A Statement About Robert Munsch

If you've checked the news over the past few days, you've probably learned that during an interview for Global, which aired Saturday, Robert Munsch revealed his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. He has posted a Note to Parents on his website. On behalf of everyone at Annick Press, Director Rick Wilks made the following statement:

"From the time Annick Press published his first book, Mud Puddle, in 1979, we have enjoyed an extremely successful and productive relationship with Robert Munsch. It is no surprise that he is so beloved by generations of children who have enjoyed his brilliant storytelling. We are deeply proud to be the publisher of so many Munsch classics.

Our respect for Bob in his personal life matches that for Bob in his professional life. He has overcome a great deal to give as much as he has to children throughout the world. We know Bob will be successful in his recovery. We commend him for being so open, for reaching out to others, and we wish him continued strength."

Summer of Munsch!

So far, it's shaping up to be the Summer of Munsch! Earlier this week, it was announced that Robert Munsch had donated one of his unpublished stories to 8-year-old Taya Kendall in Guelph, Ontario. She got her classmates to illustrate the book, Braids, and will be selling copies to raise money for AIDS orphans in Kenya. Check out the full story at TheStar.com or GuelphMercury.com, and be sure to visit the Children of Bukati website to find out how you can buy copies of Braids!

But wait, there's more! Today, Munsch received an outstanding birthday present (his birthday is June 11) when he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame honors Canadians who have made significant cultural achievements, and the addition of nine new members this year (including Tom Cochrane, Howie Mandel, and Kim Cattrall) brings the total number of inductees to 124. You can search for their stars in the sidewalk east of the Princess of Wales Theatre on King Street West and south along Simcoe Street (or look them up online!). All of us here at Annick Press send our heartfelt congratulations to Robert Munsch and all of the Canadian Walk of Fame inductees!

Finally, to cap off this unofficial Summer of Munsch, we are proud to announce that a board book version of The Paper Bag Princess will be available this fall -- it should arrive in our warehouse at the end of August! Now even the youngest children can cheer for smart, resourceful Elizabeth as she defeats the dragon and discovers that not all princes appreciate being rescued!

Children's Book Week, May 11-17

Children's Book Week started in 1919, which makes this its 90th anniversary! Traditionally, it was celebrated the week before Thanksgiving, but recently it was moved to May instead (all the better to have a book picnic!).

It's just a coincidence, of course, but I think it's neat that author Richard Scarry was born in 1919, the same year that Children's Book Week started. His masterpiece Best Word Book Ever was one of my favorite bedtime stories as a toddler (much to my parents' dismay -- it's a loooong book!).

If you're looking to rediscover children's classics as old as the Children's Book Week tradition, you could start with the Bobbsey Twins series (which began in 1904). But if you're nostalgic for more modern classics, why not rediscover your favorite Robert Munsch books? (I never get sick of Murmel, Murmel, Murmel -- which one speaks to you the loudest?)

Head over to www.bookweekonline.com to explore all the ways you can share your love of reading: go to a book event, download and print bookmarks, vote for your favorite books for children and young adults, stage a read-in, and more!

And I hope that some of you will make some time for your very own book picnic this week! All you need is good food, good friends (and family!), and good books!

Dragon Finds New Home in Library

Reading and dragons come together at the Dufferin/St. Clair Branch of the Toronto Public Library in a special room inspired by The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko. After a major renovation and restoration, one of Toronto's oldest public libraries reopened this week. The Dufferin/St. Clair Branch features a KidsStop with an Enchanted Forest theme. KidsStops are interactive early literacy centres where children and their parents and caregivers can learn pre-literacy skills in a hands-on environment. And who better to help young children become excited about books and reading than the iconic dragon from the classic Munsch favourite? The Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library system, and we're delighted that Annick Press is a visible presence in this renovated branch.

Mortimer on Oprah's Kids Reading List

Great news! Mortimer has been included in Oprah's Kids Reading List: 6-9 Years!

This all-time favorite by Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko has been making children and parents laugh out loud since it was first published 25 years ago. The rollicking story of a little boy who can't fall asleep is definitely a super star among children's books. Thanks Oprah - now a whole new generation of kids can go to sleep with a big smile on their face.

Inuit Literature: Unearthing Margaret’s Diamonds

Most people know my mother-in-law as the nice elderly lady who sells homemade bread and exquisitely embroidered and beaded mukluks, at the farmer’s market. We, her family, know her as a woman with a unique heritage, who has always been a force to be reckoned with. She moved south to the Fort St John, from Tuktoyaktuk, at a time when the Alaska Highway was little more than a dirt trail, and the trip from Fort St John to Fort Nelson took more than a day, instead of only four hours. But, what would you expect from an Inuvialuit woman who is the eldest of 17 children, frequently hunted caribou with her father (when other children her age would have been playing with building blocks), and was responsible for her own dog sled team, by the age of eight. (And you thought your mother-in-law left a lot to live up to?)

Whenever we read A Promise is a Promise by Robert Munsch and Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak, Allashua’s bold defiance, conjures images of my mother-in-law, as a child. When Margaret was a very young girl, her grandmother would warn her against whistling to the Northern Lights, lest they come down to carry her away. The Northern Lights can dip quite low, and I am sure that Margaret enjoyed seemingly provoking them, just as Allashua provoked the Qallupilluit. It is not difficult to imagine Margaret, her face framed with the fur of her parka, standing rebelliously; lobbing hunks of frozen dog poop, the prescribed defense to ward off the evil blue/green tentacles, until they retreated.

Our family’s immense love for books has opened the door for countless discussions with Margaret. While Inuit literature has been a magnificent catalyst, even stories that simply take place in the Territories have produced some good yarns, from Margaret. One day, after listening to, yes, more Robert Munsch stories (we love his use of Northern settings), my mother-in-law shared a story with us, which involved her own triumph over a craaaa-zy adult world. While the other children of her community were scared to leave their families to attend residential school, Margaret, ever adventuresome, was more than eager. However, residential school was not a welcoming place for a strong willed child. When a box of assorted stockings arrived at the school, one of the nun’s seized the opportunity to tame Margaret. Each of the pupils were handed one pair of new stockings. After the box had been emptied, they marveled over the blue, grey, or black tights they had been given. As for Margaret- she found herself the very unhappy owner of a pair of bright red stockings. She was horrified. As she was much taller than the other girls, fitting in had already been a challenge. The other children took one look at her bright crimson calves, and began calling her “fatty legs”. But, Margaret’s spirit was far from broken. While boiling the laundry one day (which was her appointed job), she decided to put an end to the humiliation. She waited, until she was alone, slipped off the hated red stockings and threw them into the fire beneath the laundry vat. Soon, they were reduced to a dark wisp of smoke. The nuns made threats, and tore the school apart, but Margret’s lips were sealed. She never told a single soul. I guess her secret is out now.

If it were not for the several remarkable works of Inuit literature, by authors such as Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak and Alootook Ipellie, many of Margaret’s stories would have been lost, to our family. My Arctic 1, 2, 3 has evoked tales of hunting and berry picking (Margaret loves berry picking), while The Inuit Thought of It has left my children with a plethora of questions for their grandmother. (The children are looking forward to our next craft day when we will be making Inuit sunglasses by cutting two slits in a piece of scrap cardboard.)

It is important, to me, that my children grow up with a strong sense of pride in themselves. In order to have that, they must have an understanding of who they are, and of their unique heritage (their grandmother has actually given each of them a special name in Inuit). Books on Inuit culture have not only encouraged Margaret to share her exceptional past with our children, but have also helped my husband develop a respect for the culture in which his mother was reared, and find delight in our children’s fascination with it.

I challenge everyone to take a moment from their busy lives, to share a culturally themed book with a child, coax a story from a relative, or record an anecdote from their own unique past, or, perhaps, one that an elder may have told them. When we explore and share different cultures, gems are exposed. I know we look forward to unearthing many more of Margaret’s fascinating little diamonds.

Mommy C

Mommy C's Sanctuary for Offbeat and Quirky Children's Literature