The Way Home [Hardcover]

Nan Parson Rossiter (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

When Samuel and his father find an injured Canada goose and her loyal mate near their farm, they know they must help the birds. The geese quickly become part of the barnyard routine, and Samuel grows to love them both. By the time the injured female and her mate finally fly south to join their flock, Samuel feels proud and also terribly sad. The winter seems long and lonely, but with the spring thaw comes a wonderful surprise for Samuel--and for readers, too.

Nan Parson Rossiter's golden, sun-drenched paintings of the geese and the Vermont farm that becomes their temporary home convey all the warmth and love evident in the story. With plenty of nonfiction details to fascinate young naturalists, this book is not only beautiful and moving but also informative. As in Rossiter's first book, Rugby & Rosie, The Way Home follows the theme of loving and letting go--never easy, but often rewarding in unexpected ways.

Rugby & Rosie was an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists and was praised by Kirkus Reviews as "a resonant debut."

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Young Samuel and his father rescue an injured Canada goose in this heartwarming story of a child's special encounter with a wild animal. Set on a farm, soon after a flock of geese has been sighted on its southward journey, the simple tale plays out in a true-to-life scenario. As Samuel's father extricates the entangled goose, her mate appears, carefully keeping his distance. The child takes over the feeding and care of the bird, cautiously regarding the hovering gander. The story unfolds predictably with Samuel's growing attachment to the geese and his mixed feelings of hope and sadness at their inevitable departure just before the first really cold weather arrives. The tidy, satisfying ending brings the return of the geese, five goslings in tow. "The winter suddenly seemed far away, and the farm felt complete again." Rossiter's paintings, economical in detail, make heavy use of rust and orange tones from the covers all the way through the winter and right into the concluding spring scene. A full-page painting faces a page of text, both enclosed in a wavy line of framing. The presumed domestication of the birds is just a bit too cozy in the final view of the young geese clambering over the family dog-earlier regarded with great distrust by the gander. Apart from this contrivance, the well-shaped story nicely conveys the easy companionship of father and son and the appealing qualities of the handsome birds.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The attachment that grows between a farm boy and an injured bird results in a predictable but heartwarming reward in this picture book from the author of Bugby and Rosie (1997). Samuel names the Canada goose he finds tangled in fishing line Chicory for the nearby flowers. Under the watchful eyes of both Samuel and Spruce Goose, Chicory's attentive, fussy mate, Chicory slowly recovers. Then, as winter approaches, the geese take to the air. Fretting about the pair's safety and wondering if he'll ever see the geese again, Samuel waves good-bye. Rossiter matches a longish text with autumnal farmscapes done in golds and oranges that give the story a sentimental flavor. Samuel, always seen with his supportive father, clearly shows his worry, and then sadness when the geese depart. Readers will rejoice along with Samuel when, come spring, the geese reappear--along with a chain of fuzzy goslings. Pair this with Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom's Honk! Honk! (1997) or, for a sharp change of mood, Marc Simont's The Goose Who Almost Got Cooked (1997). John Peters

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525457674
• ISBN-13: 978-0525457671
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nan Parson Rossiter is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and the author-illustrator of several books for children, including Rugby & Rosie, winner of Nebraska's Golden Sower Award, The Way Home, and Sugar on Snow. Nan's newest children's book, The Fo'c'sle, Henry Beston's Outermost House, will be published in April, 2012.

Nan is also the author of the women's fiction novel, The Gin & Chowder Club. She hopes that readers who enjoyed Gin & Chowder (or those who haven't discovered it yet!) will look for the same characters in the Christmas anthology, Making Spirits Bright. Nan's new novel, Words Get in the Way, a tender story about a single mom whose young son has autism, will be released in April, 2012.

Nan lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, two handsome sons, and a big yellow Lab named Mulligan.

To learn more visit www.nanrossiter.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming, January 5, 2001

By 

Kelley Drisko (Augusta, Maine United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way Home (Hardcover)

Factual information about Canada Geese has been nicely woven into this heartwarming tale of a father and son who rescue and care for an injured Canada Goose and her mate until she is able to fly south for the winter. The illustrations are drenched with the golden glow of autumn and greatly add to the overall appeal of this delightful children's book.