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M Is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet
Whether sharing the stories of Anne of Green Gables and Terry Fox, or revealing Canada's importance in growing grain that feeds the world, "M is for Maple" is a shining tribute to Canada. From British Columbia to Newfoundland, this Canadian alphabet book shares our nation's symbols, history, people and culture. In clever rhymes and informative text, author Mike Ulmer shares the unique details of Canada. Illustrator Melanie Rose has captured the beauty and splendor of Canada, from the Northern Lights to brave Mounties and the beautiful cities of Toronto, Victoria, and Quebec. Destined to become a national classic, "M is for Maple" is a treasure for Canadians young and old.
40 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2004
3 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Mike Ulmer
19 books1 followerMike Ulmer is an author and owner of Catapult Bookwriting. He authored 19 books including M is for Maple, the best selling alphabet book in Canadian publishing history.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 9, 2023
With my apologies to those readers who have actually enjoyed Michael Ulmer's M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet and with my admission that there is indeed much interesting Canadiana presented by the author (and that perhaps I might even be reacting in a trifle overly sensitive manner), but honestly, I have really not all that much liked M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet and mostly due to some for me rather problematic textual and thematic issues and potential omissions that simply make my head spin and make me personally growl with annoyance, even frustrated anger and potential rage.
For one, featuring Kim Campbell under the letter C, this basically, if you know the history of Canadian politics, is in my humble opinion pretty much a sad joke. For while Kim Campbell should theoretically be known as Canada's first female Prime Minister, she was in fact NEVER elected as PM. No, Kim Campbell simply took over the post of Prime Minister when Brian Mulroney resigned and then she lead the Progressive Conservatives into a totally earth shattering defeat at the polls in the upcoming federal election. And while Brian Mulroney's general unpopularity obviously had more than a bit to do with said defeat, Kim Campbell herself also ran a totally dismal and indeed often strangely personally nasty election campaign, in which she, in which the Conservatives even ran a series of totally vile attack ads making fun of Liberal leader Jean Chretien's speech impediments and the fact that he has a facial deformity. Therefore and according to my personal feelings and political views, Kim Campbell actually never did in fact adequately lead either the Progressive Conservatives or Canada as a nation, was indeed also at least partially to blame and responsible for the party's total and embarrassing political defeat and subsequent disintegration, and she was definitely not ever elected, she was never actually chosen by the populace, never voted in as Prime Minister of Canada. And does Kim Campbell therefore really deserve to be featured in M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet when many other Canadian politicians with a much more positive and internationally recognised reputation such as for example Nobel laureate Lester B. Pearson have not been included by Michael Ulmer?
And for two, and perhaps even more importantly, I have serious and personal issues with the fact that Michael Ulmer rather blithely states that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has always stood for justice and that it only ever brought positives to the Canadian West. For while that might indeed have been the case with regard to stemming the tide of lawlessness engendered by in particular the whiskey trade, the Métis and the majority of First Nations of the Canadian West do often have a different attitude and do indeed generally tell very different stories (something that the author, that Michael Ulmer should at the very least have mentioned and pointed out and not simply ignored, not to mention that I am also left wondering why Ulmer's printed words regarding French Canadians have the tendency to feel a trifle paternalistic and patronising at best and why the expulsion of the Acadians by the British from the Maritimes has been so totally ignored, that while the fortress and garrison of Louisburg are mentioned, the fact that the Acadians were en masse expelled and shipped to what is now the USA, that families were willfully separated and that the British also placed actual bounties on the Micmac is obviously something that the author does not even remotely wish to consider). Two stars (but rounded down to but one star, as I am also not that much a fan of Melanie Ross's accompanying illustrations which are just a bit too overly realistic and garishly hued for my personal tastes, and indeed, I just CANNOT handle that in the S section on the Calgary Stampede, Michael Ulmer is so blinkered with his support of chuckwagon racing that he does not even with one word attempt to show how dangerous a sport this often is and how EVERY YEAR, horses and sometimes even drivers/riders are horribly injured, with the horses usually ending up dead, ending up having to be euthanised).
For one, featuring Kim Campbell under the letter C, this basically, if you know the history of Canadian politics, is in my humble opinion pretty much a sad joke. For while Kim Campbell should theoretically be known as Canada's first female Prime Minister, she was in fact NEVER elected as PM. No, Kim Campbell simply took over the post of Prime Minister when Brian Mulroney resigned and then she lead the Progressive Conservatives into a totally earth shattering defeat at the polls in the upcoming federal election. And while Brian Mulroney's general unpopularity obviously had more than a bit to do with said defeat, Kim Campbell herself also ran a totally dismal and indeed often strangely personally nasty election campaign, in which she, in which the Conservatives even ran a series of totally vile attack ads making fun of Liberal leader Jean Chretien's speech impediments and the fact that he has a facial deformity. Therefore and according to my personal feelings and political views, Kim Campbell actually never did in fact adequately lead either the Progressive Conservatives or Canada as a nation, was indeed also at least partially to blame and responsible for the party's total and embarrassing political defeat and subsequent disintegration, and she was definitely not ever elected, she was never actually chosen by the populace, never voted in as Prime Minister of Canada. And does Kim Campbell therefore really deserve to be featured in M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet when many other Canadian politicians with a much more positive and internationally recognised reputation such as for example Nobel laureate Lester B. Pearson have not been included by Michael Ulmer?
And for two, and perhaps even more importantly, I have serious and personal issues with the fact that Michael Ulmer rather blithely states that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has always stood for justice and that it only ever brought positives to the Canadian West. For while that might indeed have been the case with regard to stemming the tide of lawlessness engendered by in particular the whiskey trade, the Métis and the majority of First Nations of the Canadian West do often have a different attitude and do indeed generally tell very different stories (something that the author, that Michael Ulmer should at the very least have mentioned and pointed out and not simply ignored, not to mention that I am also left wondering why Ulmer's printed words regarding French Canadians have the tendency to feel a trifle paternalistic and patronising at best and why the expulsion of the Acadians by the British from the Maritimes has been so totally ignored, that while the fortress and garrison of Louisburg are mentioned, the fact that the Acadians were en masse expelled and shipped to what is now the USA, that families were willfully separated and that the British also placed actual bounties on the Micmac is obviously something that the author does not even remotely wish to consider). Two stars (but rounded down to but one star, as I am also not that much a fan of Melanie Ross's accompanying illustrations which are just a bit too overly realistic and garishly hued for my personal tastes, and indeed, I just CANNOT handle that in the S section on the Calgary Stampede, Michael Ulmer is so blinkered with his support of chuckwagon racing that he does not even with one word attempt to show how dangerous a sport this often is and how EVERY YEAR, horses and sometimes even drivers/riders are horribly injured, with the horses usually ending up dead, ending up having to be euthanised).
August 18, 2018
The fact that this book is so old (and therefore a bit outdated) is probably part of the reason I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Another reason is the errors in the text. Some of the poems are a bit clunky and wouldn't really roll off the tongue if you were reading the book out loud. And, finally, this is a pretty European-centred alphabet; lip service is paid to the Indigenous peoples of Canada, but they make up a very small portion of this book. Black culture has almost as much representation, with less history (proportionally speaking). While I'm not expecting to see "R is for Residential Schools" in a children's book, I do think the topic of the role of Indigenous peoples in Canada could've been more than a series of footnotes.
The outdated portions are a result of talking about current events or statistics (at least, they were current when the book was written). This could've been avoided by adding some dates, because as it stands, some of the statistics look like they refer to today.
There are a few errors, such as referring to the Salt Spring Islands (Salt Spring is one island, and is never referred to in the plural) and the bit about the inventor of the zipper. The book claims Gideon Sundback was Canadian. He wasn't; he was Swedish, and later had American citizenship. He was the president of a zipper company whose factory was located in Canada. Calling him a Canadian is a stretch at best, and outright inaccurate at worst.
For these reasons, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book, which is a shame because there are some letters of the alphabet that have some really interesting factoids to go along with them. After reading the book and finding a few errors, though, I'm not sure if there are more inaccuracies hidden throughout the text. It makes me leery about giving the book to a child who might take everything in here as truth.
Quotable moment:
The outdated portions are a result of talking about current events or statistics (at least, they were current when the book was written). This could've been avoided by adding some dates, because as it stands, some of the statistics look like they refer to today.
There are a few errors, such as referring to the Salt Spring Islands (Salt Spring is one island, and is never referred to in the plural) and the bit about the inventor of the zipper. The book claims Gideon Sundback was Canadian. He wasn't; he was Swedish, and later had American citizenship. He was the president of a zipper company whose factory was located in Canada. Calling him a Canadian is a stretch at best, and outright inaccurate at worst.
For these reasons, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book, which is a shame because there are some letters of the alphabet that have some really interesting factoids to go along with them. After reading the book and finding a few errors, though, I'm not sure if there are more inaccuracies hidden throughout the text. It makes me leery about giving the book to a child who might take everything in here as truth.
Quotable moment:
A is for Anne--that's Anne with an E--
a red-headed orphan who loved Avonlea.
The Cuthberts had thought they were adopting a boy,
but that red-headed girl would be their pride and their joy.
March 30, 2010
First off, I must admit I’m a Canadaphile, so I couldn’t be objective about this book. Perhaps it deserves only 3 stars or even 2; perhaps it deserves 5 and I was bending over backwards not to hyper-inflate my rating. My mother was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and lived there until she moved to San Francisco when she was eight years old, so I’ve always considered myself almost Canadian; I love the country and I’ve enjoyed all my visits there.
I really enjoyed this “alphabet” book for school aged children. I’m not sure the best story/information was chosen for each letter, but many of them are wonderful. This is a smattering of Canadian related history and its current situation too.
My favorite page was E, partially because “eh” was mentioned but mostly because there’s a full map of Canada and its provinces. My next favorite page was M, for maple. I love maple leaves, maple trees, maple syrup, and the Canadian flag with the maple leaf.
I was very touched by some of the stories and information; some I think I’d rather have had alternative material, but the book shows a wide variety of things about Canada and its history and I loved it.
The illustrations weren’t my very favorite but I enjoyed quite a few of them.
I really enjoyed this “alphabet” book for school aged children. I’m not sure the best story/information was chosen for each letter, but many of them are wonderful. This is a smattering of Canadian related history and its current situation too.
My favorite page was E, partially because “eh” was mentioned but mostly because there’s a full map of Canada and its provinces. My next favorite page was M, for maple. I love maple leaves, maple trees, maple syrup, and the Canadian flag with the maple leaf.
I was very touched by some of the stories and information; some I think I’d rather have had alternative material, but the book shows a wide variety of things about Canada and its history and I loved it.
The illustrations weren’t my very favorite but I enjoyed quite a few of them.
January 13, 2011
Combining history, geography, national pastimes, general culture and the arts of Canada, this book has a bit of everything. It inspired me to buy the series other books on the individual provinces.
November 14, 2019
Es un libro útil para aprender un poco sobre Canadá -en especial para los extranjeros- además de repasar las letras del alfabeto. Las referencias en el libro no son actuales y las imágenes podrían ser más bonitas.
July 7, 2022
A Canadian alphabet book with lots of historical, geographical, cultural and biographical information packed into the pages. It was a little long for the attention spans of my 5 and 7 year olds, but we made it through and I think learned quite a bit about the country and history of Canada.
October 3, 2023
I appreciate that it is themed for Canada, and that its an older book, but there are a few difficult topics I would not like to discuss with a young child. Even D for the Dione babies is not something I feel proud about.
April 30, 2018
Canadian alphabets: a good information about Canadian hero’s Terry Fox to Frederick Banting also M is for the famous maple .
April 30, 2018
M Is for Maple, is a book that talk about the biography of the great people who helped Canada by inventing and fighting for them.
May 1, 2018
M is for Maple is book about Canadian history and biography about some great people and some interesting stories!!
November 21, 2018
A nice picture book that is part poetry, part information.
It is always nice to see creative folks with such love of country...
It is always nice to see creative folks with such love of country...
December 12, 2019
Wonderful alphabet book filled with facts about Canada!!! Best book so far this month! It fulfilled every one of my criteria for excellent children’s literature! Good reading for all ages!!!
November 2, 2021
Learning about Canada with a Canadian alphabet.
September 5, 2022
Illustrations are nice, but some are dated. Prose and messaging is poor, but ok for infants maybe.
April 2, 2015
I LOVED this book! Every letter is given a full-page (sometimes, a 2-page spread), with a 4-line poem, and a side-bar providing additional details on the topic. I liked the way Mike Ulmer discussed things that are uniquely Canadian, and I learned some new facts about my country! And I was impressed with Melanie Rose's beautiful illustrations.
My favourite page is "H" - where Mike says:
H is for Hockey, the game that we play
from summer's last whisper to snow's melting away.
We may never grow to be NHL stars
but it's something we care for; it'll always be ours.
History/Geography teachers might use this book to introduce the study of our nation and citizenship to their intermediate students.
My favourite page is "H" - where Mike says:
H is for Hockey, the game that we play
from summer's last whisper to snow's melting away.
We may never grow to be NHL stars
but it's something we care for; it'll always be ours.
History/Geography teachers might use this book to introduce the study of our nation and citizenship to their intermediate students.
September 4, 2011
22 months - I enjoyed it and you listened intently but this is really geared for much older kids with an interest in history. I liked that there was extra information on each topic allowing the book to be read quickly or more in depth. Nice little snippets of Canadiana.
January 16, 2025
A beautiful book highlighting one or more special points about Canada for each letter of the alphabet. Gorgeous illustrations. Rhyming text with extra information in sidebars that reveal more of Canada’s rich and interesting history.
April 6, 2011
A gorgeously illustrated book that showcases some of the components that are essential to our culture. Love the artwork especially!!
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July 27, 2011Fun! A beautiful book. Would have liked that French be the word for F, rather than just sneaking it in at Q. Terry Fox could have easily been accomodated at T.
February 13, 2014
Beautiful illustrations. Used for Living in Manitoba unit. Read-aloud. Aided in students drawings on their MB pins.
January 17, 2017
First grade unit: Canada
Each letter of the alphabet focuses on an important custom, person, place or historical event of Canada.
Each letter of the alphabet focuses on an important custom, person, place or historical event of Canada.
August 24, 2017
I have a little trouble with my vision, so it was more difficult reading the kindle book. It does have the feature to let the reader tape the screen to enlarge the letters.
I picked this book as one of my Canadian book challenge picks. This book made me realize how much I don't know about Canada, our next door neighbor.
The art work was excellent, which is a big plus for me when reading children's books.
The author introduces the readers to people, places, and things that represent Canada. This is a good little introduction to Canada.
I picked this book as one of my Canadian book challenge picks. This book made me realize how much I don't know about Canada, our next door neighbor.
The art work was excellent, which is a big plus for me when reading children's books.
The author introduces the readers to people, places, and things that represent Canada. This is a good little introduction to Canada.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews