Jan Thornhill brings the great auk back to the Atlantic for Halifax's TD Kids Book Club

A group of Grade 6 students in Halifax met withJan Thornhill to talk about the rise and demise of the Atlantic bird, the great auk. Thornhill documented the bird's extinction inThe Tragic Tale of the Great Auk, which won the 2017 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award.The illustrated bookpacks all the depth of a natural history text into a few illustrative paragraphs and vividdrawings, featuring the extinct creature.

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On Oct. 23, 2017, studentsatDucd'AnvilleSchool got to hear from Thornhillat one of sixTD Kids Book Clubvisits happening across the country.Mainstreet'sBob Murphy hosted the regional event, whereThornhillshared her expertise and love of animals with young readers, and talked about her work as a writer.

CBC Books8:05Interview with Jan Thornhill - 2017 TD Kids Book Club Halifax

Mainstreet's Bob Murphy talks to Jan Thornhill about her picture book during a class visit in Halifax.

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Students also expanded their vocabulary along withtheir knowledge ofCanada's natural history. The class participated in an exercise inspired by the picture book and compiled a list of definitions ofscientific terms. Their answers aired as part ofa Mainstreetepisode ina segment titled"Auk Word Moments."

CBC Books2:40Auk Word Moments - 2017 TD Kids Book Club Halifax

Students make sense of the scientific terms in Jan Thornhill's The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk