The Stamp Collector facts for kids
Cover Illustration by François Thisdale
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| Author | Jennifer Lanthier |
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| Illustrator | François Thisdale |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | children's fiction |
| Publisher | Fitzhenry & Whiteside |
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Publication date
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2012 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 978-1-55455-218-4 (first edition, hardcover) |
The Stamp Collector is a children's picture book written by Jennifer Lanthier and illustrated by François Thisdale. It was published in 2012. The book explores the important idea of freedom of expression. A French version, Le Collectionneur de Timbres, came out in 2013.
Contents
Story of The Stamp Collector
The book tells the story of two boys who grow up in different places. One boy lives in a city and loves a discarded postage stamp he finds. It helps him imagine many things. The other boy lives in the countryside and loves listening to stories.
As they get older, their lives take different paths. One becomes a prison guard, and the other works in a factory. But their childhood passions stay with them. Their paths cross later when the country boy, now a writer, is put in prison for his hopeful stories. The city boy becomes his guard.
The rules say the guard and the writer cannot talk. As years pass, the writer's stories become known around the world. Letters of support start arriving from far-off places. The guard is fascinated by the beautiful stamps on these letters. He wonders about the prisoner he watches.
Over time, the guard feels he must deliver the stamps, and then the letters, to the writer. This shows the writer that people remember him. A special friendship begins between them. The writer grows weaker, but the guard asks him to share his stories. He promises to share them with others. After the writer passes away, the guard bravely leaves his job. He travels to a safe library. There, he starts writing down and sharing the stories.
The book does not name the setting, but the pictures show Chinese characters and postmarks. These hints suggest the story takes place in a country like China.
Freedom of Expression: Why It Matters
After the main story, the book includes a section that explains freedom of expression. This means having the right to share your thoughts and ideas without fear. It also talks about the work of groups like International PEN. These groups help writers and journalists who are in danger or in prison for their words. The book also shares that some money from its sales helps PEN Canada. This group works to support writers in prisons worldwide.
Jennifer Lanthier said the story was inspired by a writer named Nurmemet Yasin. He was sent to prison in China in 2004. His "crime" was writing a short story called "The Wild Pigeon." Lanthier worked to help him while volunteering for PEN Canada.
She also met a journalist named Jiang Weiping. He had spent six years in a Chinese prison. He was imprisoned for writing articles that showed corruption in the government. Lanthier said this meeting made her want to write The Stamp Collector. In the book's afterword, Lanthier explains something important. They asked Mr. Weiping if writing letters to prisoners helped, even if prisoners could not see them. He said yes, because the guards would collect stamps.
In June 2013, The Stamp Collector won the Huguenot Society of Canada Award. The Ontario Historical Society gave this award. It honored the book for teaching people about freedom of thought and conscience.
Amazing Illustrations
François Thisdale's illustrations in the book are a mix of art styles. He combines traditional drawing and painting with digital art. The pictures show detailed Chinese landscapes. They also show dreamy, imaginative scenes. This creates a mix of real life and imagination. Each picture also includes Chinese characters, bright stamps, and faint postmarks.
One important image is a discarded stamp found by the city boy at the start of the book. He keeps it because it is beautiful. This stamp appears again and again. It represents the book's message about freedom. Thisdale based this stamp image on The Temple of the Sun in Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. This place was once chosen as a protest zone.
Awards and Recognitions
The Stamp Collector has received many awards and honors:
- Winner - 2014 Golden Oak Award, OLA Forest of Reading
- IBBY Honour List 2014, International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
- Winner - 2014 Great Books Award, Canadian Toy Testing Council (CTTC)
- Finalist - 2013 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
- Finalist - 2013 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
- Winner - Huguenot Society of Canada Award, Ontario Historical Society
- Winner - 2013 Crystal Kite Award, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
- Ezra Jack Keats 2013 New Writer Honor [Jennifer Lanthier]
- Finalist - 2013 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award [François Thisdale]
- Notable Books for a Global Society Award 2013, International Reading Association (IRA)
- USBBY 2013 Outstanding International Books, United States Board on Books for Young People
