An author of children's picture books will be visiting NWT Centennial Library on May 11.
Stephanie McLellan from Ontario is on a tour of the NWT for TD Canadian Children's Book Week 2018.
"This is my first visit to Hay River and the Northwest Territories and I consider myself very fortunate to be given this opportunity," she said in an e-mail interview with The Hub.
McLellan said she is looking forward to experiencing a bit of NWT.
The author has published five picture books – The Chicken Cat, Leon's Song, Hoogie in the Middle, Tweezle into Everything, and The Christmas Wind. They have featured the artwork of various illustrators.
"The five books I have published are all picture books for children aged four to nine," she said. "A sixth picture book has just been accepted for publication in 2019 or 2020. While each story is different, each has a strong protagonist who pushes the boundaries of their world with determination and heart."
Marissa Oteiza, the program librarian at NWT Centennial Library, said McLellan will be doing a morning presentation at 10:15 a.m. on May 11.
Oteiza noted the presentation is open to the public, and a Grade 4 class from Princess Alexandra School has also been invited to attend.
"It's just nice to encourage the kids to come and meet authors of their books and learn about what it's like to be an author if that's a career they'd like to pursue when they're older," she said.
McLellan noted she wanted to be a writer from the time she was a child herself.
"It is said that reading to children is the single most important investment parents can make in their children's academic future," she said. "When a writer connects with us, or opens a door we never knew existed, the surprise can be so great that it leaves us with a new way of seeing and feeling."
McLellan explained her presentations encourage children to look for and understand their own creativity by sharing the stories behind her stories, how these stories/ideas turn into books, and what it's like to write for a living.
It is always a treat for her to be invited to meet with students, she said. "The opportunity to travel to different places is a fantastic bonus on top of that."
McLellan will also be visiting Fort Liard, Fort Simpson and Fort Providence on a tour supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.