Frank Viva – illustratör

33 personal stories that redefine how Canadians see themselves.We are more than just landscapes, polar bears, Mounties, and canoes. More than just “thank yous,” “sorrys,” hot prime ministers, and doughnut shops. We are also tattoo artists who have discovered the secret to cheating death. Designers hell-bent on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Super soldiers who take “live vests” off suicide bombers. Freethinkers who refuse to be tamed. We are global-village visionaries, world record setters, ambassadors of the imagination, and conquerors of the Rockies. We are Canadian. We are whoever we dream ourselves to be. Meet the glorious and free.$2 from each book sale will be donated to PEN Canada in support of its efforts to defend freedom of expression. Why? Because living glorious and free involves challenging, exploring, and imagining a better world — and being whoever we dream ourselves to be. And freedom of expression protects our right to do all of that.

A little boy spends the weekend at his dad’s new apartment in this picture book about how things change when parents separate — and the important things that stay the same.“This home is home because my dad is here, and it’s nothing like home because my mom isn’t here,” thinks the boy in this story when he enters his dad’s new apartment for the first time. His dad moved out on Monday and now it’s Friday night, the start of his weekend with his dad.The boy and his dad follow their normal weekend routine — they eat eggs for breakfast, play cards and spend time at the park. And then they do the same things on Sunday. It is hard to say goodbye at the end of the weekend, but Dad gives his son a letter to remind him that, even if they can’t always be together, the boy is loved.Naseem Hrab has written a poignant yet hopeful story, strikingly illustrated in Frank Viva’s signature style, about what happens when parents separate, and the new reality of having two homes.Key Text Featuresauthor’s notewriting inspirationCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.