Christmas In The Country [Hardcover]

Cynthia Rylant (Author), Diane Goode (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

On the 20th anniversary of their first collaboration, Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant and Caldecott Honor artist Diane Goode reunite for a story about the joy and warmth of Christmastime.

Cynthia Rylant returns to her Appalachian roots in this story of a young girl who lives with her grandparents in the country. As in her very first book, WHEN I WAS YOUNG IN THE MOUNTAINS (for which illustrator Diane Goode received a Caldecott Honor), Rylant evokes the warmth of the joyful Christmas season and celebrates the greatest gift of all--the love of family. Diane Goode's cheerful watercolors capture the festivities of the season, from Christmas trees loaded with homemade ornaments to the snow-covered countryside. A warm, evocative portrait of a loving family and a favorite season.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rylant and Goode return to some of the themes of their first collaboration, When I Was Young in the Mountains, for this evocative picture book about the simple things that make one girl's Christmas special. Rylant's idyllic subjects-enjoying cocoa and cookies, decorating the house and tree, singing at church-are as cozy as a kitchen warmed by a coal stove. Chipper ink-and-watercolor compositions, enhanced by cross-hatching and chock-full of homespun details (and the ever-present family dogs), exude contentment. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-Bringing immediacy to a nostalgic story, Rylant describes a snowy Christmas in a rural setting. From the tree ("It was the prettiest thing we had") to the decorations retrieved from the closet ("Each ornament reminded me of my whole life"), this gentle, first-person narrative shimmers with affection. The text is well matched with Goode's humorous pen-and-ink and watercolor pictures. Though the illustrations present an idealized happy, busy, country house with snowy, woodsy exteriors and an integrated church and family groupings, the intensely personal text anchors the presentation and gives it credibility. A selection that holds up and retains interest after repeated readings.-S. P.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Blue Sky Press (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439073340
• ISBN-13: 978-0439073349
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,050,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Archetype Christmas, November 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Christmas In The Country (Hardcover)

Deep in the heart of most people who celebrate Christmas lurks the archetypal
holiday, the one depicted nostalgically in Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory," and
Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales."
In the archetype, ritual is important, family and friends are important, snow is
good, and a tangerine in a stocking is enough to inspire oohs and ahs of delight.
"Christmas in the Country" is a worthy addition to the genre.
In it, our pony-tailed heroine lives in the country with Grandma and Grandpa in a
house that is "small and white. It had an old coal stove to keep us warm and a tiny little
kitchen for supper and a nice back porch for the dogs."
In the country, spring is for walks, summer for tomatoes, and fall for apples. In
winter, "The snow slows everything down. Birds are silent and serious. Dogs stay in their
warm houses. Children want cocoa and blankets. Everyone is ready for something really
special."
And - hooray - the something special has nothing to do with the mall or even
Wal-mart. Instead Grandpa will cut the tree in the forest, and the narrator and Grandma
will take the precious old ornaments from the closet that "smells like wool and mothballs."
Diane Goode's illustrations are just right - simple and energetic. Everyone's hair is
windblown at all times, as if country folk have better things to do than spray, mousse or
pin.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful stories from Cynthia Rylant, May 12, 2007

By 

Leslie L. Hardman "Scamp65" (Orient, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas In The Country (Scholastic Bookshelf) (Paperback)

I just love the Appalachian culture and if you do, too, you will love ALL of Cynthia Rylant's books for children. I believe she grew up in West Virginia and these are stories from her youth....another place and time. All of her stories are filled with love and acceptance and the joy of belonging to a loving family. She has written MANY books and I would suggest you read them all. I have bought about 7 books so far, and they are so sweet, I can sit down and read them all by myself and totally enjoy them.....but my grandkids think they are GREAT!!! The artwork is very enjoyable and it just makes one yearn to go back to "the good ol' days"!!! This book will not disappoint!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our favorite Christmas book, January 3, 2007

By 

Beverly A. Pierce (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas In The Country (Hardcover)

Our son is 4, and we gave him this book on the first day of Advent in 2006. We have all loved it so much that we read it daily during December. It is a precious book about the anticipation and joys of Christmas seen through a little girl's eyes during a simpler, quieter time. I love how it talks about the special joys and memories of each season. It helped us all put away the ornaments and take down the tree with less sadness this year, understanding the comings and goings of Christmas and each season. Ms. Rylant's books are wonderful. We also have "The Relatives Came" and "When I Was Young in the Mountains" and they are treasures, too.