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CM . . .
. Volume XVII, Number 04 . . . . September 24, 2010
excerpt:
Great Lakes & Rugged Ground: Imagining Ontario is the second in what will presumably be a series of books about the Canadian provinces and territories. The first, The West is Calling: Imagining British Columbia, was also written by Harvey and Buffam. Each of Kasia Charko’s detailed paintings in watercolour and coloured pencil depicts both a time and a place, telling the story of Ontario’s development through the building of the railroad, timber, mining, tourism, and immigration. Equally as compelling as the historical moment that is depicted by her artwork are the details of the plants and animals and the natural features of each of the different and distinct areas in Ontario. A “Seek and Find!” feature at the back of the book lists many items to look for on each page. For example, on the double page spread depicting mining in Northern Ontario in the 1900s, the reader is to look for: children, shovels, pick-axes, washing line, barrel, miners’ cabins, raccoon, coyote, black bear, crow, groundhog, robin, hare, hawk, blue jay, red fox. Slightly more confusing to young readers will be the pages illustrating the Toronto Maple Leaf hockey team in the 1960s. Most readers will probably need a bit of help to identify Tim Horton. No coffee or doughnuts are visible, but, if you need a hint, he wore number 7. Included at the back of the book is “Historical Notes” which briefly summarize some background information about each of the time periods depicted in the book. Combined with the artwork and poetry, these notes can be the basis for a discussion of the history of Ontario. Great Lakes & Rugged Ground is not just a pictorial history book. The authors and illustrator have combined text and images that evoke different times and different places in Ontario. In addition to the young readers who will enjoy this introduction to Ontario, this book is also a good example for older students of how to combine art and poetry to present information on a particular topic. Recommended.
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Great Lakes & Rugged Ground uses a haiku poetry format and colourful artwork to introduce young readers to both the history and the wildlife and natural features of Canada’s second largest province. Each of the 14 double page spreads captures a moment in Ontario’s history beginning with the Iroquois of the Eastern Woodlands and ending with Multicultural Ontario – 2010.