Value of reading, play and imagination in childhood

 

“ The power of storytelling and the freedom to pretend ”

 

Date of Issue : 28 September 2015

Here is a new stamp from Canada Post. The design of the stamp is just beautiful and it  is fostering imagination and the power of storytelling. The design of the stamp is very thoughtful and to me it is one of the best designs of  stamps issued so far on children related themes all over the world.

Sitting cozily on cushions inside an imaginary fort made of bed sheets, a young girl reads from a book as her little brother listens intently to the tale, clutching his teddy bear tight. The image, by Montreal illustrator Marie-Eve Tremblay, depicts the two youngsters establishing a personal connection and demonstrating a respect for reading. It highlights the value of imagination in the lives of children. As Tremblay says, it’s about “the joy of having your own secret place for that moment.”

Marie-Eve Tremblay‘s imaginative artwork for Canada’s new permanent-rate semi postal stamp under covers the value of reading, play and imagination in childhood. Funds raised from stamp sales help support a wide array of programs to benefit children and youth across Canada.

The foundation’s vision “is to ensure every child in Canada is happy, healthy and surrounded by a community that supports and cares for them”. Canada Post first issued semi postal stamps in 1974-76 to help fund the 21st Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec.

Earlier in 2015, the Foundation handed almost $1.2 million to 107 community initiatives, including a summer camp for young people with special needs, teen mental-health support and crisis counselling, specialized equipment for children with severe disabilities, homework help, playgrounds, and breakfast and literacy programs.

This year’s stamp, designed by Context Creative’s Lionel Gadoury and illustrated by Marie-Eve Tremblay, depicts the power of storytelling and the freedom to pretend. In an imaginary tent formed by a bed sheet, one youngster reads to another, demonstrating that a rich imagination should be part of every child’s life.

Canada Post describes this design as depicting “the power of storytelling and the freedom to pretend”. In a secret cave built of bed sheets, clothes pins and imagination, a sister reads a bedtime story to her younger brother, who clutches his teddy bear with wide-eyed delight at the tale.