I may have announced a couple of months ago how EXCITED I was–and still am–that Skink on the Brink has been chosen as one of the picture books to be included in the Rainforest of Reading in Grenada and Saint Lucia this year.
OneWorld Schoolhouse is a fantastic not-for-profit organization working to promote childhood literacy in the Caribbean. Last year, they launched the Rainforest of Reading which is similar to the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading. In the Rainforest of Reading, all Grade 3 and 4 children read a selection of nominated picture books and then vote on their favourite. The festival culminates in a series of celebrations (one in Grenada and two in Saint Lucia) during which ALL of the kids come to a day of literacy activities and events. I am beyond thrilled to have been invited to attend and to meet so many young readers in other places!
And so today, officially, marks the first day of my participation. Tomorrow is Festival Preparation Day in St. George’s, Grenada! Tuesday is the first of the three big days!
But, today… today, all I have to do is board a plane–along with fellow creators, Suzanne Del Rizzo, Joyce Grant, Jan Dolby, Eric Walters, Eugenie Fernandes & Rebecca Bender. And I’m hoping they’re somehow a little more prepared than I am right now!
(For a full list of picture books nominated in the Rainforest of Reading, click here.)