All the Places to Love [Hardcover]

Patricia MacLachlan (Author), Michael Wimmer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 22, 1994 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 920L (What's this?)

Within the sanctuary of a loving family, baby Eli is born and, as he grows, "learns to cherish the people and places around him, eventualy passing on what he has discovered to his new baby sister, Sylvie: 'All the places to love are here . . . no matter where you may live.' This loving book will be something to treasure."'BL."The quiet narrative is so intensely felt it commands attention. . . . a lyrical celebration."'K.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

MacLachlan's characteristically resonant language and Wimmer's majestic paintings affectingly celebrate the natural world and the family. Told in the voice of a child who lives on a farm with his parents and grandparents, the author's poetic narrative opens on the day of the boy's birth, when his grandmother holds him up to the open window, "So that what I heard first was the wind. / What I saw first were all the places to love: / The valley, / The river falling down over rocks, / The hilltop where the blueberries grew." The child introduces readers to the spots that each person in his family loves best: for his mother it is the hilltop where the sky is "an arm's length away"; for his grandfather, the dark, cool barn ("Where else, he says, can the soft sound of cows chewing / Make all the difference in the world?"). Only after the birth of his sister does the boy reveal his favorite place of all: the marsh "Where ducklings follow their mother / Like tiny tumbles of leaves." Whether focusing on a single, aging turtle or depicting a sweeping panorama, Wimmer's ( Train Song ; Flight ) paintings beautifully convey the splendor of nature, as well as the deep affection binding three generations. This inspired pairing of words and art is a timeless, uplifting portrait of rural family life. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-"Where else can the soft sound of cows chewing make all the difference in the world?" asks Eli's grandfather about the barn he loves. There are other places on the farm that each family member finds special: the valley, the meadows, the hilltop where the blueberries grow, and the river falling over rocks. As young Eli recounts them simply and warmly, these places become living keepsakes that form a homage to their way of life. The ties of family members to one another and of family to farm are captured in the sweet, pastoral illustrations realistically painted in Norman Rockwellian style. The language has MacLachlan's signature spareness filled with emotion and sensitivity. As in her Three Names (HarperCollins, 1991), the personal reflections are heartwarming and touching. While Eli waits in the barn with his grandfather, the arrival of a new baby reaffirms the continuity of generations as Sylvie's name is added to those carved on a barn rafter. The use of questions such as: "Where else does an old turtle crossing the path make all the difference in the world?" help make the story relevant for young readers. Who else but MacLachlan could carry this off so lovingly.
Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (April 22, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060210982
• ISBN-13: 978-0060210984
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.3 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Where We Live > Farm Life
  • #24 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > United States
  • #31 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > Multigenerational

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE this book! September 23, 2002

By Bourne

Format:Hardcover

My 5 year-old daughter has hundreds of books, but only a select few sit on the "special shelf" in her room, and this is one of them. I bought it for her a couple of years ago, and it has been my favorite ever since. Everything about this book is beautiful.... the illustrations, the story, and the message. I simply cannot read through this book without crying...........the second to the last page does me in every time!! This book is a lovely reminder to enjoy and appreciate the simple things that surround all of us. If you are looking for a special book that your children will love and you will treasure, this is the one.........BUY THIS BOOK! If I had to pick only one of my daughter's books to save forever, this would be it.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully told and gorgeous illustrated May 3, 2002

By Catherine S. Vodrey

Format:Hardcover

Oh, boy, this was a baby gift to our son in 1994 and I STILL get all puddled up when I read it aloud to our kids. Patricia MacLachlan captures the stillness and quietude of a rural life in her sweet tale of a boy waiting for his sister to be born so that he can teach her where "all the places to love" are. Mike Wimmer does a superb job of making his realistic painted illustrations harmonize with MacLachlan's text. The scene where Eli is in the barn with his grandfather waiting for his sister Sylvia to be born has such a beautiful Wimmer illustration that it never fails to take my breath away. If the people are perhaps somewhat idealized--just minutes after giving birth, the mom looks golden, serene and ready for her close-up--then so is the story, and that's OK. It gives kids something to dream about, whether or not they're awaiting the arrival of a new sibling. Really and truly captivating.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for every family! April 19, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This is one of my favorite books to read to our family. We have had it for 5 years and are about to wear it out with all of our bedtime readings. It is a great portrayal of family heritage and finding your place. We have used it as a springboard to name our favorite "place to love". It has helped my children get to know their grandparents and community better. I must also mention that the memories that it conjures up of my own childhood are priceless.