• Age: 6 to 8
• Grade: 1 to 3
• Reading age: 6 to 8

What do you do about a peacock in your backyard?

World War II has just ended and Barbara is waiting for things to get back to normal. But, instead, her father has to travel to Europe, leaving their Toronto home behind. His company has a plan to give Jewish refugees jobs as tailors so they can immigrate to Canada with their families. So Barbara gets left with her rabble-rousing brothers and her melancholy mother...and a peacock that has just moved into the backyard. Her mother won't go near it, and it clearly needs some other place to call home. The zoo says they don't have room for another animal, but they can't tell her how many they have. So what's one more? Barbara comes up with a plan involving peanut butter cookies and her trusty wagon to bring the peacock to a safe home at the zoo—before winter hits.

Based on the true story of the author's own grandfather, Sam Posluns, who, along with several other Jewish business leaders, created the "Garment Workers' Scheme" (aka The Tailor Project). This was a way of unlocking Canada’s harsh immigration laws and providing many refugees with a safer and happier future.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod is a Canadian writer who lives in northern Israel. She writes award-winning books for Jewish kids and families, as well as fiction, nonfiction and poetry for a range of publications. She has won PJ Library’s Author Incentive Award twice, along with SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award, the only peer-selected award for excellence in the field of children’s literature.

Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod's profile page

Jaimie MacGibbon is a children’s illustrator living in the small mountain town of Nelson, British Columbia. She is a self-taught artist who enjoys working with both traditional and digital media. Jaimie loves using expressive line work, playing with light and creating characters full of life. Her work celebrates the beauty of everyday life, curiosity and imagination.

Jaimie MacGibbon's profile page

“The author has based the contents of The Peacock on her own family history, and it’s a way for young children to learn a little about the impact of war, especially World War II and its impact on the Jews and the many other refugees…Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“A quick, lighthearted read laced with humor and broken up with black-and-white artwork…Barbara’s a winsome protagonist sure to endear herself to readers…A gentle entry point into a complex history.”

Kirkus Reviews

“Told in short and digestible chapters, this chapter book packs a narrative punch…and provides a glimpse into a less well-known historical moment for readers to learn about.”

Booklist

“A touching and educational illustrated chapter book that highlights empathy, resourcefulness, and the importance of community. An enriching addition to library bookshelves.”

School Library Journal

“The author has done a super job of introducing this difficult history to a child reader learning about World War II for the first time. The lighthearted challenge of the peacock balances the heaviness of the war and its aftermath. With lively illustrations, this book would be an especially good classroom read.”

The Historical Novel Society, Historical Novels Review (HNR)