Pepere Played the Fiddle.

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

Pepere Played the Fiddle, told in rhyming couplets, celebrates a Métis musical gathering. A young boy lovingly describes how his pepere, the Métis word for grandfather, makes the rafters ring with his toe-tapping fiddle tunes and how the grown-ups dance by the lantern light. Unfortunately, despite the lively rhythm of the verse, mediocre language like “chores were done” rhyming with “a lot of fun” renders this a poor read-aloud.

Ducharme’s second picture book, The Bannock Book, is even less successful in execution than the first. While the joy a little girl experiences baking with her mother is lovely, it’s basically a lengthy description of how to make bannock and what ingredients make it healthier for a family member with diabetes. The final pronunciation of “It is very good” is anticlimactic and unsatisfactory.

Both books are well meant in bringing Métis culture to children. The author comes from a Métis background and researched Métis life in the 1940s for the images in Pepere. Her simple acrylic illustrations may be authentic, but they are also are awkward and amateurish, particularly in The Bannock Book. A former Reading Recovery teacher, Ducharme’s desire to provide reading materials about the Métis way of life is admirable. However, her books, especially The Bannock Book, are more like basal readers than enjoyable children’s books. They may be effective in promoting Métis culture, especially for those learning to read, but otherwise they will have limited appeal. Not first-choice purchases.