The accomplished and Burlington-based children’s book author Lana Button has successfully completed her first collaboration with another author. On September 2, 2025, her book One Can, co-authored with the esteemed Canadian writer Eric Walters, was published by Groundwood Books to widespread critical acclaim. One Can is the story of a young boy developing awareness of his own family’s poverty while learning that there is no harm in accepting charity from others. In return, he can also give what he can.
Ontario’s children are now back at school, and the charitable programs that keep families facing food insecurity fed and cared for are underway for the fall season. Button wants to raise awareness of the prevailing issue of food insecurity in the province and has spoken out about her experiences tackling the issue that inspired her to work together with Walters on this thoughtful and meaningful book. Answers have been condensed and lightly edited for flow.
When you were working with Eric Walters on One Can, did you both have an established end goal, or did the work evolve over time? That’s a good question. This is my first time collaborating with another writer on a story, and I certainly set the bar high because Eric Walters is a genius and a legend. He often talks through story ideas, and he mentioned this story idea he’s had. So this little guy is going to donate his favourite can of food. Eventually, the can comes back to him and he realizes that he’s the one they’re collecting the food for. That was kind of the premise, and then Eric and I discussed our experiences with food insecurity and working with children who experience food insecurity. He asked if I would like to write the book with him. We started to throw out different ideas, and the story started to take shape. Details of the story, like the mitten tree and the lunch program, kind of evolved as the story was created. We didn’t come up with those pieces beforehand. But the bare bones of the story were there before we put pen to paper.
Can you share more about your background working with food insecurity and food bank programs? I have worked in early childhood education for twenty to thirty years. For eleven years, I worked in the elementary school system as a designated early childhood educator. We did a number of programs to support the needy. A school’s first community event often revolves around a food bank, usually around Thanksgiving. That’s what would happen in the school that I worked in. I have a lot of experience with food banks and mitten tree clothing drives. I also have a lot of experience with supporting children through organizations like Halton Food for Thought. We would have a number of children in our class who would get lunch subsidies. We would provide lunch for them. We would provide milk for them. On pizza days, we would provide pizza for them. And there was also a grocery program. Every Friday, there would be a bag of groceries that would go home with certain children. It was a balance of making sure children felt respected and weren’t embarrassed. I wanted to be careful to provide these children with dignity.
How would you describe some of the similarities and differences between your writing styles and Eric Walters’ writing style? Eric is a master storyteller, and I think he knows his audience really well. I’m a picture book author for the most part, and I am an early childhood educator. My audience is kindergarten to grade three, and that is typically who I am speaking to. That’s how the stories come out for me. I believe that a great picture book can never be outgrown. I think that, especially with a book like One Can, it can be used in middle schools and high schools to start a conversation about a serious topic. Ultimately, it’s a picture book that lends itself to art as well as words, and it’s intended to sound great while read aloud. Eric Walters does that very well. Plus, he also writes fantastic middle-grade novels and young adult novels. He can write adventure. He can write romance. He knows all the genres.
Eric has had a number of creative partnerships in the past, and he always partners with somebody who fits very well into the genre that he’s going to write in as well. I was honoured to work with him on this story. I very much understood my own limits as a writer, and I understood that Eric Walters does not have those limits. He’s incredibly collaborative and a great partner when he writes with someone. One of the things I admire so much about Eric is that he wants to tell a great story every time, and he seems to enjoy the partnership when he finds somebody who sees his vision the same way. I wasn’t sure how we were going to mesh, but it was seamless. It was such an easy process.
Now that you have collaborated with another author, what advice would you give to two writers who are considering working together on a project? You both have to feel that fire, and you both have to see it. It has to mean as much to both of you. You really need to make sure that the story’s the thing and that both collaborators are passionate about the story. It’s a good idea to talk through the bones of the story and make sure that you both have the same vision.
Anyone who attends One Can’s book launch at A Different Drummer Books on Sunday, September 7, 2025, can anticipate a copy of One Can signed by both Button and Walters. Although Walters will not be present at the launch, Button will be, and entertainment for both the parents and children will be provided. And, of course, all attendees are encouraged to bring cans of food for donation to FeedHalton so the children have the opportunity to emulate the book’s protagonist.
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