Story by Gloria Ann Wesley
Illustrations by Richard Rudnicki
Nimbus Publishing
Ages 4–8
Young Abigail’s excitement is infectious. The 10-year-old has moved to her strange new Nova Scotian home. She’s exploring the countryside, meeting new friends, settling into a new house. But this isn’t a typical kid-learns-not-to-fear-change book: the setting is colonial Nova Scotia, after the American Revolutionary War has ended. The migration will see some 3,000 people move to the province. Abigail and her family settle in Birchtown. Wesley’s writing is sparse and elegant, pairing effortlessly with Rudnicki’s impressionist scenes. Together they create a dreamy sense of being lost in time as a little-told chapter of Nova Scotia’s history comes to life. Readers will quickly warm to young Abigail as she explores, learning about birth and life, family and friendship.
