Patti Mcintosh, illustrated by Tara Langlois,
The Remarkable Maria
A Children’s Book Publisher, 2005.

Rating: E

Patti McIntosh and Tara Langlois are as remarkable as Maria, whose story they tell so well. Patti worked with five AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) in Suriname, a predominantly Dutch-speaking country in South America in 2004. The aim of the ASOs was so help children who had lost parents to AIDS, and were living in orphanages, to attend local schools. Through hard work and, in the author’s words, "hopeful resolve", solutions were found to solving the problem of children being isolated because of their experiences with AIDS.

In 2005, Patti and Tara travelled to Suriname to work with SMART, Suriname Art, on workshops which involved children in illustrating a story of how discrimination and HIV/AIDS could be addressed. The Remarkable Maria represents the vision of two compassionate women, and the artwork of talented children in Suriname and Canada. The children of Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation’s ArtStart program were also involved in the book’s creation.

Maria’s father died when she was very small, and her family went to live with an uncle, who wasn’t very welcoming. When Maria’s mother became will with HIV/AIDS, she cooked and took care of her little sister, Wilhelmina. In the absence of a loving family, Maria and Wilhelmina are able to count on Mrs. MacKenzie, their next door neighbour, who makes sure that they are safe and cared for. Every Tuesday night, Mrs. MacKenzie invites the girls to watch their favourite television show - Babbel Box. Usually, she sings and dances with Maria and Wilhelmina, but one night she writes a letter instead.

When Maria’s mother dies, it is Mrs. MacKenzie who helps the girls pack up their meagre belongings and reminds them that they will always be her girls. She gives them a radio and a puppy, whom they call Pietr. Then, they go to the orphanage where Mrs. De Groot welcomes them, and makes them comfortable. Unlike their lives at uncle’s house, the orphanage is both comfortable and comforting. Maria even gets to go to school.

But school isn’t as safe and caring as life with Mrs. De Groot - the children in Maria’s class tell her they can’t play with her because she is sick. On the radio, Maria hears that parents don’t want AIDS orphans in school. Mrs. De Groot takes the radio away and takes Maria to see Dr. De Jong.

Even though Dr. De Jong assures Maria that, although she has some of the virus that made her mother ill, if she takes her medicine, eats well and gets enough rest, she will be fine. No one can get sick from being with Maria. But even that good news doesn’t stop Maria from being afraid to go to school. She stopped wanting to play, or sing or dance.

Then one day, Mrs. MacKenzie comes to visit with the news that Babbel Box wants Maria to be on the program. Even those Maria doesn’t want to go, Mrs. MacKenzie reminds her that she is meant to be a star. With the new dress Mrs. MacKenzie has made for her, Maria lights up the stage. She was remarkable!

The next day, this brave little girl goes back to school, where some of the children smile at her and the teacher asks her to talk about being on Babbel Box.

The story ends on an upbeat note - Maria, Wilhelmina and Pietr living with Mrs. MacKenzie, and Maria creating new dreams.

The Remarkable Maria won the 2005 Book Publishers Association of Alberta Children’s Book Award. While it is a work of fiction, the underlying issues examined in the book are real and powerful. The book will evoke a range of responses from the children and adults who read it.

Thematic Links: HIV/AIDS; Suriname; Children’s Rights; Friends and Family

Kathryn McNaughton
Vol. 12, number 1
October 2006

*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.