Canada

Children's Literature - Elizabeth D. Schafer

Canada's beauty, especially its wilderness, is stressed in this introductory geography which overlooks basic information and concepts young readers might be expected to learn. Emphasizing Canada's size as the world's second largest country, this book does not clarify that that distinction is based on area not population, nor are measurements provided. Provincial, territorial, and capital names are not included on a map or in the text distinguishing regional climate differences. References to Canada's mountainous terrain do not identify many of those peaks as the Canadian Rockies, nor are western agricultural lands labeled as the prairie. Extreme northern Canada's tundra is briefly described without explaining how moss can grow in that perpetually frozen area. Animals frequently associated with Canada—especially moose, loons, and polar bears—are mentioned. The text refers to Inuits but does not note the diversity of Canada's native people and the significance of the First Nation culture in modern Canada. A photograph of a family inside their igloo is the only illustration depicting children. Stating European immigrants were early Canadian settlers, interacting with natives and shaping trade and communities, the text comments that Canada is historically multilingual. This book omits describing the annual Canada Day celebrations on July 1 to commemorate the Dominion of Canada's 1867 formation. Young readers might find Michael Dahl's Canada (1998) or David F. Marx's Canada (2000) more useful. A title in the "My First Look at Countries" series.