My Mother's Pearls [Hardcover]

Catherine M. Fruisen (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

A young girl loves to help her mother dress up while listening to the story of her pearls, which have been passed down for generations from mother to daughter on her wedding day.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A strand of pearls connects a girl with a long line of ancestors in this kid-pleasing tale. Passed down from mother to daughter, the necklace first makes its appearance on the narrator's mother ("I love, love, LOVE helping her clasp her pearls," the girl confides). She also loves the stories associated with it, which she retells as each new spread rolls back the calendar. Moving back from her grandmother Marianne, decked out for a special event in 1968 ("my mom's first piano recital"), to her great-great-great-grandmother Rose, who emigrated from Scotland in 1878 and hid the pearls "in a secret compartment in her trunk," the narrator arrives at 1788, when great-great-great-great-great-great-grandma Susanna received the pearls as a wedding gift from her husband. Despite the ever-lengthening list of "great-greats," newcomer Fruisen keeps the connections clear, tucking period details into her cool-toned, slightly spare watercolors. Most of these forebears tend to be ladies of leisure, which allows for a parade of elegant fashionsAand caters to common fantasies about one's family history. Ages 2-6. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-A little girl relates the story of her mother's heirloom, handed down each generation from mother to daughter on her wedding day. Readers glimpse a day in 1968, when the unnamed protagonist's grandmother wore the pearls; a day in 1938, when her great-grandmother wore them; and so on, all the way back to 1788, when the young girl's great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother first received the necklace as a wedding gift from her husband. Stylized watercolors, painted primarily in slightly muted shades of blues, purples, pinks, and greens, are characterized by lanky figures with rounded heads. The artwork is more interesting and better crafted than the story, but the tale is strong enough to carry the art, making it a worthy choice for larger picture-book collections.
Denise E. Agosto, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cedco Publishing Company; First Edition edition (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0768321778
• ISBN-13: 978-0768321777
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,268,582 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 A discussion of family history, October 8, 2000

By 

Alexia L Duker (Darien, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Mother's Pearls (Hardcover)

My 3 year old daughter picked this book out at the library based on the pictures, little did she or I know what she would start....It immediately became her favorite book, a must read every night. After checking it out of the library 2 consecutive times I decided that this book along with a string of fake pearls would be the best birthday present she could receive. This book helps children understand that their mommy and their grandmothers were once little also (what a concept!) It has sparked many conversations about our family history and what she wants when she grows up. We both highly recommend this book for all mothers and daughters!

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Story, October 31, 2011

By 

Nancy Jill Thames - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Mother's Pearls (Paperback)

Years ago, my mother told a story about a strand of pearls related to my wedding day. I've never forgotten the story. When I read Catherine Myer Fruisen's book "My Mother's Pearls" I was touched by the sweet simplicity of the heirloom pearls handed down from generation to generation. But I think I enjoyed the beautiful watercolor illustrations most of all. It was a visual feast. I'm looking forward to reading the story to my granddaughters this Christmas.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great service and product!, December 21, 2010

By 

Robert Moore "CamMan" (Edmond, OK, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Mother's Pearls (Hardcover)

Thank you very much for your excellent, speedy service!! Also thanks for the communications to advise me of the order status. This edition of the book is hard to find, and yours was in PERFECT condition. You made my mother-in-law very happy to replace her original book that was lost years ago. I highly recommend this seller!