If You Could Wear My Sneakers

by Sheree Fitch, Darcia LaBrosse (Illustrator)

Sheree Fitch and Darcia Labrosse raise global awareness of the rights of children in this delightful collection of poems interpreting fifteen of the 54 articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. A quiz at the end of the book allows children, with the guidance of teachers or parents, to match the poem and illustration to the appropriate Convention article.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 10, 1997

About the author

From the Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia:

"Sheree Fitch is an educator, literacy activist and author of award winning poetry, picture books, nonfiction, plays and novels for all ages. Her first book, Toes in My Nose, illustrated by Molly Lamb Bobak, was launched in 1987. The books that followed have garnered numerous awards, including The Mr. Christie Award for There Were Monkeys in My Kitchen, The Anne Connor Brimer Award for Mable Murple. If You Could Wear my Sneakers, a book on Children's Rights commissioned by Unicef won both the Ontario Silver Birch Award and Atlantic Hackmatack award.

In 1998 she won the prestigious Vicky Metcalf award for a body of work inspirational to Canadian Children. She has been goodwill ambassador for Unicef since 1994 and her lipslippery adventures have taken her to remote parts of the globe.

Her work as a poet and literacy educator has taken her to the Arctic as eight-time poet laureate for Peter Gzowski's fundraisers for literacy and to Bhutan where she taught writing and participated in that country's first national reading week. Author readings have taken her to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Belize and Mexico.

Currently, she is Honorary Spokesperson for the New Brunswick Coalition for Literacy. The coalition recently initiated the Sheree Fitch Adult Learner Scholarships. She is also Honorary Spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Read to Me Program. This program provides literacy information to new parents and books for newborns. Each year she sponsors a writing competition for New Brunswick Youth. Her latest venture in literacy education includes completing a three year (summer ) writer in residency for Somebody's Daughter --- out on the tundra in Nunavut. This is an innovative program for Inuit women started by Bernadette Dean, Sheree's friend and former student from a writing workshop Ftich held during one of her soujourns to the north.

In the fall 2004, Gooselane Editions released an expanded anniversary edition of her adult book of poetry In This House Are Many Women and Orca published Pocket Rocks, illustrated by Helen Flook.

In May 2005, Fitch's first novel (ages ten and up), The Gravesavers, was published by Doubleday Canada Random House. A coming of age story blended with a historical event—the wreck of S.S. Atlantic in 1873—Fitch considers the novel "a kind of love letter" to her Maritime home and a celebration of her roots. Upcoming books include If I Had A Million Onions, a collection of nonsense for all ages and Peek a Little Boo, a book for babies.

Fitch lives with her husband, Gilles Plante and divides her time between Washington D.C. and River John, Nova Scotia. In demand as a visiting author, workshop leader and keynote speaker, she is currently working on an adult novel. She holds a B.A. from St. Thomas, an M.A. from Acadia University and honorary doctorates from both St. Mary's and Acadia for her contribution to Canadian literature and education. She has two grown children."

Reviews

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifteen wonderfully fun and meaningful poems written by request of UNICEF concerning the Rights of Children. Each poem includes something for the uplifting of children in some way. Beautifully illustrated.