Review by Resource Links December/08

Mary’s Atlas: Mary Meets Manitoba

Author: Gwen Smid

Mary’s Atlas: Mary Meets Manitoba, by author Gwen Smid, is the first in hopefully a series of children’s books about the provinces of Canada. Mary, an eight-year-old trickster, has a magic atlas. When she taps it three times she is pulled into its pages with a splutter and a splat. As indicated by the title, Mary is able to visit Manitoba through her atlas. She becomes the eyes through which we, the readers, experience this wonderful province. Bou, the talking bison, is her guide and ours as we zoom though Manitoba. While on tour, Mary learns that the Golden Boy (the statue which stands on the top of Manitoba’s Legislative building) has had his torch stolen. She then takes us on a whirlwind adventure as she not only recovers the torch but also discovers Manitoba. Through Mary we are introduced to some of the main attractions in Manitoba as well as several interesting facts.

This is a wonderful book that children in Grades 2-4 will enjoy reading for entertainment as well as information. Educators can use Mary’s Atlas: Mary Meets Manitoba as a teaching aid or starting point to introduce children to this wonderful province. Throughout the book there are added facts about Manitoba on the bottom of the pages, such as the meaning of "Manitou Bou". The illustrations, in beautiful watercolour, simply add to the adventure.

Review by Resource Links - Ken Kilback

Freddie's Problem

Author: Resa Ostrove

Freddie has a problem. Because of his impulsive tendencies, he’s eaten 100 flies and now he’s feeling dreadful with an "army of gas bubbles" in his bloated and heavy belly. Fiona the fish tells him to breath in deeply and blow, but Freddie swallows a mouthful of water and sinks. Dirwood the duck suggests paddling fast so that the pressure of the water forces out the bubbles, but when Freddie tries this out, he’s suddenly paddling upside down. Even Syjin the snake’s idea leaves Freddie unchanged except for "an irritating, hot, itchy rash." Finally, Oliver the owl suggests hooting the gas bubbles out. Will this be the idea that works for a frog? Will Freddie even learn anything from his experience with this problem?

Generally, the writing is good, with some fun use of words and some wonderful use of repetition (e.g. "being a fish and not a frog," "being a frog and not a fish," and their variants). Freddie is certainly a sympathetic character with an issue that will be enjoyable to readers. However, the story is not as tight in its writing as it probably should be. There is too much information and description that takes away from the flow and full impact of the story itself. Doll’s illustrations are fun and engaging, the colours bright and bold, the characters expressive in their feelings and emotions. Children will love the recurring antics of flies - from the one doctoring a bloated Freddie to the one snorkeling in the water to the ones roasting special treats over Freddie’s hot rash.

Review by Resource Links - Linda Ludke

Mary's Atlas: Mary Meets Ontario

Author: Gwen Smid

Mary’s atlas has magical powers. When she taps the cover three times, she can enter any map. On this adventure, she explores the province of Ontario. A loon named Gavi is her tour guide and together they fly over the Ottawa River. Looking down, they see fish "swimming in formation of the letters H-E-L-P". Mary and Gavi try to figure out why the Great Lakes are drying up.

On the Bruce Penninsula, Mary discovers the Sleeping Giant landform. The rock confesses, "Golly. I must have knocked out the lake’s plug while swimming last night". A group of beavers help put the bathtub-like sink plug back into place. The beavers also perform a rain dance with their tails and soon the Great Lakes are refilled. Mystery solved, Mary taps her atlas and returns home.

The pacing of the story is slowed downed by repetition such as "Smaller and smaller, tinier and tinier, itsy bitsier and itsy bitsier". Some of the words seem to be chosen more for alliteration than for conveying meaning: "Delightful diver"; "This Great Lake looks great";"Sludgy sludge."

There are a lot of Ontario sites mentioned, including the Rideau Canal, CN Tower, Niagara Falls, Point Pelee, and Algonquin Park. Sonia Nadeau’s cartoon watercolour illustrations depict anthropomorphized trees and wide-eyed fish making mud pies and playing "Go Fish".

The narrative is a mix of fact and fiction. Readers will come away with some knowledge of the province. For example, Fort York is described as "where Toronto began in 1793". Smaller text in lighter typeface runs across the bottom of the pages with scattered pieces of information: "The beaver is a national symbol due to its role in the fur trade".