Maisie [Hardcover]

Alice Schertle (Author), Lydia Dabcovich (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Follows the life of Maisie from her birth on a farm to her ninetieth birthday party celebrated in a park with her large family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Memories of her mother inspire Schertle's affectionate and affecting portrait of Maisie, first introduced as an infant and last seen holding a great-granddaughter by the hand. The newborn Maisie lies in a bed fashioned from a dresser drawer, hearing the sounds of the family farm. As a child, Maisie loves nature; she trades a pencil for a classmate's frog, only to set it free ("Hop away home," she tells it). Schertle's chatty narrative follows Maisie through her courtship and marriage to the banjo-playing Walter Triggs, with whom she moves to the city and has four children. In turn, the children, too, leave home ("Fly away free," Maisie tells her brood). But they return with their offspring to visit Grandma Maisie and Grandpa Walter. Finally, after 31 great-grandchildren help Maisie blow out the candles on her 90th-birthday cake, Maisie and the youngest walk down to the stream, where the girl sets a frog free, bidding it to "hop away home." This pleasingly nostalgic tale gracefully underscores the importance of letting go and welcoming back. Though occasionally overly sketchy and seemingly unfinished, Dabcovich's (illustrator of Schertle's William and Grandpa) softly focused pictures capture Maisie's spunk and warmth, and perceptively convey both those things that changed and those that remained constant during this woman's lifetime. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?The lifespan of people is difficult for young children to grasp, and this charming story, like Barbara Cooney's Miss Rumphius (Viking, 1982), helps make it more understandable. Maisie is born on a farm at the beginning of this century. Each two-page spread highlights a different part of her life?young childhood, school days, first romance, marriage, family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?ending with her 90th-birthday party. There is no mention of crises or adversity, giving a sense that life is rich and rewarding. Dabcovich's watercolor paintings capture the warmth of the text and the vibrancy of Maisie and her family. There are several scenes depicted on each spread; this works very well given the book's theme. Clothing and other details emphasize the passing of time. By the end of the tale, listeners will be glad they have had the opportunity for this glimpse at a well-lived life.?Jane Gardner Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Lothrop Lee & Shepard (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688093108
• ISBN-13: 978-0688093105
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,821,241 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet story, November 25, 1999

By 

Michael J. Martin (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maisie (Hardcover)

My 4 year old daughter loves this book, not only because her sister's name is Maisy, but because it is a sweet story of tradition and family. It is very friendly and engaging. The lesson of aging and seasons and the circle of life is great.

5.0 out of 5 stars Maisie, September 8, 2005

By 

J. Kadamus - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maisie (Hardcover)

This is a simple, endearing book for anyone who values family. It is the story of the legacy that can be created by two caring and loving parents. I am buying this for my mother-in-law who definitly is creating a similar legacy for her family.