The Big Secret

Astra Roze was a Toronto librarian.

Jed MacKay, a Vancouver author, has been involved with children’s entertainment since his youth. He has composed and performed puppet shows for children and has written for Canada’s children’s television. The illustrator, Heather Collins, lives in Toronto and has illustrated half-a-dozen children’s books since 1975.

This is a story about Mario, who lives with his adopted family. The little story is told in Mario’s own words, with a neat surprise ending. Mario’s family is a very ordinary city family living in an ordinary neighbourhood. There is a smile on every face in every picture; it is a happy story. The full-page, colour illustrations offer much detail of everyday things and familiar city scenes.

The language is simple and should produce no difficulties for beginning readers. The appeal of the story lies in the fact that it is told in the first person and that the episode could happen in any family, anywhere.