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Author Talk: Eric Walters & "One Can"

with Food4Kids Waterloo Region

For Families

About the Event

Award-winning Canadian author Eric Walters is coming to share his newest picturebook, One Can, with families. With more than one hundred books to his name - including The King of Jam Sandwiches, Camp X, and We All Fall Down - Eric’s stories continue to inspire readers of all ages.

During this event, families will enjoy a reading of One Can, a touching and timely story about generosity, community, and what it means to give and receive. Afterwards, participants will briefly explore themes of hunger, poverty, and how socioeconomic challenges impact children and education in the Waterloo Region.

Food4Kids Waterloo Region will be attending to share information about their Weekend and School Break programs, which provide non-perishable food for children to take home. Those wishing to contribute are encouraged to bring a donation. All non-perishable items are appreciated, with high-needs items including pancake mix, syrup, and breakfast cereal.

Presented in partnership with Food4Kids Waterloo Region.

This event is for families with children of all ages. Please register each person attending in your group. You can do this by selecting the blue "add more people" button from the registration page.

About One Can

A child is excited to donate a can of their favorite Zoodelicious to the school food drive. Their teacher has explained that the food will be given to people in need, along with mittens from the “mitten tree.” In the classroom, there’s a carpet with one hundred squares, and the goal is to fill each square with a can of food. When the child places their can of Zoodelicious on square 100, everyone cheers, and the teacher puts a snowflake sticker on top to celebrate. But a few days later, the child finds the same can of Zoodelicious among the groceries their mom has brought home. There’s a pair of red mitts, too. “Mom, are we the people in need?” the child asks. The next morning, after having thought of all the people who will receive food from the school and wondering what else they might need, the child donates their too-small blue mittens to the mitten tree at school.

Created by an award-winning team (Lana Button & Eric Walters), One Can tells a timely and touching story of a child who learns to give and receive—and wants only to give again in return.

About Eric Walters

ERIC WALTERS is one of Canada's best-known and most prolific writers of fiction for children and young adults. His books have won over 120 awards, including thirteen separate children's choice awards, and have been translated into thirteen languages. He lives in Guelph, Ontario, and is the co-founder of Creation of Hope, a charity that provides care for orphans in the Mbooni district of Kenya. In 2014, Eric was named a Member of the Order of Canada "for his contribution as an author of literature for children and young adults whose stories help young readers grapple with complex social issues."

Photography Notice: Please note that photographs and videos may be taken at this event and may be broadcast, reproduced, and/or made available in print or online. For individual or small group photos, staff will make attendees aware of their presence and will ask permission before taking photos. 

For larger public events, please note that by attending, you are consenting to the use of your appearance, image, and voice in print or digital productions created by the Waterloo Public Library for promotional use only. Please speak to library staff at the event if you’d like to be excluded from any photo/video. 

Programmer: Vrinda