GREAT-GRANDMOTHER'S TREASURE

by Ruth Hickcox ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1998

A book that does a pretty good job of limning what to a child is a leap of faith not easily accomplished--picturing a great-grandmother as young, with a child's feelings, and involved in kid stuff. Tracing the life of a great-grandmother (and always referring to her as such, which contextualizes her), Hickcox makes readers witnesses to her growing up, raising a family, then tending to an ever-increasing brood. The child gathers treasures first as experiences and then, as an adult, keeps them as memories. Hickcox humanizes the girl--the only thing she ever sewed was an apron, into which she places (invisibly) her memory-treasures--and the woman: ""Sure as God's in his heaven, she thought to herself, isn't this a hoot! Here I am, looking old as Philadelphia, but inside I am still exactly me."" The connections are clear; readers may love the character, but they'll reflect on their own ancient relatives as well. Soman's illustrations work beautifully with the stow, capturing with equal skill the great-grandmother's decades of zest, and the melancholy moments that befall the old and young alike.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dial

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1998

Categories: CHILDREN'S