A Pioneer Christmas

Alana Trumpy is a graduate student in English at the University of
Toronto.

A Pioneer Christmas is a smart, fun, and innovative retelling of a
typical mid-19th-century Christmas in the North American backwoods.
Greenwood invites readers into the home of a typical immigrant
family—the Robertsons—who bring to Canada the traditions of Scotland
while also revelling in the holiday festivities of their multicultural
community.

As the story opens, Sarah (one of the Robertson’s six children) and
her grandmother are starting to worry about Sarah’s aunt and uncle.
They are travelling to a location not far from the Robertson’s where
they plan to set up a homestead. Sarah and her grandmother are worried
because there could be a blizzard—a danger compounded by the fact that
Sarah’s aunt is expecting a baby.

The real charm of A Pioneer Christmas is its incorporation of various
mediums in order to draw the reader into pioneer life in the 1800s.
Greenwood and Collins integrate into the story black-and-white or
sepia-toned illustrations, sample letters from abroad, craft guides,
ideas for old-fashioned winter games, recipes, carol sheets, and details
of Christmas celebrations in North America.

The illustrations are sophisticated and reflect attentiveness to
subtleties in facial expression. However, their lack of colour is a
weakness, especially given the book’s celebratory theme. Nevertheless,
A Pioneer Christmas is highly recommended.