Reviews (32)

Miss Rumphius
Miss Rumphius is about Lady, who when younger traveled all over the world just like she told her Grand-father she would. After she traveled many places she hurt her back, so she moved into a house by the sea(also like she told her Grand-father she would), she also planted Lupines(which she loves) and just lived life to the fullest. She was told that she also had to make the world more beautiful.

This is a very good story that says that the simplist things make your life and world a better place. I would recommend the book to everyone, it is a very good read.

Lynsi

Magical simplicity for a more beautiful world!
Miss Rumphius is everything that a child's book should be! It is filled with the beauty of simple things and simple acts that have magical results!

I always think of Maine when I read this book, and plan to give it as a gift to our out of town friends this summer as they share our daughter's Maine wedding by the sea with us! I will ask each of them to share Miss Rumphius with a child. Bravo to Barbara Cooney!

My Favorite Book of All Time
I received this book on my 8th birthday & begged my mom to read it to me over & over again. It has left such a lasting memory with me. Now 26, my 3 year old daughter begs me to read it to her. I of course, jump at the chance. Every little girl needs to have this book in their collection.

Miss Rumphius
Miss Rumphius is a very good book. It is about a little girl named Alice who lived in a city by the sea. She told her grandfather that when she grew up she would travel around the world and live in a little house by the sea. Her grandfather said that was all very well but she would also have to do something to make the world more beautiful. When Alice got older she traveled all over the world and saw many different things and did many neat things too. Then she bought a little house by the sea, but she still had not done anything to make the world more beautiful. One spring she was ill. When she looked out her bedroom window she could see the lupines she had planted the summer before. They were so pretty, she wished she could have planted more. When she got better, she went outside and found lupines all over the hill. She knew the wind must have done it. Then she had an idea; she would sprinkle lupine seeds everywhere she went. That was what she would do to make the world more beautiful. And she did.

My Favorite
This will always be my all-time favorite book. This story spans four generations as we first meet Alice as a young girl who helps her grandfather. As a girl she proclaims, "I too will travel the world and come home to live by the sea." Her grandfather informs her that there is a third thing she must do, "something to make the world more beautiful." After a time of being "grown up" it hits Alice (Miss Rumphius) that she has not yet seen the world and she sets off at once. (I love this part - as that is exactly what happened to me and other 'world travelers' I know). She then returns home to live by the sea and next she must think of a way to make the world more beautiful. The story is narrated by the great-neice of Miss Rumpius so told from a child's perspective. This book has multiple beautiful messages for people of all ages. I have even given copies to freinds who are adults. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not just for children
This book is for anyone - of any age - who has lost anything of beauty or anything they love. Children will love it, but don't keep it from the adults. I still can't read it without crying.

Deep book about dealing with loss
The best thing about this book is its refusal to play games with your child's mind. Rejecting the shameless tear-jerking of so much media aimed at children, this book embraces the grand tradition of children's books that takes children seriously. This is a book about dealing with loss about about letting go, but also a book that makes the reader reflect on what is good about life. Warts and all, life is sweet. As a historian, I really appreciate that Yolen tries hard to show what her valley was like AND what it is like after the dam is built. Kids are frightened when they see orchards being ripped out for suburbs; this is a book about dealing with that kind of loss.

Should have packed an emotional whallop
"Drowing towns" I had never heard of such a thing and was highly interested in reading this book about a remarkable event in history.
(Though apparently it has happened worldwide)

To be honest .. I was disappointed. What should have been an emotional, impactful story turned out to be rather bland.

The writing was choppy, (difficult to read out loud) pictures ho-hum (even though I love Barbara Cooney!) and the overall intensity was not there as I thought it should be. Afterall we are talking about people leaving the homes and their way of life that had been in their families for generations.

I was expecting better. I think Patricia MacLachlan and Illustrator Ted Rand or Susan Jeffers could have made a real triumph out of this.

That said, _DO_ read this book. It is a remarkable event in history and this book is still worth reading.

moving & important -- a great place to bring your kid's mind
The concept of water -- where does it come from, how do we use it, where does it go when we are done with it -- is a big topic in our busy household. Both of my kids are interested in the environment and conservation, and I think a lot of that interest can be attributed to a small set of books -- Letting Swift River Go among them -- that were a part of their bedtime often throughout the beginnings of their childhood. My youngest son, in fact, is eleven now, but still pulls this book out and reads it to himself and to others on occasion.

You'll find the great writing here that you expect from Jane Yolen, along with a plot that serves as a vehicle for commentary that allows children to look at the cost of progress when it comes to building towns and cities.

Amazingly touching...great for kids and adults
This is one of the best children's books I've read in a long time. The story of the building of the Quabbin Resevoir in western MA is not a wide told story, but it should be. This book is clearly written so children can understand what was happeneing. The illustrations are also wonderful and will keep the children engaged. If you're the grown up reader, don't count on getting through this with a dry eye. It's definatly a book for ALL ages. ~Sarah Aziz Mount Holyoke College Sophomore (age 19) ... Read more

Reviews (10)

One of the Best!
This fantastic book depicts the story of an early farm family who raise animals, work their land, and make just about everything they need. That is only the begining! The story flows well, starting with a family working together preparing goods for papa to trade in town. It continues with papa trading or selling everything he has brought, including the ox team which he rode into town. He comes home bearing new items, (and a few treats!)to give to his family so they can begin preparing for another year, and another harvesting of goods to sell and trade. Gorgeous color illustrations will transport little ones into the more simple setting of a slower paced life, feeling of clean air, no electricity, and the satisfaction of seeing accomplishments and the rewards of patience and tasks well carried out.

Life in Historical America
The journey of a settler who packs up his cart with surplus that was grown, handmade, and raised on a farm in historical New England. The story takes the reader through what a family has to do to survive during this time period and what each part the family had in that survival. From a historical perspective an awesome book. With the love of history that I have on a personal note this story gives me clues to my own ancestors survival needs. I have two copies of this book one at home and one in my classroom. Very detailed illustrations, very accurate information on the settler's way of life and need for trading or selling off goods that the family helped make. The portrayal of the family with no electricity and providing their own means of survival. The story tells us that the farmer travelled ten days to reach the village of Portsmouth. I would've like to know which direction he came from, whether he had to travel from the south, the north or the west of the village. I would've also like to have know what he saw and who he might have met along the way.
Classroom Activities I do with this book:
Math - Seasons, Sequencing, Money, Trading/Selling, Time Art - Draw the seasons, quilts, weaving, looms, broom making, Science - Make candles, grow a pototo from a seed, make maple sugar,
Social Studies - 13 Colonies, Mapping Skills, Clothing, Occupations, Cooking
Reading - Write a sequel or pre-story to this book, illustrate one aspect of story or write about who he might have met along the way and which direction he came from.

Have you seen, the Ox-Cart Man, the Ox-Cart Man...
Most books that focus on continuity and the circle of life/the seasons/etc. like to concentrate on that theme via animals munching on other animals. We sometimes forget that there are subtler ways to present this same theme. Consider the lovely "Ox-Cart Man" by Donald Hall. A 1980 Caldecott Award winner, the tale focuses on the yearly passage of one man selling his goods only to do it all over again the next year. Ultimately this is one of the most comforting books out there.

The book takes place in what looks to be the mid 19th century. A man that is never named lives on a farm with his wife, daughter, and son. The book begins with the family packing his cart with the various goods they have to sell. There are mittens knit by his daughter, shawls spun and woven by his wife, and birch brooms carved by his son. The book catalogues the items packed away in an oddly riveting fashion. Next, the man travels on foot to a harbor town named Portsmouth. There, he sells the items including his beloved ox. There's a shot of the man kissing his ox good-bye on the nose, which (when you consider the slime factor) is simultaneously touching and gross. He next goes out and buys an iron kettle, an embroidery needle for his daughter, a knife for his son, and two pounds of wintergreen peppermint candies. The man walks home to his family waiting for him and as the seasons pass they build up their items to sell once more. One of my favorite lines is the last one. "And geese squawked in the barnyard, dropping feathers as soft as clouds".

Those people who follow poetry will recognize the name Donald Hall and appreciate the simplicity of his writing in this book. I loved that it began without explaining or pausing, immediately launching into a description of the man loading up his cart. When adult writers or poets write for children, they usually haven't a clue how to go about it (paging Madonna...). Mr. Hall does not suffer from this dilemma. He knows exactly how to make a book that could have been dry and dull, fascinating. Therefore, he uses the repetition of lines to catch the ears of kids. There's an entire page in this book that contains ten lines all beginning with the words, "He sold". I'm both old and young enough to remember when "Ox-Cart Man" was read on Reading Rainbow (one of the very few Caldecott winners to appear on that show) and even as a kid I loved the words in this story. I assure you that this book, for whatever other flaws you may chose to find in it, is not boring in the least.

I was especially taken with the illustrations in this book as well. Illustrator Barbara Cooney is no stranger to Caldecott medals. Having already illustrated the magnificent (and I highly recommend it) "Chanticleer and the Fox", her award count is higher than most. For this book, Cooney adopted a style that has a great many similarities to the kinds of outsider art created during the 19th century. The characters in this book have a kind of purposely flat presence on the page. At the same time, Cooney hasn't sacrificed perspective or the illusion of distance in these prints. Each page is both beautiful and simple, matching the text word for word with appropriate pictures. If the book says that there were turnips, cabbages, a wooden box of maple sugar, and potatoes then by gum you're going to see every single one of those objects on the opposing page. As a kid, I'd always be disturbed by picture books where the words failed to match the text. Here I have no such fears.

Some picture books are filled with bright snazzy flash-in-the pan illustrations and narratives that will date themselves in ten years or less. Others are quiet simple offerings that display beauty as well as a kind of central integrity. "Ox-Cart Man" is in the latter category. This is a book that will be loved for decades and that will only grow more precious in the eyes of children as the years go on. For a fun pairing, try reading it to your kiddies with "Swamp Angel", by Anne Isaacs. Books like this one should be treasured. Fortunately, I think this one already is.

My daughter's favorite read aloud
Between my husband and I , we must have read this book hundreds of times. My daughter always found it a source of comfort before bedtime. Why? Who knows for sure, but it is a lyrical, yet matter of fact, tale of a family that produces all it needs to live that is reassuring and lovely.

A fantastic book for teaching history
I used this book with my third grade class in talking about the skills that our ancestors needed in order to survive. The book is about a man who takes a cart load of goods to town and sells everything including the ox! My students loved the ending, but I won't give that away. This is a must have for the classroom. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

The Most Extraordinary Children's Book
When the Sky is Like Lace by Elinor Lander Horwitz should absolutely be reissued. I can't believe that it is out of print. A friend is having a baby shower and out of the hundred books my two year old loves to hear, this is an absolute favorite. We regularly read him my husband's copy from childhood and I wanted to be able to share this with my friend's child. The story is fabulous, fanciful, rhythmic, and utterly beyond my imagination. The drawings are so deeply rooted to the story that they seem to move as you read along (such as when the trees "eucalyptus" or when the sky is "bimulous"). I am so grateful to my mother-in-law for tucking this book away for all those years. Please please someone reissue this book so more children can relish the fantastic images and situations it creates for us. Much gratitude to the author for her tremendous gift that she shared with us back in 1975 and that I will continue to extend to other children as my son and his friends grow.

Magical, amazing, WONDERFUL book for children or adults
This book should be brought back into print right away! I am fortunate enough to own a copy, but when I looked it up to buy a copy for a friend, I was saddened to find it out of print. This is definitely one of the top 3 children's books ever written that is generally unknown to the public. This is very sad, as every child should grow up reading this book! I was enchanted with it in my childhood, and still am. I could not wait until I could share this gem with my own children. My 3-year-old son now loves it as well. The fanciful storyline leads children into a wonderful land that is part real, part fantasy. The illustrations are magical. The words are wonderful...they add to the imagination of the story in a wonderfully lyrical way. An example: "the trees are aslant at the midnight end of the garden..." and even the recurring theme of a "bimulous night when the sky is like lace." Please, someone, re-print this amazing book! On nights when "the sky is like lace," my son now points out, "Look mommy...it's bimulous!" No child should be without this captivating, enchanting picture book.

THE PERFECT CHILDREN'S BOOK - FINALLY BACK IN PRINT
Both the young and the young-at-heart will adore this wonderful and wondrous book. The bewitchingly lyrical text is complemented sublimely by the beautiful illustrations. My two children couldn't put their copies down and nor could I.

Every child should have the good fortune to be gifted with "When The Sky Is Like Lace". This book is a perfect - and delightfully "different" - gift for every occasion, from birthdays to baby showers. It's a rarity amongst children's books - a true keeper that will become a family favorite for generations to come.

Please Reprint this Book!
I remember reading this book to my daughter 20 plus years ago. Now I want to get a copy to read to her children and cannot find it anywhere except at "collectors" rates. I just want the book - doesn't have to be a first edition or anything. Please someone reprint this book!

Please Reprint This Book!
I first heard of this book while taking a Children's Lit course in college. When our professor read it aloud to us as an example of one of the finest pieces of children's literature she knew, I was stunned that it was out of print. I checked it out of the college library over and over and never tired of its flowing, musical, beautiful text and its equally inspiring pictures. I am crushed that I can't find an affordable copy to buy. Why is this amazing book out of print? I want to pass copies out to every child (and most adults) I know. I want to read it to my own children someday. ... Read more

Book Description

Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill -- nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo -- but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops. Come with us there, where all you need to gallop fast and free is a long stick and a soaring imagination.

In glowing desert hues, artist Barbara Cooney has caught the magic of Alice McLerran's treasured land of Roxaboxen -- a place that really was, and, once you've been there, always is.

Reviews (18)

An incredible world for kids
This was my absolute favorite book as a child: I loved imagining the world of Roxaboxen as the children who 'lived' there did and I loved creating my own Roxaboxens in my world.Alice McLerran's kids taught me how to make my own places and times and adventures in my own universe.The entire book was so beautiful that I still smile whenever I see kid's books and remember my favorite or when someone asks me what my favorite book from childhood was.

Wonderful picture book geared towards adults
Roxaboxen is a lovely story about a childhood playground created by the author's mother, her mother's siblings and her mother's friends.

While children will enjoy the pictures and may get some great ideas for building their own Roxaboxen "town", adult readers are the ones who will truly treasure this story. Its sweet nostalgic look at childhood is a catalyst for our own stories and memories to return. Cooney's pictures are appropriate and enjoyable but subdued.

Overall, a nice memorial to the real Roxaboxen and its residents.

Roxaboxen
Roxaboxen was one of my favorite books growing up as a child.I used to pass by Roxaboxen almost every week and we (me and my siblings) would play games just like in the story.It is a fun-loving and imaginative story that all kids and adults should read.The illustrations are incrdible and the book reminds me of when I was a child.A great read for all ages.

Very nice book for adults.
Lovely, haunting, poetic book -- for adults.

But, for a child, nostalgia for "the way we all used to play outdoors in an abandoned lot, decades ago" doesn't make a very interesting topic. Certainly there have been no repeat requests for this book at story hour.And mine is not a child who shuns the haunting, the subtle, the poetic.

More than a Children's Story...
This is a wonderful inspiration for anyone who works with or for children.Teachers and educators sometimes forget that we have a lasting and concrete effect on the children we serve.Do they remember us?ROXABOXEN answers with an emphatic YES!The memories of childhood are forever and the impact is widespread. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Book.
I think that this is a great book. It is not just for small children but for people of all ages. It is a moving story about the life and death of a man who spends most of it on one island. We can only envy him.

touching story of family life in turn of century America
Through the eyes of Matthias we watch the times change from a bucolic country life by the sea to a vacation haven for the rich and wealthy mainlanders. But throughout Matthias and his family strive to keep the island beautiful and respect the old ways passing them on from one generation to the next. The pastoral illustrations convey the warmth of this possibly best of Barbara Cooney's tales. Boys will especially like it, although my daughters loved it, too. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Sweet story with a good conclusion
Hattie grows up in growing New York City, creating, participating with her wealthy family and occasionally talking about what she will do with her life. She accepts the changes her father goes through that affects her and she does her best with them.

Finally, one day she makes her big announcement that she will become a painter. Thankfully, her family is happy with her choice and compares her to her famous painting grandfather, but Hattie is able to tell that she will be, "a painter like Me." My daughter appreciates the message that this creative, painting girl grows up to do what her heart tells her to do, in the way she plans.

A Must Read for Every Young Girl!
We had to finally buy this book, because I had simply borrowed it from the library too many times! Hattie who is from a well to do German immigrant family has a mind of her own. While her sister excels at all the correct things such as needlepoint and piano, Hattie has no interest and is off drawing pictures. She looks to the ocean, her lifelong friend, for reassurance that she is choosing the correct path. From the wonderful German traditions and occasional word to the detailed pictures of life at the turn of the century, Barbara Cooney has written a true joy to read.

too wonderful for words
I am a huge fan of Barbara Cooney, whose illustrations and words have made me want to travel like Miss Rumphius, live by the sea like Hattie, and read more biographies because of Eleanor(a role model of mine). Hattie and the Wild Waves tells of a little girlk whose wealthy family moves from seaside house to seaside house, each time with more passion from Hattie on her love for the sea. From her big sister's wedding to the pink card that tells her fortune, Hattie and her ambitious spirit will capture your heart, and the beautiful illustrations will capture your admiration. Read it. You will love it. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Emily
In this story this little girl is curious about her neighbor and this letter her mother recieved. He say footprints coming from her neighbors house to her door. This neighbor hasn't left her house in 20 years. This lady is Emily. Later in the story they decide to go visit her. They went to play music for her. Emily just wanted spring that is why she asked them to play her music n the letter. The little girl keeps thinking about the mystery of Emily when spring has come. This Emily is Emily Dickinson and she is shut in the house for so long because she is writing poetry. She has the little girls mother come to play music becase it inspires her. This is a very good story and might even be true story. I enjoyed it.

An ok mystery book to read
The book "Emily" was an ok book for me because I'm just not into mystery books but you other kids may like it. Its about a myth that a person is living in a yellow house and has never came out for 20 years. This little girl, Emily, has always wanted to go there and give the person some bulbs that grow into lillies in the spring. Will she do it? Who knows? You need to read the book to find out what happens next.

A Glimpse of Emily.....
"There is a woman on our street they call the Myth. She lives with her sister in the yellow house across the road. Her room is the one up on the left at the front. If you stand on tiptoe, you can see it peeping over the high hedge as you pass. She hasn't left her house in nearly twenty years. If strangers come to call, she runs and hides herself away. Some people say she's crazy. But to me she's Emily..." When our young narrator's mother is invited to cross the street and play the piano for the elusive Emily, the little girl can't wait to accompany her. Emily is nowhere to be seen, but Mother sits and nervously begins to play. "When Mother stopped she turned to me. A sound of clapping rippled down the stairs, and then a small voice like a little girl's. "Dear friend, you put the robin's song to shame. Play more. Already I can feel the spring." As her mother continues, the little girl creeps up the winding stairs to investigate, and at the bend at the top, finds a small woman dressed in white, sitting and listening to the beautiful music from below. From her pocket, our narrator takes out two lily bulbs. "I brought you some spring...If you plant them they will turn to lilies." Quickly Emily dashed off some words on a scrap of paper and handed it to her guest. "Hide this away, as I will hide your gift to me. Perhaps in time they both will bloom." And so as spring arrived, so did the lilies, and a young girl's special poem from Emily Dickinson..... Michael Bedard has captured the quiet and intriguing reclusive nature of Emily Dickinson in his well researched historical story. "In writing this book, I went to Amherst to visit the house where she lived. I sat in the parlor with the piano, visited the room where she wrote. I stood beneath her window and she lowered this story to me." His simple, eloquent, and engaging text transports the reader back in time to nineteenth century Amherst, Massachusetts, to spend an afternoon with Emily Dickinson. You can almost hear the piano drifting up the stairs, and the scratches of her pen as Emily dashes off a poem. Barbara Cooney's beautifully evocative oil paintings are rich in period detail, and complement the text with their quiet settings. With an Afterword to complete and enhance the story, Emily is truly a masterpiece of word and art, and a fascinating story that shouldn't be missed.

A charming vignette
This short glimpse of Emily Dickenson, through the eyes of a neighbor child, is kind, gentle and quietly poetic. My daughter, almost seven, gives it a thumbs up. I like it because it tells a nice story of human interaction, allowing for discussion of how people can be different and yet wonderful. It's pictorial illustrations lend detail to the story, and draw the young reader in. What poetry is exactly is a central theme. A nice book to read to a child, or for an older child to read alone.

Touching Story that also Teaches
The story of Emily Dickinson is a wonderful way to introduce students to a great poet in a poet profile lesson. Beautifully illustrated and told simply, yet powerfully, this is one book that will enlighten children to think not only about the poet, but also about the relationships, or friendships that children may have with a special adult (i.e., teacher or grandparent )An excellent gift for children and adults. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

This story is what Christmas is all about.
Holly and Ivy was originally published in Ladies Home Journal in the 1950s. My mom clipped the story from the magazine, and read it to me and my sister every Christmas. The lonely little orphan girl Ivy and the doll Holly who wished so much to have a child for Christmas, really touched a chord with us. For me it started a life-long love for Rumer Godden, especially for her doll stories. To fully appreciate the story, you have to hear it read aloud.

--Wishes can come true--
THE STORY OF HOLLY AND IVY is the tale of Ivy a small orphan girl who creates a pretend grandmother and then really tries to find someone who can be that real person for her. She leaves the orphanage at Christmas and is hopeful that her dreams will come true. She also longs for a beautiful doll and sees one in the window of a toy store. The doll's name is Holly and she has also been wishing; however, her wishes are for a little girl who will love her.

This book has everything; a toy store filled with wonderful toys that have personalities of their own, including a somewhat sinister owl named Abracadabra. We also meet Mrs. Jones who is lonely for a child and decides to decorate her house for Christmas as if she was expecting a child to visit. Her husband is a policeman who finds Ivy and brings her home. The book is appropriate for children ages 5-10 and I think that most children would love the story.

This is a very colorful book with lovely illustrations by Barbara Cooney. The author is Rumer Godden who is one of my favorite writers. Over the last few years, I've been locating any of her books that I can find for my library, including her stories for children. I'm writing reviews in the hope that her beautiful stories will continue to be read.

A warm and touching story!
Beautiful story telling! The author beatifully writes how an orphan's wish arrives on Christmas day. This story tells so clearly by use of narration and multiple personage dialogues to carry a chronological event and space. The minute I opened the book and read a few lines, I knew I was going to read it in one breath. One may get a bit discouraged by the large amount of litteracy compared to very little illustration (I felt that when I 1st browsed thru the book), but boy, was I glad to have looked past the 1st impression.

A Christmas tale for all seasons
Holly is a doll who wants a little girl for Christmas -- it is her fondest wish. Ivy is a little girl who wishes for a grandmother for Christmas. Everyone has left St. Agnes's Orphanage for the holidays and she is lonely, so she decides to find her mythical grandmother. Mrs. Jones feels that Christmas needs children. "Couldn't we have a little girl?" she asks. But Mr. Jones thinks she's daft. Add a sympathetic boy and a villainous toy owl and you have a page-turner.

Rumor Godden is the author of many fine and classic books for adults like THIS HOUSE OF BREDE and THE GREENGAGE SUMMER. Her rich and sumptuous writing guides stories full of delightful characters and, in the case of HOLLY AND IVY, little twists to the tale to surprise the reader.

If you're shy about reading "kiddie lit" for fun because you're an adult, find a child to read this to. And no matter what age -- teens will love the whimsy in the story as much as smaller children.

The illustrator is Barbara Cooney, a Caldecott Medal winner who has illustrated over a hundred books. She has captured the characters, setting and holiday appeal of the story in colorful pictures on every page.

Don't wait for Christmas! This is a story -- and a book -- for all seasons.

Christmas of the Heart
I would not think of letting a Christmas go by without reading this story to my grandchildren. I have read this story to my 3rd grade students for 12 years. Holly and Ivy are just right for each other, and good wins out in the end. Despite Abracadabra! ... Read more

Book Description

King of the barnyard, Chanticleer struts about all day. When a fox bursts into his domain, dupes him into crowing, and then grabs him in a viselike grip, Chanticleer must do some quick thinking to save himself and his barnyard kingdom.

Winner, 1959 Caldecott Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)
Winner, 1992 Kerlan Award ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The crowing Chanticleer sings
Who would have thought that a Canterbury Tale would prove appropriate for children? Illustrator Barbara Cooney has adapted the "Nun's Priest's Tale" to picture book format, turning it into a tale that warns against flattery. I'm just glad she didn't think of adapting "The Wife of Bath" tale. Thank goodness for small favors, eh?

In this story a widow and her two daughters live by themselves in the countryside. The focus of the story rests squarely on their cocky (ha ha) rooster Chanticleer. A bird with a harem (the book flaps description, not mine) of seven hens, Chanticleer has a fairly restive life. One day, however, a sly fox comes with flattering words and tricks poor Chanticleer into closing his eyes. It is only through the rooster's quick thinking that he is able to escape the fox and get away.

I've never read the original tale, so I'm not certain how this story adds up against it. Needless to say, I found it a funny amalgamation of several Aesop stories. Flattery was always utilized by Aesop in ways similar to this tale. In fact, Chanticleer's escape from the fox is nothing so much as an alternate version of the old story about the fox and the crow with a hunk of cheese. Cooney's illustrations do much to help this tale along. Using gorgeous pen and ink drawings and selective sections of color, this books at times looks like nothing so much as a collection of cheery Edward Gorey prints. The tale is quick and clean and I imagine many children will be fond it this particular retelling. All in all, an enjoyable book.

Chaucer's Tale Beautifully Told
Chanticleer and the Fox, an adaptation of the Nun's Priest's Tale, is a simple and delightful tale with a moral (or three) at the end. Chanticleer and the other characters learn about the dangers of failing to be watchful, talking when one should be silent, and trusting in flattery. Barbara Cooney's illustrations are simple and warm, yet she gives a glimpse of what life might have looked like for a family in the Middle Ages. The book is suitable for an early reader or for reading aloud to younger children, although older children and adults would enjoy it as well. If you want more Chaucer for older children, without the rhyme or Middle English, you might want to try The Canterbury Tales, Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, Illustrated by Victor G. Ambrus. Some material in that book, however, might need some parental guidance for younger readers. Chanticleer and the Fox is appropriate for children of all ages.

Great addition to children's literature collection
I have been looking for Newberry and Caldecott Award books for my 4 children and was happy to find this Caldecott Medal book from 1959. I love Barbara Cooney's "Miss Rumphius", and this adaptation of the Nun's Priest's Tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" was a delightful way to introduce my children to some classic literature. My girls got a glimpse of medieval times from the story and the illustrations, and I loved the simple way Barbara Cooney brought out the industry and economy of the poor widow as she takes care of her children, livestock and house. The pictures are precise and brilliant, but not overpowering. The description of Chanticleer elevates him from an ordinary rooster to a work of art. The story has the virtue of pointing out the folly of listening to flattery as well as the value of quick thinking on Chanticleer's part in a perilous situation. I didn't like the reference to trusting in dreams (nightmares), but felt I could incorporate it into a teaching point as I read it to my children. All in all, I am glad to add it to our collection. ... Read more

Book Description

Though she came from a wealthy and privileged family, Eleanor Roosevelt grew up in a cheerless household that left her lonely and shy. Years passed before Eleanor began to discover in herself the qualities of intelligence, compassion, and strength that made her a remarkable woman. In Eleanor, two-time Caldecott Medal winner Barbara Cooney paints a meticulously researched, lushly detailed picture of Eleanor's childhood world--but most importantly, she captures the essence of the little girl whose indomitable spirit would make her one of the greatest and most beloved first ladies of all time.

"There are many biographies of Eleanor Roosevelt, but this one is special...Cooney is at her artistic best." --Booklist

* Ages 5 up
* An ALA Notable Book
* An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
* A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
* A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
* An IRA-CBC Children's Choice Book ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Eleanor Roosevelt from the Beginning.....
"From the beginning the baby was a disappointment to her mother. She was born red and wrinkled, an ugly little thing. And she was not a boy." So begins Barbara Cooney's poignant and inspirational picture book biography of Eleanor Roosevelt's unhappy childhood. Born to beautiful and gregarious parents, this plain, shy, fearful little girl was orphaned at the young age of nine, and spent a lonely and isolated childhood living in the homes of her fabulously wealthy relatives. At the age of fifteen, her grandmother sent her off to Allenswood, a boarding school in Britain, and there under the tutelage of headmistress, Mlle. Souvestre, ugly duckling Eleanor began to grow and bloom, becoming the remarkable, poised, and confident woman America loved and admired..... Ms Cooney's well researched, gentle story is both fascinating and engaging as it captures the essence of an introverted and intelligent child trying to discover her true nature and talents, and is complemented by her marvelously evocative illustrations. Each picture is filled with meticulous late-nineteenth century detail, from the period dress and grand houses with their opulent interiors, to the captivating streets and parks of New York City, and country life on Long Island. Together word and art paint an intriguing and captivating picture of both little Eleanor, and the times in which she lived. With a short afterword detailing some of Mrs Roosevelt's later accomplishments, Eleanor is a superb introduction that is sure to whet the appetite of youngsters 6-10, and send them out looking for more.

What a moving book!
It leaves hope that a child who is rejected for being unattractive and shy can find a person who is accepting and willing to reach out to them. It also reminds me how important a teacher can be to bring out the best in a pupil and prepare them for adult life and self-acceptance.

disappointing
This story of Eleanor Roosevelt's life is a tremendous disappointment. I would never read this to my child. It starts off with ER's mother disappointed in her child's looks and does not ever recover from that terrible beginning. This could've been a story of what's inside being more important than what's outside, but it's not! Instead, try a fun, uplifting account of one part of ER's life with Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride.

A beautiful introduction to an important lady.
Barbara Cooney provides a true hero for all of today's children. This beautiful story of Eleanor Roosevelt's early life will serve not only as an introduction to this important lady but also as an inspiration to achieve great things in life. ... Read more

Book Description

This unforgettable tale, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Barbara Cooney, has become a seasonal classic-a touching and joyful story about courage and the power of family. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A tender story about real love to be read each Christmas
This book was brought home from school with my daughter in first grade. I was frantically trying to get ready for Christmas and was a little frustrated that at this particularly frantic moment, I was asked to read a book with so many words! With my daughter tucked in I began to read. After getting to the end, I couldn't wait to get downstairs and tell my husband about it. The peace and love that is Christmas is what this book so gently reminds you to focus on. It conjures in me the same emotions as when reading "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. This book should not be missed!

A noble, beautiful book, true in spirit and story.
This book ranks in the top five of the hundreds I have read to my children over the past ten years. It is sensitive but direct, artistic in its utter simplicity. The beautiful illustrations evoke the gentle, honest spirit of Appalachia in a true way. This book was given to my children by their grandmother, who lives in Appalachia. It brings us back home, and brings tears to our eyes everytime we read it.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree is recommended to all ages. The author is Gloria Houston. This picture book is very adventureous and fun to read.
In The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, a young girl Ruthie has to get a Balsam Christmas Tree to church on time for Christmas. If she does, she can be the Christmas angel for the Christmas play. Her father was sent to war right before Christmas. Ruthie doesn't get a Christmas present, O' wait she does. That's a mystery for you to find out.
Spend your time to reading The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree because this book is fabulous. It's so funtabulous and great. This book should be read at all ages. It just makes you feel like your right there in the story.

Delightful, Heartwarming
Beautifully illustrated, this is a story about the simpler days of life in rural Appalachia. Like the Little Match Girl, this family has so little, yet is not afraid to sacrifice so that others can enjoy Christmas. And by blessing others they are blessed in return.

A Masterfully Written Teaching Tool
As a teacher, I found this book so valuable as a teaching tool. It is a book that teaches the value of family, material things, memories, nature, and history. Life cycles, the seasons, and holidays are so important to the family in the book. It teaches how a family values relationships and plans for the future to insure those relationships. There is nothing hap-hazard in this masterfully written book. It is a true gem. I have found that it correlates to all subjects in primary grades and its historical value is supurb. The contribution of Gloria Huston's illustrations are a perfect blend with the text of the book. Text and illustrations hold each other's hands from beginning to end. I looked forward to using this book in my instruction each year. Few books have the perfection this one possesses. Buy it, read it over and over, and pass it on to posterity. Their lives will be richer for having experienced this book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I love sharing this book with young and adult friends!
Jerome Kildee is a shy stonecutter who retires to the redwood forest to be alone. He finds, instead, friendship for the first time in his life. Delightfully simple, soothing, and serene, this little book takes the reader into the heart of an unassuming man who finds joy in the animals and children he learns to know; the reader has the sublime opportunity of gaining the friendships Jerome finds in spite of his self-imposed isolation. His quiet ways allow for the local animals and children to invade his space, and that is when the fun begins. Jerome learns to relate to a variety of personalities and resolve the issues in an unusual community of innocence. The descriptions of his little home will charm you enough to want to retreat there. For anyone who enjoys nature and self discovery, Kildee house is a book to savor. I have read Jerome's story about 30 times. I love sharing it with the people I care about because it has never failed to delight and satisfy its new friends.

Heartwarming Story
This is a heartwarming story, very well written, about a man who builds a home on the side of a giant redwood tree. A family of skunks claim the house as their own, and the man is kind to them. Other forest animals visit, as well. The man doesn't have the heart to turn the animals away, nor can he turn away children from two fueding families. My eight year old son loved this book at bedtime. It's a gentle story written decades ago, in a gentler time. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The end of the collection
This beautiful book was the last one Barbara Cooney illustrated before her death in March of 2000. The story and pictures are great. A must-have for Cooney fans.

A gentle, entertaining story for young readers.
A young boy growing up admires his father's basket-making skills and anticipates the time when he'll be allowed to go to town to help sell them - but when the time arises, he's taunted for being a country boy. Should he be a basket maker? Barbara Cooney's illustrations enhance this gentle story. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a special book
Beautifully illustrated and written, an unusual story of magic, nature, and the age-old battle between good and bad, with the bad being a grumpy, tantrum-throwing, but all in all, rather endearing witch. My daughter's favorite for many, many years.

a classic
I learned to read with this book, and now, as an adult, i am still in love with it. It has beautifull illustrations and a great plot. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Only Opal
This story is about the life of a little girl named Opal who loves nature. Her mother and father died and went to Heaven. Just by looking at the pictures you can tell that she has a sad life. Her new mama is not very nice. Opal has a favorite tree that she loves. The tree is called Michael Raphael. He has an understanding soul. She also has a sweet dog named Brave Horatius. My favorite part is when Opal writes about her feelings. Kids who like to relax will like this book because it has soothing words. It has really great illustrations, too! This is a terrific story!

every edition is worthwhile
The "point" of the picture book edition of Opal's diary is to make it accessible to younger readers. I would not hand a young child Boulton's longer edition or _The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow_, whereas any Barbara Cooney book can be recommended to young children without reservations.

That said, this edition is satisfying in itself. The book is touching and beautifully illustrated and unique. I recommend it highly, along with the other editions of the diary and everything else illustrated by Barbara Cooney.

Read the unabridged version -- it's much better
Opal Whitely's story is an utterly amazing thing in every respect. Her life as a child, her exquisite sensitivity, and her way of expressing herself -- it's all just amazing.

That said, I don't understand this version! Compared to Jane Boulton's original adaptation (if that's what you'd call it), "Opal, Journal of an Understanding Heart," this seems gutted and meaningless. Maybe it's meant to be less sad for young children, I don't know. Read the original version.

One of the best books I've ever read!!
This book is extrtemely touching and sweet. I highly reccomend this to everyone I will ever meet. I've read countless numbers of books in my life, but none stuck in my head as well as this. READ IT READ IT READ IT!!

One of the best books I've ever rera!
This book is extrtemely touching and sweet. I highly reccomend this to everyone I will ever meet. I've read countless numbers of books in my life, but none stuck in my head as well as this. READ IT READ IT READ IT!! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Has some beautiful, memorable verses - and I should know!
A few reviewers have blasted this book for a couple of verses that contain ideas no longer acceptable in our society- like the Dad getting the good tortillas and the Mother the burnt ones. I agree that this is something to consider. I want to add, though, that my Mother read to me from this book when I was a child and it in no way ingrained these ideas into my young mind. As a young girl, in fact, this was one of my favorite books. Many of the other verses in Tortillas para mama are so beautiful that I think it would be a shame not to recommend it. There is one about the moon eating prickly pears (ahi viene la luna comiendo tuna) and another about a mother being an angel that I can recite to this day. If you are concerned about the questionable lines (and I reiterate that there are only a couple!), I would suggest you either leave those poems out when you read or else talk to your children about what those lines mean and how things have changed since they were written. It might end up being very constructive!

Sorry I Bought This One
I won't be reading this book to my daughter. The idea of beating a child for getting her dress dirty is not one I want to impart to my child. Very sad!

A horrible, sexist book
I am an education student and a parent, I purchased this book for a school project on multi-cultural literature. When I received it I was horrified at some of the poems!!! Many of the poems in this book demean women. One poem entitled "Chiquita Bonita" says that if a girl gets her clothing dirty her mother will beat her, another poem "Little Tortillas" says that the good tortillas go to papa and the burnt ones go to mama. I am all for the concept of introducing small children to many cultures and having two languages in one book but there are many books out their that do it much better than this one. (May I suggest Salsa by Lillian Colon-Vila and Roberta Collier-Morales)

Tortillas Para Mama presents a very negative view of Hispanic culture and I am not quite sure how it ever got published reading it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Tortillas para mama
My three year old loves this book. We read it all the time and now she is reciting the rhymes to me! We are raising her bilingually and this book has helped a lot to introduce her to the Spanish language and culture.

Toddler loves it!
A nice addition to our Spanish language library. My toddler has loved this since 18 months old. A great bedtime book as the illustrations are detailed, calming and keep him interested. We do hand motions with the rhymes and my child even asks to read this book by clapping his hands (in the motion of making tortillas). My only complaint is that some of the rhymes have not been updated to reflect today's society. One rhyme goes something like, ". . . if I get my dress dirty, Mother will beat me". I've made up my own endings for these. ... Read more

Book Description

"A distinctive yet traditional interpretation of the story that Prokofiev created to introduce children to the orchestra....[A] handsome edition of this classic story."--Booklist. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Cassette disappointing
The artist does a very good job of illustrating the story & keeping the flavour of the Russian lifestyle. I was very disappointed that the audio cassette is only a narration of the story, and does not contain a recording of the symphony.

Good companion to the music
If you are familiar with the Prokofiev symphony, this book makes a good companion to the music. It puts into visual images the story of Peter and the Wolf. What I like most about the book is that, in the end, the duck lives. The ending varies somewhat depending on the version of the recording or book. In this book, it's a happy ending, which is better for younger readers.

We use the book by itself sometimes. Other times, my child will read along while we listen to the symphony.

A great book for little people who love music!
Our children, 3 year old twins, love the music of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. In searching for an age appropriate book to show them the musical instruments that play each of the characters, we found this one illustrated by Ian Beck. Not only are the illustrations lovely, the colors and clothing of Peter, the hunters and the grandfather are interesting to a child. Also, each page shows the instrument played for that part of the story (find it in the box around the text), and in the back a page illustrates each instrument. We cannot recommend this lovely book enough to parents of young children discovering the beauty of music!

Bad book
I did not like it. It is a bad story. Wolfs are not bad like in the story. Peter doesnt listen to his grandpa, so it is a bad example.

Absolutly beautiful!!!!
I grew up on this illustration and it has been very difficult to find but it was worth all the trouble for my son to be able to grow up with THIS version! Illustration does not get better than this, it is both classic and easy for a child to relate with without being "cartoony". Magnificent! ... Read more

Book Description

Anne of Green Gables meets The Parent Trap in this delightful tale set in a small Maine island town. When Penny Kellyhorn meets Pamela at the county fair, she is certain that she's found her long-lost twin sister. Soon they are joyfully reunited. But then scandal hits the town and threatens their newfound family. ... Read more