All 2022 Festival Youth events can be attended in-person or viewed online. Please ensure that you select the correct ticket option during checkout.

World-famous classical musician Glenn Gould loved playing the piano, and gave concerts all over the world—but he grew to dislike them. The hall was too cold, or he didn’t feel well, or the audience made too much noise (he didn’t even like their applause!). He discovered that when he played and recorded music in an empty concert hall, he could make it sound exactly the way he wanted. He could do what he loved best, while being completely himself. You could say he was As Glenn as Can Be.

GGBooks-winning author Sarah Ellis and illustrator Nancy Vo share more about this child prodigy—and why listening to yourself, accepting your differences, and expressing how you feel is important for every child. Grades 1–3.

Event Participants:

Sarah Ellis

SARAH ELLIS is a celebrated author, teacher, and children’s literature expert. She has written over twenty books, and won the Governor General’s Literary Award and TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Her portrait of Glenn Gould is illustrated by Nancy Vo. (BRITISH COLUMBIA)

Nancy Vo

NANCY VO studied fine arts and architecture, and now works as a facility planner and a picture-book maker. Her books include The Outlaw, described by the New York Times as “bewitching,” and The Ranger. Vo has also illustrated As Glenn as Can Be by Sarah Ellis. (BRITISH COLUMBIA)