Baboo: The Story of Sir John A. Macdonald's Daughter

by Ainslie Manson, Bill Wand (Illustrator)

Manson, Ainslie

Hardcover

About the author

I grew up in Hudson Heights (near Montreal). I had a happy outdoorsy kind of childhood. I rode horses at a farm across the road. I rode my bike to school, and to the store and to the library. We didn't have a family car until I was ten.

I loved books as a child but because of the war, I had few of my own. (A little like Sally in my story, Just Like New.) I had really poor eyesight (a little like Allison in my story Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses) and when I was in about Grade Four, an eccentric eye doctor informed my mother that I should be reading nothing but essential school work. Probably because of that skimpy beginning, I now read voraciously. In my school days, I spent a great deal of time staring out the window, deep in daydreams. I was extremely shy and hated it when the teachers asked me questions. I was happiest when we had a subject called Composition. I loved making up stories. I also kept a diary. Writing in my diary was like sharing secrets with a best friend.

After high school I could have (and probably should have) gone right on to university, but in those days it meant taking more math. I couldn't face that! So instead, I worked and then traveled. I didn't cover the whole world, but I saw a good deal of it. And I wrote about my experiences every night.

Back in Montreal, I met my husband. He was a Vancouverite and had come to Montreal to do his medical internship. During his training we lived in the States for several years and it was while we were there that I finally realized I wanted to make some sort of writing into a full time career. Full time university was out because I had a day job, so I took a three year creative writing course that I could work on in the evenings. We eventually settled in Vancouver where I wrote (badly) for magazines, and then (better) for newspapers. It wasn't until my life was totally chaotic with three active sons and hardly any free time that I found my true genre: writing for kids.

The boys are grown up now, but there is still a lot of coming and going at our house. Fortunately I have my own study and I always want to stay when I step in the door. Two dogs usually lie sleeping by my fireplace. On my favorite kind of day, I get up early, walk the dogs along the sea, then come home and write. I can see the sea from my study, so I STILL stare out the window and daydream!

Reviews

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baboo- The Story of Sir John A. McDonald’s Daughter- Ainslie Manson- Illustrator Fry Bill Wand- Children’s Illustrated colour picture book- Margaret Mary Theodora Macdonald, the daughter of Sir John A. Macdonald and his second wife, Agnes Bernard, was born in 1869, but it was soon realized she was not developing normally. It was found that she will never able to walk. She spent her life on a wheelchair. In the book, Mary remembers that first, that she turned her chair towards the road to see her father returning home from office, second, each day early morning, she was taken to her parent’s bedroom. She would cuddle and rest with her father. Her father used to narrate a story to her at this time. At home, her pet name was Baboo. Her father spoke to her about her curly hair and that her nose was like her father’s nose. When her father visited other cities for political work, she dictated her letters to her father and received his replies. During vacations, she stayed with her grandmother. She was taken to hear her father’s debate in Parliament and often listened to political discussions in the family home. She also enjoyed pantomimes, church bazaars and other social events that were typical of her time. Lord Dufferin was the Governor of Canada. He had five children. Baboo would join Governor’s children during plays and parties. Her father gifted a typewriter to her on her birthday which she learned to use. Singer Emma Albani and Mr Sandford Fleming Scientist were her friends. They attended her birthday. She typed her extensive correspondence on her typewriter for her whole life. When her father expired, she was 22- year old. Baboo shifted to London where she died at 64, a very advanced age for a person with her difficulties in that era. There can be no question that the love of her family and the active life they enabled her to lead were important to both her independence and the quality of her life. This is an interesting book for children. The message is always be hopeful in each circumstance in life. I have read this book in Hindi language. Coloured illustrations help the reader to understand the script.