“Wholesome values found in kids’ books A MAJOR paradox of modern times is that book produc- tion and consumption are increasing despite our intensified reliance on electronic communications and entertainment. This is perhaps most striking in the area of children’s litera- ture. More titles are issned now in what is irreverently called ‘kiddie lit.’ than at any other period in history. Books written for children, scorned by the majority of publishing houses until roughly ’ the mid-1970s, now form a signifi- cant portion of the product lines of more than 40 Canadian companies alone. This domestic trend is echoed in Britain, Australia, Europe and the United States. In fact, the demand for children's books worldwide is B.C. ‘Best Sellers Figures in brackets indicate position the previous week FICTION 1. (2) Sarum ........ Rutherford 2. (1) Tommyknockers .....King 3. (4) Kaleidoscope .......Steele 4. (3) 2061:2A Space : “Odyssey ...........Clarke 5. (5) Hot Money ...... -Francts 6. (-) Heaven and Hell .... Jakes 7. (9). The Bonfire of the Vanitie: 8. (-) Winter..........: Deighton 9. (6) Patriot Games .... -Clancy - 10.) Red: Wolf Red... ; ~ Wolf veveeeseese Kinsella "NON-FICTION 1, Q) Elizabeth Takes Off Ledeenea dae eeeees TBYIOr 2. (4) Ast of the Deal .... Trump 3. (7) Caesars of the Wildernesses ..... Newman 4, (3) Spilsbury’s Coast wees. Spilsbury & White - 5. (-) Spycatcher......... Wright 6: (6) Time Flies’......... Cosby. 7, () Wizards... 8. (-) Great Depression of 1990 ste cee esses Batta . 9; (). Canadian Living ? °° Cookbook.. oy . Ferguson 10. (9) Hastings and -Canning-Dew. - a ceceeetes Wolfe. .. Rico steadily swelling and shows no in- dication of having reached its peak, A major contributor to the field is Ontario writer Barbara MIKE STEELE book reviewer Smucker, whose children’s books are sold in 16 countries and appear in seven different language edi- tions. Now in her 70s, Smucker has been writing books for . children for over 30 years. She has won some of the top awards in the genre, including the Canada Council Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award and the Brotherhood Award of the U.S. National Con- ference of Christians and Jews. Her latest book, Jacob’s Little Giant (Penguin Books; 103 pp.; $12.95 in hard cover) continues the author’s emphasis on what might be termed ‘wholesome’ values: honesty, courage, integrity, . perseverence and a respect for the family unit. These are no doubt a reflection of Smucker’s Mennonite background. The protagonist in Jacob's Little Giant is seven year-old Jacob, ‘‘lit- - tle Jakie’? Snyder, youngest child of a farm family in southern On- tario. Smucker does an admirable job of portraying the difficulties sometimes faced by a youngster who is constantly compared with (and compares himself to) his older siblings. Jacob is clumsy, a day-dreamer who does not quite measure up to his own standards and yearns for responsibility so that he can be taken seriously by the rest of the family. .. Jacob gets his chance when his father agrees to participate in a - provincial program to re-introduce ~ At Unbelievable Prices CHECK IT OUT! LAMB or CHICKEN 39° Delicious -SOUVLAKI (full course lunch only) Fantastic ROAST LAMB ‘DINNER FULL course ! Don't Miss ! Belly Dancer Friday and Saturday Night E GREAT 986-6211 101 Esplanade (the Old Keg) Free Parking please call in. the Canada Goose subspecies known as ‘giants’ to Ontario (a real project which began in the 1960s}. Of course the only family member with enough time to supervise the mating pair of geese brought to the Snyder farm is Jacab. Not surprisingly, Jacob forms a close attachment for the smallest gosling of the brood, his ‘‘little giant’ of the book’s title. Jacob’s Little Giant is not an anthropomorphic treatment of wildlife although Jacob, as is nat- ural with a child, does see his charges in this light. There are no miracles: Jacob does not become a hero of any sort. But this is a warm and compassionate story of one spring, summer and fallin a 23 - Friday, March £8, 1988 - North Shore News NEWS photo Tarry Poters POPULAR CANADIAN children’s writer Barbara Smucker, above, recently appeared at.the Lynn Valley library where she read from her works and answered children’s questions. Her iatest release, at left, is Jacob's Little Giant, a story that tells about the very important re- sponsibility given to Jacob, the youngest member of his family. young boy’s life told with sensitivi- ty by a writer who has the ability to think and feel as a child truly docs. Parents who appreciate this book by Barbara Smucker will un- doubtedly be interested in pro- viding others for their children. Brief reviews of four of her more receat works follow. All are available in Penguin Books’ Puffin Books series in paperback and sell for $4.95, Days of Terror (152 pp.) is a fic- tionalized account of a family's escape from religious persecution in Russia. This story, which opens in 1917, follows the struggles expe- rienced by the Neufeld clan and 10-year-old. Peter as they join the Mennonite exodus that will lead to a promised land they know only as ‘Canada’... Underground To Canada tells another story of escape for a persecuted minority, dealing with a facet of Canadian history that is largely ignored today. This, like Days of Terror, is a skilful blend of fact and fiction. Smucker provides an excellent in- sight into the ‘Underground Railroad’ that helped black American slaves flee to Canada. The main character, a }2-year- old girl named Julilly, is fictional; one of the people who aids her in her dangerous flight is not. Levi Coffin was a Quaker and aboli- tionist who, with his wife Catherine, helped some 3,000 slaves to flee to Canada from the United States in the 1800s. This is an excellent way to in- troduce young children not only to Canadian history but also to an awareness of inequalities. (142 pp.) White Mist is something of a departure from Smucker's other books in that there is a bit of a science-fiction quality to it. In this work Smucker’s chief characters are 13-year-old May and her friend, Lee. Both are Native In- dians who find themselves sud- denly transported back in time from 1987 to 1830, from the Europeanized modern woxld to a misty lakeshore where their ancestors live. To say more would spoil the story, but this was one of your reviewer's favorites. (157 pp.)