Susan Pynn, illustrated by Nancy Keating,
The Colours of My Home: A Portrait of Newfoundland and Labrador
Tuckamore Books, 2007

Rating: E*

Susan Pynn and Nancy Keating, two sisters who grew up and still live in the province, have indeed presented "a portrait of Newfoundland and Labrador" in this beautiful picture book. Pynn’s rhyming couplets give vivid descriptions of many of the unique features of the Newfoundland landscape and way of life. Lines such as "It’s glistening icebergs, arctic white/where seagulls rest from graceful flight", "It’s fog that shrouds the windswept shore/and driftwood art where dories moor" evoke common coastal scenes around the rugged shores of the province. "Bakeapples served with tea and toast/in kitchens glowing ‘long the coast" and "russet spuds and toutons fried" remind us of some of the province’s delicacies which are ever popular with natives and visitors alike. We also find references to "tawny moose", "pitcher plants" and "northern lights" - all integral to the Newfoundland and Labrador landscape.

Keating’s collage style pencil crayon illustrations are wonderful. Each double page spread features a collage of 3-4 images reflecting the descriptions found in the poetry. The images on each spread have a concentration of a particular colour - The Colours of My Home - ranging from the white of "foam-capped waves" and "glistening icebergs" through the spectrum of green, pink, grey, purple, yellow, orange, blue, brown, red to the black of "northern lights", "Newfoundlands" (dogs), and "Soapstone carved by artists’ hands." The illustrations are true to the sights and scenes of the province.

This book will be of interest to young children as an introduction to the most easterly province of Canada as well as reinforcing the concept of colour. While designated as a picture book this book will also have appeal for an older audience and could act as a springboard for more research into some of the aspects of province mentioned in the text. I would highly recommend this book as a purchase for school and public libraries.

Thematic Links: Newfoundland and Labrador; Colours

Victoria Pennell
Vol. 12, number 5
June 2007

*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.