The Little Paper

On SUNDAY, JUNE 21st, 2009, The Little Paper and Don Kerr productions, in partnership with TINARS For Tots, Pages Books and Bunch Family, will present totstock in Souraren Park, a festival of music, stories and crafts for kids and parents in support of The High Park Nature Centre.

Totstock will bring together friends and family from the west end in support of an amazing organization.

The event runs from 2 to 5pm and admission is free but activities and performances are offered as pay or donate-what-you-can.Your support of the event shows this community that you care about The Nature Centre, families, the environment and the neighbourhood.

The Mainstage

A main stage area near the fieldhouse will showcase some of Toronto’s leading authors, activists and musicians. Chris Reed will serve as master of ceremonies. Don Kerr and The Blue Bin Band will perform, and also host Claire Jenkins and Garden Jane’s Cirque Dirt. David Wall of Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, will perform The Lorax by Dr Seuss. Noted novelist Claudia Dey will present The Sniffing Princess by Don Kerr.

Author Andrew Larsen and illustrator Irene Luxbacher will present their recent book, The Imaginary Garden. Are you ready to make history? Author David Bruin and illustrator Hilary Leungwill orchestrate the largest Ninja Cowboy Bear tournament ever recorded. Renowned artist and illustrator Barbara Klunder will share her highly anticipated new book, The Animals’ Day: An Island Alphabet. And the wildly popular children’s band, I Eat Kids, will close the show in true festival style.

The Activities

Throughout the afternoon, staff and volunteers from the High Park Nature Centre will be leading children and families in earth-friendly crafts and exploratory activities that deepen their connection to the natural world.

And More…

In addition, community stakeholders such as the West End Food Co-op, The RMRA, Greenest Cityand the P.I.N.E. Project will be on hand to share information and ideas.

Mountain Equipment Co-op has generous offered a special raffle prize and all proceeds, along with the proceeds from the sale of the first ten copies of each book, will go towards the fundraising effort.

If you are interested in sponsoring or volunteering for this event please email Gilllian at Gillian@littlepaper.com.

The Line-up for Sunday is amazing. Read on for details on all the singers, players, readers and hosts….

MUSICAL STYLISTS:

THE BLUE BIN BAND Veteran producer and musician DON KERR has gathered some of the finest players on Toronto’s indie music scene for totstock 09. KEVIN LACROIX will appear on bass and TYLER KERR will handle the drums and marimba duties. This stellar rhythm section will at once anchor and propel REBECCA EL-SALEH on harp as well as keyboard player STEVE YORK.

CLAIRE JENKINS is a celebrated vocalist and songwriter. Her primary focus is Claire Jenkins Avec Band. The group recently released an acclaimed album, Crow’s Nest / Nid de Pie. Jenkins also composes music for theatre, acts and dreams up projects of all shapes and sizes. Visit: http://www.myspace.com/clairejenkins

CIRQUE D’IRT was founded by JANE HAYES and JEROME GODBOO. Jane (www.gardenjane.com) is a visionary artist, gardener and educator with a passion for garden performance and participatory community events. Jerome (www.jeromegodboo.com) is a master harmonica player and songster with a talent for bringing musicians together, dancing through paradise and living on the circus edge. For each Cirque D'irt show, Jane and Jerome draw on their networks of talented community artists, musicians, dancers, entertainers, puppeteers, clowns, foodies, gardeners, educators and volunteers. Visit: http://www.cirquedirt.com/about.htm

I EAT KIDS is a tight unit comprised of budding rockers: Oliver (6) & Jessa (6), Edi (8), Georgia(9) & Zoë (10) & Sadie( 10). Don’t let their tender age fool you. They take no prisoners on the dance floor.

TALES AND STORYTELLERS:

THE LORAX "UNLESS someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."

Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty.

"The big, colorful pictures and the fun images, word plays and rhymes make this an amusing exposition of the ecology crisis."—School Library Journal.

DR. SEUSS was born Theodore Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904.. Dr. Seuss's first children's book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, hit the market in 1937, and the world of children's literature was changed forever! Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 children's books, some of which have been made into audiocassettes, animated television specials, and videos for children of all ages. Even after his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss continues to be the best-selling author of children's books in the world.

DAVID WALL is a musician and artist. He was one of the key members of the influential group, Bourbon Tabernacle Choir. Wall has long been a fan of Dr Seuss. Over the years, he has shared The Lorax with several generations of dreamers.

THE SNIFFING PRINCESS AND THE SWEET-TOOTH PRINCE How do our individual actions impact the natural environment around us? How much is too much? Don Kerr tackles such weighty themes with a touch of whimsy and magic in his contemporary fairy tale, The Sniffing Princess And The Sweet-Tooth Prince. After bringing the kingdom to the point of collapse with their gluttony, the eponymous royal siblings must reverse their ways to save it. The book includes a CD of beautifully crafted songs based on Kerr’s tale as well as a reading of the story in both English and Japanese.

DON KERR is a musician, songwriter, producer, and author. He sings and plays drums, cello, and tenor guitar. Kerr has played with Ron Sexsmith since 1987 and was a member of Rheostatics. He has a recording studio in his home called The Rooster, where he works as a highly respected producer. Kerr created and illustrated The Sniffing Princess And The Sweet-Tooth Prince, a children's book and accompanying cd. He has invented and built many musical instruments; notably, the Salad Bowl Banjo, the Canadian Talking Drum, and The Hydrophone (a 2 octave tuned percussion instrument). Kerr is Canada’s pre-eminent urban landscape percussionist.

CLAUDIA DEY is a celebrated playwright, author and columnist. Awards and international productions have recognized several of her plays. Notable amongst these is The Gwendolyn Poems. Her debut novel, Stunt, was published last year to wide acclaim and remains a bestseller. Dey recently stopped writing the popular "Group Therapy" column for the Globe & Mail to focus on her follow-up book, How to be a Bush Pilot: a Field Guide to the Secrets of Female Pleasure. It will be published next season by HarperCollins Canada.

THE IMAGINARY GARDEN When Theodora’s grandfather must leave his home for a new, “easier-to-manage” apartment, Theo misses his beautiful garden the most. Poppa’s balcony is too small and windy for a garden, but soon Theo and Poppa find a creative solution to this drawback. Together they decide to paint a garden and the small balcony soon becomes a canvas for an abundant garden masterpiece.

In this picture book bursting with mixed-media art, an imaginary garden is the centre of a special relationship between a girl and her grandfather. Readers will marvel at each stage of this fertile garden as it grows from seed to full flower, revealing the power of art to enrich our lives. As Theo learns to layer her brushstrokes to create flowers and red-breasted robins, young readers will see how they can use those simple steps to create their own masterpieces too.

From balcony flower boxes to potted trees in foyers, city dwellers have always tried to bring the outdoors in. In The Imaginary Garden, author Andrew Larson and illustrator Irene Luxbacher bring fresh, luscious garden life to a city apartment in this touching picture book that shows the warmth and imagination.

ANDREW LARSEN is the author of KCP’s Bella and the Bunny and lives in Toronto with his wife, son and daughter.

IRENE LUXBACHER is an artist and the author-illustrator of The Jumbo Book of Art, The Jumbo Book of Outdoor Art and the Starting Art series. She also works as an art teacher. Irene lives in Toronto.

IN THE GARDEN is an enchanting children's book about the delights of planting and sowing. Told from the perspective of a young boy, and illustrated in lush colors reminiscent of a blossoming garden, it beautifully conveys the magic, mystery, and wonder of a growing season. Inspired by her own child's gardening adventures, author and illustrator Peggy Collins charms readers with cheery, colorful artwork and endearing text that perfectly captures a child's unique view of the growing world around him.

PEGGY COLLINS has been an illustrator her entire life. She began writing and illustrating books in kindergarten and had her first "real" book published about four years ago with Scholastic. Since then, she has illustrated more than ten books for children, including The End of the Dinosaurs, There's a Spider in the Bath, and Quiet Tessa. In the Garden is her first book as both author and illustrator.

THE LEGEND OF NINJA COWBOY BEAR Why does Ninja beat Cowboy, Cowboy beat Bear, and Bear beat Ninja? The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear is a children's book that answers these questions. It's also a story about three friends who discover an important truth about equality and how to appreciate one another.

Ninja Cowboy Bear is a game similar to one you probably already know - rock, papers, scissors. The big difference is how you play it. Like swimming, eating a sandwich or stretching, some things are better with your whole body. This game is no different. Instead of simple hand gestures, you use your whole body to mimic your chosen character.

DAVID BRUINS spends most of his days as a computer programmer. However, he'd much rather spend his time riding his bicycle, playing guitar, or coming up with stories and telling them to anyone who will listen..

HILARY LEUNG is a designer by day, illustrator by night and ultimate player on weekends. Having spent the last five years pursuing other dreams, he is happy to return to his first true love - drawing.

THE ANIMALS’ DAY: AN ISLAND ALPHABET
Twelve minutes south by boat from the shores of Toronto, there is an Island shaped like a shoe. At the toe of the shoe there is a village of about 250 cottages, home to nearly one thousand, including pets. But beyond the houses, on the rest of the Island, live many wild creatures . . .

Imagine that once a year all the animals living on the Toronto Island decked themselves out like people and held a party -- a day for animals only. The amusing result can be seen in this charming alphabet book, where illustrations show animals up to human antics -- playing instruments, cycling, boating, barbecuing, bathing and napping -- on the beloved Island. The work of renowned artist Barbara W. Klunder, this book celebrates one of Canada's most cherished places.

BARBARA W. KLUNDER is an eclectic artist gifted in many genres and media, from designing hand-knit sweaters (which were launched in New York with the help of Vogue magazine), hand-hooked rugs and fonts, to illustration work for books, posters and logos for clients ranging from theaters to jazz festivals to the Rolling Stones. She is well known for her commitment to human rights and environmental causes, and her work has been exhibited throughout North America. Barbara teaches drawing and painting at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and she is a sought-after lecturer and juror for contemporary art exhibitions. She lives in Toronto, Ontario

CHRIS REED has been the Series Coordinator of This Is Not A Reading Series since May of 2007. He expanded the series by introducing a children’s program, TINARS For Tots, in September of 2008. Reed was the bassist for The Rude Penguins, dubbed “the best dressed old school ska band in the nation’s capital” by The Ottawa Xpress.

ECO-CRAFT STATIONS:

As the literary and musical acts appear on the mainstage, The High Park Nature Centre will operate half a dozen or so eco-craft stations positioned throughout the park. Each station will provide children and adults alike with an opportunity to develop their appreciation of the natural environment.

The High Park Nature Centre is committed to the promotion of responsible stewardship of the natural environment. They offer year-round outdoor experiential environmental education programs that provide park visitors of all ages with the opportunity to gain an appreciation of the park's unique ecosystems and to participate in the restoration of the park’s natural areas. Visit: http://www.highpark.org/nature.htm