REFLECTION & REASON

Carnival Nationz Mas Camp Shantal Otchere for Now Toronto It's tradition. After the spring launches of the individual Toronto Caribbean Carnival masquerade bands, carnival enthusiasts and participants across the city and beyond can also look forward to the Mas Camp grand openings and the true physical beginning of the carnival season in the city. The Mas Camp is the hub of activity, construction, design, and camaraderie in the carnival community. It is a dedicated space where costume designers and their teams begin to carefully construct their costumes in preparation for parade day. It is the home for the individual mas bands, working towards the coveted titled of Band of the Year, based on their creativity, adherence to theme, and cohesiveness of their group/band overall. Carnival Nationz Mas Camp, Shantal Otchere for Now Toronto At the mas camp, not only can you witness creatives at work, but you can also take part in the development of the mas band for the seaso...

We are fortunate to live in a time where walking into a bookstore and finding an ethnically diverse selection of children's books is no longer an anomaly. The past decade has brought a vibrant increase in visibility to the characters that fill the pages of children's literature, and with each generation we will surely see the social effects of this inclusive representation. As a child, bestselling children's author and storyteller Angelot Ndongmo didn't have the literary luxury of choosing between culturally reflective texts at the library or through her local bookseller. In fact, selecting books was less tied to personal reflection and instead focused on plot and theme. A fictional adventure is always satisfying for a young mind with a healthy imagination, but it was an avoidable misfortune for the generations who never had the added bonus of being able to receive that extra boost of culture through literature at a young age. If you happen to live in Toronto an...