The Girl Who Loved Poutine

Written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson

Illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi

Sleeping Bear Press

978-1-534113169

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

2024

A story about poutine, about regional and cultural differences across Canada, and about a family get-together for a birthday on July 1st? It doesn't get much more Canadian than that.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

Zoey is looking forward to her fifth birthday, a day on which she will enjoy her favourite food: poutine.

Zoey closes her eyes and imagines . . .
french fries and gravy and squeaky cheese curds.
SQUEAK. SQUEAK. SQUEAK.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

Zoey may help her dad make his famous poutine but what she doesn't know is that all the relatives have decided to have a poutine contest to celebrate the special day. And with each entry and tasting by Zoey comes a story and a feeling. There's Aunt Janice's Newfoundland and Labrador poutine with breadcrumbs, onions, and salt meat. For Zoey, it brings back memories of a trip to St. John's and kitchen parties. Aunt Anne and Uncle Liam's PEI poutine has lobster while Aunt Celine's Montreal poutine has smoked bacon, onions and maple syrup.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

With each new dish, Zoey gets a different memory, travelling from Newfoundland to Saskatchewan and Yellowknife and elsewhere in Canada and in time with family. Who wins the poutine contest? It's the girl who loves poutine, of course.

From The Girl Who Loved Poutine, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Rachel Qiupi

Poutine is such a quintessential food from Quebec, though adopted and adapted across Canada and the world. But Lorna Schultz Nicholson doesn't just make this a book about the food–a recipe is included, as are facts about the dish–but she makes it a story of family and Canada. Zoey may love poutine, but she certainly has close bonds with all her family, and their poutines are memory cues for times spent together enjoying the cultures and people of different provinces and territories. It's marvelous that the reader can learn about the various poutines, and the story would be a fabulous lesson starter about the attributes of different Canadian provinces and territories. Lorna Schultz Nicholson may not have intended The Girl Who Loved Poutine to be a teaching prompt for social studies, but wouldn't this be a great way to be introduced to the places and people of Canada?

Toronto's Rachel Qiupi, who appears to blend digital with traditional techniques, ensures that Lorna Schultz Nicholson's story is both lighthearted and informative. From the wonderfully colourful scenes and characters to the detailed poutines–for example, Nona's pasta sauce and the bacon on Aunt Celine's are apparent–Rachel Qiupi establishes an authentic and sunny vibe to The Girl Who Loved Poutine.

Whether you're a teacher or parent who wants to use this story as a lesson starter or just a kid who loves poutine, The Girl Who Loved Poutine will tickle your taste buds and have you longing for squeaky cheese curds, or maybe something else atop your fries.