A rooster and a shark made for an unlikely pairing this past Saturday at the Children's Book Bank in Yorkgate Mall.
After reading Things That Go Bump in the Day, Hamilton-based author and illustrator Charlene Chua invited children to pick words from a hat and help her create an imaginary creature. One child drew “rooster” and “shark,” leaving Chua to bring the unlikely combination to life on her drawing pad.
Earlier, children gathered on a multicoloured carpet, imitating sounds from Chua's book while parents and caregivers watched nearby.
The reading was one of several free activities offered at the Children's Book Bank's Jane Street and Finch Avenue location, which opened Jan. 4, 2025. Children can choose books to take home and keep without registering. According to the organization's first-anniversary announcement, the branch distributed 34,255 books during its first year.
“Books are really expensive,” Chua said. Unlike borrowing from a public library, she believes having a book of one's own offers children a different experience.
Beyond giving away books, the Book Bank offers a calendar of diverse activities. Its October 2026 schedule includes Spanish storytime, a junior book club and creative writing workshops for teenagers.
Luiza Junqueira, the Book Bank's senior programming manager, said staff gather feedback from families, teachers and community organizations to help shape their programs.
“We used to have baby circle time on Saturdays, and then the feedback was like, 'no, we prefer Thursday mornings,'” Junqueira said.
In April 2026, baby circle time sessions were advertised on both Thursdays and Saturdays, while the October calendar lists Thursday mornings only.
The Children's Book Bank's 2024 annual report also documented 360 children participating in March Break activities at the Jane and Finch branch in 2025, including a program combining storytime with a film screening.
The shelves offer a variety of titles, including biographies of David Suzuki, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Kimiko Murakami, alongside graphic novels and French-language books.
But Junqueira said the collection relies primarily on donations, meaning children cannot always find a particular title.
To address gaps, the organization operates a Diverse Books Fund, allowing it to purchase books featuring underrepresented communities, according to its annual report.
“It's basically when we see that there's something missing,” Junqueira said, explaining that the organization may purchase books about cultural and religious celebrations, including Diwali.
The Book Bank's October calendar also advertises Spanish storytime. In Glenfield-Jane Heights, part of the wider Jane and Finch area, 1,795 residents reported speaking Spanish at home, according to the City of Toronto's 2021 neighbourhood profile.
Junqueira said the Book Bank also works with local schools and considers nearby public library schedules when planning events. While children can keep books from the Book Bank, public libraries allow readers to place holds on specific titles.
The Book Bank tracks how many books it distributes and how many children attend its programs, but it doesn't record which books individual visitors take home, Junqueira said. Staff nevertheless become familiar with families who return regularly.
“They are like our siblings,” she said. “It's one family for literacy, and we just complement each other.”
