$25K award for Shin-chi's Canoe

Residential school story wins $25K kids' book awardShin-chi's Canoe, a picture book about a little boy leaving home for a residential school, has won the $25,000 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award.

It was one of four children's books awarded prizes Thursday night at the Children's Book Centre in Toronto.

Shin-chi's Canoe, written by Nicola I. Campbell of Vancouver and illustrated by Kim LaFave of Roberts Creek, B.C., is one of the first picture books to explore the story of the impact of Canada's residential schools on children.

The six-year-old boy Shin-Chi leaves home with his older sister Shi-shi-etko, who explains to him that it will be many months before he is allowed to go home. The book captures the emotions of the two children as they miss family and the natural environment where they grew up.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Books.

Below:  "Shin-chi's Canoe is written by Nicola I. Campbell and illustrated by Kim LaFave." (Groundwood Books)