An Irish Country Family

      By Patrick Taylor

With the current pandemic keeping us apart from those we love, I am finding it important to connect in other ways. My reading choices of late seek comfort and escape and this has led me back to old friends, Doctor Fingal Flaherty O’Reilly, and Dr. Barry Laverty, GPs of the Irish village of Ballybucklebo. Irish born Canadian author, Patrick Taylor, brings the village to life in his Irish Country Series that is set in the 1960’s, a time of some incredible medical breakthroughs, and some political upheaval.

 My current read in the series is An Irish Country Family which, although set in 1969, contains the perfect story line for today’s times.  This chapter in the lives of the Ballybucklebo residents shows how a small village takes care of its own at a time when Northern Ireland is being torn apart by the tumultuous riots that began the 30 year “troubles.”

 While Taylor weaves in the violence, it is always just on the periphery and our little village demonstrates how the conflict does not affect how they live their daily lives. The village comes together to rebuild a family home that was destroyed by fire, to raise funds for children to attend a new camp, and to help each other in times of illness, with Protestants and Catholics, Loyalists and Republicans each working side by side to shore up the village family.

 This volume (#14) is particularly poignant as it travels back in time to Dr. Barry Laverty’s medical student days. He is beginning to practice at the Royal Hospital, where he rotates through different wards to help him decide where he wants to focus his medicine. In his work, Laverty meets many patients and fellow physicians who become friends and help steer him towards his preferred specialty.  Barry dislikes the practice of referring to patients by their affliction, rather than their name. Barry believes that each patient deserves to be treated with care and compassion, a feeling that leads him to join the general practice in Ballybucklebo. 

 The bonds of family, friends and general human kindness resonate through Ballybucklebo, and give the series the warm fuzzies we are looking for in this time of separation. It reminds us that collectively we are stronger and shows us the importance of neighbourly love and support in times of strife.

 

                          

Sunny Days

Book Review: Sunny Days by David Kamp

Most of us, no matter how old (or young) we are, know about Sesame Street, the Muppets, and Mr. Rogers, among other children’s television staples. But who among us knows the beginnings of these shows that transformed children’s programming in the 1970s? David Kamp’s Sunny Days takes us on a wonderful journey down memory lane that lets us inside the creation of these cultural icons that taught kids about diversity, the alphabet and feminism in the 1970s.

 The idea for Sesame Street was born in the late 60s by two friends over dinner. Joan Ganz Cooney, a television producer, and Lloyd Morrisett, a psychologist interested in early childhood development, saw the possibility that television could be used as a tool to teach young children. Together they founded the Children’s Television Workshop, which created Sesame Street.  Their timing was right as there was a general political and social move to diminish learning gaps between children of differing economic status, helping them start school on a level playing field.

 A forerunner in presenting a well thought out, eclectic program, Sesame Street consciously presented a cast that was representative of neighbourhoods in the 60s and 70s. From the start, the cast was varied and included underrepresented groups like people of colour and women who worked. The show discussed timely topics including race and feminism while actively engaging their young audience. Despite the occasional criticism of what they were trying to do, the Children’s Television Workshop team remained dedicated to their goals. The show became a place people wanted to be part of, not for the money, but because it was a place where they could make a difference.

 Sunny Days is a well-researched story of not only the birth of Big Bird, but also how many other children’s shows of the time, Mr. Rogers, The Electric Company, Free to be….You and Me, and Schoolhouse Rock! were all positive influencers of preschool children’s learning in the 60s and 70s. The creative team took a lot of what they had observed in preschool children’s reactions to television overall and applied the same tools to the children’s programs. Snappy shorts that kept children engaged rather than turning them into TV zombies proved to be a successful approach. In fact, many of the short spots were created by admen of the day, applying the same advertising campaign principles that made a jingle stick in your mind. Do you, like me, burst into song with “Conjunction Junction, what’s your function…..” at random times? If you are not sure what I am talking about, many of these older items live on at YouTube, where you too can be reminded of, or learn, a jingle to help you with your ABCs and many other preschool tricks.

Sunny Days is a great trip into a time when a small group of like-minded individuals decided they could make a difference, and they did just that. Kamp’s research is thorough and engaging, and sparked many memories for me and I hope it will for you, too.

 Helen Varga is a Library Technician at the Steveston Branch of Richmond Public Library.