Ainslie Manson is well known for fine historical picture books such as A Dog Came, Too and Just Like New. Her latest, a picture-book biography of Sir John A. Macdonald’s disabled daughter, Mary, is not as successful.

Mary, called Baboo by a doting father, was a remarkable person. Brain-damaged, unable to walk or talk clearly and confined to a wheelchair, she managed nonetheless to lead a rewarding and (for the time) very long life. We learn about her through well-chosen anecdotes in this carefully researched account. Manson includes an exchange of charming letters between Mary and her father. Like A Dog Came, Too, this book looks at a historical figure from the sidelines, so we meet Mary’s famous father as well. An afterword and period photo of baby Mary on the back cover complete the story.

Bill Wand’s bright drawings on a textured white ground are problematic. Though clearly done by an accomplished artist with an eye for colour, the child-like execution seems aimed at a younger audience (preschool) than the text, which seems intended for 6- to 9-year-olds. This approach dilutes the impact of Mary’s enlarged head – all the people are drawn in fairly crude fashion, and she doesn’t look any different. It therefore disguises one aspect of her disability in a way not consistent with the text, which describes a girl accepted as she is by family and friends. Naive art can be an excellent choice for a picture-book biography – witness the Ann Blades illustrations for A Dog Came, Too – but in this instance it just doesn’t work.