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Last week, Robert Munsch video conferenced from his hometown of Guelph with First Nation young students from four First Nations gathering together at the Eel Ground First Nation school. The entertaining one hour session is available online on the K-Net streaming server. Click here to watch this entertaining presentation by Mr. Munsch.

ABC Canada (www.abc-canada.org) press release:

Children's author Robert Munsch and families get ready to celebrate ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day, January 27

TORONTO, Jan. 19 - Robert Munsch, renowned Canadian children's writer and this country's best-selling author, joins families across Canada next week in celebrating ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day(R), January 27. Family Literacy Day, now in its ninth year, is the national initiative created by ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and made possible by Founding Sponsor Honda Canada Inc. It celebrates families reading and learning together on a regular basis, engaging in numerous activities that help boost literacy skills in a fun way, including making up stories, singing songs, playing word games and puzzles, and measuring out ingredients for a recipe.

Robert Munsch, Honorary Chair of Family Literacy Day, will appear at a number of media and public events. "We're so pleased to continue to have Mr. Munsch's support in raising awareness of the importance of regular family literacy activities," says Margaret Eaton, ABC CANADA President. "He's a wonderful ambassador for creative and fun learning." Munsch will lead public-school children in Toronto in a storytelling time on January 23, and will appear for a public reading at the Port Moody Public Library in British Columbia on January 27.

Kids share ideas and read along with Robert Munsch
New this year, Munsch will be interacting with children and families across the country through two Corus Entertainment websites. In the weeks leading up to January 27, kids can post on the message board on www.ytv.com their own ideas for stories. Mr. Munsch has been reading their story ideas and will post his comments on the site on Family Literacy Day. Also, parents can submit audio clips of their children reading Mr. Munsch's story Mortimer on the www.treehousetv.com website. On January 27, the site will post a special compilation of kids reading the story, along with Mr. Munsch.

As a fitting end to a busy week of activities, Mr. Munsch will visit the home of the Blackley family in Port Moody, BC, where he will enjoy a Family Literacy Day party put on by the family and also attended by neighbouring parents and children. The Blackley's won the visit from Mr. Munsch in the national Munsch at Home contest, where families across the country who submitted descriptions of what they were doing for Family Literacy Day could win a visit from the author. "I really enjoy being a part of Family Literacy Day," says Munsch. "It's a natural with what I do, and this is an issue that makes such a dramatic difference in a person's life."

Hundreds upon hundreds of events across the country
While Robert Munsch is ABC CANADA's ambassador for Family Literacy Day, a legion of people in libraries, schools, literacy organizations and, of course, families participate in parties celebrating the day. Throughout the week leading up to January 27, these events are as wide-ranging as the imagination.

Consider these events:

- A roster of guests at the Regina Family Literacy Network, including Premier Lorne Calvert, Deputy Police Chief Troy Hagen and Saskatchewan Roughrider Matt Dominguez, will be reading children's stories throughout the day, and a city-wide 'Read-in' encourages people to register and read with a child between 1:30 and 1:45 on the afternoon of Saturday, January 27;

- The Dollard-des-Ormeaux Public Library on the west island, Montreal, is hosting separate English and French screenings of films from the National Film Board's Talespinners series, targeted to children age 4 to 8;

- Vancouver-based Literacy BC will host, at the Vancouver Public Library, its annual week of literacy-focused seminars and events leading up to the day, when there will be an afternoon of literacy activities for children age 5 to 12 featuring writers Bob Heidbreder and Melanie Jackson;

- Port Hope Public Library in Ontario will have the Victorian Operetta Society, cast of next spring's production of Into the Woods, read fairy tales, and will promote a collection of hockey books by having a pick-up hockey game in their parking lot with members of the Predators hockey team;

- Toronto Public Library features a number of storytelling and book-reading events in its many branches;

- Aboriginal storytelling in the Cree language for Inuit and Metis families and children at the Minwaashin Lodge in Ottawa includes activities such as families painting T-shirts with native images; and

- Wolfville Memorial Library in Nova Scotia is holding its 4th annual Library Sleepover for families with children age 6 to 11.

"We encourage all families to read and learn together," says Eaton. "The 15 minutes or so that you take each day to read go a long way to preparing your child for the challenges ahead, and for a lifetime of reading enjoyment."

Fundamental to ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day's success is the financial contribution made by its Founding Sponsor, Honda Canada Inc.

ABC CANADA also acknowledges the generosity of numerous corporate and media supporters enabling, among other things, the distribution of materials and public service announcements that bring literacy and learning messages to millions of Canadian families.

For information on FLD events in your area - Check with your local library, school or literacy organization. There are also a number of events posted at www.abc-canada.org/fld.

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ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation is the national charity committed to promoting family, adult and workplace literacy to the general public and to the private sector. ABC CANADA's focus is on public awareness programs, providing promotional support to local literacy groups, and conducting research to further the development of a fully literate Canadian population. For more information, visit www.abc-canada.org.

For further information: Media, please contact: Jim Pollock, Director of Communications, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation: (416) 218-0010, ext. 126, or 1-800-303-1004, ext. 126, cell: (416) 524-8267, jpollock@abc-canada.org.