Award Winning Children’s Publisher Releases Stunning Sunday in Kyoto
New Book-CD by Canadian Cultural Icon Gilles Vigneault Features Polaris Prize Winner Patrick Watson, Coral Egan, Ndidi O, Thomas Hellman
Montreal’s award-winning children’s publisher, The Secret Mountain, is proud to announce the release of Sunday in Kyoto, featuring new songs by Gilles Vigneault, and illustrations Stéphane Jorisch. The 14 songs by Vigneault, who is one of Canada’s central music figures, are performed by artists including Patrick Watson, winner of the prestigious Polaris Prize in 2006, as well as Coral Egan, Ndidi O, Thomas Hellman and Gilles’ daughter Jessica Vigneault. The storybook-music CD features elegant illustrations by four-time recipient of the Governor General’s Children’s Literature Award in Illustration, French-Canadian artist Jorisch, who has also created sets for Le Cirque du Soleil.
This innovative packaging, combining a hardcover book with a CD, is ideal for children. An iconic poet and singer-songwriter deeply rooted in Canada’s history, Gilles Vigneault wrote the 14 songs that accompany Sunday in Kyoto. They evoke his love of nature, culture and travel and are imbued with natural imagery as well as multinational characters and settings. The title track tells the story of a Cajun musician who lives with his Japanese partner in Kyoto, enjoying Sunday afternoon jam sessions with friends from far away places, while other songs are educational, with counting and spelling in several languages including English, French and Japanese.
Sunday in Kyoto follows the acclaimed best-seller My Name is Chicken Joe, from four-time Grammy nominees Trout Fishing in America. This delightful package earned praise from The Toronto Star, Publisher’s Weekly, the New York Times and The Associated Press, among many others.
The Secret Mountain is dedicated to the creation of children’s books, videos and audio recordings of the highest quality. Roland Stringer, founder of The Secret Mountain, says of Gilles Vigneault, “He’s French-Canada’s Pete Seeger! Having always written and performed for both children and adults, he has embodied for more than half a century similar ideals, that of an engaged humanist. His influence has been huge. Did you know that throughout Quebec, “Happy Birthday” has been replaced by a song that he wrote? He continues to be a fascinating poet, musician and performer, and we’re thrilled to present his stories and music in a context that the whole family can enjoy.”
