Dawn Baker,
A Newfoundland Year
Art Works Studio, 2008.

Rating: G*

Come take a journey with me,
Through a beautiful land by the sea,
Where there’s always good cheer,
Every month of the year,
And on that we will surely agree!

So begins Dawn Baker’s journey through the months of the year in a Newfoundland setting. A two page spread is devoted to each month of the year on which is displayed an original painting by well-known Newfoundland author Dawn Baker, depicting an activity which is mentioned in the limerick which accompanies the illustration. Some of the references in Baker’s poems bring out the unique Newfoundland culture - Jigg’s Dinner, double-ball mitts, (the St. John’s) Regatta, picking Bakeapples, and Purity Peppermint Nobs and Kisses. A glossary on the last page of the book gives definitions of these terms and a few others for those who might need an explanation.

Baker’s illustrations are done mainly in pastel and are reminiscent of her paintings which have been quite prominent in the art community of Newfoundland and Labrador for many years. The limericks adhere to the correct rhyming pattern for the most part. Young children will enjoy this trip through the year as they relate to various activities in which they participate. Recommended for school and public libraries.

Thematic Links: Months; Seasons; Newfoundland and Labrador; Art; Poetry

Victoria Pennell
Vol.14, number 3
February 2009

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.