Dear Canadian Children’s Book Publisher,
Since the year 2000, thanks to the ongoing and generous sponsorship of TD Bank Group, and the participation of ministries of education, school boards and library organizations in every province and territory, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) has coordinated the distribution of a Canadian-authored and illustrated picture book as a gift to every Grade 1 child in Canada – that’s over 580,000 books each year.
The CCBC invites all Canadian publishers to submit Canadian picture books for us to consider for the 2021 TD Grade One Book Giveaway. We are looking for a picture book written by a Canadian author, illustrated by a Canadian illustrator, and published by a Canadian publisher. Books distributed to the Canadian market that are published by non-Canadian imprints are not eligible. They must be published under a Canadian imprint.
It is our hope and that of our generous sponsor, TD Bank Group, that the selected title will enable young readers to see themselves portrayed with accuracy and depth while helping to foster empathy and understanding of other people and cultures. We are grateful for the TD Ready Commitment, TD’s global corporate citizenship platform, and its ability to help open doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow. TD aspires to help create the conditions that everyone needs to succeed, feel included, and fully participate in a changing world.
Moving forward, we are being intentional in our focus on books that feature characters of different races, cultures, genders, family structures and abilities. This year, we are seeking a picture book from Black Communities that speaks to the Black experience in Canada and is appropriate for Grade 1 or 2 level students.
The TD Grade One Book Giveaway title is distributed in both official languages; therefore, if the book is not already available in French (or English), the selected book will be translated. If the book you are submitting is already available in French, please indicate the name of the French publisher.
The CCBC staff are all working remotely, so we ask that you email us a PDF of your submission(s) to Amanda Halfpenny at amanda@bookcentre.ca. The deadline to submit is January 8, 2021.
Since this is a Canada-wide distribution of a free book, the financial arrangements for the author, illustrator and publisher are not based on traditional royalties. The Canadian Children’s Book Centre provides a fee to the publisher of the selected book, which the publisher then allocates to the author, illustrator and publisher.
The production, printing and distribution of the selected book is coordinated by the CCBC. In September/ October, books are shipped from the printer to ministries of education, school boards and library organizations for further distribution to the schools in their region.
Publishers considering submissions should keep in mind that while 580,000+ copies distributed free doesn’t necessarily impact the long-term potential sales of a book, it definitely captures a sizable portion of the market in the short term.
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is honoured to be part of this annual book giveaway program. I know that children’s publishers in Canada share the desire with the CCBC and TD to increase access to reading opportunities for Canadian young people across our country.
Best regards,
Rose Vespa
Executive Director