This year Canada turns 150 (well, we celebrate 150 years of Confederation. Canada is much older than 150 years but that is a whole other discussion) and I want to get us reading some great Canadian books.
So my three picks for this week are proudly Canadian.
I happened to read this the day Trump was inaugurated and it was quite timely. In “Big Bear Hug”, Big Bear loves to hug. He hugs everything in the forest including things he normally eats (hence a surprised rabbit) and his most favourite thing to hug are the trees.
One day, a man comes into the forest and heads to the most beautiful and oldest tree. Big Bear thinks that this man is planning to hug the tree until he realizes the man has an ax. When the man strikes the tree, Big Bear is enraged and almost eats the man. He realizes this is just not his nature so chooses to hug the man instead. The man runs away terrified and the tree is saved.
What did we learn?
I think it’s a good lesson in love over hate. Which, lets face it, many of us need in the days of Trump. People might do things that enrage us but it doesn’t help to attack them. Maybe if we gave more hugs the world wouldn’t be in the situation it is now.
Why I like it:
Because you can’t get more Canadian that a hugging bear.
Bonus: Oldland has an entire series of Canadian animal books teaching great lessons in a funny way!
I picked this one up on May 2-4 weekend at the lovely Books on Beechwood in Ottawa. Nothing is more Canadian that naming a long weekend (actually Victoria Day) after a case of beer right? So I wanted us to kick off our very Canadian summer in the very Canadian capital city. “I Am Canada” has a simple poem by Patterson about what makes us Canadian. My favourite part is that each line was assigned to 13 different Canadian illustrators. We read enough books that I was happily able to recognize similarities in artwork. And then others that were new to me, so I went to the library and got out more books featuring those illustrators (for those wondering how to choose books – this is always a start).
What did we learn?
What it is to be Canadian.
Why I like it:
George hasn’t really grasped that we live in a country called Canada and that there are other countries outside of our own. He doesn’t know what being Canadian is (and sometimes neither do Canadians) so this is a great book to talk about our home and native land.
I am trying to harness the attitude of gratitude for myself and want to raise my kids to see the beauty in the simple things. In “My Heart Fills with Happiness” each page offers up something to be grateful for. My heart fills with happiness when I feel the sun on my face or holding the hand of someone you love. This is the sort of book everyone should have in their library and read it over and over again. I especially love how her heart fills with happiness when she eats bannock out of the over. It made me want to make bannock – something I haven’t eaten since grade school in Winnipeg. I immediately emailed my friend for the recipe.
What did we learn?
To be grateful for the simple things in life.
Why I like it:
It’s a simple lesson that opens conversation with my kids for what fills their heart with happiness.
Bonus: Monique Gray Smith is Lakota, Cree and Scottish and the delightful Julie Flett is Metis-Cree. Both live in British Columbia!
And a bigger bonus:
My friend’s cherished bannock recipe from Moose Factory by way of Winnipeg
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
- ~1 cup water or milk
Mix dry ingredients well. Pour in melted butter and incorporate throughout (mixture should be kinda crumbly). Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and pour in all the water or milk at once. Stir a few times with a spoon, then finish off with your hands. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too wet (I always seem to have to – I guess you could add a bit less water, but I find that it’s easier to add more flour than water – otherwise the dough isn’t even).
The #1 trick to bannock is NOT TO OVER STIR! I cannot over accentuate this point – if you do, you’ll end up with hockey pucks! You don’t need to kneed the dough at all – just mix until blended, turn out into a floured counter, and shape into a long, flat oval (kinda like a beaver tail – very Canadian! Lol). Prick it all over gently with a fork (just the surface, not all the way through).
Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment at 425 for about 25 minutes, but keep and eye on it. You know it’s done when it “thuds” and sounds hollow in the middle when you knock on it (weird, I know, but it works).
Bannock is kinda a fine art – don’t worry if it doesn’t turn out the first few times – it takes awhile to perfect! But when you do, yum! My kids love it. I never put raisins in mine, as no one but me likes them. But if you want to, add them in with the dry ingredients before the butter.
Enjoy!
Alternately you can head to Tea N Bannock here in Toronto!
Happy Reading,
Curious in Wonderland
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