Reviews Young Readers Reviews #76 Fall 2014 ,
Birth tales of Confederation
Charlottetown is a very busy place in September of 1864! Gabriel and Grace Griffin are twins whose father owns the Great George Street Livery and Boarding Stables. The city is bustling as people flock to the island for a number of grand events. A highly-touted cricket match, and the first circus to set up in Charlottetown for 22 years, draw crowds from far and wide. In the midst of all that excitement, delegates from Upper and Lower Canada and the Maritimes gather to discuss a possible union of the colonies. While all these other events take place around them, Gabriel and Grace are most anxiously anticipating something closer to home: the imminent arrival of a new foal.
In a lushly-illustrated storybook format, Deirdre Kessler recreates for young readers the atmosphere surrounding this historic event, providing an intriguing snapshot of that place and time. Youngsters get a sense of day-to-day life in Charlottetown and may also be surprised to learn that the long-term significance of these political meetings wasn’t widely known at the time. The luminous illustrations and interesting tidbits of information make this an authentic and accessible depiction of events.
Born! A Foal, Five Kittens and Confederation
written by Deirdre Kessler; illustrated by Brenda Jones
$12.95, hardcover, 48 pp.
Acorn Press, July 2014
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