Canada has roughly 8 million francophones — 22% of the population. Finding English large print books is straightforward. Finding French ones (livres en gros caractères) is a different story entirely. The selection is smaller, the publishers are mostly in France, and nobody has put together a proper guide until now.
French-language large print publishing is dominated by a handful of publishers based in France. Canada doesn't have a dedicated French large print publisher. What's available here arrives through imports, and the selection is a fraction of what English readers enjoy.
That said, it's not hopeless. Between specialized French publishers, Quebec library systems, CELA, and e-readers, francophone Canadians with low vision have more options than they probably realize.
The Thorndike Press of the French-speaking world. Éditions de la Loupe publishes exclusively in large print — novels, non-fiction, memoirs, thrillers. Their books are printed in 17–20pt type on cream-coloured paper.
Available in Canada through specialty bookstores, online retailers, and some Quebec library systems. Prices run €15–€25 (roughly $22–$37 CAD) per book plus shipping from France.
Another French publisher specializing in large print editions. Strong fiction catalogue — mysteries, romance, literary fiction. Good production quality with comfortable 18pt type.
Publishes large print editions plus audio versions. Their catalogue includes popular French authors and translated bestsellers. They also produce some non-fiction in large print.
Quebec's public library system has the best French large print selection in Canada. BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec) stocks French large print titles and offers a free card to all Quebec residents.
Montreal's library system (Bibliothèques de Montréal) carries French large print across its branches. Quebec City, Laval, Gatineau, and Sherbrooke libraries also stock them. Ask at the desk for the "gros caractères" section — it's not always prominently displayed.
Ontario has significant francophone communities in Ottawa, Sudbury, Hearst, and along the Quebec border. Libraries in these areas typically carry some French large print. The Ottawa Public Library, being in a bilingual city, has one of the better French large print collections outside Quebec.
New Brunswick, as Canada's only officially bilingual province, stocks French large print in Moncton, Dieppe, Edmundston, and Bathurst libraries.
CELA has French-language titles in accessible digital formats. The collection is smaller than their English holdings, but it includes a reasonable selection of French fiction and some non-fiction. Registration is the same process — a Canadian library card and self-declared print disability.
NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service) can also create accessible versions of French titles on request, which is useful when CELA doesn't have what you need.
For francophone readers looking for a large print Bible, options include:
Here's the honest answer for most francophone readers with low vision: get a Kobo.
Kobo is a Canadian company (Rakuten Kobo, headquartered in Toronto). Their e-readers have full French-language interface support, and the Kobo Store has an enormous French-language catalogue. Every single French e-book becomes a large print book when you set the font to 20pt or higher.
Kindle works too, but its French catalogue is smaller for Canadian users. If you already own a Kindle, it's fine — just know that Kobo has the edge here.
Quebec has its own provincial services for residents with vision loss:
Many Canadian families read in both English and French. If you're looking for large print in both languages, here's the practical approach:
For grandparents reading to grandchildren in French, a tablet or e-reader with the font set large is often easier than hunting for specific French large print picture books, which barely exist.
French large print in Canada is genuinely underserved. English readers can walk into any library or bookstore and find shelves of large print. French readers get a single shelf if they're lucky.
The e-reader workaround solves the problem for digital readers. But for those who prefer physical books — and many low vision readers strongly prefer paper — the selection remains frustratingly thin. Until a Canadian publisher steps up to fill this gap, importing from France and leveraging library systems remain the best options.