Customer Reviews

The Relatives Came

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4 star:		(9)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Do you remember being told as a child that some relatives (whom you didn't really recall) were coming to visit? If so, this book will evoke all of the trepidition and excitement of those days . . . not to mention the scattered inconveniences you experienced, that were quickly forgotten in oceans of warm acceptance.

The strength of the book is in its illustrations, which warmly capture emotional closeness, like being tucked into bed by your Mom after a wonderful but tiring day. For those illustrations, The Relatives Came won a Caldecott Honor Award in 1986 that is well deserved.

The images are very happy, soft and fuzzy all at the same time. The illustrations look as though they were produced with pastel pencils using very fine points, constantly sharpened. With rounded faces and bodies, everyone seems very open and comfortable in hospitable surroundings. I have rarely seen a book that sets a better illustrated tone for a friendly family gathering. It caused me to recall my favorite family reunions.

The story is not as strong as the illustrations, but is more than adequate. One part of the family lives in Virginia and is leaving before the grapes are ready to be picked. They get up at 4 a.m. and drive straight through in a food and luggage packed station wagon. They leave the same way, weeks later, after having spent a happy summer camping inside the relative's house they visit. The initial nervousness and homesickness give way to missing their relatives, based on the happy times they share together that summer. The solution? Do it again next summer!

The story is designed to pick up on the physical aspects of closeness, and use those to convey a connection to emotional closeness. For people who are kinesthetically oriented, this story will be gripping and realistic. For people who are visual, the story's illustrations will provide happy connections and experiences. For those who are auditory, the sound of breathing is described to extend the senses in that direction.

The story's strength is in drawing on happy memories of having been in the middle of such family visits. For children without such experiences, the book will seem abstract and disconnected. I suggest telling a story about experiences in your family that are like the one here. That will help your child make the connection to the themes expressed here.

Perhaps the best way to enjoy the story is to act out the physical actions and sounds with your child. You can take turns being one or the other part of the family.

Does your family have opportunities for extended closeness with relataives? If you don't, hopefully this book will cause you to consider making that happen. That will be one of the finest inheritances you can provide your children, a connection to deep wells of extended family love and acceptance.

Hug your family whenever you can!

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Stephen Gammell is a lively children's book about a family and the relatives who came to visit them. It shows what type of things the family had to go through when the relatives showed up. There was hugging, eating, and breathing for many weeks, after which the relatives pack up and leave. They miss each other after they leave. The Relatives Came helps kids understand the importance of family. They realize that while the family may not be together; they are missed by the relatives. The font and illustration is both crazy and crooked. This helps show how packing for vacation is frantic. Gammell draws the pictures with vivid colors, and the pictures look as if they were drawn with color pencils. This helps keep the child attracted to the book because it is very eye-appealing.

This book, "The Relatives Came" by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Stephen Gammell, was a delight to read. I found myself smiling as I read the words that made the artwork come alive. Likewise, I found myself recollecting over the memories of the past when my relatives would come to visit. And, I felt as if I, too, were a part of this book. Having experienced growing up in a small town where you don`t see that many people, I believe that when relatives come to visit, it almost seems like Christmas. As a result, when the book expressed the joy, laughter, and celebration of family, it stirred up these memories of the past. Unquestionably, almost anyone, from children to adults, could find themselves reminiscing and longing for the fun they had when their relatives come to visit.

This book reminds me so much of my family gatherings...even though it's set in a different part of the country. I love it, and have sent it to my sisters and their families as well. It's a Caldecott award winning book, one that should be read by generations of families. Who wants to stay at the Marriott when you can sleep on the floors and sofas at your cousins house? Family....isn't it about time?

This children's book is a joyous and hilarious visit by a very large family to relatives in another State. Although everything gets very hectic, when the relatives finally leave, everyone seems to miss the visitors right away and already are looking forward to the next visit. I think that every family can relate to this story. The book was illustrated by Stephen Gammell and it was a 1986 Caldecott Honor book (that is, a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children.

We first received "The Relatives Came," our first book by Cynthia Rylant, as a free paperback in a Cheerios box. We have cherished it so much that we've purchased it for friends and also bought a large hardback version for our family. It is a precious story about the love of family and how they work and play together during their much-anticipated, lengthy family reunions. The illustrations are incredible and truly fun. We love this book so much that we've bought other Cynthia Rylant books, "Christmas in the Country" and "When I Was Young in the Mountains," and they are also fabulous and highly-recommended. Ms. Rylant's books are treasures to our family because they speak of simpler times and the sweetest things in life.

I and my family are from Virginia. This is just the way we are when we visit family in other states...we sleep on the floor, eat lots of food, everything! I am going to purchase this book to send to my niece. I hope that she remembers when her family comes from Virginia to do all the things in the book. When she misses us, she can read the story and think about us.

This is a great book for kids ages 3-9. It is a good book for young people because I think it teaches kids no matter what all ways love your family and they will love you back. I read this for English class and if I have a choice to read it again I would. It is about a family that comes from another state to visit their relatives, they get there hug for hours on end and eat dinner then go to bed. There's not enough beds for everyone so each person has a arm or leg on them but, they don't mind at all because there with family. I loved the book personally and I think kids would too. After the age 10 or so they might think the book is childish, any age 9 and under I think would love it.

This is a delightful and sweet story of a family traveling to visit relatives. The illustrations really bring the book to life. This is a great summer story for any child, but is especially fun and perfect for my 5 year old son who does better with new situations if he is able to have a sort of preview of what it is going to be like. We originally checked this book out from the library but have purchased a copy to keep. He loves to read the book and look at our photos from our family reunion trip.

Such a great story! I've read it to my kids at least 5 times and also the kids I work with in the school. It's such a wonderful/funny story of family, and making those long trips just to be together in the summer.
It's a must have in a childrens library.