Mary's Atlas: Mary Meets Manitoba.

Mary escapes her brother’s righteous anger by tapping her atlas three times, opening it to Manitoba and shrinking and disappearing into a flurry of sparks and mist. She emerges into the wilderness of Manitoba and rides the shaggy back of her host, Bou the Bison, to see the famous sites of Manitoba. She meets Golden Boy atop the Legislative Building and learns that he is in serious trouble because his torch has been stolen by the mischievous North Wind. Mary commits to finding Golden Boy’s torch. So begins a series of adventures that introduce the wildlife, sites, and scenery of the province.

The watercolour illustrations and the text depict Mary as a gutsy, independent girl with plenty of initiative. The device of using an adventure story to demonstrate the realities of geography and ecology could seem contrived, but works quite well here. The story moves rapidly, helped by rhythmic and alliterative language, which provides a sense of fun and action and sustains interest. Most pages include factoids relevant to the current scene depicted, and a list of additional places to visit is appended.

The pictures add to the text and assist in moving the story forward. They are bright and realistic, and detailed with entertaining whimsical touches that would please a child.

Compared with many other beginner books on similar topics, this title has freshness and vitality and would be enjoyed by children in grades two to four either as a read-alone, a cooperative reading with an adult, or a read-aloud in a classroom situation. Recommended.