“The Halifax Explosion” is a poem written by Halifax’s seventh poet laureate, Dr. Afua Cooper. It reveals dramatically through powerful images what happened on 6 December 1917 at 9:05 AM when two ships, the Mont-Blanc, carrying munitions, and the Imo, carrying war supplies, collided in the Halifax Harbour. The poem shows the tragic toll the resulting explosion and fire took on the residents of Halifax and the surrounding area, which stretched all the way north to Africville. It also shows the personal heroics of many, despite long-term and continuing racism and discrimination suffered by the African Nova Scotian community.

Afua Cooper wanted to commemorate the Halifax Explosion through verse, and to highlight the experiences of the Black Haligonians in this disaster. Her powerful words are magnified in this book with dramatic historical photographs and eloquent art.

Some of the poets featured in this collection
Anna Akhamatova
Maya Angelou
Elizabeth Bishop
Robert Browning
Leonard Cohen
Billy Collins
Lorna Crozier
Emily Dickinson
Sophie Hannah
Li-Young Lee
Erin Moure
Michael Ondaatje
Lemn Sissay
Alice Walker

Jane and her family have been our friends for years, and our sons are of a similar age, which is why this book resonates with us in many ways. We cannot recommend this cookbook enough! Its thoughtful details, creative ideas, and easy-to-follow recipes will make your meal planning a breeze. From weeknight dinners to special occasions, this cookbook has become an essential part of our kitchen — even our five-year-old loves to join in. Don’t miss out on this gem — grab a copy and get ready to witness the positive impact it’ll have on your family’s cooking experience. Trust us, it’s an absolute must- have!
— John Stamos and Caitlin McHugh Stamos

Jane Kim Nicholson’s book, More Please! Food Kids Love, is a loving dialogue about how we can feed our children with Jane’s “simple is best” approach. The book balances health, taste, and simplicity in every recipe while celebrating diversity in an accessible, child-friendly way. No culinary degree is needed here — just a love for your children and a desire for their well-being. Whether you’re looking for unique (out of the) lunchbox ideas, quick weeknight dinners, or a special weekend treat, Jane guides you with an easy-to-follow approach. Her meals are practical, nutritious, and — above all — delicious. Beyond the fun meals you’ll make for your family, More Please! Food Kids Love encourages a nurturing meal environment that strengthens the family bond. These aren’t just recipes; they’re catalysts for conversation, shared moments, and a broader understanding of the world.
—Agnes Hsu, Author and founder of www.hellowonderful.co

This book is a superb cookbook, of course, and the ideas and creativity and care are obvious on every page. But it’s more than another cookbook — it is a love letter to a Korean heritage, living in America, and the beauty and vitality that come from embracing such diversity. This is a book for everyone, a book that demonstrates both how to be proud of where we are from and also how to move forward and embrace new ideas and cultures as well — and the food and recipes are delicious!
— David C. Kang, Maria Crutcher Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California and director of the USC Korean Studies Institute

More Please! Food Kids Love is a game-changer for busy parents like me. Its collection of easy, healthy recipes and lunchbox ideas will transform any mealtime in your household. What makes this cookbook truly special is the nostalgic twist it brings to the table, reminding us of our own cherished childhood memories around food. As an Asian American, I am happy to see the inclusion of a variety of delicious Asian recipes that instill in our children a love for diverse flavours. This cookbook will strike a chord with many, making it an essential addition to any family kitchen!
— Joan Nguyen, Co-founder of @Bümo

To know Jane is to love her, and this book is SO HER. Her family-friendly recipes (some with a Korean twist) are full of colour, nourishing ingredients, and love. We are obsessed with how simple and approachable everything is! Your kiddos will for sure be saying “MORE PLEASE!”
— Kelly Pfeiffer, @eattherainbow_kids and author of Superfood Weeknight Meals


With an uncomplicated philosophy of “simple is best,” Jane Kim Nicholson, creator of @Food.Kids.Love (Instagram), shows how to create tasty, healthy, and tempting meals and also offers tips on how to pack attractive and nutritious lunchboxes for your child. Jane’s creative ideas reduce the pressure of hectic mornings, rushed dinnertimes — and the constant request for snacks. She even enlists your little ones to happily help out!

With almost 100 recipes, including diverse recipes with an Asian twist (supplemented by an Asian Pantry section), Jane will inspire you to create meals and snacks that are super kid-friendly but equally appealing to adults. A special focus is school-lunch packing, moving from the essentials through to quick and easy lunchbox tips. Plus, a bonus selection of recipes for special holiday celebrations.

More, Please: Food Kids Love is exactly what the title says: a cookbook packed with recipes for meals and snacks that will have your child — and other family members — asking for “More, Please!”
Jane and her family have been our friends for years, and our sons are of a similar age, which is why this book resonates with us in many ways. We cannot recommend this cookbook enough! Its thoughtful details, creative ideas, and easy-to-follow recipes will make your meal planning a breeze. From weeknight dinners to special occasions, this cookbook has become an essential part of our kitchen — even our five-year-old loves to join in. Don’t miss out on this gem — grab a copy and get ready to witness the positive impact it’ll have on your family’s cooking experience. Trust us, it’s an absolute must- have!
— John Stamos and Caitlin McHugh Stamos

Jane Kim Nicholson’s book, More Please! Food Kids Love, is a loving dialogue about how we can feed our children with Jane’s “simple is best” approach. The book balances health, taste, and simplicity in every recipe while celebrating diversity in an accessible, child-friendly way. No culinary degree is needed here — just a love for your children and a desire for their well-being. Whether you’re looking for unique (out of the) lunchbox ideas, quick weeknight dinners, or a special weekend treat, Jane guides you with an easy-to-follow approach. Her meals are practical, nutritious, and — above all — delicious. Beyond the fun meals you’ll make for your family, More Please! Food Kids Love encourages a nurturing meal environment that strengthens the family bond. These aren’t just recipes; they’re catalysts for conversation, shared moments, and a broader understanding of the world.
—Agnes Hsu, Author and founder of www.hellowonderful.co

This book is a superb cookbook, of course, and the ideas and creativity and care are obvious on every page. But it’s more than another cookbook — it is a love letter to a Korean heritage, living in America, and the beauty and vitality that come from embracing such diversity. This is a book for everyone, a book that demonstrates both how to be proud of where we are from and also how to move forward and embrace new ideas and cultures as well — and the food and recipes are delicious!
— David C. Kang, Maria Crutcher Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California and director of the USC Korean Studies Institute

More Please! Food Kids Love is a game-changer for busy parents like me. Its collection of easy, healthy recipes and lunchbox ideas will transform any mealtime in your household. What makes this cookbook truly special is the nostalgic twist it brings to the table, reminding us of our own cherished childhood memories around food. As an Asian American, I am happy to see the inclusion of a variety of delicious Asian recipes that instill in our children a love for diverse flavours. This cookbook will strike a chord with many, making it an essential addition to any family kitchen!
— Joan Nguyen, Co-founder of @Bümo

To know Jane is to love her, and this book is SO HER. Her family-friendly recipes (some with a Korean twist) are full of colour, nourishing ingredients, and love. We are obsessed with how simple and approachable everything is! Your kiddos will for sure be saying “MORE PLEASE!”
— Kelly Pfeiffer, @eattherainbow_kids and author of Superfood Weeknight Meals

The “giver of life” characteristic of water is proverbial. Yet for many people of African descent, particularly those in the diaspora, the water we swim in carries a darker history of enslavement and death. It is in the wake of this generational trauma that we meet Kaya, a 10-year-old girl for whom water simply means love.


In Water Love, a picture book written by Natalie Hodgson and Rajean Willis, Kaya's origin story arrives with the waves. This is a memory of a simpler time when sticky summer days were spent barefoot, drinking in the wonder of the lake at the back of her grandmother's house. With the cadence and style of a dub poet, she begins her tale with a declaration: “This is when I fell in love with water …”

Her aunt attempts to restrain the younger Kaya's curiosity. “Don't get too close,” she says. All Kaya sees is possibility. When she decides to ask her parents if she can learn to swim – “Dad got no fear of water” – readers realize that convincing her mother is the true test. Despite her mother's memories of her own near drowning and those aforementioned whispers about what lurks in the deep, Kaya's unbridled joy melts her fear.

Sahle Robinson's illustrations that show Kaya suited up for the pool and wearing a brave face while her crown of kinky curls is combed will be endearing to Black girls and women everywhere. In fact, Robinson is masterful at complementing the verse that flows from spread to spread. The story artist and character concept designer, whose film and television credits include How to Train Your Dragon, demonstrates the power of a creator who knows who he is drawing.

Hodgson and Willis, who are Indigenous Black Nova Scotians and mothers, create a sense of empathy for Kaya. Hodgson is a counsellor and impact of race and culture assessor in the justice system, while Willis is a social work clinician and scholar. They succeed at developing a character that is as conflicted as the times she is born into. Kaya is caught in a prepubescent maelstrom of “fittin' in,” which includes leaving swimming – “No one else looks like me at the pool …” — and for a time “playing the Black sport.

In the end, young Kaya changes the narrative thanks to a local youth program where she learns how to surf. Readers cannot help but root for her, reminded that the only way out is through.