Customer Reviews

My Uncle Emily

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Uncle Emily gave Gib a poem and a bee to give to his teacher, Mrs. Howland. It was kind of a strange thing to send to a teacher, but he understood his uncle. She wasn't really an uncle, but the family called her that. "The `uncle' was a joke in [their] family." She and Thomas Gilbert Dickenson had a very special relationship and they understood each other very well. His aunt was pretty and always wore long white dresses and wrote all kinds of poems, poems she took very seriously. He was worried about taking the poem to school because someone might make fun of him or his Uncle Emily. It was a bit upsetting, but he was going to have to do it.

The Bumble Bee's Religion -
His little Hearse-like Figure
Unto itself a Dirge
To a delusive Lilac . . .

Mrs. Howland read the whole poem in school, but no one else understood it any better than Gib did. Jonathan came after him at recess and yelled out to him about his Uncle Emily. "She is a peculiar old maid and a reckless . . . " That did it. The boys got into a fight. When he got home, he would be in trouble. What would his Uncle Emily have to say about it?

I was really taken with this story and got a feel for Emily Dickenson that I never had before (this story is loosely based on her life). The art work is very quaint, old fashioned looking and quite appealing. The text is very soothing and poetic and the story instantly grabs the reader insisting he or she rush to the end to find out what Uncle Emily has to say about the fight. In the back of the book there is a page that tells "what is true" about the story. If you want a quality book about an amazing woman, this one certainly won't disappoint you!

What a find! This gem of a book, which is written in verse, is not only beautifully-illustrated, but is loosely based on the life of poet Emily Dickinson, who spent her life in seclusion, opening up only to select family members. It also explores the relationship between the poet and her nephew, Gilbert. Emily was known as Uncle Emily to Gilbert aka Gib, a six-year-old boy who is given a poem and a dead bee one day with instructions to take the poem to his teacher at school. Gib finds himself confused by the poem about the bee, enigmatically titled "The Bumble Bee's Religion". When one of his schoolmates teases Gib about his Uncle Emily, Gib fights back, and refuses to divulge the truth to his family when he returns home with a limp. It is only later, when Emily gently asks him to tell the truth, that Gib confides the real story.

There is much to learn from this amazing book - the strong affection and genuine bond between "Uncle" Emily and her nephew Gib, the affinity with nature, the importance of settling disputes with words rather than violence, the great value placed on truth...such treasures to be discovered amongst these pages. Truly a great find, and a must-read for children and adults. I cried when I read this book, and my preschooler loved it too [though I did have to simplify and explain quite a bit]. Highly recommended!

Never judge a book by its cover surely applies here. Uncle Emily??? Absolutely LOVED this book and the kids will have to borrow it from me. Read it and read it again and each time get something new from it, inviting your children to see that, as with books, there is more than what first appears when it comes to people, poetry and the truth.

This beautifully illustrated story is a heartwarming account of the bond poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) had with her nephew, Thomas Gilbert (Gib) Dickinson. She was called "Uncle," although she was, in Gib's words, "like an uncle except she wore long white dresses and didn't smoke cigars." Emily Dickinson had acquired an affectionate family sobriquet of "Uncle," which further underlined her distinctive personality.

On one occasion, Uncle Emily gives Gib two presents for his teacher, Mrs. Howland. She wrote a poem on a scrap of paper and handed him a dead bumblebee. Kind of a weird gift instead of the cliche apple, but Gib complies as he knows his Uncle Emily has a good reason for choosing such outre gifts. She was known in their Massachusetts community as a good hearted soul known for giving people poems and for her reclusive lifestyle outside of her immediate family.

Gib understood his "Uncle" quite well, but feared she and he, by extension would be ridiculed for her seeming eccentricity. Mrs. Howland reads Uncle Emily's poem about the bumble bee to the class and Gib, cringing inside fears nobody else will "get it." A bully named Jonathan pummeled him during recess and made cruel remarks about Uncle Emily. Naturally Gib defended her and in so doing, sprained his ankle.

The boys were ordered to apologize and Gib was delighted when his nemesis wrote his piece in poem.

Upon returning home, sadder but wiser, Gib has to go about his daily chores around the family farm. He tries to conceal his limping and thinks how clueless the adult population is as nobody but his "Uncle" even notices. When asked about it, he gives a vague answer which elevate him to "hero" status in the eyes of his older sister and brother.

Wise Uncle Emily knows there is more to the story than the boy is telling, so she encourages him to get to the truth, even if he has to take the Long & Winding Road to get there. He takes her advice with very pleasant results.

A delightful book with lovely illustrations, this masterpiece will introduce very young readers to the genius of Emily Dickinson. This book underscores the love and unity of family bonds and acceptance and tolerance of a person who is "different."

In retrospect, it has been suggested that Emily Dickinson might have had Asperger's Syndrome. While this has never been proven (as she predates the term, but the condition is as old as time), certain aspects of her behavior do suggest that possibly she did occupy a place on the spectrum. The good thing is that she was surrounded by a loving family in a community that was very tolerant of someone who was indeed "different."

This is a geniune masterpiece.