________________ CM . . . . Volume VI Number 8 . . . . December 10, 1999

cover Come to the Fair.

Janet Lunn. Illustrated by Gilles Pelletier.
Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 1997.
24 pp., cloth, $17.99.
ISBN 0-88776-409-6.

Grades 1 - 3 / Ages 6 - 8.
Review by Janice Foster.

*** /4

excerpt:

As if by magic, the bright, striped tents and the merry-go-ground spring up in the empty field.

With the arrival of the country fair, each member of the Martin family joins in the preparations and the festivities of this special event. The parade opens the fair, and the reader experiences the many amusements and activities along with the Martins. From contests to displays of colourful quilts, from tables laden with cakes, pies, pickles, vegetables and jams to races, music, dances and fireworks, the fair is a country celebration for everyone.

image Janet Lunn, award winning author of such books as The Story of Canada, The Root Cellar and Shadow on Hawthorn Bay, provides younger readers, both city and country dwellers, with a delightful visit to the harvest celebration - the country fair. The simple narrative recounts the fair's events from start to finish so that the young child can share in the preparations, the various events and the excitement.
     The brilliantly coloured illustrations are painted by Gilles Pelletier. His naive art enhances Lunn's story by providing wonderful details against a richly coloured setting which brings the autumn fair's imagery to life. The inclusion of a mouse hidden in each picture draws the younger reader in for a closer examination of each illustration.
     Come to the Fair invites parents and teachers of young children to share in the reading and discussion of a special country event. With the easy-to-read text, young readers will be able to enjoy the story themselves.

Recommended.

Janice Foster is an Early Years ELA Coordinator in Fort Garry School Division, Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - December 10, 1999.

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