From the author of If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur comes a funny and sweet cross-country roadtrip adventure with a sassy septuagenarian and her quirky canine. Feisty Annie Magruder and her dog, Carson, live in British Columbia, Canada, and they're setting out to visit her sister, Elsie, in Newfoundland. In their little rattlebang car, packed with Carson's favorite toy, Squeaky Chicken, and plenty of baloney sandwiches, Annie and Carson hit the road! They travel province by province, taking in each unique landscape and experiencing something special to that particular part of this vast, grand country. For example, they marvel at the beauty of the big, open sky -- and grasshoppers! -- in Saskatchewan and discover the gorgeous red earth and delicious lobster rolls in PEI, before finally being greeted by Elsie -- and a suprise for Carson!
I was born and grew up in Winnipeg —a daydreamer with her nose in a book. In my twenties, I traveled around the world, mostly by ship. Later, I moved to Vancouver, where I earned a B.A. and M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia. Among my jobs were travel agent, college teacher, instructional designer and editor.
For years, I dabbled with writing. But I didn't begin to write in earnest until I had two young daughters. My first book was published in 1992, and I have since written more than thirty others, including novels, picture books and non-fiction.
I live in Vancouver, a short walk from the sea. I write full-time and still love to travel, read and daydream. - Source
Awards: Arthur Ellis Award ◊ Best Juvenile (1997): How Can a Frozen Detective Stay Hot on the Trail? ◊ Best Juvenile (2000): How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark?
Wonderful illustrations in this simple story about a trip across Canada. Light on the details of the places they stop, had hoped to learn more about the Canadian provinces and what they have to offer as travel destinations.
Carson is told of an impeding trip across Canada by his owner, Annie. When they finish their journey, a surprise awaits him, though Carson can hardly wait. As Annie and Carson travel across the country, they see all that Canada has to offer, experiencing some wonderful geographic and social happenings. By the time they arrive at the opposite coast, Carson is excited to see his surprise and even more elated when it is revealed. A lovely story that ties Canada together, from one coast to the other. Neo liked that he could identify some of the key aspects of the Canadian experience, having seen some things that were mentioned. However, there are many others that he has yet to see and places he has not yet been. One day, I will make sure we take this trip, with lots of Canadian snacks to tide us over.
Carson Crosses Canada by Linda Bailey is a cute children's book about a trip across Canada. Annie makes the journey with her dog from the Pacific to the Atlantic across Canada as they sight see. It's colorful and educational. Great for early readers.
3***
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
When Annie knows her sister Elsie needs her, Carson finds himself crossing Canada in her van. They visit many different places, and have lot of fun. But the best is meeting Elsie, and Digby, Carson's brother.
The illustrations are colorful and funny, and the story is cute. There is not too much going on, though.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, what a delightful picture book. What a great way to show kids, and teach them, about what Canada is made up of, just in time for the 150 anniversary of the articles of confederation. (When Canada became independent.)
The story is basic. Carson and his master have to travel from the west coast to the east coast by car. At each stop along the way, we get to see the features that that area is famous for. From the Rockies, to the prairies to Niagara Falls, to finally the islands of Prince Edward Island. This is great for Canadian children, as I doubt there are many books like this. And this is also good for American children to learn about all the provinces, and what is special about each one.
Having driven across the United States, when I was in grade school, I would have loved to have something like this to compare the sights I saw with the sites that Carson and Annie, his owner saw as well.
Plus, Carson is cute, and silly.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Read for my son. He doesn't like it much. Not a lot of adventures. The cover has the car, he expected there'll be car and road trip adventures but it was about the dog instead. Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. Our opinions are honest.
This is a cute picture book that will introduce young ones to the wonderful country of Canada. It gives them a taste of each of the geographic areas of the country and tells something about it while Annie Magruder and her dog Carson take a cross country trip. Annie and Carson are travelling from Tofino in the west to her sister's in the east. The provinces they travel through are not named, but it could become a guessing game with the children based on the descriptions. It is just a simple story, but the illustrations are great. They are watercolour drawings that are bright, colourful and whimsical showing the trip across the country. This is great for Canadian children, as they will learn something special about each of the areas of the country. This would be a great read aloud in a primary classroom just learning about Canada. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
RATING: 4.5 STARS (I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY) (Review Not on Blog)
Annie, and her dog, Carson live in British Columbia and must travel to Newfoundland to visit her sister, Elsie. We go along on the cross country trip with them. This is a cool picture book that shows different provinces and introduces Canada to young readers.
'Carson Crosses Canada' by Linda Bailey with illustrations by Kass Reich is a pretty cute story about a long road trip across a beautiful country.
Annie lives on the West Coast of Canada in British Columbia with her dog Carson. One day, she gets a letter from her sister Elsie, and Annie decides to take a road trip to visit her sister. Carson doesn't have a suitcase, but he's happy when Annie remembers to pack his toy, Squeaky Chicken.
Annie promises Carson that he will have a surprise, but as they travel through big trees and hoodoos and plains, Carson can't figure out what it could be.
Annie is an intrepid traveler and Carson is the perfect travel companion. The art is beautiful in this picture book. Canada is a big, beautiful country and that shows as Annie and Carson make their journey. This is a really cute story and would be a nice read along for preschoolers.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
I really loved the artwork, it was bright and cheery. The story was simple but enjoyable. I also appreciated that the book portrayed places like The Badlands and Tofino, not just the biggest and most well-known cities in Canada. I will definitely be recommending this book at work to children looking to learn more about our country!
This is a sweet story about a dog and his person crossing Canada. The illustrations are fabulous and the girls loved that they’d been to one of the places before: Niagara Falls.
This book about an elderly lady driving from the west coast of Canada to the east coast with her dog Carson, who is the whole time looking for his surprise, is one if the first books I've seen that has an actual storyline. Highlights one interesting place in each province (no territories) without being dry.
Hmmm. Not as interesting as I thought it could be. I was kind of expecting a little background to Canada. So many places could of at least been mentions. Basically, it's just a story about an older woman and her dog driving across the country and camping along the way with little or no words about where they are! I know it's written for little ones and parents can likely fill in some details, but really, one mention a day of where they are, were, were passing, visiting, a line, maybe an illustration with a caption? It would still have been short.
This is the cutest book ever! As someone who loves all things Canada (especially road trips across Canada), I absolutely loved it! I literally screamed with joy when, on the first page, it says that the woman and her dog are from Tofino (a place that I went with my husband, so it's close to my heart). I can't help it, I'm easily amused! I loved the illustrations and one part of the story made me laugh in surprise at what it represents, but I think only adults will get it!
I love a road trip and as a transplanted Canadian I was eager to share this with my little ones. The story is sweet enough, but it is a little light in the details. I was expecting more description about Canadian landmarks, instead it is more about a dog's excitement about being in a car. It didn't really engage my little readers, but the illustrations are beautiful and rich with detail.
Carson Crosses Canada is a children's picture book written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Kass Reich, which tells a story about Annie Magruder and her little dog, Carson who lives in Tofino, British Columbia, who takes a cross-country trip to visit her ailing sister Elsie, who live is Witless Bay in Newfoundland. It is a trip that takes us through all ten provinces and over six thousand kilometers journey.
Bailey's text is rather simple and straightforward. It's a cross-country trip from Tofino on the West Coast to Witless Bay on the East Coast staring an elderly Annie Magruder, her dog Carson, and her beat-up yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Their stops along the way were rather insightful and humorous. Reich's illustrations are wonderful and depict the text rather well. They are mostly a two-page spread for each major stop on their journey from coast to coast.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It chronicles the cross-country journey that Carson and his human, Annie Magruder, makes and the shenanigans that they go through at each stopping they made along the way. All told from the perspective of Carson, the dog.
Their journey starts off in Tofino and head towards the Cathedral Grove in British Columbia. They stop at the Rocky Mountains and Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta. There next stops are a Prairie Farm and Lake Winnipeg in Saskatchewan and Manitoba respectively. They pass by the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls in Ontario and conclude their trip by visiting Quebec City, Bay of Fundy, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, and Witless Bay, in Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland respectively.
My one quibble of this book is that it forgets that Canada has three coasts and missed the three territories all together, but it would have been difficult to include in this book, as there is no logically paths that routes through all ten provinces and three territories of the country. Included in the book is a helpful map of Carson's trip through Canada – I just wish there was a scale to show how immense the journey Carson really takes.
All in all, Carson Crosses Canada is a wonderful children's book depicting a dog's cross-country trip with his human from one coast of the country and the other and the shenanigans they have in-between their long journey.
I was excited to read a picture book about a Canadian woman who was a senior citizen. There are precious few main characters out there who fit all of those labels in this genre, so it was a thrill to finally meet one. Annie was such an adventurous person, too. She planned out her cross-country trip carefully and genuinely seemed to enjoy every new experience she had as she drove from British Columbia to Newfoundland. I also appreciated learning about her reason for making this drive. While I can’t share what it was without giving away spoilers, it made me smile to see how she made the best of a sad piece of news. That is definitely a skill that everyone should learn, kids and adults alike!
Carson brought a wonderful dollop of humor to Annie’s plans. He was a curious little dog who had no idea what to expect when his human decided to travel. Some of the funniest scenes were the ones where Annie interpreted Carson’s dog noises in ways that made it seem as though they spoke the same language and he genuinely understood the questions she was asking him. It showed off their close and loving relationship nicely, and it also made me giggle.
This tale did a wonderful job of sharing some of the most picturesque parts of Canada in kid-friendly ways. Anyone who is familiar with Canadian geography will probably be able to guess at least some of them, but the plot works just as well for readers who wouldn’t have the foggiest notion of where to find Saskatchewan on a map. I adored the fact that it left ample room for readers of all ages and backgrounds to bond with the characters and enjoy their trip.
Carson Crosses Canada was a gentle and marvelous adventure.
As a citizen of the United States I find it interesting to read books - especially illustrated books - about other countries. In the children's picture book Carson Crosses Canada we have a little doggie and a little old lady packing their suitcases (dog's and suitcases? Well, this is a children's imaginative book.) and get into their little yellow car and hit the road. They are crossing Canada to see her sister.
The illustrations done in watercolors capture the essence of Canada's mountains, beautiful trees, and varied landscapes. Like the United States, Canada is a big, beautiful, and varied land of beauty.
I think perhaps it would have been better had Carson, the doggie, not left his "little souvenir" on a grassy spot although we all know that is the nature of doggies.
Their mapped route shown on the end pages also is a simple map of the grand land of Canada showing the provinces and places they stopped.
A cute book and nice introduction to Canada for little ones.
I received a complimentary copy from Librarything.com and the publisher and was not obligated to provide a review. Opinions are my own and freely given.
~Disclaimer~ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carsons owner receives a letter from her sister and they take a road trip east to visit her. Their trip takes them across all of Canada. They see: the Rockies, the Prairies, Niagara Falls, etc. Finally they arrive at their destination Elsie's house. Carson is surprised to see his brother Digby. He hasn't seen him since he was a puppy. This was a cute book that makes me want to take my own road trip across Canada. The illustrations depicting the places they see on their journey are beautiful. This is a good book to show children the beauty that is Canada. The different places that they can see across the country. It also touches upon the distance you will go to see someone that you love. I highly recommend this book for all children and some adults too. I am definitely going to purchase this book for myself.
An adorable book. Sweet and completely endearing. The story begins in Tofina and ends in Newfoundland. Annie and her pooch Carson travel in her old car across our big country of Canada to visit Annie's ailing sister Elsie. What a trip! Carson is beside himself with delight at all he sees, smells, rolls around in! Nice big format, lots of text for someone to read to their small child or grandchild. Kids will love the watercolour art on every page, bright, detailed and fun! Annie and Carson are just wonderful characters. And let's not forget Squeaky Chicken, Carson's fave toy who also makes the long journey. Great way to introduce kids to some Canadian geography via a road trip. Families, love and goodness are the values promoted. And, no spoiler here, there's a wonderful surprise at the end! Bailey and illustrator Reich complete the tale with a neat map showing the journey last page. Superb!
An excellent children's picture book, Carson Crosses Canada tells the story of Annie Magruder, a little old lady from Tofino, BC who drives a cross Canada with her dog, Carson, to visit her sister in Newfoundland. Along the way they visit many of the scenic wonders of Canada including the hoodoos in Alberta, Niagara Falls and Quebec City. Annie promises Carson there is a big surprise waiting for him at the end of the journey and there is.
The book is delightfully illustrated by Kass Reich.
This is a lovely picture book for children. I was much amused that Annie and Carson make their journey in a little yellow Volkswagen Beetle piled high with luggage on the roof.
Such a brilliant concept, a road trip picture book! The premise is elegant:
Annie Magruder will drive herself, and her dog, Carson. Together they'll travel from British Columbia all the way across Canada to Newfoundland. Will your Goodreader child's sense of wonder resemble how Carson reacts?
For example, at Niagara Falls:
And then came a grand sight indeed -- a wall of water, thundreing down a cliff! Carson yapped in amazement. He was used to water that stayed FLAT.
FIVE STARS for the education and also the entertainment. Thank you, author Linda Bailey and artist Kass Reich.
This is a cute picture book about an older lady who travels with her dog across Canada to visit her sister. My 3 year old liked it and asked to read it multiple times. He likes the map page the best :)
I enjoyed having a woman without children as the main character--not because it's emphasized, but I think that's relatively rare in picture books. I like how they included a variety of places in Canada that look different, as many folks in the States just think of Canada as a frozen-over field of snow.
I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Carson Crosses Canada is a charming book that takes you on a sight seeing journey through Canada as Annie Magruder and her dog Carson travel to see Annie's Ill sister Elsie. The book captures the essence of discovery and adventure while traveling all through the eyes of a little dog names Carson. I read this one to my little sister and we both loved it. This book is perfect for little kids learning the provinces, but also a great road trip or bed time story. Linda Bailey's charming story fits perfectly with Kass Reich's gorgeous illustrations. It's absolutely adorable!
4.5 to be exact. my boys and I really enjoyed driving through Canada. we referred to the map everytime Carson explored a new surrounding. the map really helped determine how long the ride must have been, the names of the places, the provinces crossed. gives a good clear understanding of the vast views of Canada in a fun way. for my eldest especially it was a lot of fun, who has just discovered the fun of maps(he's 6). might be a little hard to follow for younger kids, since there is a lot of written stuff. the pictures are bright, colourful and clear to the land.
What a great story about a woman who needs to travel across Canada to go and help her sister out in Newfoundland. She starts off in Tofino, which is on Vancouver Island, and journeys across with her dog stopping somewhere in each of the provinces along the way and experiencing something unique in each province.
I loved the layout of the book, the map of Canada she included to track her trip, the sites she chose and the activities she did. A great introduction for anyone about the provinces and about the experiences one would have traveling across Canada.
Perfect way to celebrate Canada with out the "ra-ra" + trumpet playing zeal...I did like that it's a humble yet "this is going to be amazing" car trip across Canada with a little doggy as the reader's guide. I did like that yes as you travel across the country they are differences and distinct traits unique to a province like the Alberta badlands + Quebec's old town but also the similarities like the beautiful lush, tree filled natura + both twins (dog and human) living in a little red house next to the water.
When Annie Magruder learns that her sister, who lives on the other side of Canada is ill, she decides to go see her. She fills her VW Bug up with her tent, baloney sandwiches, her dog Carson, and his favourite toy, Squeaky Chicken. She promises Carson there will be a surprise for him when they get there. I enjoyed reading about their adventures in the different parts of the country. The best part is when Annie goes to get a souvenir at Niagra Falls, and Carson leaves his own souvenir there. Eventually they make it to Annie's sister's place and Carson is delighted with his surprise.