Retired grade school teacher, teacher librarian, and traditionally published writer focuses on reviewing picture books with some MG, YA, and Adult. Reading to/with children, writing for children, and more.
This hefty, nonfiction 95 page book has a humorous approach to engaging the reader. Scattered throughout the book are the narrators, a Canada goose and the moose, dressed in full clothing and making comments, some helpful and some silly.
There are six chapters in the book. The first is “Amazing Facts about How Canada Was Bashed, Pummelled, Scrunched, and Scraped into the Shape It’s in Today”. The humour and hyperbole draw the reader in to learn about tectonic plates, the Great Lakes, earthquakes, volcanoes, ice and more.
Chapter 2 is “Naturally and Wildly Canadian”. The author promises to share the “weird, intriguing, obnoxious, badly behaved, and utterly improbable plants and animals that exist in Canada.” I was not at all surprised to learn that Canada has one million square kilometers of muskeg.” Just try digging anywhere in my neighbourhood. I was surprised to learn puffins have a regular beak underneath their big fancy one, which they drop off after they win the female. Hmmm. Typical.
The only thing I must warn you about is if you need reading glasses, make sure you have them when you open this book. It is jampacked with tiny print. You won’t want to miss any of the fascinating facts and crazy tidbits. I had heard of Gray Owl but not Billy Miner or Two-gun Cohen. There’s even a paragraph about the lines down the middle of the road.
Chapter 3 focuses on the arrival of people. Chapter 4 is about Canada’s modern growth such as the canals, bridges, and buildings. Chapter 5 is about our weather. Yes it does deserve an entire chapter of its own. Chapter 6 is about interesting Canadians and I’m sure you’ll find some you’ve never heard of before.
This is a fun and informative book that may engage children (and adults) in Canadiana who otherwise would not be interested.
This is a lot of things to tackle in such a small book of 32 pages. Basically, it just whets the appetite.
The beginnings of multiculturalism is a two-page spread, three-quarters of which is a photograph. In the text bar there is a short paragraph written on native cultures, French and British, more people came, and celebrating multiculturalism. At the bottom, in italics, is a caption for the picture that reads, “Many cultures can be found in Canada. People in this picture represent the Native, German, Ukrainian, Filipino, and Engine populations in Canada. Can you identify them by their costumes?” I’m not sure about the other cultures, but First Nations people do not like their regalia to be called a costume. This is a disrespectful term.
In the “Celebrating Canada’s history”, there are paragraphs on Canada Day, Victoria day, Labor Day, and Remembrance Day. It does mention the alternative holiday celebrated by the French Canadians in Quebec. There is a small text box below the fireworks picture and a sketch about Louis Riel. It is entitled “remembering a hero.”
Under heritage days, the author gives a short blurb on the powwow. The entire second part of the two-page spread is about African Canadians. Turn the page and you’ll find paragraphs on the national Ukrainian Festival, Fete National, Festival du Voyageur, Klondike Days, Oktoberfest, Highland games, and Icelandic Festival. The entire next double-page spread is devoted Caribana.
Under harvest vegetables, Canadian Thanksgiving is described. The Green Festival celebrated by the Iroquois, harvest fall fairs, and the wild rice harvest by the Algonquin, Cree, and Ojibwa are explained. There is a flashback about the order of good cheer. A short paragraph explains the Chinese Moon Festival.
For such a short book, it shares a great of information on unfamiliar holidays. Well worth a read or for stocking your class library.
This is a thick, hefty board book. It begins “I’m going on a trip from sea to sea. How will I do it? Come ride with me!” We see a little boy lying on the lawn playing with a toy car over a map of Canada. His parents are loading an RV in the background.
On each double-page spread, the child participates in an activity. “I’ll run a gondola up the mountain high.” It’s British Colombia in the picture but it isn’t entirely clear until you realize that each page has a unobtrusive flag of the province and he is literally going to travel from sea to sea.
“I’ll drive a hauler as high as the sky!” Here we see the child driving an actual dump truck! On the next page he is steering the combine as he harvests the wheat. On the page after that he’s driving a train. Obviously, this is imaginary and should be explained to toddlers.
It isn’t until we get to “I’ll operate a crane in Montréal!” that the actual city is mentioned.
All the provinces are covered from west to east. You might need to have a resource handy in case you forget which provincial flag is which. It does go in order though, most of the flags are recognizable even though they are tiny, and the activity in which the child participates is a good clue too. So, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
Although this is a board book, it would certainly fit in nicely with a primary classroom. This is a fun and imaginative introduction to the diversity of Canada’s provinces. Kids who like big machines will really enjoy this approach.
Follow-up activity:
Parents and teachers could have fun tracing the child’s trip across a map of Canada.
If you have access to a photocopier, I thought it would be cool to photocopy the pictures blocking out the child. Your child can then draw himself or herself in that spot. If you have a big map, you could then cut out the part of the picture featuring your child on the big machine and tack it up on the map of Canada.
The double-page spread illustrations in this book are soft and inviting. It features racially diverse children in various Canadian environments and activities.
The story is told in rhyme which, thankfully, holds up quite well. It reads aloud smoothly. The rhyming is never awkward or forced.
It begins with two boys high up on a ladder looking across the map of Canada. The words read, “Where are you out there?… Good morning, Canada!
The next page reads, “Good morning, beaver.” Two little girls, who are camping, peek out from behind a tree. Five beavers chew sticks beside an impressive lodge. In the background are two moose and a red canoe. I especially love the fact that the children are tenting.
Featured throughout the book are moose, Canadian geese, kayaks and canoes, loonies and toonies, hockey, tobogganing, Mounties, maple syrup, and fields of wheat. Although it does not feature every Canadian activity or special environment, it shares just enough of the classics with a child to give them a taste of the variety and richness of our country.
This is a wonderful book to share with a preschooler or primary student. Parents and teachers alike will enjoy the conversations that rise from the illustrations. Adults are sure to have a story prompted by most of the pictures. I have several stories of being accidentally (?) dunked by my husband when we were embarking or docking our canoe.
Click on the book covers for more information or to buy the book.
Jean Little is a national treasure. Her body of work is phenomenal and this is up there with the best of them. You don’t have to be Canadian to enjoy this book, or the series, which is told in diary format.
The story of the landslide that buried part of the town in the coal mining area of Alberta, Canada, is told through the eyes of a young girl, Abby. Her father has recently died and her family has moved to Frank to live with relatives who run a hotel. The family dynamics are as complex and intriguing as real life drama. Abby, is a sensitive and loving child, the only one of her siblings willing to care for her Down Syndrome brother. The story is told through her diary entries.
This moment in Canadian history is relatively unknown by people living outside of Western Canada. The book is based on the true events and the deaths and near misses resulting from the landslide are taken from actual historical incidents. There are black and white photographs at the back of the book which show the size and extent of the mountain’s partial collapse. An explanation is given in the afterword as to the possible causes of the enormous landslide.
This book is both an engaging story of a family around the turn of the century and a stunning example of the power of nature. Abby, and her family, are based on a number of people Jean Little researched. Although it is written for tween readers, anyone from 9 to 90 will be intrigued by the story and touched by the impact of this tragedy on the community and individuals.
This book is part of the Dear Canada series which features a number of remarkable books. Some speak of heroism and sacrifice while some examine our most shameful moments.
Per-Henrik Gürth’s illustrations always remind me of Ted Harrison’s. They are both bright and boldly outlined. Gürth’s better suit the preschooler and kindergarten type of books that he produces while Harrison’s could go with any text. Gürth’s books often feature a bear, moose, and beaver in anthropomorphic situations. How Canadian is that?
This book is a perfect introduction for preschoolers to Canada. It explains our symbols, languages, and the origin of the name Canada.
Each province has a double page spread. On the left page of each provincial focus, there are four parts featuring the flag, tree, flower, and bird. On the right is a full-color page of characters enjoying something special about that province. It begins with Newfoundland and Labrador. The tree is black spruce, the flower is the pitcher plant, and the bird is the puffin. The large picture says, “Wave to whales at play in Trinity Bay.” A bear is driving a red and white boat while a fox, moose, and beaver watch the tail of a whale splash in the water.
Nova Scotia is represented by Peggy’s Cove. Prince Edward Island is represented by biking on the South Shore. In New Brunswick, our animal friends explore Hopewell Rocks. In Québec, they sailed down the river past the beautiful old buildings. In Ontario, they visit Niagara Falls.
In Manitoba, they fish in Lake Winnipeg. In Saskatchewan, they help with the harvest. In Alberta, they hunt for fossils in Dinosaur Provincial Park. In British Columbia, they snowboard down Whistler. In the Yukon, they hike a glacier. In the Northwest Territories, they fly over Great Slave Lake. In Nunavut, they paddle a kayak past an inukshuk. The book ends with a double page map of Canada with small illustrations featuring each of the things mentioned throughout.
Even though it is such a simple text, one leaves this book with a sense of wonder about the immensity and variety of Canada. This is the kind of book that parents might have to work with to engage a young child. It would, however, make an excellent classroom resource for a primary grade.
Click on the book covers for more information or to buy the book.
This is a nonfiction history book is organized into easy-to-read sections. Is quite up to date and inclusive. It begins with the arrival of the aboriginal peoples. It follows through with the Acadians and the Great Expulsion, an example of how prejudice and politics can destroy the lives of ordinary people.
Throughout the book, it honestly shows the cruelties and failures done while building our country. Many people know generally about the loyalists’ tribulations but few know how badly the emancipated slaves were treated. For example, “of the 30,000 Loyalists who came north to Nova Scotia in 1783 in 1784, roughly 10%, or 3000, were black.” Many didn’t get their land grants and if they did it was soil that could not be farmed. They were treated worse than second-class citizens. “And what about the other resources promised by the British – the lumber, the money, the tools? Again, the black Loyalists were always at the end of the line. Many suffered through their first winters in the inadequate temporary structures they put up just for shelter.” They were not given the same rations as the whites. But in spite of all this, the black loyalists built several strong communities of their own. While some may think it is shameful to bring forth the treatment of groups such as this, I think that their descendents would be proud of their resilience and ability to overcome such blatant racism. There may be inspiration in their suffering. I wish I could say that these inequalities were quickly corrected, but in fact the people of Halifax’s Africville were appalling victims of entrenched systematic abuse and neglect for 150 more years. For those of us who are not black, seeing the truth is a reminder that we must be vigilant against prejudice toward immigrants and minorities. A timely topic.
The book covers the arrival of the Irish immigrants in the 1600s aboard the coffin ships. It follows these people through the building of the railroad where it also connects up with the experiences of the Chinese immigrants.
You will find historical tidbits you may not have known. For example, have you heard of New Iceland?
In the late 1800s, many Ukrainian immigrants arrived and most settled around Winnipeg. The book explores the premises made by the Canadian government to potential immigrants. It examines the prejudices and false assumptions towards southern Europeans. I was surprised to learn that, next to the Chinese, the Italians “played the biggest role in pushing the Canadian Pacific Railway through the diamond-hard mountain rocks and steep-sided river valleys of Western Canada.”
Hughes discusses the treatment of Italians in the first world war, the creation of ethnic neighborhoods, and, again, the mistreatment of immigrants. The most shocking is the refusal of the Canadian government to allow most of the east Indians on board the Komagata Maru to disembark even though they were not being supplied with food or water. Eventually, they were forced to return to their places of origin.
Of course, you cannot speak of immigration without discussing the treatment of Japanese immigrants and their descendents, especially during the second world war. It is one of Canada’s most dishonourable moments.
After the Second World War, 165,000 refugees came to Canada. Those countries that came under Soviet control did not experience true freedom. 1956, Hungarians rose up with nothing more than kitchen utensils and makeshift weapons. The Soviets sent in tanks. 2500 Hungarians were killed and 37,000 were admitted to Canada as refugees.
Although not refugees, there was a surge of Americans moving to Canada during the Vietnam conflict in order to avoid being drafted. Approximately 50,000 to 225,000 Americans came to Canada. When they were offered a pardon in 1974, few were willing to take the risk to return. Of course, many Vietnamese immigrated to Canada during this time as well. They were followed by refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia, and more. Between 1991 and 2001 almost two million immigrants have arrived in Canada.
Canada is a nation of immigrants and refugees. Most of us know someone from each of these groups. We do not consider ourselves a melting pot but strive to be a mosaic wherein people keep the parts of their culture that do not contradict Canada’s laws or strong social norms. This can be difficult at times, but it is also enriching. The first time I went to Europe in 1977, I was surprised at how each country seemed culturally isolated from the next. If you wanted spaghetti, you’d have to go to Italy. The last time I went, in 2015, this had changed greatly. Countries had become multi-ethnic and food, music, and entertainment had spread from one country to the next. It felt closer to Canada where my typical Christmas dinner had always included Ukrainian periogies, Chinese fried rice, Italian lasagna, French bread, English pudding, Jamaican jerk chicken, Japanese sushi, Canadian wild blueberry pie and more. Multiculturalism at it’s best.
This book would be a marvelous addition to a family library. Adults and young people alike will find much to attract their attention. There are photographs and illustrations on every page. These include copies of important telegraphs, tickets, maps, numerous photographs and drawings, and more. It is written in sections just right for short periodic reads. An outstanding book.
This is a search and find book in 8 x 10 paperback format. Each double page spread is full of Canadian items and icons to find. Some are hard and some are easy.
Each double-page has a list of 20 items. For example, the first spread is titled The Wonderful West Coast. Some of the things to search for are a seagull with a clam, two University signs, a Chinese lantern, a Sasquatch footprint, the Gastown Steam Clock, beluga whales, and Ogopogo. You can see that the fantastical is mixed in with the historical, the natural, and the contemporary. They are drawn in a style similar to the Where’s Waldo books.
The page representing the West Edmonton Mall only mentions the province in the searching list as “the Alberta Flag.” I think it should be stated quite clearly on each page what province or territory is being represented.
The Yukon is called Gold Rush country. Ontario features Toronto but the province’s name appears nowhere on the two pages of “Summer in the City”. Manitoba features Lake Winnipeg. Alberta shows up again with the stampede. (The bucking bull has a big smile belying the fact that he has been tormented into a frenzy and now has a barbed cinch digging into his privates to make him kick and flail trying to dismount the cowboy who is causing his pain.) Newfoundland focuses on the ocean and does not include Labrador. Ontario returns with a celebration of Canada Day in Ottawa. The fortress of Louisburg represents Nova Scotia. For the third time, we go to Ontario to find animals on the shore of Georgian Bay. Nunavut is packed with northern animals. Winter carnival represents Québec. Saskatchewan features oil derricks and farming. Prince Edward Island has potatoes, the ocean shore, and our beloved Anne of Green Gables.
The Northwest Territories and New Brunswick are not included. This seems really odd considering there are three pages about Ontario and two about Alberta.
Readers search for common items like seagulls and more challenging things like a frozen fleur-de-lys, a pewter bowl and spoon, and an Avro Arrow jet. Hopefully, children will ask questions about these more unfamiliar items.
With 280 items to search for, I can see this would be a good diversion for traveling when kids need a break from technology but aren’t interested in reading. It requires focus and attention to detail. This would be a fun book for children who enjoy searching and finding but definitely not a complete overview of Canadian symbols and activities with one province and one territory missing.
Click on the covers for more information or to buy the book.
If you have a child who is interested in the stars, point them to this video. If you’re teaching ancient Greece to an elementary class, this may be helpful. If you like to share legends from different cultures, this video may interest you as well. The script is below. You are free to use it in any noncommercial venture without permission as long as the author is credited. Please contact the author before using any part of the script or video in any commercial venture.
The Legend of the Constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
MY NEW VIDEO FOR FUN AND EDUCATION. Simplified story of Callisto’s unfortunate experience with Zeus and Hera resulting in a new constellation. The Greek legend of the creation on the constellations The Great Bear (Ursa Major) and the Lesser Bear (Ursa Minor) told with graphics. Ages 4 and up.
THE SCRIPT
The Legend of the Constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major
by Bonnie Ferrante
CHARACTERS:
Hera, wife of Zeus
Zeus, king of the gods
Poseidon, ocean god
Tethys, goddess, ocean god’s wife
Callisto, beautiful woman
Arcas, son of Callisto
Chorus
CHORUS: In ancient Greek theatre, a chorus told the story. The men wore brown masks and the women wore white. Their stories were filled with gods and goddesses and unfortunate humans caught up in all of their drama. This is the story of constellations but it is also a story of jealousy and vengeance. The Big Dipper is not only a constellation by itself, but it is also part of the Great Bear, called Ursa Major. This is the tragic story of the Great and Lesser Bear and how they can into being.
HERA: Zeus, for a king of the gods, you certainly don’t do much.
ZEUS: Hera, my wife, why can’t you find something to amuse yourself?
HERA: My husband, come and do something with me.
ZEUS: I want to relax. I like to watch the beings below. Join me.
HERA: You should concentrate more on Mount Olympus, our home of the gods. The mortals below are nothing to us.
(Exit Hera CL.)
ARCAS: Mother, can I kill the deer by myself?
ZEUS: Who is teaching this boy to hunt?
CALLISTO: Not yet, Arcas, my son. We will fire together.
ARCAS: You never miss, Mother. I won’t either.
CALLISTO: There is nothing crueler than letting a wounded animal escape. If two people shoot, we have twice the chance of killing it quickly.
CHORUS: Zeus became fascinated by Callisto. He disguised himself so he could get to know her. When he was not down below, he spent the rest of his time watching her from Mount Olympus.
ZEUS: I can’t stop thinking about Callisto. I want to be with her all the time.
HERA: What did you say? You’ve been with her! Do you love this mortal woman?
ZEUS: Yes, I do. She is so beautiful, so graceful.
HERA: I will put a stop to this.
ZEUS: I forbid you to kill her.
HERA: I have more imagination than that. (She leaves the mountain and approaches Callisto.) Callisto! Callisto!!
CALLISTO: Yes, great goddess.
HERA: Your beauty and grace, of which my husband speaks so tenderly, will be gone forever.
CHORUS: Using her powers, Hera changed Callisto into a bear.
HERA: In order to make you truly suffer, I will leave you with human feelings. You will be a miserable woman trapped in the body of a bear.
CHORUS: Poor Callisto roamed the forest day and night in constant fear. She was completely alone. She did not understand the other bears.
CALLISTO: I am so frightened. Human hunters think I am a bear and try to kill me. I cannot talk like a human anymore. I am a beast, yet I am afraid of the other animals too.
(Enter Arcas )
ARCAS: A bear! I will shoot it.
CHORUS: Callisto recognized her son, Arcas. She was so happy to see someone she knew that she stood up on her hind legs to hug him.
ARCAS: It is attacking! I will kill it with my spear just like my mother taught me.
ZEUS: I must not let Arcas kill his own mother, but I cannot break the spell my wife has set.
CHORUS: Zeus left Mount Olympus and appeared in the forest below.
ZEUS: My only hope is to turn Arcas into a bear as well.
CHORUS: He cast a spell turning Arcas into a bear.
(Arcas is changed into a bear. Callisto goes to him and comforts him.)
ZEUS: As long as they are in the woods, they will be in danger from hunters. I must send them to safety.
CHORUS: Zeus pulled the bears into the sky by their tails. Callisto became Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Her son, Arcas, became Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear.
HERA: How dare Zeus give those two an honored place in the sky? I cannot undo his magic, but I can get help. Poseidon! Tethys!
CHORUS: Poseidon was the god of the ocean and Tethys was his wife.
TETHYS: Hail, great goddess.
POSEIDON: Praise to the queen of Mount Olympus.
HERA: Tethys, Poseidon, I want you to help deliver justice to a mortal woman thinks she is equal to the gods.
TETHYS: Of course, Your Greatness. No mortal woman should challenge us.
HERA: Put these two bears in a pen so that they may never wander. I want them caged and kept away from everyone.
POSEIDON: As you wish great queen. We will cast a spell to ensure they never leave our sight.
TETHYS: They will be not be able to go below the horizon.
CHORUS: So Tethys and Poseidon never allowed the bears to disappear below the horizon as other constellations do.
CHORUS: To this day, both the Lesser Bear, Ursa Minor, and the Great Bear, Ursa Major, are held high in the sky near the Pole Star. The Pole Star, also called Polaris, is the last star in the Lesser Bear’s tail or in the dipper’s handle. It is also the brightest. Sailors and explorers used the Pole Star to navigate because it remains fixed. So, whenever you look at Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, remember the Greek legend of the unfortunate Arcas and Callisto.
