• Age: 7 to 10
• Grade: 2 to 5

Nine-year-old Mayann Francis and her family are travelling from their home in Cape Breton to New York City by train. Everything is exciting to young Mayann, from the beds that fold down to the stop in Montreal to visit friends. Most exciting of all is the chance to show off her brand new purse. When the Francis family arrives in big, bustling New York City, Mayann visits with relatives, goes to the zoo, and rides the subway. She even receives a beautiful black doll, something she has never seen before. But one subway ride, she loses her beautiful purse. At first she’s heartbroken, but she just might learn a lesson that makes the whole trip worthwhile.

Mayann Francis was the 31st lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia and the first Black person to hold that position. She was raised in Whitney Pier, Nova Scotia, and was educated in Canada and the United States. She was CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and held other senior positions in Ontario and her home province before her appointment. She lives in Halifax.

Francis Mayann's profile page

Tamara Thiébeaux Heikalo is the illustrator of six books for children, including Driftwood Dragons and The Cat from Kosovo. She has been an artist from very early on in her life, creating whimsical, caricatural, and realistic imagery.

Tamara Thiébeaux Heikalo's profile page