In My Mother's House (Viking Kestrel picture books) [Hardcover]

Ann Nolan Clark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1991 | Series: Viking Kestrel picture books

Told through the eyes of children, this collection of Pueblo Indian poems has been used in classrooms, reading programs, and with parents and children since it was first published in 1941. "A perfect picture book."--The Horn Book. A Caldecott Honor Book. Full-color and black-and-white illustrations.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670839175
• ISBN-13: 978-0670839179
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Poetry, August 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: In My Mother's House (Viking Kestrel picture books) (Hardcover)

This book explores pueblo life in many ways, but it is the elegant artwork and the lyrical writing that draw me back to its pages again and again.

There is an interesting story behind this book. Ann Nolan Clark, at that time, was working as a teacher on a reservation. The tribal elders were (rightfully so, after all the treaty breaking) suspicious of books as "white man's word" and would not let Ann introduce writing and reading to the students by bringing books onto the rez. So she taught (as was usual for her) many things at once. She taught the students to write, and while writing they learned to read by reading and sharing their own writing. She had all her students write what life was like then, and compiled them all into a collection she called, at the time, something like Our 3rd Grade Geography. Because she wanted to relieve the elders of their suspicions where books were concerned, and at the same time show the students that books were written by people -- ordinary people -- she found someone who would bind a few copies for her.

After the bound copies were returned to the reservation, the tribal elders relented and let her bring in books with which to enrich the lives of her students. The most amazing side-effect of all this was that a very good friend of hers sent a bound copy to a publisher friend and the publisher contacted Ann, then they contacted Velino Herrara, whose illustrations are perfect for the book.

A must-read for all young children. A must-look-at for all aspiring artists who want an introduction to a wonderful style. Finally, for anyone who wants the music of the pueblo to run in their heartbeats and influence their own poetry, a book to buy and cherish.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Child's Introduction to the Pueblo, June 18, 2000

By 

Renee Thorpe (Karangasem, Bali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In My Mother's House (Viking Kestrel picture books) (Hardcover)

Meticulously rendered color and line drawings give this book an elegant beauty. This is a good introduction to the lives of the Pueblo native Americans.

The book is readable at a first and second grade level, but is fine as a parent-child read-aloud for ages 3 - 6. Kids will probably just want to slowly leaf through the fascinating, simple pictures.

Story is told in dignified first person by a child. No plot, just short pieces on the land, traditions, animals, and people of the Pueblo.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Childhood Favorite, February 16, 2000

By 

Susanne F. Calderin (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In My Mother's House (Viking Kestrel picture books) (Hardcover)

As a child, I was facinated by they different ways in which people live. This book shows readers in simple, eloquent text and illustration a way of life quite different from the way most Americans live. In doing so, it shows the universality of human living. For very young children, Come Over to My House by Theo LeSieg (aka Dr. Seuss) does the same.