As Seth remarks in the for...more Rather than a vanity project for Canadian cartoonist Seth's dad, this is actually a fascinating portrait of a pioneer-type childhood. John Gallant grew up dirt poor in a remote rural part of Prince Edward Island. Taken from the stories Seth's dad told him on long car trips, the book is told in 4-5-page vignettes, interspersed with Seth's gorgeous illos. Like Seth's Wimbledon Green, the short pieces add up to an engaging story—and a pleasantly quick read.

As Seth remarks in the foreword, these tales of near starvation, freezing 10-mile walks, begging from the village priest, and the like, are so wry and entertaining that you almost forget the misery that accompanied them. And like Wimbledon Green, Bannock, Beans and Black Tea is beautifully designed, by Seth himself, and is an art object in itself. It makes another great gift, even for a kid as young as ten....less