Groundwood Books
Go Home Bay
Written by Susan Vande Griek
For students in grades
1
-
4
|
Published April 05, 2016 |
ISBN 9781554987016
JUVENILE FICTION / Biographical / Canada
About this book
Go Home Bay
Susan Vande Griek
In 1914, Tom Thomson spent the summer at a family cottage on Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay, where he taught the ten-year-old daughter, Helen, how to paint. Author Susan Vande Griek and illustrator Pascal Milelli have imagined this time through Helen’s eyes, providing an intriguing glimpse into the famous painter’s life.
Helen and her father greet their visitor on the rocks of West Wind Island. She is fascinated by everything about him — his canoe full of gear, his paint-stained hands, his campfire stew. Over the next few days she watches as Tom paddles off to fish and clambers over the rocks to paint. And then he invites Helen to paint with him — wildflowers blooming near the cottage, boats rocking in the water, pine trees blowing in a storm. And at summer’s end, he leaves her with a memento of their time together.
The story, told in lyrical free verse, has a quiet charm, while the illustrations capture the natural beauty that inspired some of Thomson’s most memorable paintings.
An author’s note provides more information about Tom Thomson’s life.
About the Author
Susan Vande Griek
Susan Vande Griek is the author of a number of highly acclaimed children’s books. Her picture book Loon, illustrated by Karen Reczuch, was named a USBBY Outstanding International Book and won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award, the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction and the Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award. More recently, she has written Go Home Bay, illustrated by Pascal Milelli, a glimpse into the life of the artist Tom Thomson, and An Owl at Sea, illustrated by Ian Wallace. A longtime resident of the Maritimes, Susan now lives in Kingston, Ontario.
Awards and Praise
Praise for Susan Vande Griek and Go Home Bay:
"With a strong sense of place, this moody, contemplative title coalesces into a story that will resonate with nature lovers and artists alike." — School Library Journal
"Go Home Bay is a lovely, gentle book that breathes art and poetry." — Quill & Quire
- Commended CCBC Best Books for Children and Teens, starred selection, 2016
