Two local kids are featured in a children’s book that showcases and celebrates shared and diverse experiences.
Nine children across the country worked with the co-authors of “Our Canada: A Year With Canuck Kids” including Mahlea and Naiya from North Bay.
The children were asked to share what they like doing throughout the year.
“I like to help out people at karate and in the winter I go ice skating,” says Mahlea, “I got my Spirit Name (Purple Dove) from my Aunt Barb and I like to drink hot chocolate in the winter.”
Naiya says they go to the sugar shack and watch maple syrup being made, they go to the farmer’s market and pick strawberries at the local farm, but that’s not all.
“I shared my experiences of celebrating Diwali every year because I feel it is important for others to know about my beliefs and practices as an Indo-Canadian. I am happy to celebrate both cultures,” she says.
Naiya also explained what she likes about living in Canada and North Bay.
“I have freedom and a voice to share my words,” she says. “I love living next to Lake Nipissing.”
Mahlea likes spending time with friends.
“There’s a lot of quiet streets in North Bay, so I get to play with my friends a lot,” she says.
The goal was to create a book that had a greater representation of Canadian kids from different family, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and that promotes a message of diversity and inclusion.
“It is very important to learn about other cultural backgrounds so that we learn to value others and their beliefs. Our future depends on respect and inclusiveness of all people,” says Naiya.
The book is published by Blossom Books, a small, independent publisher of Canadian children’s books: https://blossombookspress.com. It was launched earlier this year and has sold over 1000 copies.
The net proceeds of the book sales go to the Blossom Fund at Humber College that supports students with disabilities and mental health challenges.
You can also meet some of the kids who participated in this short video: https://youtu.be/bRfDNi1huPI
