Oddfellow's Orphanage [Hardcover]

Emily Winfield Martin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 24, 2012 | Age Range: 7 - 10 years

What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They are all orphans at Oddfellow's Orphanage! This unusual early chapter book began life as a series of full-color portraits with character descriptions. Author/illustrator Emily Martin has fleshed out the world of Oddfellow's with an episodic story that follows a new orphan, Delia, as she discovers the delights of her new home. From classes in Cryptozoology and Fairy Tale Studies to trips to the circus, from Annual Hair Cutting Day to a sea monster-sighting field trip, things at Oddfellows are anything but ordinary . . . except when it comes to friendships. And in that, Oddfellows is like any other school where children discover what they mean to each other while learning how big the world really is.

In Oddfellow's Orphanage, Emily Martin brings a very strange place to life with her unique style of both art and writing.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Martin’s debut features something unusual in children’s books: an orphanage that is run by kind people. Headmaster Oddfellow Bluebeard takes in orphaned children as well as individuals of all stripes, which include a boy with an onion for a head, a hedgehog, and a family of bears. After Delia arrives at this curious place, she finds that instead of math, reading, and spelling, students take lessons in fairy tales and folktales, cryptozoology (the study of mysterious or imaginary animals), and astronomy. Special occasions at the school include excursions to search for the Green Monster and Haircut Day, which comes around twice a year. Facing each chapter opener is a portrait of a single character, along with a caption, which reveals interesting tidbits: for instance, Ollie is the kind of onion that makes you laugh rather than cry. With the book’s quirky illustrations, satisfying attention to detail (pancakes come in the shapes of stars, hearts, and rabbits), and a loving family stitched together from the scraps of other families, early readers may find themselves drawn to this novel’s strange charm. Grades 2-4. --Ann Kelley

About the Author

EMILY WINFIELD MARTIN sketches, paints, and stitches to create imaginary worlds and characters. She is the author/illustrator of The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer. Her store, The Black Apple, has been featured in national publications and on TV shows, including the New York Times and The Martha Stewart Show.

Oddfellow's Orphanage is both Emily's first book for children and her first novel! The inspiration came from the real I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Oddfellows), dancing bears, ragtime music, and magic and mysterium of all sorts. Originally, Emily painted portraits of the children and adults at the imaginary orphanage, and from the portraits the stories emerged—enough to fill a book!

Emily lives among the giant fir trees of Portland, Oregon, with her fellow adventurer, Josiah, and their cat Miette. Visit her on line at the blackapple.typepad.com or etsy.com/shop/theblackapple.

Product Details

• Age Range: 7 - 10 years
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375869956
• ISBN-13: 978-0375869952
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily Winfield Martin makes paintings, books, and other things. She is the author and illustrator of a paper doll epic called "The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer" (Potter Craft, 2010) and an illustrated novel for children, "Oddfellow's Orphanage" (Random House, 2012). When she was small, she spent every moment drawing, reading, dressing rabbits in fancy clothes, and having many peculiar daydreams. When she grew up, she began to illustrate those peculiar daydreams, and in 2005, she created a cottage industry called The Black Apple, which sells all manner of art and etceteras.

She works in a tiny nook of a studio filled with old children's books, wind-up toys, and stacks of fabric. Her work is inspired by fairy tales, carnivals, vintage children's clothing, her favorite films, and autobiography. She likes to bake, hunt for old treasures and tend her flower garden.

She lives in Portland, OR.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful and charming February 1, 2012

By brocktoon

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This sweet book was a pleasure to read aloud to my children, who wouldn't let me stop. We read it over two nights and they were begging for more after each chapter. The stories have just the right amount of detail for them to stay interested while also helping them imagine more. The soft pencil drawings are just precious. Having both boy and girl characters (and bears!) makes this book wonderful for young boy and girl readers. It would be a great gift. My oldest child (9) likes reading it herself. I'm sure my kids will be reading this to their children one day.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My nine year old loved this book! Lovely illustrations and whimsical story. March 30, 2012

By O. Baker

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Both my daughter and I are huge fans of Miss Emily of the Black Apple's work. The illustrations of this magical book are delightful and the story is packed with imaginative characters. I bought this book for my daughter's 9th birthday (along with a print from the Black Apple!) and she immediately dove into it. She read it in bed, and brought it to school to read during silent reading time. It quickly became a popular title amongst her classmates. (I read it also!) I think this would be an excellent read aloud book for younger children too. I hope there will be more in the series!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mom, Can We Please Read Oddfellow's Orphanage Tonight? June 4, 2012

By Tracie B.

Format:Hardcover

Having 8 children and home-schooled for sixteen years now, I thought I'd pretty much mined the gold in children's books by now. What an incredibly pleasant surprise "Oddfellow's Orphanage" has been.

Our 7yo son, 9 and 13yo daughters clamored to be read this book each and every night and moaned in disappointment if it was "too late to read." This incredibly unique and delightful story never disappointed us. Not only did we read a chapter each night, but afterward we spent time discussing the characters and examining each and every illustration. We decided who our favorite characters were and which ones we each wanted to be.

Never have I so thoroughly enjoyed a children's book since becoming an adult. Upon finishing the final chapter our 7yo son exclaimed, "There's just GOT to be another one!"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Oddfellow's Orphanage, A BookBandit Review May 2, 2012

By N., The BookBandit

Format:Hardcover

Newly orphaned Delia doesn't know what to make of Oddfellow's Orphanage. She doesn't know if she'll fit in, if she'll be accepted as one of the inhabitants, if she'll feel right at home. But as the newest addition to the orphanage of the odd and abandoned, Delia quickly learns what it's liked to be loved and cared for.

In between fairy tale and cryptozoology classes Delia, not only makes friends with the other kids at the orphanage, but also finds time to go on many adventures. Adventures like a sea monster sightseeing trip and finding an endangered species right in the orphanage's backyard.

There, Delia learns about life, about friendship, but most importantly about love and acceptance. It's there that Delia learns that blood doesn't make a family, it's the people and the lives they share that does.

Oddfellow's Orphanage, written by artist Emily Winfield Martin, is a debut children's book that is uniquely charming and delightfully sweet.

Martin has created a book that is full of whimsy, but unfortunately falls short on plot. Oddfellow's Orphanage is a straight up story, an account of the character's lives within the orphanage itself. It lacked in having a visible problem and solution for said problem. As a reader I found there was no tension built, no twists, turns, or mystery. But what it did include - mini biographies of the characters, and even adventures the characters have with each other - was well written, and attention grabbing.

The illustrations featured in Oddfellow's Orphanage are exquisite.Even though they are not bright or flashy - no bright colors or larger than life pictures - but they are warm and inviting. All the illustrations are done in a sepia tone lending to the old-time feel of the story and the book as a whole.... Oddfellow's Orphanage often offers readers portraits of the already vivid character, and depictions of the action-filled bits of the story. Young readers will love the illustrations, but older readers will adore them too because of the beautiful artistry found within each and every picture.

Oddfellow's Orphanage may fall short in some areas, but the one thing is isn't short on is love. Even though this is a short chapter book readers will be able to see the love and the attention to detail author and artist Martin has put into this well crafted book. Read more ›

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Buy it for the artwork March 15, 2012

By seabrook

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a big fan of Emily's art and of her blog, so I was excited to learn she had written a novel to bring to life some of her beautiful paintings. I do love the artwork throughout the book but the story seemed really echo-y and did not support the life that her original paintings breathed. I don't regret purchasing it, and may share it with young ones in my life, but I am keeping it for the artwork.

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming & Delightful March 14, 2013

By Elizabeth Hake

Format:Hardcover

I came across the author's blog a few years ago, and was excited to get this book. My 8 year old daughter, 4 year old son, and several kids' friends have all enjoyed this book. My husband and I found it charming, as well. Emily Martin's strength is her artwork, so of course I wished there were more pictures, and color pictures. The story does not have the depth that great classic childrens' books have, but it is refreshing and delightful in its own right. I very much hope that Ms. Martin creates more books about Oddfellow's Orphanage!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! February 17, 2013

By Kevin

Format:Kindle Edition

I thought this was a marvelous book. I am 11 and I think other kids my age would like it. :-)

5.0 out of 5 stars a lovely book for ages 7 to 10 September 10, 2012

By Deborah Sandford

Format:Hardcover

A lovely, whimsical book complemented by wonderfully captivating pencil illustrations. The story is quirky and fun and it sketches, from my point of view, typical, old-fashioned childhood events: a trip to the circus, a school play, haircut day (yes, when I grew up we had haircut day as soon as school was out for the summer). The story illuminates childhood innocence and composure within the perimeter of a loving family in an uncertain and sometimes hard-hearted world.