Well, at least one of the best children’s books ever!
OLLIE’S FIELD JOURNAL: A 9/10THS HAPPY STORY FROM AFRICA, written by Patti McIntosh and illustrated by Tara Langlois is a must have in every household. http://www.juniorglobalcitizen.org/ollie-introducing.php
This moving story of African children and malnutrtion is told through the device of a 10 year old girl’s visit to her mom who is working with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) during ‘the hunger season" in Niger.
Young Ollie, short for Ophelie, travels from Toronto to Niger to visit her mom and have 4 questions answered.
1. What is malnutrition and why does it happen?
2. How can children suffering from malnutrition be helped?
3. What is the Peanut Paste Prescription?
4. Why do mothers make the best doctors?
The story is heavy due to the content, but the sheer creativity of how the book is put together balances the seriousness of the story for young readers (ages 8-11). The Gaffer, who is 4, regularly flips through the pages. She has a fascination with Africa and does not really know the content of the book but is able to discuss the fact that these children do not have as much as she does.
Each page is a visual essay including photographs taken by young African children who received disposable cameras from Patti and Tara in the villages they visited. Set among the photos are ticket stubs, prescription information, stamped passports, maps, food labels, post cards, etc. The background is the brown newsprint quality paper typical of a journal.
The book literally looks and feels like a scrapbook.
There are interactive sections and an invitation at the end of the book for children to get involved by joining JUNIOR GLOBAL CITIZENS, or by sending their footprints to the children in Niger.
I had the great fortune of meeting Patti in June and hear her talk about this labour of love. OLLIE’S FIELD JOURNAL: A 9/10THS HAPPY STORY FROM AFRICA, is the second book by the McIntosh/Langlois team. The first, THE REMARKABLE MARIA ( which won Children’s Book of the Year for the Alberta Book Awards 2006, The Best of the Best Edmonton Public Schools Award 2006 and was shortlisted for the Ontario Library Asscn’s Silver Birch Awards in 2007) is about a little girl from Suriname who has HIV/AIDS and is ostracized by her
community. Both books are self-published and if anyone in the publishing business is reading this, you should contact these two right away. These books are gold!
I googled Indigo’s List of Heather’s Top 26 Picks for Kids and Aside from Owen and Mzee: The True Story of A Remarkable Friendship, there are few non-fiction titles and even less books for our children that are informative, entertaining, captivating and teach them how to be global citizens. With the terms "character education" and "global citizen" becoming as ubiquitous in schools as "Can I go to the bathroom?" and "When is recess?" it is important that we complement this learning at home.
Thank you Patti McIntosh, Tara Langlois and your co-contributors M. Shaun Murphy and Dustin Delfs for finding a formula that engages, entertains and educates our children. I cannot wait for your next book on environmental issues in Tanzania!
Those sound amazing. I’m reading a book right now by Dr. Richard Heinzl (Founder of Doctors Without Borders Canada) and I’d love to have a book with a similar theme that my kids would understand. Thanks for the review!
Wow, sounds like some books I’ll have to pick up! My kids love to learn about other children around the world and would be very interested in these titles. Thanks for the tip.