The Peacock
The Peacock
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Orca Books
Just the Series: Orca Echoes   

Series and Publisher: Orca Echoes   

Annotation: In this partially illustrated early chapter book set in 1947, when a young girl's father is away in Europe helping refugees, she is left to deal with a stray peacock who has arrived in her family's yard, much to her mother's dismay. The girl devises a plan to earn the peacock's trust and return it to its home at the zoo.
 
Reviews: 2
Catalog Number: #6794572
Format: Paperback
Special Formats: High Low High Low Chapter Book Chapter Book
Publisher: Orca Books
Copyright Date: 2024
Edition Date: 2024 Release Date: 02/13/24
Illustrator: MacGibbon, Jaimie,
Pages: 89 pages
ISBN: 1-459-83645-6
ISBN 13: 978-1-459-83645-7
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2023932491
Dimensions: 19 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Travel to late 1940s Canada in this historical-fiction chapter book that follows one girl, her father's journey to help displaced people, and the peacock that won't leave her family alone. Barbara's enjoying sweet treats now that the war is over, but then her father leaves for Europe as part of the real-life Garment Workers Scheme. Barbara is left at home, wondering what her role in the world is d then the peacock enters their yard. Barbara tries to keep her mother happy, figure out what to do with the peacock, and grapple with the xenophobia of her classmates. Told in short and digestible chapters, this chapter book packs a narrative punch that few others in this format explore and provides a glimpse into a less-well-known historical moment for readers to learn about. The black-and-white illustrations fit the target demographic well, and while the peacock is speckled throughout the book, it's not quite the showstopping plot point that the cover implies. More historical fiction coming-of-age than animal high jinks, for fans of Elana K. Arnold or the Girls Survive series.

School Library Journal (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 1–3— Life is returning to normal in Toronto for Barbara and her family after the end of World War II, until her father travels to Europe to assist with the postwar refugee crisis. Suddenly Barbara is dodging her rowdy brothers and tiptoeing around her melancholic mother, whose nerves are already frayed. Barbara grapples with her own privilege as a Jewish girl in Toronto when letters from her father arrive, describing some of the trauma that displaced Jewish people continue to endure all over Europe. When an errant peacock makes itself at home in Barbara's yard, she fears the precocious creature will put her exhausted mother over the edge. Barbara hatches a plan to befriend the bird and find it a safe place to call home, something she knows every living creature deserves. Based on a true story, Barbara tale about her father's involvement in a program to bring Jewish refugees to Canada to work adds a poignant layer, offering young readers a glimpse into the global events of the time through a relatable lens. Whimsical illustrations pepper each chapter, providing a playfulness to the girl's circumstances. VERDICT A touching and educational illustrated chapter book that highlights empathy, resourcefulness, and the importance of community. An enriching addition to library bookshelves.— Allison Staley

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ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)
School Library Journal (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Reading Level: 1.0
Interest Level: 3-6
Lexile: 740L

What do you do about a peacock in your backyard?

World War II has just ended and Barbara is waiting for things to get back to normal. But, instead, her father has to travel to Europe, leaving their Toronto home behind. His company has a plan to give Jewish refugees jobs as tailors so they can immigrate to Canada with their families. So Barbara gets left with her rabble-rousing brothers and her melancholy mother...and a peacock that has just moved into the backyard. Her mother won't go near it, and it clearly needs some other place to call home. The zoo says they don't have room for another animal, but they can't tell her how many they have. So what's one more? Barbara comes up with a plan involving peanut butter cookies and her trusty wagon to bring the peacock to a safe home at the zoobefore winter hits.

Based on the true story of the author's own grandfather, Sam Posluns, who, along with several other Jewish business leaders, created the "Garment Workers' Scheme" (aka The Tailor Project). This was a way of unlocking Canadas harsh immigration laws and providing many refugees with a safer and happier future.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.


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