Old Home Day [Library Binding]

Donald Hall (Author), Emily Arnold McCully (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1996 | Age Level: 7 and up

A fictional history of a New England town celebrates the cycles of growth, change, and renewal, as the town of Blackwater prospers, goes through a decline, and then prospers again, when everyone comes back to visit on ""Old Home Day.""

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hall's (Ox-Cart Man) eloquent reflection on the cyclical nature of time and Caldecott winner McCully's (Mirette on the High Wire) graceful watercolors combine for a distinctive, heartfelt portrait of a New Hampshire town. The accomplished poet begins his tale tens of thousands of years ago, "when the ice mountain melted north [and] scraped trenches and dents in the valleys between the hills." A pond is created; much later come the "tribes of arrow makers," the trappers and eventually the first permanent settlers, farmers and tradespeople who establish the village of Blackwater. After following the strands of specific families throughout the generations, Hall explains how the governor's 1899 proclamation of "Old Home Day" encouraged everyone who had moved away from the state to come back to visit at the same time each year. Adroitly chronicling the passing years, McCully's paintings offer some sad images (the abandoned farmhouse of the area's first settler) as well as joyous scenes (Blackwater's bicentennial celebration, set without special comment in the summer of 1999). Capturing lush, verdant hillsides, the brilliant hues of fall foliage and period particulars, her art harmoniously echoes Hall's tribute to the timeless beauty of a New England village throughout many seasons. In a concluding note, Hall writes that he himself lives in a New Hampshire town, which is almost an unnecessary disclosure: from the start, his soulful narrative betrays his deep affection for this region. All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?In this eloquent "biography" of a fictional New Hampshire village, Blackwater evolves from a forested wilderness to a thriving farm community to a gentrified retreat. Created tens of thousands of years before the first humans settled on its shores, Blackwater Pond attracts arrow makers, trappers, and farmers. Families grow, intermarry, and disperse. By 1888, urban exodus turns the village into a place to revisit but not to remain. Old Home Day, officially designated in 1899 to lure back ex-New Hampshire residents, is celebrated for years; in 1999, descendants of the original settlers visit and think, "Maybe sometime we can live in this beautiful place." The ordinary events in the daily lives of the town's inhabitants become extraordinary through text that is at once direct and simple, yet lyrical and poetic. McCully's watercolors expand on the story by providing fascinating details and by capturing the bucolic atmosphere through the seasons and over centuries. The layout is as straightforward as the saga; the large, framed illustrations dominate the pages with brief text, like captions, often printed against a white background. Some concepts (subscription collections, gold stars on memorials) presume some level of reader sophistication, and children may be confused by the comings and goings of several families over multiple generations. Nevertheless, readers will be rewarded with an absorbing window into the life of a village. The author's appended note adds both a personal touch and historical perspective, but so much can be gained from simply enjoying the wonderful art and text.?Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Browndeer Pr; 1st edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152768963
• ISBN-13: 978-0152768966
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 10.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,448,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely book - both the text and art., September 13, 2011

By 

Terence M. Hines (Chappaqua, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Home Day (Library Binding)

This is a really lovely book. The text traces the history of a fictional rural New Hampshire town and the truely lovely illustrations bring the town and its people to life. I grew up in northern New Hampshire and found this book very moving.