An Amish Wedding [Hardcover]

Richard Ammon (Author), Pamela Patrick (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

Anna is getting married! Amish weddings are in November, so the family has the whole summer to get ready. Between chores such as milking and haying, Anna's younger sister helps paint the house and put stamps on the invitations. Aunts and uncles arrive the day before the wedding to cook and to clear out the furniture and set up the benches usually used for church services. On the wedding morning they again arrive early, to cook thirty-five chickens and enough potatoes for three hundred people.
Finally, it is time. Anna, her groom, Samuel, and the wedding party descend the stairs. After Bishop Levi leads the couple in their vows and the last hymn is sung, the benches are turned into tables and it is time for the wedding meal.
The young narrator tells of the many activities leading up to this special day in her household and her own excitement at taking part in it. It is a time for aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors to gather in feasting, singing, and celebrating the new couple. Some of the ways are unique to the Amish, but they also reflect the joy, excitement, and fellowship of weddings everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-A fictionalized account of a wedding in an Amish community. The story is told by the younger sister of Anna, the bride-to-be, and follows all the activities, customs, and rituals associated with the event. The author includes a few phrases in German that add to the cultural flavor of the narrative. The realistic illustrations are colorful and attractive, with the text on the opposite page surrounded by a quilt-like design border. This informative title can be used when comparing cultures within the United States, and also when discussing wedding traditions.
Susan Knell, Pittsburgh State University, Pittsburgh, KS
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. Narrated by the bride's younger sister, this picture-book account of an Amish wedding describes the exciting events that take place before, during, and after the special day. As the girl talks about the preparations and details of the ceremony, youngsters learn a great deal about the unique customs of the Amish people. Patrick's realistic illustrations, though sometimes a bit stiff, are nicely done, showing authentic Amish dress and capturing the simple grace and peaceful way of life of the people. Used with other resources, such as the two listed in the afterword and Ammon and Patrick's fiction picture book, An Amish Christmas (1996), this will give youngsters a wonderful sense of the Amish culture. Lauren Peterson

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689816774
• ISBN-13: 978-0689816772
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,483,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very descriptive, but specialized, June 15, 2005

By 

M. Benno "likes2bake" (Northern NJ, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Amish Wedding (Hardcover)

This book has gorgeous artwork. It has a painting on the right side of the page, and about six or seven sentences in a couple paragraphs on the left side of the page. It gives very specialized info (engagements have to be announced on the second Sunday after fall communion, Amish weddings are always in Nov. after harvest, the men and women sit on opposite sides the way the Orthodox Jews do), and I'm afraid a rather overly detailed story of a girl whose big sister is getting married. If your daughter is researching Amish weddings, she will love it. Otherwise, a child will probably be bored.