Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 12, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The Canadian Children's Book Centre has plans for the NWT during Book Week later this month.

The annual event, which encourages children all over the country to read, will take place between Nov. 17 and Nov. 24. TD Canadian Children's Book Week will send authors and illustrators to every province and territory in Canada this year.

Dianna Bonder is shown here with her dog, an animal that has been featured in some of her illustrations. Bonder will be touring several NWT communities later this month during Book Week. - photo courtesy of The Canadian Children's Book Centre

Five communities in the NWT will get a visit from children's author and illustrator Dianna Bonder of B.C.

"We get a list of authors that would like to tour the NWT," said Kevin Lafferty of NWT Public Library Services. "We're given that list, and we break it down as to what tour we'd like to have this year, whether it be an author or an illustrator...what would be more fun for the child, be more of a learning experience, get them more interested in reading."

The NWT ended up getting a bit of both worlds with Bonder, who started out as an illustrator for children's books years ago when she provided the art for the book Pacific Alphabet by Margriet Ruurs.

"That was a huge success in Canada, and I just after that got the bug to write," she said.

But she was never very interested in writing novels because they have no illustrations.

"I think the illustrations are invaluable," she said. "In the beginning stages, it's the pictures that really help them through a story."

She is now working on illustrations for her ninth book, three of which she wrote herself.

"Especially now with trying to bring up the reading levels in the territory, get them interested in books, to have an author come on tour, to actually meet someone who's written something ... it puts a little spark in them and it really gets them really involved," said Lafferty.

He said in previous years, Book Week has been well received and has had a positive effect in getting kids interested in reading.

"It's been a big boost, especially in the small communities," he said.

Bonder will begin her tour in Hay River on Nov. 19, where she will make a presentation at 7 p.m. at the NWT Centennial Library. Her tour continues with a presentation at Deninu School in Fort Resolution Nov. 20. She will be at Mary Kaeser Library in Fort Smith Nov. 21 before travelling to the K'atlodeeche Dene Reserve on Nov. 22. The tour will end with a couple of days in Yellowknife.