Books with author Mary Alice Downie

When his aging father falls ill, Timothy Parsons of Boston is sent to live with his Acadian relatives in Nova Scotia. The language is new and the farm work hard, but the kind ways of the merry-hearted Acadians put him at ease, and soon Timothy is singing songs in French and building aboiteau alongside his cousins. But trouble is on the horizon: the French and the English are at war, and Acadia is caught in the middle. When the governor signs the deportation orders, Timothy must decide whether to stay with his Acadian family and face an uncertain future, or return to the safety and comfort of his life in Boston

A is for Abigail and Anna, Zebediah’s two sisters. He is making them an alphabet book.From B, which stands for bandalore, a forerunner of the yoyo, H for the hornbook that taught children to spell, and on through the pigeons that blackened the sky, to the uniform that Papa wore when he defended the king, right through to X for the eXhaustion of parents who are homesteading. This lovely romp through the seasons on a pioneer farm is full of fascinating information.Artist Mary Jane Gerber has placed numerous items in each of her paintings and detailed borders, and there is a useful list of them for readers to find. Author Mary Alice Downie has included detailed background notes, making this a sweet introduction to our history.

In August 2014 at the Congres Mondial Acadien, the Acadian communities in Canada and the United States commemorate the Grand Derangement (Expulsion) in 1755 when they were transported, under great duress, from their homes in Acadia to Louisiana. The Acadians were emigrants from France who settled in the Acadia region (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine) and built a rich culture there. This is the world where the young Evangeline from Longfellow's poem would have lived.This ABC book for children K to 3 paints a picture of the Acadian community before the Expulsion, a community with unique customs and beliefs. The pages are alive with will-o-the-wisps, werewolves, gremlins, and goblins. Porcupine quills are used as decorations and worn-out clothing made into rag dolls. The community was thriving until the British expelled them and set them adrift.The paintings in ABC Acadie were done by Anne LeBlanc, an Acadian from Clare, N.S. Anne is a renowned story-teller of Acadian Legends, and has brought her legends into the ABC Acadie pages, giving children lots to look for from page to page. Anne's vibrant paintings are unique in style and complement well-known author Mary Alice Downie's down to earth explanation of the history of the Acadians. The simple lines and wonderful paintings come together for a compelling read-along story book to share with youngsters or read for your own pleasure. The notes at the back of the book help to expand on the customs and farming practices brought by the Acadians to the new world. Each of the notes pages is illustrated by details from the full paintings used on each of the alphabet pages to bring attention to the delightful stories being told within each page. Children will enjoy going page to page seeking out the often hidden goblins, which took the blame for any unexplained event in Acadie.

A is for Abigail and Anna, Zebediah’s two sisters. He is making them an alphabet book.From B, which stands for bandalore, a forerunner of the yoyo, H for the hornbook that taught children to spell, and on through the pigeons that blackened the sky, to the uniform that Papa wore when he defended the king, right through to X for the eXhaustion of parents who are homesteading. This lovely romp through the seasons on a pioneer farm is full of fascinating information.Artist Mary Jane Gerber has placed numerous items in each of her paintings and detailed borders, and there is a useful list of them for readers to find. Author Mary Alice Downie has included detailed background notes, making this a sweet introduction to our history.