The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has announced that B.C. children’s author-illustrator Ashley Spires’s 2011 picture book, Small Saul (Kids Can Press), about a little pirate who lets his individuality shine, is the choice title for this year’s TD Grade One Book Giveaway.
The initiative provides copies of a select book to every Grade 1 student in Canada each year in an effort to promote literacy. As the chosen author, Spires will participate in a national tour during the 2016-2017 school year to visit Grade 1 audiences in schools and libraries as 550,000 copies of her book are distributed.
Spires said, in a press release: “I’m thrilled that Small Saul has been chosen for this year’s TD Grade One Book Giveaway. It’s a wonderful way for so many children across the country to be introduced to Canadian books, and it’s a great opportunity for Canadian authors and illustrators, too.”