Me and Mr. Mah

by Andrea Spalding, Janet Wilson (Illustrator)

Overview

When Ian's parents separate, he moves with his mother to the city, a thousand miles away from the prairie wheat farm he calls home. With no friends and a bleak moonscape of a backyard to play in, Ian has only an old shoe box of objects from his past life to keep him company. But after he peeks through the fence to the lush garden next door, Ian is inspired to start digging his own little plot. And when he meets Mr. Mah, the old man who owns the garden, Ian is surprised to learn they have a lot in common. Also displaced from the original home he misses, Mr. Mah keeps his own box of memories of his past in China. And as they share stories about their distant homes, Ian finds more than just a new friend—he finally discovers in himself the courage to accept change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551431772
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	01/01/2001
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Andrea Spalding immigrated to Canada in 1967 from Manchester, England. After living in Alberta for 24 years, Andrea relocated to British Columbia and lived on Pender Island. Her first children's book, The Most Beautiful Kite in the World, was selected as a Canadian Children's Book Center's "Our Choice." She has garnered awards and nominations ever since. For more information, visist www.andreaspalding.squarespace.com.

Janet Wilson is an award-winning artist and a published author, holding over 50 publishing copyrights in the children's literature field. Her awards include Best Illustrated Book in the United States in 2004 for Jasper's Day, Canadian Information Book of the Year for her artwork in In Flanders Fields, and she is the first non-native artist to be awarded the Native Reading Week Award for her illustrations in Solomon's Tree. Janet is a career artist known for her fine art commissioned portraits and still life paintings. For more information, visit www.janetwilson.ca.

Editorial Reviews

" . . . a moving story of a young boy, undergoing the stress of his parent's separation and eventually divorce."

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"Janet Wilson's vivid paintings add life and colour to the story. They fit perfectly with the text . . ."

The Barnacle Island Journal

"Grief and sadness can transcend cultural barriers."

The Observer

"Spalding's story nicely connects characters from different generations and cultures."

Ruminator Review

"This lovely story, told in the first person, is a bittersweet tale about how people survive upheaval and change in their lives by linking their past to their future. Janet Wilson's beautiful picture panels, which are dominated by huge nodding sunflowers and swirling earth tones, perfectly complement Andrea Spalding's gentle prose. Recommended."

Canadian Book Review Annual

" . . . a sweet story of a displaced boy who finds a lush oasis and happiness i a neighbour's garden."

Times Colonist

" . . . the growing proximity between boy and man is beautifully captured in the parallel narratives of text and image."

Canadian Literature

"The story deals with the ideas of separation and loss in a gentle but understandable way that children will immediately grasp."

Booklist

"Artist Janet Wilson brings Andrea Spalding's story to life with her richly saturated water color style. All ages will enjoy the heartwarming tale of two drastically different people coming together in the bond of friendship. The writing of this warm, multi-cultural tale is easy enough for beginners to master and will provide enjoyment for the whole family."

Foreword Magazine

"The honesty and compassion of Spalding's tale will touch yound readers, while Wilson's sensitive and eloquent watercolors capture the special feeling of this intergenerational friendship."

NAPRA ReView

"The story deals with the ideas of separation and loss in a gentle but understandable way that children will immediately grasp."

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