‘A Day in Canada’ gives kids a look at our northern neighbor

Good Morning!

You’ve got a lot to do today, so it’s time to get going, get up, brush your teeth and make your bed. You’ve got breakfast to eat and a whole big world to explore, and it starts with the new book “A Day in Canada” by Per-Henrik Gürth.

So where will you start your new day? Why not watch the sunrise in St. John’s, way over on the east side of Canada? You’ll be right by the ocean. Maybe you’ll see a boat.

In the next part of your busy day, you’ll pick your meals at the Halifax Farmers’ Market. Corn, bananas, tomatoes, melons and pears can all be found there every morning. Arrive early, and you can help.

All that work means it’s time for fun! Grab your bike, and take a morning ride along the Confederation Trail. It’s the perfect day for it — but hurry. You’ll want to listen to music and dance at the Miramichi Folksong Festival. Will they let you play the tambourine?

Just before lunchtime, you can take a tour of a Quebec City fort. When you’re finished, you’ll be hungry and ready for a lakeside rest. Did you bring a blanket for your picnic on Toronto Island? And aren’t you glad you stopped at the Farmer’s Market?

Once you’re done napping in the sun, it’s time to get going again. The flowers are pretty at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, and the blanket you brought for lunch will work fine for a quick slide down the Athabasca Sand Dunes. Save it to dry off when you cross Lake Louise on the way to the rest of your long trip.

It’s almost suppertime but first, you can walk through the park at Whistler Mountain, can’t you? The trees are so close that you almost feel like a bird there! And you might feel rich if you find gold in the Klondike River, so don’t forget to bring your pan and some good boots.

It’s been a very long day, and it’s time to rest on the shores of Great Slave Lake. The only thing better than a hot dog cooked near the sand is sleeping beneath the northern lights in Nunavut. What a day it’s been! And what a journey!

Quiet. Simple. Those are two words you’ll want to remember when you need a snuggle-time book for your toddler — and “A Day in Canada” fits both.

With heavy lined drawings and bright, vivid colors, Gürth takes kids on a journey from eastern to western Canada, hitting some highlights and seeing premiere sites in many of the country’s areas. I particularly liked the uncomplicated nature of this book; even if a child can’t read the narrative, the pictures tell the story well.

This is a perfect gift for a child who’s just learning to love books and the read-aloud time that goes with them, and it’s great for a bedtime story, too. If your 2- to 4-year-old needs that, then “A Day in Canada ” is just right for a Good Night.

View publishes Terri Schlichenmeyer’s reviews of books for children weekly.