From Far and Wide: A Canadian Citizenship Scrapbook
Publisher's Description
On a cold and snowy February day, Xiao Ling Li and her family get ready for a very special event, their Canadian citizenship ceremony. Xiao Ling Li's new brother or sister will "just be born Canadian" and therefore will not have a citizenship ceremony, so she decides to commemorate the day with a scrapbook. From her new lucky red shoes, to the decorations in the school gymnasium, the taking of the Oath of Citizenship and the wonderful party afterward, Xiao Ling Li records the events of the day for her unborn sibling.
Author Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet based the story in From Far and Wide on a citizenship ceremony she attended in a school gymnasium in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. She was so moved by the experience, she wanted to share it with readers of all ages, with those who were born Canadians, and with those who have chosen to become citizens. Who better to illustrate than award-winning artist Song Nan Zhang, himself a recent new Canadian.
From Far and Wide includes the Oath of Citizenship and the lyrics of Oh Canada! in English and French, as well as information on the rights and responsibilities Canadian citizenship entails.
Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet was born and raised in Saskatchewan and worked as a nurse before marrying and moving to a cattle and wheat farm in her native province. Her first book, A Prairie Alphabet was a runaway bestseller. Mother of four, Jo lives on a farm near Weyburn.
Song Nan Zhang was born and raised in China, where he was one of the few to study art at the Central Institute of Fine Arts in Beijing. In 1990, he emigrated to Canada with his wife and two sons, and began creating art for children's picture books, including The Children of China, Five Heavenly Emperors and The Man Who Made Parks. He now lives in Montreal.
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