TD Grade One Book Giveaway 2020
The world has changed a great deal since Mortimer was selected as the 2020 TD Grade One Book Giveaway title. The giveaway program was started to promote literacy, but bringing joy to children has always been at the forefront of our mission. With half a million children set to receive this book during the upcoming school year, we wanted to use this challenging time to send a message of hope, inclusion and empathy to children and their families. Working together with our program sponsor, TD Bank Group, as well as teachers, educators and publishing professionals, we have decided to select another popular Munsch classic — Moira’s Birthday, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko, and published by Annick Press in 1987. L’anniversaire, translated by Christiane Duchesne and published by Éditions Scholastic, will also be available. Featuring a little girl who invites the whole school to her birthday party, the message of inclusion and unity is one that we feel is important, now more than ever. In a world of COVID-19 where children may feel isolated and alone, a story of children in celebration is a hopeful reminder of what is really important to us: being together. A classic Munsch title that perhaps is not as well known as his other books, Moira’s Birthday will be a new, fun read for many children. For the program’s 20th year anniversary, we want the TD Grade One Book Giveaway to be a party that everyone is invited to, just like Moira’s birthday party.
For many Grade 1 students, Moira’s Birthday will be the first book that they own. We are confident that, in a time of uncertainty, this book will provide children with the sense of community that we have all been craving.
Since 2000, in cooperation with ministries of education, school boards and library organizations across Canada, the CCBC has given every Grade 1 child a free Canadian children’s book.
The book is to be taken home by each child to keep and to read with their parents. This far-reaching annual book giveaway program, which provides over 550,000 books to Grade 1 children across Canada, is fully funded by TD Bank Group. The program is intended to encourage literacy and reading for young children and supports the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s mandate of bringing great Canadian books to Canadian children to promote a love of reading and a passion for books.
The coordination of the TD Grade One Book Giveaway is done by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. School boards and ministries of education in all provinces and territories will be contacted in fall 2020 for their 2020/2021 Grade 1 enrolment figures. Schools should contact their school board to ensure that they are on the list to receive the giveaway book. If you have any questions regarding the 2020 program, please contact Meghan Howe at bookgiveaway@bookcentre.ca.