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.
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.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Apr 5, 2016 |
| Specifications | 32 pages | 10 in x 8.75 in |
| Keywords | free verse; poetry; lake huron; artist; learning how to paint; how to paint; oil painting; pencil; sketches; painter; outdoors; nature; historical fiction; picture books; art; artists; famous painters; famous artists; group of seven; canadian painters; children; teaching; teacher; friendship; 20th century; painting; Algonquin Park; Canoe Lake; lakes; |
| Written By | Susan Vande Griek is a teacher and writer who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. Andrews, New Brunswick. |
| Written By |
Pascal Milelli graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 1988. His book The Art Room, written by Susan Vande Griek, won the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for Illustration in 2002. Visit Pascal Milelli's website: http://www.pascalmilelli.com/ |
| Audience | ages 6 to 9 / grades 1 to 4 |
| Reading Levels |
Guided Reading P
Lexile AD980L |
Commended, CCBC Best Books for Children and Teens, starred selection, 2016
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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