Home Place - Softcover

Dragonwagon, Crescent

Softcover

ISBN 10: 068971758X ISBN 13: 9780689717581

Publisher: Aladdin, 1993

Synopsis

Deep in the woods there used to be a house where a family once lived. Over there was the chimney. Just imagine little toes warming up beside it. And see those daffodils? Someone took special care to plant and tend to them so that every spring they blossomed as brightly as the year before.
Both the house and the family are gone now, but if you go to that spot in the woods, you'll find the chimney and the flowers. Then all you have to do is close your eyes and imagine...With Crescent Dragonwagon's poetic text and Jerry Pinkney's rich watercolors, past and present briefly touch in this remarkable book.

About this title

About the Author:

Crescent Dragonwagon's books for children include Half a Moon and One Whole Star and Home Place. She's also the author of several novels, a book of poetry, and cookbooks, such as Passionate Vegetarian. With her late husband Ned Shank, she is the cofounder of the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. That's where she lives, and it can be rainy or sunny there -- sometimes both in one day. You can also visit her on the Web at www.dragonwagon.com, where the weather is whatever you'd like it to be.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-3-- Pinkney's richly hued watercolors, strong with a sense of place and personality, will help draw young readers into this dreamlike reminiscence of a large, lively family whose existence echoes only faintly in the present. Deep within a lush southern woodland is the site of an old homestead, visited only by deer, squirrels, and raccoons. One spring day, a child discovers this "home place." Spurred by her curiosity about the past, she digs in the ruined foundation and discovers a marble, a horseshoe, and the arm of a china doll. These objects lead her to envision the family whose home once stood there. Children love a mystery and this is a picture book that will invite them to think about the life cycle and the riddles of the past. Primary graders may need the help of an adult in raising and exploring these questions. Dragonwagon's short, rhythmic lines, laid out like poetry, have a sometimes mystical, sometimes conversational quality. Each full-page illustration lies opposite a brief block of text printed on a soft bone-colored background. One error must be mentioned, with regret. The flowers identified as honeysuckle in the text appear as morning glories in the illustration. The book has a simple dignity that is in complete harmony with the tone set by the author and the illustrator. A wonderfully evocative work. --Carey Ayres, Port Washington Public Library, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Aladdin
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 068971758X
• ISBN 13: 9780689717581
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Pinkney Jerry