With beautiful depictions of children and their relationships to nature, these illustrated storybooks teach us about the value of giving and sharing with one another.
Location: Surrey Public Library
Type: Children (Age 4-8, Grades Pre-K - 3)
Sponsored by Y.P. Heung Foundation, Chris Spencer Foundation
Host: Kirsten Pendreigh
Readers: Joseph Dandurand, The Girl Who Loved the Birds (Nightwood Editions) | Mahtab Narsimhan, The Boy and the Banyan Tree (Scholastic Canada)
About The Host
Kirsten Pendreigh is a poet and children’s author from Vancouver. Her children’s books celebrate our early instincts to care for the plants and creatures that share our planet. Kirsten’s debut picture book, LUNA’S GREEN PET, about a little girl who raises a houseplant as a pet, is now available. MAYBE A WHALE, a story about the healing power of nature, will publish in August, 2023. Kirsten's first nonfiction for children, WHEN A TREE FALLS comes out in 2025 with Chronicle Books. Kirsten's poems are found in Canadian literary magazines and anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2021.
About The Readers
Joseph A. Dandurand is a member of Kwantlen First Nation located on the Fraser River about 20 minutes east of Vancouver. He resides there with his 3 children Danessa, Marlysse, and Jace. Joseph is the Director of the Kwantlen Cultural Center. Joseph received a Diploma in Performing Arts from Algonquin College and studied Theatre and Direction at the University of Ottawa. He has been the Storyteller in Residence at the Vancouver Public Library. He has published 13 books of poetry and the latest are: I WANT by Leaf Press (2015) and HEAR AND FORETELL by BookLand Press (2015) The Rumour (2018) by BookLand Press in (2018) SH:LAM (the doctor) Mawenzi Press (2019) The Corrupted by Guernica Press (2020) his children’s play: Th’owixiya: the hungry Feast dish by Playwrights Press Canada (2019) his children’s books: The Sasquatch, the fire, and the cedar basket (2020) and The Magical Sturgeon (2022) published by Nightwood Press along with his poetry manuscript: The Punishment (2022) He also is very busy Storytelling at many events and Schools.
Mahtab Narsimhan is an award-winning author with numerous critically acclaimed books in the fantasy, horror, mystery, and contemporary genres. Many of her books have landed on prestigious award lists, and The Third Eye, her debut novel, won the Silver Birch Fiction Award in 2009. She is inspired by the desire to make sense of the world through stories and is deeply committed to representation and inclusivity in all her novels. Please visit www.mahtabnarsimhan.com for more information.
