ts and educators have been seeking ways to make math fun. Our Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books has a unique collection of math and counting books available to view in person. From silly counting rhymes to demystifying factorials, these books have found creative ways to teach math […]
It's March again, and that means it's time for Toronto Comicon. It's the first time the convention will be held since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The shift from virtual events back to in-person events is exciting for many people, but there's a group of comic book nerds that are being left behind. For […]
From the famous Sherlock Holmes to elementary school amateurs, children's mystery fiction has a long and varied history. Stories range from lurid thrillers to charming domestic mysteries, but all these books ask and answer a simple question “whodunit?” Uncover the secrets of children's mystery and detective stories at Meddling Kids: A Children's Mystery Book Exhibit. […]
February is Black History Month. It's a time to observe the accomplishments, contributions, and culture of Black Canadians. Generally, the dialogue around Black history focuses on stories of enslavement, struggle and pain. And although these stories are important in acknowledging the present-day inequities Black Canadians still face, they are not entirely representative of what it […]