From School Library Journal
Grade 3-4?After burying her mother and loading up the wagon, Elvirey and her family leave their Carolina home for the Michigan woods. Granny insists on taking her quilting scraps, though space in the wagon is tight and many precious possessions must be left behind. When they reach their new home, Elvirey doesn't feel she really belongs. It's not until the cold winter hits and she uses Granny's quilt scraps to chink the log cabin walls that the cabin feels like home. How Elvirey faces a new life and copes with her loss are woven together in this sentimental but touching picture book. Elivrey emerges as a heroine of quiet strength. Though she has an air of bewilderment, she keeps trying to make her world right and comfortable again. The hard journey and the sense of loneliness and sadness are well captured in both the text and illustrations. Earth-toned watercolors add just the right touch to this gentle story. The universal themes of moving and loss of a parent transcend time and are well captured. This selection could also be used to introduce pioneer units.?Jane Claes, T. J. Lee Elementary School, Irving, TX
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ages 5^-8. Soon after Elvirey's mother's death, the family packs up a covered wagon and moves from Carolina to Michigan. Granny sits with her quilting scraps, watching Pap and Bub build a log cabin, while Elvirey and Sis chink the cracks between the logs. The story climaxes in winter, when Elvirey's resourceful use of the quilting scraps helps heal her broken family and make the new house a home. Sensitively written and illustrated, this picture book does more than illustrate pioneer life. Told in a light dialect and from Elvirey's point of view, the story outwardly concerns settling in Michigan, but at its heart is the girl's longing for her mother. The two parts converge in the emotionally satisfying ending. Himler's impressionistic paintings have a rather muted palette, brightened with warm undertones and, of course, the quilting scraps. This expressive picture book brings the past to life.
Carolyn Phelan
See all Editorial Reviews
(6)
$7.95
(2)
$6.99
