Canada, the Culture

Agnes C. Farrell is an elementary-school teacher in Richmond, B.C.

As part of Crabtree’s Lands, Peoples, and Cultures series, Bobbie
Kalman has produced four books to introduce students to life in Canada.
In common with other books by this author, these contain interesting
facts, presented in short paragraphs, and accompanied by excellent
illustrations.

Canada: The Land examines geography, resources, industry, and
transportation. It includes a simple political map that, unfortunately,
does not indicate capital cities. Though this information is included in
a sidebar on the same page, students who are just learning to read maps
can be confused by having to look in two different places. The
illustrations, mostly photographs, show the wide variety of landscapes
in Canada, and the diversity of industry in this country. Students who
study this book will never again see Canada as merely a land of ice and
snow.

Canada: The People examines the Canadian people, past and present. It
gives a brief history of the Native peoples, the early English and
French settlers, the United Empire Loyalists, African-Americans who came
by way of the Underground Railway, and settlers from 19th-century Europe
who were lured here by offers of free land.

Canada: The Culture reports on the music, dance, literature,
architecture, theatre, art, and sports that are a part of Canada’s
culture. Like the other books, it contains excellent photographs.
(Native art and works by Tom Thomson, Cornelius Krieghoff, and Michael
Snow are represented.) Examples from the two other artists mentioned in
the text—William Kurelek and Emily Carr—would have provided even
greater insight into the world of Canadian art.

Canada Celebrates Multiculturalism looks at the various multicultural
celebrations and festivals celebrated in Canada. It reports on festivals
that celebrate Canada’s history; heritage festivals of individual
nationalities; and the cross-cultural festivals held in Winnipeg and
Toronto, at which people can experience the customs of as many as 40
countries in one day. This volume also includes a brief description of
the major religions that are practised in Canada, as well as a few
ethnic recipes.

These colorful, informative books are highly recommended for Canadian
elementary-school libraries as a resource for helping our young students
appreciate the great diversity of their country.