Synopsis
A is for Abigail and Anna, Zebediah’s two sisters. He is making them an alphabet book.
From B, which stands for bandalore, a forerunner of the yoyo, H for the hornbook that taught children to spell, and on through the pigeons that blackened the sky, to the uniform that Papa wore when he defended the king, right through to X for the eXhaustion of parents who are homesteading. This lovely romp through the seasons on a pioneer farm is full of fascinating information.
Artist Mary Jane Gerber has placed numerous items in each of her paintings and detailed borders, and there is a useful list of them for readers to find. Author Mary Alice Downie has included detailed background notes, making this a sweet introduction to our history.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-After the American Revolution, the United Empire Loyalists (people from a variety of backgrounds who wanted to live under British rule) escaped to Canada, arriving with few possessions and struggling to survive in the harsh climate of the north. Downie, who lives in a town settled by the Loyalists in 1784, provides this information as well as her own experiences summering in an unheated wooden cabin in this area. The alphabet itself provides information about foods ("E is for eels that we catch in the river. Mama bakes them in pies. Ugh!"), education ("H is for Hornbook-") amusements ("B is for Bandalore-") and many other details regarding the daily existence of one family. An expanded glossary at the end provides more information about each area. The illustrations, done in acrylic on canvas and framed by attractive borders featuring scenes from the landscape on top and household objects on the sides, use muted tones and have a nostalgic feel appropriate to time and place. This could be an attractive title both for browsing and a useful teaching tool, as there are few other titles that address pioneer life in this region.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.