Multicultural fairy tales

Exhibition celebrates international fables with art

In a world where the cinematic vision threatens the literacy of today's youth, it's exciting to have an art show that actually is promoting reading. At the impressive BCE Place, the Allen Lambert Galleria is opening its doors for a truly family affair, one in which parents can take a walk down memory lane, as they may encounter books they've read during their own childhood, and children will be able to see their favourite narratives painted large across the walls.
Read Me A Story! is the exhibition focusing exclusively on folk tales and picture books from around the world. But don't worry, these aren't of the gruesome variety. You won't see too many Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales here, or if you do, they censor out all the blood and murder to cut right to the chase, or shall I say, the moral at the end of the story. Coinciding with World Youth Day, this show is yet another symbol of the welcome open arms Toronto has extended to the rest of the world.
Sponsored by UNICEF-Ontario and produced by Soka Gakka International in support of UNESCO's International Decade for a Centre of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, 1,200 children's books from around the world will be celebrated weaving together cultural myth and archetype into one large quilt of imagery.
From Serbia to India, diversity is the defining feature of the show and it's the one value the organizers here hope that the children viewing the exhibition take home with them - that is, a newer appreciation for it. What better place to showcase such an art show than in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world?
Here, all the continents are represented, as well as their own "classics" in terms of story. A special story has been selected for each country and will be reinterpreted by current artists into stories which will then be featured on the walls. Also known as "panorama picture books", they will stimulate even the most hyperactive of kids, unless hyperactivity is how we can perhaps characterize this entire generation who are becoming accustomed to comprehending life in byte-sized portions.
What did they call it? Generation Y, Z or is it the MTV/MuchMusic generation? No matter, whatever generation of kids, all of them respond to story and surely with so much variety at this show, there will be something for everyone's taste.
The exhibition is composed of two elements: the first is a collection of more than 1,200 illustrated children's books who take the stance of creating harmony from conflict. In the second, hands-on, portion of the exhibit, children can play with French pop-up storybooks, an Italian picture book in the shape of a pyramid, interactive books that teach how to count, read, tie a shoelace or button a shirt, and even waterproof books that can be read in the bathtub.
For those parents who refuse to believe the newest proverb "the book is dead", the written text will still be abounding. Not just a visual experience, parents will also have the opportunity to read to their children stories which they otherwise would never have come across - stories where the blond princess is not always saved, where "happily ever after" has a thousand different interpretations, and where the "knight in shining armour" is not just a white, poorly illustrated Disney rip-off. And unlike Disney, these stories show that there's more to life than ooey-gooey romance.
In this post 9/11 world, we must reach out make an effort to participate in any event which seeks to unite, especially culturally. With the stated intention to "encourage children to respect human dignity and appreciate the wonderful diversity of cultures and lifestyles in our world", this art show is one that takes global citizenship seriously.
Read Me A Story! shows at BCE Place, 181 Bay Street, until August 9. Call 416.654.3211.

Publication Date: 2002-08-04
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1631