The Bookish Elf: ABC of Toronto, by Per-Henrik Gürth

Monday, September 9, 2013

ABC of Toronto, by Per-Henrik Gürth

ABC of Toronto
Author: Per-Henrik Gürth
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publication Date: August 1, 2013
Source: NetGalley and Edelweiss
View on Amazon

I love the fun and brightly coloured series of Canadiana picture books by Per-Henrik Gürth, but I think this was the first one I had read that featured one specific city. Although I've been to Toronto many times my daughter Magda never has, so I assumed I'd be explaining things to her as we read. In all honesty, she was interested in hearing the extra information but she was just as happy reading the book as it is. The pictures do a wonderful job of presenting the city as an exciting place with lots of different things to do (which it absolutely is!). Looks like we're going to have to plan a trip to Toronto one of these days!

Here are some of the illustrations from the book:

Magda's favourite part: The science museum, the street car, the double decker bus and "the concert with all the different animals playing instruments that are their right size."

My favourite part: I love anything that encourages national pride for Canadian kids. I hope they do more books in the series, featuring Canadian cities from coast to coast!

Of course now I have that song "I Don't Want to Go to Toronto" by Montreal comedy troupe The Vestibules in my head. It has nothing to do with the Per-Henrik Gürth book but it is about Toronto...sort of. I couldn't find a proper video for it but there is a mash-up that someone did with anime, so it'll have to do:

(By the way The Vestibules used to be known as Radio Free Vestibule and are Terence Bowman, Bernard Deniger and Paul Paré. I contacted Terence to ask him if it was okay if I used this song in the review and he said yes but that he had to go because he was on his way out the door...to Toronto. True story.)