The Sleeping Porch [Library Binding]

Karen Ackerman (Author), Elizabeth Sayles (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1995 | Age Level: 5 and up

Enjoying their new home, Jonathan and his family's happiness is cut short when a storm reveals the house's many leaks, forcing everyone to retreat to the only dry place available and helping them realize the porch's special qualities.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?The oldest child tells how his family has finally realized their dream of having their own home, though he says rather ominously, "...none of us imagined how much trouble the house would turn out to be." On a hot, stormy night, their roof leaks badly. The immediate effect is "laughing, playing" and kids having "splash fights"; but two pages later, the merriment dissipates and a line of "cranky, unhappy" people troop out to sleep on the porch. The narrator describes how they settle down, spend a comfy night in the dry, screened-in room, and proceed to use it in many ways throughout the year. Ackerman relates small details that give each use an easy-to-picture reality. Sayles's appealing pastel illustrations are dominated by various shades of purple that serve as warm backgrounds for the comforting glow of the porch's light. Each page is bordered with a thin line of purple and the text is set on soft yellow pages. A family story that will make readers wish for a sleeping porch of their own.?Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-7. Ackerman extols the virtues of hearth and home as she did in I Know a Place (1992). Jonathan and his family are very excited about moving into their first single-family home. Although in need of paint and repairs, the house has plenty of space--including a screened-in sleeping porch. When a summer thunderstorm reveals a very leaky roof, the family discovers that the porch makes a delightful (and dry) spot to sleep. As the seasons progress, they find additional uses for this special place--a shelter for jack-o'-lanterns, a storage room for boots and sleds, and a nursery for spring seedlings. Sayles' pastel illustrations, rich in hues of purple and orange, convey the warmth and closeness the family shares. At the same time, fuzzy facial features create a distance between readers/viewers and the characters that is appropriate to the idealized family portrayed. A good choice for bedtime story hours or for families enjoying their own first house. Kay Weisman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 1 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co Library (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688128238
• ISBN-13: 978-0688128234
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,696,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming book, January 9, 2006

By 

Scrapella (Twin Cities) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sleeping Porch (Library Binding)

My 3 1/2-year-old son and I found this book at the library and although I wondered if it would be a little too long for him, he loves it, and has asked me to read it repeatedly. He is especially curious about the fireflies in the book, and we both enjoy reading about the stormy night the family slept on the sleeping porch. We agree we'd like to add a sleeping porch onto our home someday for summer nights.