We’ve got an amazing crop of workshops and events coming up, featuring such literary perennials as Evan Munday, Mahtab Narsimhan, Kevin Sylvester, and Chris Wilkie.
Children’s Story Jam is the place leading KidLit authors like Dennis Lee (pictured above) go to get feedback on works-in-progress from their most discerning critics: young readers.
On that note, celebrated artist-wordsmith Chris Wilkie will present her much-awaited debut picture book Rocket Ship Soup to readers between 2-8 years old during a workshop with out-of-this-world games and crafts, hosted by noted novelist Vikki VanSickle, on Sunday May 20th at The Academy of The Impossible.
For more information, click here.
Kevin Sylvester (pictured here reading at this year’s Totsapalooza: Mouse-City Calling) has just returned from China, where he spoke with a thousand students at Shanghai Suzhou International School over the course of a single week. To celebrate the latest installment in his wildly popular series Neil Flambé and The Crusader’s Curse, he will give a slightly more intimate talk and sign books at Toronto Public Library, Northern District at 10am on Saturday, May 12th. FREE
For more information, click here.
Want to turn your stories into storyboards? Or find out how to build a graphic novel library that will dazzle your friends and family? You can do both at the DIY Comic Book Lab.
Evan Munday and Chris Reed will guide young writers between 8-12 through the process of writing and illustrating their very own graphic novel, over the course of four Saturdays in June, part of Sophie’s Studio program at Toronto Public Library, Sanderson Branch (327 Bathurst).
Sat Jun 02 / Sat Jun 09 / Sat Jun 16 / Sat Jun 23
Space is limited. Please register at the branch or call 416-393-7653.
Award-winning author Mahtab Narismhan is coming to Children’s Story Jam to get feedback on her latest book Someone Stole the Toilet from her most discerning critics: aspiring writers between 8-13.
Narsimhan will present her novel-in-progress to young wordsmiths, and, then prompt them to create their own short pieces, during a lively exchange hosted by noted novelist Vikki VanSickle, at 6:30pm on Wednesday June 6th at Toronto Public Library, Northern District. FREE. Space Is Limited.
To register early, click here.
WHAT’S IN THE WORKS?
Kick your storytelling skills into action during a hands-on, soccer-themed, goal-inspiring story studio.
Every sporting event is a story with a beginning, middle and unpredictable conclusion. At the Starting Lines Story Studio, young sports fans can explore the parallels between their favourite stories and games.
Chris Reed and Rani Sanderson will run two sessions - one for soccer fans between 7-12, the other for their counterparts 4-6. – on Saturday, June 9th at Toronto Public Library, Dufferin / St Clair Branch, as part of the Kick It! Festival.
For more information, click here.
COMING SOON
What makes your neighbourhood unique? And how does it compare to other areas of Toronto?
Urban explorers between 8-12 can address such classic civic concerns as part of the The Four Points Project, a social mapping and bookmaking workshop designed to bring young people from four geographically distinct areas of Toronto (North, South, East and West) into contact with one another.
Rani Sanderson will take groups of young explorers on walking tours of their neighbourhoods. Each walk will end with young people recording their observations in the form of short stories, prose pieces, photographs and drawings. We will collect all of these documents in a single chapbook.
During late May and June, we will be conducting a pilot version of The Four Points Project at Harbourfront Centre.
What we started four years ago with The Little Paper and Rooster Studio as an outdoor party for tots (“Totstock”) has ballooned into an annual celebration of the DIY spirit that attracts an audience the size of a small Canadian city. Hence, the new name: The Little City Festival.
On June 17th, the grounds of Sorauren Park will once again come alive with songs, stories, games, and locally grown food.
The Small Print Toronto Story Tent will host local luminaries like artist-author Cybele Young, poet-performer Tom Carson, origami pirates The Brothers Leung, wildly popular band Bellwoods Trinity and many more!
The rest of the all-star lineup for The Little City Festival will be announced shortly. Stay tuned…
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