Family Literacy Day celebrated in Thornhill

Vaughan Weekly
January 29, 2014                 
By Angela Gismondi

Author Andrew Larsen entertained children with imaginative stories at the Family Literacy Day celebration Thursday.

The 10th annual Family Literacy Day Pyjama Party, presented by Vaughan Public Libraries, was held at the City Playhouse Theatre in Thornhill.

Family Literacy Day was created by ABC Canada Literacy Foundation in 1999. It’s is a national program that promotes the importance of reading and learning together as a family. The goal of the Family Literacy Day program is to inspire and encourage family literacy, which can help children develop a lifelong love of reading and learning.

The event at the City Playhouse featured fun literacy activities, crafts, songs, story time and a puppet show. The highlight of the evening was a free on-stage pyjama party with imaginative stories told by Andrew Larsen.

“I have loved reading and writing my whole life but I didn’t start writing books until I became a father,” Larsen told the crowd of children and parents gathered for Family Literacy Day. “We all have stories inside of us. We need to write them down.”

Larsen was born in Montreal and lived there until he was 12 years old and his family moved to Toronto. He didn’t always know he wanted to be an author. It wasn’t until he started a family that he discovered his true calling – he became a stay-at-home dad and started writing stories.

“I loved hockey,” said Larsen of his childhood dream. “I spent my winter days at the outdoor ice rink down the street from my house. I dreamed that one day I would play for the Montreal Canadiens.”

Larsen lives in downtown Toronto and is married with two children, Bella and Charlie, who are featured in his books. Larsen often writes stories about his children’s experiences. He also visits schools and libraries, where he encourages children to discover their own stories.

Larsen is the author of Bella and the Bunny, The Imaginary Garden, In the Tree House and Bye Bye Butterflies! The Imaginary Garden has been recognized both nationally and internationally. His latest picture book, In the Tree House, was included in the CBC’s Children’s Book Panel as one of the summer’s top reads for 2013 and has been nominated for the Blue Spruce Award. He is currently working on another book which is slated to come out this fall – Charlie’s Dirt Day (illustrated by Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli), which is the sequel to Bye Bye Butterflies!