Whitefoot: A Story from the Center of the World (Port William) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Davis Te Selle (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This small-format, gifty offering from an acclaimed author is not necessarily a children's book; the story it tells, in prose, will absorb adult admirers of literary craftsmanship as thoroughly as it does children. When Whitefoot the mouse is flooded out of her nest and carried downstream on a log—and most of the book relates this journey—she owes her survival to her innate skills. Every detail merits the closest observation: Her ears were listening into the slur and spatter around her. Her nose was intelligently sniffing....The voice in her mind was saying, 'Seeds! Seeds! Look around!' If Te Selle's densely detailed black-and-white drawings were any more realistic, readers would be able to see Whitefoot's tiny furry body breathing. Though everything that happens takes place an inch off the ground, Berry finds a heroic dimension to Whitefoot, and his gift is to make readers feel it, too. Ages 7–12. (Jan.)
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Product Description

Whitefoot is a mouse, a small creature with "elegant whiskers" and a "reddish brindly tan" coat. She lives at the edge of the woods, where she knows, without a doubt, that she exists at the center of the world. What she doesn’t know is that not far from her safe haven there is a river, and a world of such size and magnitude that she cannot even imagine it. One day, a burst of rain floods down on Whitefoot, lifting her in its currents and carrying her far from home. What happens next leads Whitefoot on a great adventure — one in which she must encounter new experiences and challenges to her survival. The discovery of the universe around her, and her ability to survive within it, is a lesson that’s sure to resonate with children and adults alike. Written by best-selling author, Wendell Berry, this beautiful volume is illustrated in fine detail with original drawings by acclaimed artist Davis Te Selle.

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Product Details Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 64 pages Publisher: Counterpoint; First Edition edition (December 11, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 1582434328 ISBN-13: 978-1582434322 Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,004 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #13 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Berry, Wendell

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	71% buy the item featured on this page: Whitefoot: A Story from the Center of the World (Port William) 5.0 out of 5 stars (3) $14.96
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious Prose, December 11, 2008 By  Carol Bakker (Eastern Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Wendell Berry's book for children is a winsome read. First the size. It measures 6¼ x 7½, a small book for small hands. The quiet black-and-white illustrations are elegant simplicity itself, engaging the eye; illustrating, but not dominating the text. But the glory of this book is the prose. A mouse called Whitefoot makes her home in an abandoned glass jar in a hollow near a river. When the river floods she is propelled into a dangerous adventure, clinging to life while floating precariously on a log. Fans of Berry's Port William fiction will recognize the themes he weaves through the pages of each story: careful work, thankful hearts, the rhythms of an ordered life. I would love to see Wendell Berry write a series of children's books about the animals around Port William. 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Fable of Tenacity and Courage, February 4, 2009 By  James L. Perkins - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This little book is about a mouse caught up in a flood. It is a loving and closely observed portrait of a fellow traveler with us on this planet Earth, appreciative of all the heart, intelligence, and determination of this little being. She is beautiful, but there is nothing cute or even authropomorphic in the telling. She is what she is, and as such is worthy of our attention, admiration, and respect. Wendell Berry, the author, and Davis TeSelle, the illustrator have well-matched sensibilities, and both are consummate artists. 5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite., November 16, 2009 By  TypeStyle (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase Wendell Berry has created his own Yoknapatawpha, a place called Port William Membership brought to life in his poetry, short stories and novels. With "Whitefoot: A Story from the Center of the World," he gives children a portal into that beautiful world, and extends membership beyond just the humans who work the land in Port William. Whitefoot the mouse allows us to see that world from as close to the earth as a set of eyes can get. The sky above her is criss-crossed with grass blades and clouded with potential danger everywhere. Her journey down the river details nature's beauty and force, and the spirit necessary to survive such force. Davis Te Salle's illustrations are as lovely as Berry's crafted prose. My six-year-old son loved everything about this book: the point of view, the adventure, the illustrations, the chance to read a book on his level that fit into the adult series his mom has been reading. While Berry's language isn't Alice-and-Jerry simple, it is a gift read aloud to any age child.		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Counterpoint; First Edition edition (December 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582434328
• ISBN-13: 978-1582434322
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,004 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #13 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Berry, Wendell

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious Prose, December 11, 2008

By	Carol Bakker (Eastern Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wendell Berry's book for children is a winsome read.

First the size. It measures 6¼ x 7½, a small book for small hands. The quiet black-and-white illustrations are elegant simplicity itself, engaging the eye; illustrating, but not dominating the text.

But the glory of this book is the prose. A mouse called Whitefoot makes her home in an abandoned glass jar in a hollow near a river. When the river floods she is propelled into a dangerous adventure, clinging to life while floating precariously on a log.

Fans of Berry's Port William fiction will recognize the themes he weaves through the pages of each story: careful work, thankful hearts, the rhythms of an ordered life. I would love to see Wendell Berry write a series of children's books about the animals around Port William.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fable of Tenacity and Courage, February 4, 2009

By	James L. Perkins - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This little book is about a mouse caught up in a flood. It is a loving and closely observed portrait of a fellow traveler with us on this planet Earth, appreciative of all the heart, intelligence, and determination of this little being. She is beautiful, but there is nothing cute or even authropomorphic in the telling. She is what she is, and as such is worthy of our attention, admiration, and respect. Wendell Berry, the author, and Davis TeSelle, the illustrator have well-matched sensibilities, and both are consummate artists.

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite., November 16, 2009

By	TypeStyle (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Wendell Berry has created his own Yoknapatawpha, a place called Port William Membership brought to life in his poetry, short stories and novels. With "Whitefoot: A Story from the Center of the World," he gives children a portal into that beautiful world, and extends membership beyond just the humans who work the land in Port William. Whitefoot the mouse allows us to see that world from as close to the earth as a set of eyes can get. The sky above her is criss-crossed with grass blades and clouded with potential danger everywhere. Her journey down the river details nature's beauty and force, and the spirit necessary to survive such force.

Davis Te Salle's illustrations are as lovely as Berry's crafted prose.

My six-year-old son loved everything about this book: the point of view, the adventure, the illustrations, the chance to read a book on his level that fit into the adult series his mom has been reading. While Berry's language isn't Alice-and-Jerry simple, it is a gift read aloud to any age child.