I”m a Social Studies teacher by trade with a Masters degree in Canadian history. That makes me someone who’s always looking for a new or different way to get people (and especially kids) interested in the history of their country.
So – lucky me – last week while hanging out in a book store I stumbled across Chester Brown’s Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography. Brown has a very simple style of line drawings, nothing dramatic or overly ornate. The characature style employed on the characters in the story keeps them easily recognizable: You can always tell who Sir John A. Macdonald is by his bulbous nose, likely as much a comment on his looks as his drinking.
Like any author, Brown has a perspective. He’s sympathetic to Riel though he does deal with the madness many historians attribute to him. He makes Macdonald seems like a conniving louse who deliberately incited the Metis to rebellion. Is either viewpoint fair? You be the judge.
I think the book will capture students’ attention. It’s easier to read than a standard biography, and the pictures are fun at times. You’ll want to keep the kids aware of the book’s biases, of course, and for a research paper this may fall short if you want an extra source. Yet as a tool to stimulate general interest or encourage weaker students Brown’s book is a good choice.
According to Chester Brown’s Wikipedia page, the author of Louis Riel has been involved in some odd projects. For example, he created a character whose adventures “include being chased by cannibalistic pygmies and having the tip of his penis replaced by the head of a miniature Ronald Reagan from another universe.” However odd some of his other projects were, this one’s a good one and worth a closer look.