CM Magazine: Waiting for the Sun.

________________ CM . . . . Volume VIII Number 11 . . . . February 1, 2002

cover Waiting for the Sun.
Alison Lohans. Illustrated by Marilyn Mets and Peter Ledwon.
Calgary, AB: Red Deer Press, 2001.
32 pp., cloth, $18.95.
ISBN 0-88995-240-X.
Subject Heading:
Children-Fiction.
Childbirth-Fiction.

Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7.

Review by Anne Letain.

*** /4

exerpt:

Out in the field, the tractor's headlights made pale puddles that slid along the ground. Dad was working, so that meant that the baby hadn't come yet. Waiting for the baby was talking such a long time. "Soon," Mom said, each time Mollie asked.

Mollie is waiting for the arrival of her new baby brother or sister, and it seems to be taking as long as waiting for the sun to rise. With her mother preoccupied with the impending birth, Mollie is distracted by the activities of the farm and a trip to town with her grandmother. When Benjamin finally arrives, Mollie is surprised and disappointed that the baby is not ready to share in the activities that she has planned for the two of them.

Saskatchewan based author Alison Lohan's prose is smooth and soothing, and the tone is even, but the topic is clearly difficult to make interesting for children. Not much happens in this book, and the quietness is reinforced by the calmness of the illustrations. Waiting for the Sun will likely be one of those books purchased by parents to prepare older children for the birth of a sibling.

The illustrations by Marilyn Mets and Peter Ledwon are quite fascinating and an excellent rendering of the "feel" of the text. The reader wonders, "Are they or are they not photographs?" Both children and adults alike will enjoy exploring the illustrations. One small flaw- Grandma as depicted in the illustrations is too old. This could be Great-Grandma!

Recommended.

Anne Letain is a teacher-librarian and school library consultant in Southwest Alberta.

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

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

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