“Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.” - George Bernard Shaw
Taking a look at Tom Froese’s website - with all his beautiful, thoughtful illustrations indicating a clear adoration for Canadian culture and heritage - it’s clear to see why he chose to contribute Holling Clancy Holling’s Paddle-to-the-Sea: the story of a small wooden toy figure in a canoe who journeys from the Great Lakes, through the St. Lawrence, and all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, all told through incredibly vivid illustrations and artwork.
He recalls his father reading this story to him and it leaving an immense impression,“I wouldn’t have been able to articulate this then, but this book aroused in me a combined sense of awe, terror and loneliness — the kind you must feel when it is just you, a rigid, helpless creation, seemingly abandoned by its maker, against the unrelenting, cold, and impersonal world.”
It seems that Tom fended off all signs of loneliness by keeping in the company of great books, with picture books holding a special place on his shelves, even to this day … “Here’s a confession for you: most of the kids’ books we actually own are for the grownups in the house — my wife and me — who appreciate them for their illustrations, mostly. Books we let our kids handle usually come from the library!”
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A Good Book Drive is an annual book drive to bring stories to a new generation of readers, and support kids in need of new books. Running through the month of November, A Good Book Drive will be inspiring Vancouverites to purchase a new copy of their favorite kids’ book and deliver it to set locations throughout the city. At these drop off locations you can personalize your donation with a special bookplate, sharing the story of why that book is special to you. All books will be donated to this year’s book drive recipient, One to One: A Children’s Literacy Program. Share your favourite stories with A Good Book Drive onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram. |
