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500,000 Grade One students to receive "The Zlooksh" during TD Canadian Children's Book Week

4 minute read
By TD Bank Group
• Nov. 13, 2007
Special week dedicated to celebrating literacy and introducing young readers to the magic of books begins November 17th TORONTO, Nov. 13 /CNW/ - The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) and TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG) are celebrating the 30th anniversary of TD Canadian Children's Book Week from November 17-24 with a host of activities planned at schools, libraries and community centres across Canada. As part of TD Canadian Children's Book Week, nearly half a million copies of The Zlooksh by renowned children's author Dominique Demers and illustrated by well-known Quebec illustrator Fanny will soon be in the hands of grade one students courtesy of TD. "Reading - whether alone or with a parent - is not only critical in the development of a child's imagination, but also in many of the skills required to live a happy and productive life," said Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair, TD Bank Financial Group and TD's literacy champion. "TD Canadian Children's Book Week is a wonderful way of encouraging our kids to learn and discover." Since TD became the title sponsor of Canadian Children's Book Week in 2000, the Bank has provided more than four million books to grade one students across Canada. Facts on TD Canadian Children's Book Week: - Since its inception in 1977, TD Canadian Children's Book Week has provided children aged five to 17 with tools and materials to help develop a joy and interest in reading. - To celebrate the 30th anniversary, 30 authors, illustrators and storytellers will take part in a national tour to promote the magic of reading and the importance of literacy. - Book Week tour activities will be held in over 175 communities and will be attended by more than 40,000 children, parents, teachers, librarians and booksellers. - This year's theme is 'The Magic of Books." - For more information on the participating authors and their programs visit www.bookweek.ca. This is the first time a Québec publisher's book has been chosen for the national giveaway program. The Zlooksh is a charming story about a young boy named Zachary who, when asked by his teacher to draw a picture of his favourite animal, uses his imagination to create an animal that can't be found in a zoo. Thanks to translator Sarah Cummins, The Zlooksh is now available to English-language readers. TD is also sending 2,000 copies of The Zlooksh on CD to visually impaired students, schools for the blind, the CNIB library and to various public libraries across Canada. "Being able to provide every grade one student with a new book is a critical component in our quest to open up the world of reading to children," said Charlotte Teeple, executive director, CCBC. "We're proud to partner with TD to reinforce the importance of reading to so many Canadian children and we hope The Zlooksh is just one of many adventures they enjoy throughout the school year." Last month, TD and the CCBC recognized Canadian children's authors with the third annual TD Canadian Children's Literature Awards. Sarah Ellis's Odd Man Out was awarded the most distinguished English-language book and André Leblanc's L'Envers de la chanson: des enfants au travail, 1850-1950 was the winner of the most distinguished French-language book. Each author was awarded $20,000, one of the largest prizes for children's literature in Canada. About TD Community Giving: Making a Difference Together Children's health, literacy and education, and the environment are the three primary areas of focus for TD's community giving. The major flagship programs within these areas are: TD Children's Hospital Fund, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, TD Canadian Children's Book Week, TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community Leadership, and the TD Summer Reading Club. In addition, through the support of our customers and employees, TD is involved with a host of national, regional and local programs in support of diversity, arts and culture and other causes. In 2006, TD donated $33 million to more than 1,600 charities and not-for-profit organizations across Canada. About the Canadian Children's Book Centre (www.bookcentre.ca) A national not-for-profit organization and registered charity, the Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) was founded in 1976 to promote, support and encourage the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for children and teens. With book collections and extensive resources in five cities across Canada, the CCBC is a treasure-trove for anyone interested in Canadian books for young readers. /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: Photos accompanying this release are available on the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca. Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/ For further information: Sandra Chiovitti, Andrea Farnell, Porter Novelli Canada for TDBFG, (416) 422-7170, (416) 422-7162, sandra.chiovitti@porternovelli.com, andrea.farnell@porternovelli.com

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