Baby in a Basket [Hardcover]

Gloria Rand (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997 | Age Level: 4 and up

A true-life adventure story illustrated in shimmering watercolor. It was mid-winter in the year 1917 when Marie Boyer and her two small daughters left Fairbanks,Alaska. In a sleigh pulled by six huge horses, they, along with two other passengers and the sleigh driver, set out on an estimated ten-day journey to a seaport where they were to board a ship and sail south to Seattle. Three-year-old Betty and four-month-old baby Ann were bundled against the cold. They traveled throughout the day and stopped nights at small lodges along the trail. Nearing the Delta River, in stormy weather, the horses bolted,plunging the sleigh through the ice that covered the river, scattering passengers and their belongings in every direction. Baby Ann, in a small basket piled high with furs, vanished. Will she be found? Here unfolds an exciting tale of hardship and survival in the wilderness, based on a true story illustrated in dramatic detail by Ted Rand. Gloria and Ted Rand, husband and wife team, have collaborated on a number of books.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this true story of a baby who survives the Alaska wilderness in 1917, "the Rands inspire a desire to linger as well as a hushed anticipation of what lies next," said PW. Ages 3-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Using a true story from 1917 Alaska, the Rands have created a perfect marriage of text and illustration. Traveling from Fairbanks to Seattle in midwinter, Marie Boyer and her two daughters, Betty and Ann, are among passengers and freight tossed into an icebound river when the horses pulling their big sleigh panic. Betty is pulled under the ice and Ann, in her snug basket, vanishes in the Arctic dark. Rescued, Betty and the other passengers are comforted at a nearby lodge while a desperate search is mounted to find Ann. At the last moment, two trappers arrive to a joyous reception, carrying basket and baby Ann, discovered sliding down the river atop the ice, pushed by the freezing wind. Gloria Rand's detailed, dramatic text is well matched by Ted Rand's robustly wintry illustrations, and presents the hardships faced by Alaskan pioneers in a manner comprehensible to the young. Almost unbelievable in these days of jet planes and superhighways, this gripping tale of near tragedy will enrich a social studies curriculum. Even more, though, it's an exciting "good read."?Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525652337
• ISBN-13: 978-0525652335
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,165,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Text and Illustrations Set this Story Alive!, February 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Baby in a Basket (Hardcover)

Baby in a Basket is a wonderful picture book for children! Based on a true story, it is set in Alaska, during the winter months. Beginning at a calm pace, it progresses to an appropriate level of suspense and excitement for a young child. The beautifully expressive illustrations assist in the interpretation as they set the story alive! Ted Rand's use of color and texture makes you want to run your hand across the pages, and you almost expect to feel more than smoothness. His illustrations are a superb enhancement to a story that ends in celebration! I can't help wondering if it was nominated for the Caldecott Award.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gloria and Ted Rand deserve an award for this superb book!, October 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Baby in a Basket (Hardcover)

The reader journey's with a caring mother on a trip to supply a warmer climate for the three year old Betty and 6 month old Ann. When all are settled into the back of the horse-drawn buckboard the trip begins. Illustrator Ted Rand adeptly interprets his wife, Gloria's text. The visions one sees and feels as the threesome becomes separated during an accident on the river, are terrifying, exciting and eventually joyous. A must read for all lovers of children's books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Well-Written, Gripping Story of Danger and Restoration, October 26, 2010

By 

Shanna A. Gonzalez "eyelevelbooks.com" (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby in a Basket (Hardcover)

In mid-January, 1917, a young mother set out from Fairbanks, Alaska with her two children to spend the rest of winter with relatives in Seattle. While crossing a river in a snowstorm, with a roadhouse destination in sight, the sleigh overturned and baby Ann was lost in the confusion. This well-written picture book presents a gripping true story which will raise the heart rate and ultimately comfort young readers with its satisfying ending. Ted Rand's superb watercolor paintings bring us into a world of darkness and cold snow everywhere, with a particularly good use of firelight from lanterns, windows and doors to evince the safety and warmth of human company in the relentless Alaskan winter.

As in Sarah Whitcher's Story, the dangers to the children are starkly presented, although the gravity of the situation may be better appreciated by adult readers than by the young audience the book is intended for. The sight of sister Ann's warm cap sweeping away under the river's ice is enough to chill a parent's bones, and the young mother's anguish may bring adult readers to tears. But young readers appreciate their own vulnerability more than we give them credit for, and they will understand that the baby is in danger. The joyful celebration when the baby is found helps to release the fearful tension built up during the terrible search.

The story may trouble sensitive readers, and I recommend that adults be available to help children see that although the baby's mother was not able to rescue her child, still a providential hand was ready to bring her to safety. For Christian families, the story provides an opportunity to talk about God's protective care of children, especially those whose parents cannot care for them (see Matthew 10:30-31; Psalm 10:17-18; Psalm 68:5; and many other examples). It is best suited to an elementary audience.