Children’s books unveiled in Whitney Pier as part of N.S. Polish Heritage Month

Bookstores often come with a table full of recommended reads, and it was no different at St. Mary's Polish Parish in Whitney Pier, N.S., on Sunday.

A promotional poster was unveiled with a list of 30 books kids and their parents might want to flip through during Polish Heritage Month in Nova Scotia.

"A whole bunch of children’s books by Polish authors, available with English translations,” explained Tom Urbaniak of St. Mary’s Polish Parish.

Though they are children's books, some have a distinct tie to Polish history's darkest chapter.

"One of the authors, Janusz Korczak, several of his titles are part of the poster, died in 1942 in The Holocaust,” Urbaniak said.

Korczak is remembered as a hero of the Warsaw ghetto, who died because he refused to leave orphans who were being sent to the gas chamber.

"His children's books often have important messages about leadership, or subtle critiques of things that adult societies do or prejudices of adult society, but written in a way that's accessible to a young audience,” Urbaniak said.

Tracy Wilson, coordinator of community support for the Cape Breton Regional Library, said she is thrilled to now have the books on hand.

"I can't imagine anything more fitting in the month of September than people to have the opportunity to learn and read about and celebrate Polish culture”, Wilson said.

This is the first year that a Polish Heritage Month was marked nationally, which took place back in May.

"Nova Scotia was the first province, the first jurisdiction, to designate a Polish Heritage Month,” Urbaniak said.

Urbaniak added he's not surprised that Nova Scotia was ahead of the curve.

"That all of the organizations and all of the communities in Nova Scotia where there's a Polish presence, a longstanding Polish presence, have a warm rapport, and just sort of feed off each other,” he said. “There's a lot of positive energy, and I just feel blessed to be part of a community like that."

Free activities are planned fhroughout the rest of September in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, to mark the remainder of Nova Scotia’s Polish Heritage Month.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.