The Peacock (Orca Echoes)
War stories, Multi-cultural fiction
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
Key Selling Points It's the aftermath of World War II in Toronto and 10-year-old Barbara realizes that, while her father's away helping Jewish refugees in Europe, she has to be the one to solve the problem of the peacock living… in their back garden before the winter comes. The Peacock delves into the experience of being Jewish in 1947 in Canada, what it was like to be a child during the war, the treatment of refugees by the world at large, and how the acts of kind individuals can make huge positive change. This historical fiction chapter book takes on a less-represented period of history, just after World War II, shining a light on the displaced persons living in encampments in Europe and what people tried to do to help, from the viewpoint of a Jewish Canadian family. The metaphor of the peacock (a stand-in for the refugees Barbara's father is helping) gives readers an entry point to think about displaced people but in a lighthearted way (with a happy ending). A bonus glossary will be online for readers interested in extra background about the book's context. Contains 22 black-and-white illustrations.