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A Good Book Drive: Curtis Kildare

There seems to be a theme emerging in this year’s A Good Book Drive, wrapped in awe and a palpable nostalgia, and that is adults discovering children’s books for the first time and, after harbouring a healthy infatuation with that particular book/aut

A_Good_Book_Drive_Kildare_Curtis

There seems to be a theme emerging in this year’s A Good Book Drive, wrapped in awe and a palpable nostalgia, and that is adults discovering children’s books for the first time and, after harbouring a healthy infatuation with that particular book/author/illustrator, feel compelled to pass it on to their children.

That’s the story of Kildare Curtis, owner and purveyor of stylish apparel at Eugene Choo. While searching for a Christmas gift for his daughter (now 17), he became besotted with the works of William Steig, “an author and illustrator who could convey so much in his simple drawings and wouldn’t shy away from using seemingly difficult or unusual words in his kids books.” Kildare was particularly taken byDoctor De Soto - a story about “a mouse dentist and his wife/assistant who must come to terms with their uncharacteristic decision to treat a wily fox for a toothache.” How does that figure for a moral conundrum?

What is truly characteristic of Kildare’s life-long infatuation with books is his unique approach to selecting which ones he’d share with his children, “I was a young parent with a love of children’s literature and a desire to find books that were outside the canon of kids books at the time.”

Those are some lucky kids, Kildare.

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.