Hello Melanie, Thank you so much for this post and for highlighting the wonderful IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities, located at North York Central Library. As a librarian who works with Leigh Turina, the lead librarian for this collection, I really appreciate the attention you are drawing to this important resource. A couple of things to clarify and add ... The exhibit that you mentioned, now on at the Reference Library, is not an annual exhibit. It's a one-time only exhibit (at least as far as we know at this time.) This exhibit is one that Leigh and I have been working on for the past two years and it has been a (big) labour of love. We are very proud of the exhibit and hope that it draws many visitors far and wide! Other resources for people looking for books for and about children and young people with disabilities are the biennial Outstanding lists created under the direction of staff working with the IBBY collection. These lists are downloadable as PDFs and can be found on the webpage for the IBBY collection (which you have noted above.) Each book contains a detailed annotation. The Outstanding titles are in a variety of languages, including English. Hope this is helpful and thanks again for this post. Deb

Hi Muriel, What a great post -- filled with so many wonderful things to linger over, just like Rome itself. You mentioned the Sistine Chapel and I wanted to share an experience I had there, many years ago, when I was in Rome for several days on my own. I was standing in the chapel, looking up at the recently-restored ceiling and staring at all the amazing artwork I had studied at university and had only -- until that moment -- seen in photographs in books. Imagine my surprise when I looked back down again and spotted across the crowded chapel, two familiar faces, friends from Toronto! It seemed both completely unexpected and yet just the kind of thing that ought to happen in a place like Rome... Certainly something I have never forgotten. Deb

Love the Maya Angelou quote! You've done a terrific job of highlighting the restorative and life-changing aspects of engaging in creative work. I like the way you point out that creativity can take many different forms and be sparked by a variety of circumstances, too. Out of difficult times and situations things that didn't exist before can come into being. Reading your post made me think of the insightful writings of Cat Bennett. She has written a number of books on creativity that are available from the library. One of my favorites is Making Art a Practice ... How to Be the Artist You Are. Thanks again for a great post!

Hi Kelli, Thanks for an interesting and informative post. I loved learning about the term "GripLit" (which I had not heard before.) It's certainly an apt name for these kind of fast-paced thrillers! Yours from the world of books, Deb

Hello Muriel, Thank you for this lovely post -- you've provided a wonderful introduction to something (kimonos created by a master craftsman) that I might never have encountered otherwise. I especially loved the way you describe Kubota's kimonos as "soulful." Beautiful things, executed with loving care and precision, can connect us to things bigger than ourselves. It sounds like Kubota aspired to and achieved this. I look forward to seeing this show, now that I know about it, and learning more about Kubota. Deb

Hello, Thank you for your comment. Congratulations to everyone involved with Mankoushit Mariam [The Mankoushit ‘Lebanese pizza’ of Mariam]. It's a terrific book and we look forward to sharing it with others. The Toronto Public Library tries, wherever possible, to purchase copies of the outstanding titles for its circulating collections. In the meantime, I hope you will help us spread the word about your book, the other outstanding titles, and the IBBY reference collection itself, a valuable resource of books for and about young people with disabilities. Thanks again for stopping by and congratulations again! Deb

Hello Marjorie, Thank you for your comment. I absolutely agree -- there is an amazing range of titles on this year's outstanding list. Thank you, too for helping us get the word out on your website, MirrorsWindowsDoors -- it's a great gathering place for all those interested in diversity in children's books! Yours from the world of books, Deb

Your post is a timely one with lots of useful information -- thank you for that! One of the books you mention, "And Tango Makes Three" is an especially good one for young children and their parents and/or caregivers to share together. Its simple yet engaging narrative conveys the important point that families come in many shapes and configurations. Caring for others, treating them with respect and accepting differences are important values that we all need to embrace, now more than ever ...

Hello Katherine, Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate your kind words. It's always great to meet someone else out there who is from that larger group I think of as my tribe! With best wishes, Deb

Thank you for highlighting the book "Window." You are right: its simple focus and interesting choice of perspective pull readers in and carry them through the narrative. Baker's book is certainly one of many noteworthy examples out there of wordless storytelling. I'm looking forward to covering other examples in an upcoming blog post! Thank you again for taking the time to comment, Deb

Hello Jennifer, Thank you for taking the time to comment, and for your kind words. I loved reading your anecdote about the young man in Italy and appreciated your candor. I think that many of us have been in your shoes -- not sure whether or not to take the words of a stranger at face value. How interesting that it all had to do with the little island of Lampedusa! Thank you again for stopping by and for sharing your thoughts, Deb

Hello Jessica, Thanks for an interesting post. I am a bit confused -- what do you mean when you say that Tomi Ungerer is "the opposite of what a children's picture book author should be"? I don't have any sense that a children's author "should" be any particular way ... would it be possible for you to expand on this a bit? With thanks, Deb

Hello Elvira, Thanks so much for the update on Ajja & Bajja (Pippa & Boo.) We look forward to seeing more of those two characters and know that they will have a devoted following in whatever languages they are in! With best wishes, Deb

Hello Claire, Thanks so much for your comment -- yes, this is a terrific list and it would be great to see all of the books available in English. We understand that Lola e io [Lola and I], one of the Italian language books, will be published in North America in English -- very good news for those of us who like this book! I am also glad to hear that you have ordered Writing with Grace -- it's beautifully written and very thought-provoking. Happy reading and thanks for stopping by, Deb

Hello Tina, Thank you for getting in touch with us. I'm delighted to hear that you would like to visit our collection and learn more about it. It's a wonderful resource! The collection is available to the public and it's not necessary to book a time to see it. However, in your case, I do suggest making an appointment with IBBY staff so that we can address your specific questions and highlight the parts of the collection that are most relevant to your needs. This is a service we are pleased to offer to anyone who needs it. To book an appointment, please email us at: ibby@torontopubliclibrary.ca We look forward to hearing back from you! Deb

Hi Fran, Thanks for stopping by and asking about this terrific resource. I want to make sure that I understand your question ... Are you asking specifically about books featuring children with disabilities? All of the books in the collection are either for or about children and teens with disabilities. If you can let me know a bit more about what you might be interested in, Leigh (the librarian in charge of the collection) and I will be pleased to help you! Deb

Hi Maureen, Thanks for your comment. Like you, I was surprised (and delighted) to discover the music for Goodnight Moon. The words may have come quickly to Margaret Wise Brown (without, one assumes, the aid of any opium-like substances) but the book's illustrations (by Clement Hurd) took the better part of a year for Hurd to complete. He started off with human figures then, finally, settled on the bunny characters we are all so familiar with. Thanks again for stopping by! Deb