Tin-An Chen, illustrated by Angela Hodge,
Little Pria's Big Canadian Adventure
Cornucopia Books, 2004.

Rating: A*

Little Pria has just moved from India to Canada with her family and she wants to find out what Canadians are like. When she asks her carved Canada goose to help her, the goose magically comes to life and takes Pria on an adventure. Pria discovers that Canada is a large, beautiful and diverse country where the citizens come from all over the world and are committed to helping one another. A bilingual beaver tells Pria that if she wants to find out more about Canadians she should look into the water. Pria is confused when all she sees is her reflection. The goose explains that the most important part of being Canadian is being yourself no matter who you are or where you are from.

This book is published by a new company called Cornucopia Books in Mississauga. The publisher's mandate is to create stories that promote acceptence and awareness of cultural diversity. It is without a doubt very important for children who are adapting to Canada to feel that there is a place for them in this country and that their experiences and various cultural identities are important. Children who are new to Canada will identify with Pria's quest to fit into her new society.

This book is positive, hopeful and at times moving, but unfortunately it has a contrived feeling about it, as though the plot were too hastily pieced together around such a truly important concept. The cartoon-like illustrations do not explore emotional depths that necessarily accompany such complex subject matter and are perhaps more suited to a younger audience.

Thematic Links: Canada, New Immigrants, Multiculturalism.

Zoe Johnstone
Vol. 9, number 5
June 2004

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