- Paperback
- Publisher: Harpercollins (May 1, 2006)
- ASIN: B001DWHWPU
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
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More About the Author
Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and to this day carries a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she goes to remind her of what she knew first. She is the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lives in western Massachusetts.
In Her Own Words..."One thing I've learned with age and parenting is that life comes in circles. Recently, I was having a bad time writing. I felt disconnected. I had moved to a new home and didn't feel grounded. The house, the land was unfamiliar to me. There was no garden yet. Why had I sold my old comfortable 1793 home? The one with the snakes in the basement, mice everywhere, no closets. I would miss the cold winter air that came in through the electrical sockets."
"I had to go this day to talk to a fourth-grade class, and I banged around the house, complaining. Hard to believe, since I am so mild mannered and pleasant, isn't it? What did I have to say to them? I thought what I always think when I enter a room of children. What do I know?"
"I plunged down the hillside and into town, where a group of fourth-grade children waited for me in the library, freshly scrubbed, expectant. Should I be surprised that what usually happens did so? We began to talk about place, our living landscapes. And I showed them my little bag of prairie dirt from where I was born. Quite simply, we never got off the subject of place. Should I have been so surprised that these young children were so concerned with place, or with the lack of it, their displacement? Five children were foster children, disconnected from their homes. One little boy's house had burned down, everything gone. 'Photographs, too,' he said sadly. Another told me that he was moving the next day to place he'd never been. I turned and saw the librarian, tears coming down her face."
"'You know,' I said. 'Maybe I should take this bag of prairie dirt and toss it into my new yard. I'll never live on the prairie again. I live here now. The two places could mix together that way!' 'No!' cried a boy from the back. 'Maybe the prairie dirt will blow away!' And then a little girl raised her hand. 'I think you should put that prairie dirt in a glass bowl in your window so that when you write you can see it all the time. So you can always see what you knew first.'"
"When I left the library, I went home to write. What You Know First owes much to the children of the Jackson Street School: the ones who love place and will never leave it, the ones who lost everything and have to begin again. I hope for them life comes in circles, too."
In Her Own Words..."One thing I've learned with age and parenting is that life comes in circles. Recently, I was having a bad time writing. I felt disconnected. I had moved to a new home and didn't feel grounded. The house, the land was unfamiliar to me. There was no garden yet. Why had I sold my old comfortable 1793 home? The one with the snakes in the basement, mice everywhere, no closets. I would miss the cold winter air that came in through the electrical sockets."
"I had to go this day to talk to a fourth-grade class, and I banged around the house, complaining. Hard to believe, since I am so mild mannered and pleasant, isn't it? What did I have to say to them? I thought what I always think when I enter a room of children. What do I know?"
"I plunged down the hillside and into town, where a group of fourth-grade children waited for me in the library, freshly scrubbed, expectant. Should I be surprised that what usually happens did so? We began to talk about place, our living landscapes. And I showed them my little bag of prairie dirt from where I was born. Quite simply, we never got off the subject of place. Should I have been so surprised that these young children were so concerned with place, or with the lack of it, their displacement? Five children were foster children, disconnected from their homes. One little boy's house had burned down, everything gone. 'Photographs, too,' he said sadly. Another told me that he was moving the next day to place he'd never been. I turned and saw the librarian, tears coming down her face."
"'You know,' I said. 'Maybe I should take this bag of prairie dirt and toss it into my new yard. I'll never live on the prairie again. I live here now. The two places could mix together that way!' 'No!' cried a boy from the back. 'Maybe the prairie dirt will blow away!' And then a little girl raised her hand. 'I think you should put that prairie dirt in a glass bowl in your window so that when you write you can see it all the time. So you can always see what you knew first.'"
"When I left the library, I went home to write. What You Know First owes much to the children of the Jackson Street School: the ones who love place and will never leave it, the ones who lost everything and have to begin again. I hope for them life comes in circles, too."
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful!,
By
This review is from: Once I Ate a Pie (Hardcover)
The words and pictures in this book are beautiful. This isn't a story book, there is no story. It's more like poetry. In reading this to kindergarten and Pre-K, the kids don't appreciate the words as much as the pictures. The words are more for older children and adults, or people who will definitely appreciate and understand "puppyness".The pictures are for everyone. It's fun to guess the different dog breeds, which are painted as sweet puppies. One puppy is rolling over, one puppy is dressed in a raincoat. I'm a sucker for German shepherd puppies, and this illustrator captured the floppy ears and big paws while the author captured the "shepherdness" of a herding dog. If you do love dog books and illustrations, you will not regret owning this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best new 'dog' book for all ages ...,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Once I Ate a Pie (Hardcover)
Along with Carl & Biscuit the dogs in this book are just too special to ignore. I currently work in the children's Dept. of a bookstore chain(& love dogs). When this title came in I had to look read it and make my co-workers look at it too. I have also noticed that it gets moved around quite a bit so people must be interested enough by the cover & subject to pick it up and look through it. When it comes out in 'paperback' it will fly off the shelves. It is just beautiful and so accurate for pups personalities. Love the 'poetry' rather than story line. I have told my people friends about what a cool book it is. It should be sold in pet stores & grooming shops and recommended by Veternarians etc. I'd like to see it sold in the 'pets' section of the store as well. A big THANK YOU to Patricia MacLachlan for this heartwarming collection.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must have for dog loving parents and teachers!,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Once I Ate a Pie (Hardcover)
The illustrations are both heartwarming and beautiful and capture the essence of each dog poem. Dog owners are sure to connect personality traits of their own pet to almost all of the poems. Each one, written in first person or, rather first dog. offers at least one craft element to support teaching young writers. Craft elements include font size, questioning, dialogue, use of space, voice of the poet, patterns in poetry and even a poem for two voices. I love it! The ONLY thing missing is a reference to the dog breeds illustrated.
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