"My Stompin' Grounds" and Four Other Songs

Andrew Vaisius is a Winnipeg daycare director.

Multifaceted artist Kurt Swinghammer and the legendary cowboy boot
banger Stompin’ Tom Connors have teamed up for this fun children’s
book of five songs put to pictures.

The illustrations assault subtlety and decency with a vengeance.
Swinghammer’s palette is hyper and gaudy. He paints in broad, sweeping
strokes, filling the backgrounds with curlicues, asterisks, and crosses.
All these techniques create an ingratiating feast and glorious romp for
young eyes.

And the songs? They are, not surprisingly, about Canada and things
Canadian: maple leaves, geese, the North Pole, hockey, and our constant
preoccupation with unity. Frankly, they are flat without Tom’s
indubitable stage presence. The words are corny and predictable, but so
genuine that when Tom sings them they are somehow lovable. Perhaps a
tape should accompany the book.