A Literary Analysis by Megan in grade eight
Citation:
Bouchard, David. The Colours of British Columbia. Vancouver: Raincoast Books, 1994.
Reliability:
I know this author is reliable because he has written five other books including the best selling If You’re Not from the Prairie… and the award-winning The Elders are Watching. I also know he is a reliable because he is now a school principal in West Vancouver and a popular storytelling performer in schools throughout Canada.
Category:
The category of this perfect picture book is repetitive pattern, informational pattern and rhythm-rhyme pattern. It is a repetitive pattern because the author uses “I remember” more than once at the beginning of sentences. It is also an information pattern because it tells readers about beautiful British Columbia and the wonderful colours in the towns in which we live. This amazing illustrated picture also contains a rhythm-rhyme pattern because the author uses “een” words in the same sentences. The author also uses “ame” sounds and “o” sounds.
Short Annotation:
This wonderful picture book describes, in words and pictures, famous sites in beautiful British Columbia. This book has amazing paintings which I am sure readers would love. It is recommended for readers of all ages.
Point of View:
This picture book is in the 2nd person point of view. Here are some examples:
- pg.12 “You’ll probably remember clowns at the circus or toys that were lost as you’ve grown”
- pg. 22 “To learn of our brown, you will have to go into the heart of our wonderful land.”
- pg. 24 “To seek out our purple you’ll have to go down to the beach anytime of the year.”
Tense:
The tense of this picture book is present tense. Here are some examples:
- pg.12 “It’s always the colour we see in the evening, a sunset so often aflame.”
- pg.8 “Let me now tell you, while fresh in my memory, i found my first colour in trees.”
- pg.18 “Of the moaning and calling of distant fog horns, like a crying with no one around.”
Literary Excellence:
Alliteration:
- pg.18 “…it’s a spirit that speaks…”
- pg.12 “It’s like a picture, painted on velvet…”
- pg. 12 “… a sunset so often aflame.”
- pg.10 “… tall trees…”
- pg.14 “… this truly…”
Consonance:
- pg.8 “more and mere”
- pg.14 “ were and here”
- pg.14 “ earth and birth”
- pg.29 “wondrous and gardens
- pg. 28 “ winter and summer”
Simile:
- pg.12 “It’s just like a picture, painted velvet…”
- pg.12 “Well it doesn’t look like velvet, it does looks like dreams…”
- pg. 18 “Somewhat like blue but softer and wet…”
- pg.18 “That feels much like rain, hung low in a cloud with tones of soft gentle clay”
- pg.18 “…like a crying with no one around.”
Repetition:
- pg.10 “ I remember…” “I remember…” “I remember…”
- pg. 29 “ It’s not just our wondrous gardens” “It’s not just our mountain trails.”
- pg. 29 “ It’s more than our B.C. fruit.” “It’s more than our salmon or whales.”
- pg. 10 “…unless you have stood deep in the rain.” “Stood deep in our forest…”
- pg. 16 “…blue…blue…”
Connection:
I can connect to this picture book because when I was little I traveled around B.C with my family. I hardly remembered what anything looked like, but reading this book reminded me of all the beautiful sights I saw so long ago. Reading this picture book also reminded me of all the colour we have here in B.C. I guess I still travel B.C, just not as much. But I still go in summertime, for a couple of weeks, to Kelowna and places like Peachland, West Bank, and Summerland. (One summer I even went to Rattlesnake Island, in the middle of Okanagan Lake, to a place where customers can park their boats right in front of a restaurant!) Every summer, I also go up to 100 Mile House and stay with my grandfather for a couple of weeks. We travel up to Williams Lake and Prince George and go fishing, quading and horseback riding. I love travelling to far-away places. I like seeing the beauties of nature and visiting all the little towns. This picture book by Bouchard brought back all those wonderful memories.
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