Time, hospitality, butterflies
Just A Minute: Why Humans Tell Time
by Kirstie Hudson and Monique Polak (illustrated by Paige Stampatori)
Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2025
$29.95 / 9781459840621
Gander: The Town That Welcomed the World
by Nikki Bergstresser (illustrated by Reilly Fitzgerald)
Oakville, Plumleaf Press, 2026
$24.95 / 9781997872047
Monarch
by S.E. Hume (illustrated by Jessica Bromley Bartram)
Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2026
$24.95 / 978155455069
Reviewed by Ginny Ratsoy
*
A lively contribution to Orca’s Timeline series, this book joins Gregor Craigie’s Why Humans Build Up and a host of other titles in exploring big ideas for middle graders.
Where does the concept of hours, seconds, and minutes come from? What is a zeptosecond? Why do the Greeks have three gods connected to time? Are humans the only animals with timing cells? Victoria-based Kirstie Hudson and Monique Polak examine these and many other questions in their far-reaching examination of time.
Each of the book’s seven chapter begins with the individual circumstances of the reader—from arriving at school on time to counting down the days until summer vacation—and moves outward to historical and contemporary conceptions of, and inventions around, time. The glossary is handy, and the list of resources encourages further research.
Photographs of everything from an electromechanical self-winding clock to a giant sequoia are eye-catching and relevant; even more captivating, though, are Paige Stampatori’s rich illustrations, which run the gamut from evening primrose to a cryogenically frozen body. The visual components add cohesiveness to the book, which lives up to its claim of comprehensiveness.
The writers’ subjects are wide ranging. The movie Back to the Future and books such as A Wrinkle in Time and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (the latter acting as a touchstone throughout the book) are just a few examples.
Although American references are common, Hudson and Polak roam Earth—and go beyond—as they examine everything from the Expo 1970 time capsule in Osaka to French scientist Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan’s experiments with Mimosa Pudica and the history of the Spanish siesta. British Columbia’s heat dome of 2021, Kwakwaka’wakw master carver Carey Newman’s Seedling Project, and special education teacher Rosie Ivillaq, who grew up in Nunavik when a clock was rarely paid attention to, are among the subjects from the country we now call Canada.
A central—but not overstated—question of Just A Minute is really two-fold. How can we use our time in a way that brings us happiness, and that might improve things for those who come after us? A winning feature of the book—one it shares with Craigie’s Why Humans Build Up—is that the authors do not talk down to young readers. Nor do they provide easy answers, although their book includes suggestions on what individual readers can do to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
If you are looking to expose a young reader in your life to a text that is informative but not didactic, deep but lively, and fun but not frivolous, Just a Minute: Why Humans Tell Time just might be the answer. You might even want to read it yourself before you pass it on.
* * *
Moving from non-fiction to fiction, from the macrocosmic to the microcosmic, Gander: The Town That Welcomed the World, while geared to somewhat younger readers, shares with Just A Minute: Why Humans Tell Time a quietly inspirational quality.
The continuing popularity of the play Come from Away and the advent of Gander Social, more than 25 years on, would seem to indicate the actions of the populace of Gander on September 11, 2001 have an assured place in the mythology of Canada, reinforcing our self-image as a welcoming place—a refuge, even. One cannot help but wonder, nonetheless, if this event will become less prominent in that mythology as our relationship with the United States evolves.
In any case, Abbotsford resident Nikki Bergstresser has teamed up with Reilly Fitzgerald, long-time resident of The Rock, to re-frame the story for juvenile readers. Gander: The Town That Welcomed the World has a straightforward, folksy feel. It moves from the perspective of the over 6,000 passengers of all ages and from various countries on 38 planes feeling anxious and weary as they wait to land in a place many had not even heard of to the rapidly responding volunteers who would spend the next six days ensuring the strangers would become guests and, eventually, friends.
Fitzgerald’s unpretentious illustrations orient the reader—with, for example, a simple map of eastern North America and social settings such as a kitchen party and a hockey rink. The majestic moose and the bonobos, Unga and Kosana, who were given shelter are especially likely to catch young readers’ eyes.
The text proper emphasizes the widespread generosity of the residents—down to the bus drivers who interrupted their strike to provide transportation—and the cultural activities, from berry picking to the kissing-the-cod ceremony, they organized.
Supplementary material to the heartwarming story is ample. The “Historical Note,” contextualizes the encounter in the larger events of 9/11 and provides a glimpse into a time before cell phones were ubiquitous. “Did You Know?” includes vital details on the historic strategic importance of Gander International Airport, as well as following up on a marriage that resulted from the interactions—and the birth of Gander, Unga’s offspring.
Gander: The Town That Welcomed the World joins numerous renderings—plays, radio dramas, films and books for all ages—of the hospitality of the residents of the small Canadian town in 2001. Regardless of the role the events may play in our ongoing national narrative, Bergstresser and Fitzgerald have created a winning illustration of the joys of volunteering. [Editor’s note: this title will be published in August.]
* * *
Like Gander, Monarch is aimed at a younger juvenile audience and manages to be both tranquil and engaging.
Enlivened by a first-person narrator who relates the life cycle of Monarch through her first experiences with a single butterfly, the book also makes the most of its east coast of Vancouver Island setting.
The stunning geography and capricious weather are a lovely backdrop for the inspiring story of the plucky butterfly’s migration from California.
As the unnamed child teaches the reader, she shares the knowledge of her older sister. Victoria-based S.E. Hume creates a tone that is charming, rather than didactic.
Jessica Bromley Bartram’s illustrations complement Humes’ text. She manages to convey the stateliness of trees, the warmth of the sibling relationship, and the charming perfection of the butterfly itself. Particularly captivating are the illustrations of the sisters (winged) flying with a kaleidoscope of Monarchs.
The handy “Fun Facts” page further contextualizes the Monarchs’ role in the larger ecosystem.
Pithy, charming, imaginative, and evoking wonder, Monarch seems perfect bedtime story fare. [Editor’s note: this title will be published in September.]
*
Ginny Ratsoy is Professor Emerita at Thompson Rivers University. Her scholarly publications (co-authored and edited and co-edited books and numerous peer-reviewed articles) have focused on Canadian fiction, theatre, small cities, third-age learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She currently spends her time reading, writing, and teaching. Her latest course for the Kamloops Adult Learners Society was Women in Canadian Theatre. She is delighted to have written programme notes for the 50th anniversary of Western Canada Theatre. [Editor’s note: Ginny has reviewed recent books by Uma Krishnaswami, Kirsten Pendreigh, Annette LeBox, and Leigh Joseph, Veronica Woodruff, L. R. Wright, L.R. Wright, Jennifer Cooper, Sara Cassidy, Kallie George, and Bill Richardson for BCR.]
*
The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors: Trevor Marc Hughes (nonfiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an online book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster