Beginnings: From the First Nations to the Great Migration

Kelly L. Green is the Secretary of the Ontario Federation of Teaching
Parents, the past editor of CBRA’s Children’s Literature edition,
and the past president of the Toronto & District Parent Co-operative
Preschool Corporation.

For several hours after picking up this beautiful book my eyes did not
leave its gorgeous pages. This absorbing story of how Canada evolved
from a rugged home of First Nations peoples to a dominion dotted with
European settlements is filled with interesting pictures, maps, stories,
legends, and true-life adventures. Marshall Jamieson does an excellent
job of showing children that history isn’t boring facts and dates, but
a panoply of stories based on ever-changing evidence. Even the
recommended activities are fun. For example, children are invited to
imagine a conversation between French habitants represented in a
detailed painting, or to pretend they are Hurons who must explain why
their people allowed missionaries to live with them. These and hundreds
of other activities will challenge readers. Intended as a textbook for
Grade 5 classrooms, Beginnings will be an asset in any public, school,
or family library. Highly recommended.