The Peacock
by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod (Author) Jaimie Macgibbon (Illustrator)
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 zoo―before 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 Canada’s harsh immigration laws and providing many refugees with a safer and happier future.
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Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
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
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
The author has based the contents of The Peacock on her own family history, and it's a way for young children to learn a little about the impact of war, especially World War II and its impact on the Jews and the many other refugees...Recommended. — "CM: Canadian Review of Materials"
Jennifer Tzvia MacLeod is a Canadian writer who lives in northern Israel. She writes award-winning books for Jewish kids and families, as well as fiction, nonfiction and poetry for a range of publications. She has won PJ Library's Author Incentive Award twice, along with the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' Crystal Kite Award, the only peer-selected award for excellence in the field of children's literature.
Jaimie MacGibbon is a children's illustrator living in the small mountain town of Nelson in British Columbia. She is a self-taught artist who enjoys working with both traditional and digital media. Jaimie loves using expressive line work, playing with light and creating characters full of life. Her work celebrates the beauty of everyday life, curiosity and imagination.
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
JUV016060 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Holocaust
