Canadian Greats

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Designed as independent reading for children in Grades 2–4, this
series provides brief biographical sketches of Canadians important to
our culture. Each book describes the life of five Canadians, with a
focus on historical figures (the exception being Wayne Gretzky).

Canadian Pioneers describes the hardships that French, Loyalist,
English, and Ukrainian immigrants faced when forging new lives in a
harsh landscape. Women’s experiences are told from the viewpoint of
Susanna Moodie, an English gentlewoman, and a voyageur’s wife who
later became the grandmother of Louis Riel. There is an outline map of
Canada that shows the location and date for each settler. Canadian
Greats balances representatives from the fields of politics, science,
and sports (Nellie McClung, Frederick Banting, and Gretzky,
respectively) with two wartime heroes from different time periods (Laura
Secord and Billy Bishop). The lively illustrations by well-known artists
of Canadian picture books add drama and excitement to the visual
presentation of historical information.

Maxine Trottier has written many excellent historical children’s
books, including Laura: A Childhood Tale of Laura Secord. Because the
intent here is to provide reading material for new readers, the language
is simple and factual, and the layout features double-spaced text and
plenty of large, colourful illustrations as well as archival photos. The
short chapters leave little room for much more than a recounting of the
individual’s achievements as the historical/cultural context must also
be given. Therefore, these books will most likely be used for school
projects rather than read for pleasure, but as such they are worthwhile
additions to schools and libraries. Both books are recommended.