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JANUARY 23, 2007 / Legacy Project / -- Bestselling author and educator Susan V. Bosak has a goal: to encourage kids to read, to think, and to dream. A new exhibit and educational program launching at the Manitoba Children's Museum (MCM) in Winnipeg on February 10 is based on her award-winning bestseller Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes. The book is printed in Altona, MB, by Friesens who, as part of their 100th Anniversary celebrations, has sponsored the exhibit as a gift to the children of Manitoba. The exhibit features the original artwork created for the book by 15 top artists from five countries, along with interactive components that encourage children to discover the world around them and inside themselves.
How has the flashlight or the telephone changed the world? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Why was Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring named one of the most influential books of the past fifty years? If there is a Canadian dream, what is it? And what do you do when a personal challenge seems so overwhelming you don't even want to get out of bed?
"There's a real power in the combination of words and art to engage children and get them asking the kinds of rich questions that help them grow," says Bosak. "This is about encouraging children to read -- to understand both words and images -- and encouraging them to think, and to dream and set goals to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others."
Bosak spent five years developing Dream. It's a one-of-a-kind collaboration of 15 top children's illustrators including Governor General's Award winner Barbara Reid and two-time Caldecott Medal winners Leo and Diane Dillon. The book's eleven national awards include an International Reading Association Children's Choice, a Teachers' Choice, an iParenting Award, and a Canadian Children's Book Centre Starred Our Choice. Dream combines contemporary art with thought-provoking quotations from historical sages and a multilayered poetic story about hopes and dreams across a lifetime that inspires both children and adults.
The exhibit features a range of artistic styles and mediums -- from watercolour, oil, and chalk pastel to collage, digital, and plasticine -- and all the pieces work together to tell a story. Interactive multimedia components bring the universal themes of hopes and dreams to life.
The Dream Art Exhibit launches at MCM with a special opening event on Saturday, February 10, 1:00 pm. Families are invited to enjoy an inspiring multimedia reading of Dream by Bosak along with musical selections performed by the choral group Wired from Westgate Mennonite Collegiate. After viewing the original art created for the book, visitors will enjoy a book signing and interactive activity areas for all ages, including making origami Dream Stars and then placing them into the magical, handcrafted Dream Chest to make a wish.
"You're never too young or too old to dream," says Bosak. "Each illustrator in Dream has hidden a star in their illustration. So children, and even adults, can hunt for the stars in the art and make a wish with each one they find."
The Dream Art Exhibit is presented by the Manitoba Children's Museum and the Legacy Project, a Canadian education initiative. It is sponsored by the Altona-based book printer Friesens. The exhibit runs at MCM to June 30, and then travels across Canada and the US. For more about Dream by Susan V. Bosak (TCP Press, hardcover, full colour, $23.95) and the exhibit, visit www.dreamstorybook.com.
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