For the first time, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre has partnered with the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) to feature the #CCBCBookAwards ceremony. Register to attend today.
Prior to the awards announcement, three panels are being held from October 27-29 as a part of TIFA. Sign-up today to watch literary discussions, featuring ten of the finalists for the 2020 awards. Register today to watch!
The Art of the Picture Book
October 27th, 10 AM EST
Join three of the shortlisted illustrators of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, Qin Leng (When I found Grandma), Sydney Smith (Small in the City) and Rachel Wada (The Phone Booth in Mr Hirota’s Garden), as they discuss and demonstrate their illustrative styles and techniques. Picture books are the first introduction we have to the world of visual literacy and through image can build complex and sophisticated narratives that very young children can follow. This discussion explores the importance of the picture book to develop a child’s awareness of the world and their place within it.
Moderated by Audrey Hudson, Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and presented in partnership with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Bridging the Gap: Writing for Children About True Topics
October 28th, 10 AM EST
Join professional children’s authors to discuss how writing for children can bridge the gap between the hard facts and developing an intrinsic understanding and empathy of issues around revising history, human rights and the environment. Presenting perspectives through the use of narrative gives space to develop an awareness of historical or global events on the lives of the individual. This fascinating discussion explores how these writers present challenging and, at times, disturbing issues in an accessible and informed way. Featuring authors Kyo Maclear, Serah-Marie McMahon and Tina Athaide.
Moderated by Brandon Mitchell, Mi’kmaw graphic novelist and educator, and presented in partnership with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Fiction as a Tool for Resilience Building
October 29th, 10 AM EST
We are all born primed for social connection and love given from a primary caregiver shapes our brains to develop the resilience that we need to thrive. But the world is complex and unsettling and childhood filled with challenges and obstacles often alien or unrecognized by the care giver. Fiction for children and young people can play a vital role in recognizing, supporting and offering an articulation of anxieties, worries and fears. Join a panel of professional authors as they discuss the power of fiction to be a tool for talking and articulating our deepest concerns. Featuring authors Erin Bow, Eric Walters, Kathy Kacer and Natasha Deen.
Moderated by Larry Swartz, literacy and arts instructor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), and author of Take Me to Your Readers, This is a Great Book! and Teaching Tough Topics. Presented in partnership with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.