Author and illustrator share $20,000 prize, one of the largest for
    children's literature in Canada

    MONTREAL, Oct. 29 /CNW/ - The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) and
TD Bank Financial Group announced this evening that author Gilles Vigneault
and illustrator Stéphane Jorisch received the 2008 TD Canadian Children's
Literature Award for the most distinguished French-language book of the year,
Un Cadeau pour Sophie. They will share a $20,000 award, one of the largest
cash prizes for children's literature.
    Un Cadeau pour Sophie, written for children aged three and older, is a
poetic story that takes place in a seaside setting and depicts a sense of
continuity, the importance of remembering and the happiness a gift can bring.
The overall quality of the book and the perfect matching of text to
photographs come together in complete harmony.
    "We are honoured to recognize Gilles Vigneault and Stéphane Jorisch's Un
Cadeau pour Sophie with the 2008 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. We
hope that parents and children will be delighted and entertained by this
book," said Christine Marchildon, Senior Vice President Québec Region, TD
Canada Trust. "We take great pride in encouraging artists to pursue their
passion and in recognizing their creativity by awarding one of the top prizes
for children's literature in Canada. Promoting literacy and education in
Québec is a priority for TD."
    Original Canadian publications of all literary genres written in French
for children up to 12 years were eligible for the award. Judging was based on
the quality of work, their overall contribution to children's literature and
the contribution they made to young readers. In addition to the $20,000
winning prize, the remaining finalists will share a $10,000 prize: Mélanie
Watt for Chester; Badiâa Sekfali and Jean-Marie Benoît for Farouj le coq;
Angèle Delaunois and Pierre Houde for Le Mur; and Danielle Simard and
Geneviève Côté for La Petite rapporteuse de mots.
    This year's judges for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
included Charlotte Guérette, retired professor, Université Laval, Québec;
Pascale Grenier, librarian at Espace jeunes, head of the Centre québécois en
littérature pour la jeunesse - Direction des services à la clientele,
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Montréal; Manon Richer, a
children's literature instructor and expert, Saint-Colomban; Céline Rufiange,
a reading resource teacher and contributor to Lurelu magazine, Repentigny; and
Nathalie Tremblay, a children's bookseller at Alire bookstore, Longueuil.
    "Un Cadeau pour Sophie is a wonderful story, beautifully written by
Gilles Vigneault and magnificently illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch, and we are
delighted to see their book receive this recognition," said Charlotte Teeple,
Executive Director, Canadian Children's Book Centre. "We'd like to thank TD
Bank Financial Group for supporting Canadian writers and illustrators for the
fourth consecutive year."
    The English language portion of the 2008 TD Canadian Children's
Literature Award will be presented in Toronto on November 6, 2008.

    About the Canadian Children's Book Centre

    The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) is a national, not-for-profit
organization, founded in 1976 to encourage, promote and support the reading,
writing and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers. The CCBC's
programs, publications and resources help teachers, librarians, booksellers
and parents select the very best for young readers. For more information,
visit www.bookcentre.ca.

    TD Community Giving: Making a Difference Together

    Children's health, literacy and education, and the environment are the
three main areas of focus for community giving at TD. Flagship programs within
these areas include: TD Children's Hospital Fund; TD Friends of the
Environment Foundation; TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup; TD Canadian
Children's Book Week; TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community Leadership;
and the TD Summer Reading Club. With support from customers and employees, TD
is also involved with a host of national, regional and local causes benefiting
diversity, arts and culture and other community programs. In 2007, TD donated
$33 million to more than 2,000 organizations across Canada.

For further information: Matthew Cram, TD Bank Financial Group, (416)
983-1514, (647) 504-5013 (cell), matthew.cram@td.com; Amély Tremblay, Morin
Public Relations, (514) 289-8688 ext. 226, (514) 774-8522 (cell),
amely@morinrp.com