Canadian Celebrations. (Canadian Families). Todd Kortemeier. Collingwood, ON: True North/Beech Street Books (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2017. 24 pp., pbk., hc., pdf & html, $10.75 (pbk.), $25.65 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-77308-034-5 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-77308-006-2 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77308-062-8 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-77308-090-1 (html). Subject Headings: Holidays-Canada-Juvenile literature. Festivals-Canada-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Gail Hamilton. *½ /4
	Canadian Food and Traditions. (Canadian Families). Sheri Doyle. Collingwood, ON: True North/Beech Street Books (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2017. 24 pp., pbk., hc., pdf & html, $10.75 (pbk.), $25.65 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-77308-035-2 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-77308-007-9 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77308-063-5 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-77308-091-8 (html). Subject Headings: Food-Canada-Juvenile literature. Cooking-Canadian-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Gail Hamilton. *½ /4
	Canadian Fun and Games. (Canadian Families). Paula Morrow. Collingwood, ON: True North/Beech Street Books (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2017. 24 pp., pbk., hc., pdf & html, $10.75 (pbk.), $25.65 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-77308-036-9 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-77308-008-6 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77308-064-2 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-77308-092-5 (html). Subject Headings: Amusements-Canada-Juvenile literature. Games-Canadian-Juvenile literature. Family Recreation-Canada-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Gail Hamilton. *½ /4
	Canadians at Home. (Canadian Families). Marty Gitlin. Collingwood, ON: True North/Beech Street Books (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2017. 24 pp., pbk., hc., pdf & html, $10.75 (pbk.), $25.65 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-77308-037-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-77308-009-3 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77308-065-9 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-77308-093-2 (html). Subject Heading: Dwellings- Canada-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Gail Hamilton. *½ /4
	Canadians at School. (Canadian Families). Sheri Doyle. Collingwood, ON: True North/Beech Street Books (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2017. 24 pp., pbk., hc., pdf & html, $10.75 (pbk.), $25.65 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-77308-038-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-77308-010-9 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77308-066-6 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-77308-094-9 (html). Subject Headings: Education, Elementary-Canada-Juvenile literature. Elementary schools-Canadian-Juvenile literature. Students-Canada-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Gail Hamilton. *½ /4
	Canadians at Work. (Canadian Families). Marty Gitlin. Collingwood, ON: True North/Beech Street Books (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2017. 24 pp., pbk., hc., pdf & html, $10.75 (pbk.), $25.65 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-77308-039-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-77308-011-6 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77308-067-3 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-77308-095-6 (html). Subject Heading: Occupations-Canada-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Gail Hamilton. *½ /4

excerpt:

Many Canadians decorate their homes to show pride in their heritage. But the style of their homes reflects the part of the country that they live in. Most people in Canada live in houses. Some live in apartments or condominiums. There are a wide variety of homes in Canada.

Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador were among the first parts of Canada settled by Europeans. Many of the houses in these provinces are more than 100 years old. Quite a few settlers in this area were from France. French homes at that time were often made from wood and stone. The settlers used the same materials. They needed to clear the land of trees. They used logs to build their homes.

Many homes in Calgary are quite modern and large. They reflect the wealth of the local oil industry. In Victoria, British Columbia, the weather is warmer. There are many cottages. Houses in suburban areas outside Toronto and Montreal are often surrounded by green spaces. These may include gardens or parks. They come to life in spring and summer. (From Canadians at Home.)

Six titles comprise the "Canadian Families" series which is designed to show young readers that Canadians have many things in common, but their diverse cultural backgrounds also influence their everyday lives. Titles have between four and six chapters. "Fast Facts" text boxes provide additional information while Inquiry Questions, one per book, invite readers to reflect on their own experiences related to the featured topic. In terms of content, the information provided is rather general, and there are not enough details. As well, some of the facts are inaccurate. For instance, the text states that Manitoba is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", but that distinction belongs to the state of Minnesota. Manitoba is, in fact, the "Land of 100,000 Lakes". The text is written in short, clipped sentences which can occasionally cause a lack of fluidity, and the vocabulary varies in difficulty. In the main body of the text, the vocabulary is fairly easy, but sometimes the text boxes, the glossary definitions and the labels accompanying maps and photographs contain words or terms that are not only more difficult but also are never explained. Examples include "horticulture", "forage" and "management of financial resources". On the plus side, both the text and photographs reflect the many customs and traditions of a wide variety of cultures. Besides the colour photos, maps, diagrams and bar graphs add visual appeal. A table of contents, a glossary, an index and a list of related books and websites for further study are included.

      Canadian Celebrations is divided into four chapters by season. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and the winter solstice are winter highlights, but there is not enough detail provided about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. They are merely described as celebrations that "feature fun and time with family". In the spring holiday chapter, there is no mention of the significance of Easter, and Good Friday is a day when "almost everyone in Canada gets the day off from work or school". Powwow and potlatches are "similar" when, in fact, they are quite different. Finally, "Remembrance Day" is misspelled on the chart of yearly holidays.

      In Canadian Food and Traditions, readers will learn about the various types of crops and livestock on farms as well as the abundant seafood caught in the nation's coastal waters. Other topics in this title include the range of foods that people eat for breakfast, lunch and supper and on different holidays. "Famously Canadian" foods, such as maple syrup, butter tarts, Nanaimo bars and Saskatoon berries, are also mentioned.

      Festivals and sports are highlighted in Canadian Fun and Games. From the Caribou Carnival in Yellowknife and Festival du Voyageur and Folklorama in Winnipeg to the Kamloopa Powwow in Kamloops and the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, these festivals have a decidedly cultural bent. Sports are discussed according to season. Fall and winter months are for snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing, skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, hockey, ringette and curling while Canadians enjoy lacrosse (Canada's national game), soccer, football, rugby, hiking, kayaking, canoeing and swimming during the spring and summer months. Whale watching, bird watching and camping are other pastimes.

      Canadians at Home begins with an honest description of what constitutes a family nowadays. This title also includes information about the various immigrant groups and their countries of origin, home styles and decoration based on location, local materials and culture (one example of this is the shrines often found in Asian homes), and the many different foods served on Canadian tables. Food choices are also based on location and availability as well as one's culture. Some examples include Alberta beef, French-Canadian poutine and tourtière, and Eastern European pierogies.

      A typical Canadian school day is described in Canadians at School. Topics in this title include transportation to school, subjects taught, clubs and other extracurricular activities, field trips, recess games, and important dates in the school year such as Terry Fox Day and Remembrance Day. There is a family tree of the Kent-Nguyen family to show that some parents and children come from other countries and learn English as a second language. Very young readers who are unfamiliar with the concept of a family tree will need an adult's assistance to interpret this diagram.

      Canadians at Work focusses on the different categories of jobs in Canada, ranging from those occupations that are related to health and safety (police, firefighters and paramedics), energy (oil rig workers and engineers), and farming (ranchers, dairy and grain farmers, and agricultural scientists), to manufacturing and retail (factory workers, cashiers and managers). In this title in particular, some of the words printed in red type should have been explained within the text (e.g. "economy"), and there should have been more information about Canada's natural resources and the jobs related to lumber and mining.

      With some careful editing and revision and the inclusion of more detailed information, these titles would be more useful, but in their current form they are not worth their hefty price tag.

Not Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a former teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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