Vivien Bowers

Review originally published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.com
Book provided by publisher for review.

Nine year old Alice is the narrator for Hey Canada!, and she and her cousin Cal (who is 8) are taking a cross-country camping trip with Gran. To record their adventures and what they learn, Alice writes a blog - which is the main text of the book. But there are also tweets (factoids of Cal, who is apparently quite the trivia expert!), poems, and some great illustrations. Featuring a mix of show more actual photographs and quirky illustrations, Hey Canada! has something of a scrapbook feel to it - something I really appreciated.

Since Alice and Cal are taking this trip with Gran to learn about Canada, visiting every province and capital city (as well as a few other adventures along the way), readers learn about Canada alongside them. In keeping with the scrapbooky vibe, the information is broken down into newsy bits that give tantalizing introductions to all aspects of Canadian life: the history, the trivia, the flora and fauna. Presented in such a way, readers learn a ton of information, without feeling like they're being lectured. It's what I like to call "sneaky learning," if you know what I mean. But seriously: the story itself is fun, and the narrative linking all the "educational stuff" is a little hilarious at times. A Houdini-wannabe hamster, encounters with wildlife and local foods, and a really great family chemistry between Gran, Alice and Cal all make for a thoroughly enjoyable read. show less

Alice, Cal, and Gran are taking a road trip across Canada, visiting every province. Their journey is documented primarily by Alice ("reporting from the backseat") with tweets, poems, and other interjections from Cal and Gran interspersed. I loved the often subtle humor (especially Gran's selective deafness) and I found the brief overview of each province both informative and enticing. Aside from a quick trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls almost two decades ago, I've never visited our show more northern neighbors, and this book made me want to. I don't know how much a Canadian child would get out of this text, but this ignorant American thought it was just delightful. show less

This is a great book of travel tips and historical information on Canada aimed at 8 to 12 year olds. Written in the form of a travel diary, the book follows a threesome of two children and their grandmother as they drive across Canada from the east coast to the west and then on up north across the various territories.

Allowing for a young person’s short attention span, the book is laid out in a colourful, interesting style with lots of pictures, sidebars and humor (mostly involving a show more hamster, their fourth travel companion). From Hamster Updates to Cal's Tweets these short, often humorous pieces, both embellish and engage.

Hey Canada would be a great way to introduce children to Canada’s varied landscapes, climate, multicultural people, and rich history, and it does all this without becoming long-winded or boring. Hey Canada made me want to jump in my car and head out to explore our vast and picturesque homeland. show less

I received this educational book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Nine-year-old Alice is taking a trip across Canada with her grandmother and her younger brother who brings along the pet hamster.

The fictitious book is focused toward children, providing many colorful illustrations, with humor and trivia interspersed between the more usual facts. The pacing should help keep the attention of children. The illustrations can include information and humor, as can the handwritten notes, so show more be sure not to overlook them. The hamster updates should appeal to children.

As an example of the humor, when they are starting their trip in the first chapter, "Rules for Well-Behaved Grandchildren" are given:
"1. No whining.
2. No asking 'Are we there yet?' (If you do, I will start to sing opera. Loudly.)
3. No wildlife in the car. Except hamsters.
4. Feed the driver cookies."
The "Except hamsters" is a handwritten addition after it is discovered that Cal has brought their pet hamster along on the trip.

The usual facts include information such as province nicknames, capital cities, native wildlife and plants, important sites, history, and local activities. Pronunciations for foreign-derived words are provided, such as "kay-lay" for ceilidh. Examples of trivia include that the ice in the icebergs along the coast can be ten thousand years old and that the pioneers ate tails of beavers. The book also includes a tweet from Cal in every chapter.

It was fun to learn the trivia and easy to read. It only provides basic facts, since it is aimed for children and not planned to be in-depth. show less