When was the last time an internationally heralded Canadian visual artist created a picture book for all ages? Charles Pachter will launch his new book, M is for Moose by having a spirited conversation with Evan Solomon, co-host of CBC News: Sunday, about the politics of the alphabet, punctuated with slides of the book’s imagery. – A This Is Not A Reading Series event presented by Pages Books & Magazines, Cormorant and EYE WEEKLY.

Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St W, Toronto
Tues, Sept 16; 7:30pm (doors 7pm) free

M IS FOR MOOSE The marriage of words and images is a trend in contemporary art: visual artists are painting words, phrases, and sentences onto their canvases. Taking this trend and applying it to a children’s book, Charles Pachter, one of Canada’s pre-eminent visual artists, has reviewed forty years of work and matched a blend of familiar and new images with words that explore the idea of Canada. From “Alberta” and “autumn,” through “beaver” and “butter tart,” to a portrait of Margaret Atwood (“poet”), this beautiful book will delight children, parents, and grandparents alike. It contains reproductions of iconic paintings, such as the Queen patting a moose, and paintings of historical Canadian figures Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and Elizabeth and John Graves Simcoe, along with short biographies for parents. Also included is the Canadian National Exhibition prize-winning recipe for butter tarts and a complete list of all illustrations in the book. With his talent joyfully evident on every page, M is for Moose celebrates Pachter’s continuing fascination with the marriage of words and images, his love of Canada, and his depth of understanding of our history.

CHARLES PACHTER is a painter, printmaker, sculptor, designer, historian, and lecturer. He has degrees from the University of Toronto, the Sorbonne in Paris, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, as well as an honorary doctorate from Brock University. At present, he resides in Toronto, where his work has been shown at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the McMichael Gallery, and can be seen on the walls of the College Street subway station.

EVAN SOLOMON is a writer, journalist, and broadcaster. He has worked as a journalist and writer for publications throughout North America and Asia, including The Globe & Mail, The National Post, The Toronto Star and The South China Morning Post. Solomon’s first novel, Crossing The Distance, published by McClelland & Stewart, was a bestseller. He is currently the co-host of CBC News: Sunday.
 

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