The Painted Trunk and Other Stories: A Children's History of the United Church of Canada

Description

56 pages
$19.95
ISBN 1-55134-102-6
DDC jC813'.54

Year

1999

Contributor

Illustrations by Yvonne Cathcart
Reviewed by Steve Pitt

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Review

Young Janine and David find a locked trunk in Janine’s grandmother’s
attic. When they drag it downstairs, Gran tells them that she has owned
the trunk since she was a little girl. Inside the trunk they find many
mementoes, and each one has a story that somehow connects to the early
days of the United Church of Canada. A huge brass key reminds Gran about
the year 1925, when many of Canada’s Methodist, Congregationalist, and
Presbyterian congregations joined together to become one huge “united
church.” A First Nation’s dream catcher prompts Gran to tell Janine
and David about her friend, Susie, a young Ojibway woman who was forced
to leave her parents when she was six to attend a residential school run
by the United Church. In the trunk are other keepsakes that remind Gran
of strawberry socials, building a new church, Sunday school, and other
United Church traditions.

There are more than a dozen stories in this collection by Alyson
Huntly, a veteran writer/Sunday school teacher/diaconal minister. By
using Gran’s memory trunk as a springboard for telling “family”
stories, Huntly manages to turn dry historical information into a series
of engaging short stories that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. A
United Church historical-fact chapter and time line are included in the
back of the book. Beautiful illustrations by Yvonne Cathcart round out
the book very nicely. Highly recommended.

Citation

Huntly, Alyson C., “The Painted Trunk and Other Stories: A Children's History of the United Church of Canada,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed October 14, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/19300.