Cemetery Quilt - Hardcover

Ross, Kent; Ross, Alice

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395709482 ISBN 13: 9780395709481

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1995

Synopsis

Upset about having to go to her grandfather's funeral, Josie learns to find comfort in the family tradition of the cemetery quilt, a quilt that has fabric coffins added to the "cemetery" after a loved one's death.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-4?On the night before her beloved Papaw's funeral, Josie discovers an ugly old quilt in Granny's closet. It has cloth coffins sewn on the edges and in the middle, and each one bears a name. Granny explains the nature of the heirloom?when a family member dies, his or her coffin is moved to the central square. The girl is horrified, but her grandmother reassures her that it's "...just a grievin' thing." At the funeral, Josie realizes (thanks to Granny) that Papaw's body is a shell and nothing to fear, and finally requests that she have a place on the cemetery quilt, too. The theme is intriguing, the writing evocative, and the tone forthright, but the emotional transitions are rough?the characters just don't have time to develop. Josie's initial thoughts about the funeral and the quilt are so believably negative that it's jarring when she comes around. And the ending, with its touch of black humor, is abrupt as well: "'Granny, who'll bury you when you die?' Granny smiled with surprise. 'Why, someone who loves a fat ugly old woman, I guess.'" Kaloustian's appropriately somber paintings, done in muddy, earthy tones, convey a lot of feeling. This odd, morbid book is more likely to perplex than comfort readers; then again, they might just shake their heads, put it down, and move on.?Vanessa Elder, School Library Journal
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Ages 5^-8. When Josie's grandfather dies, the family travels to Grandmother's house for the burial. Josie is upset and tries to avoid the funeral completely, especially after she discovers the family cemetery quilt, a dark coverlet appliqued with white fabric coffins that are embroidered with family members' names. The outer ring of caskets denotes living family members; the inner one signifies relatives who have died. Eventually, Josie attends the funeral, which helps her come to terms with her grief, and her grandmother helps her accept the family quilt as a symbol of belonging and a source of solace. Kaloustian's illustrations evoke the somber mood of the story and reflect the wide range of the characters' emotions. The quilt may seem gruesome to some readers; others will find comfort in its message. Kay Weisman

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0395709482
• ISBN 13: 9780395709481
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Kaloustian Rosanne