Family ties come through as the keynote of this satisfying and positive sequel to Homecoming, which sees Dicey and her three younger siblings settled on Grandmother Tillerman's Chesapeake Bay farm. With Momma in a mental hospital and local rumors that old Mrs. Tillerman is "Crazy," it's a relief to find Grain a wise and capable, if sometimes eccentric upbringer. Dicey still worries about the younger children's school problems, but she new has help in handling them: Grain visits Sammy's second grade and wins him points by beating all the boys at marbles; and James, a bright and bookish ten, studies methods and teaches slow, shy Maybeth, who's talented in music but failing in school, to read. And, as family troubles present themselves, Grain brusquely counsels Dicey on the variously appropriate policies of holding on, reaching out, and letting go. Eventually the prickly Dicey acknowledges a friend in Mina, a black girl who recognizes that she and Dicey are the two eighth-grade brains, and another in Serf, a tenth-grader with a guitar, who visits for family songfests although Dicey, not ready for dates, turns down his invitation to a dance. Fat Mr. Lingerie, Maybeth's music teacher, becomes another family friend, coming forth with sitting services and money for the undertaker when Dicey and Grain must travel to the children's dying Momma in Boston. The sadness of these final scenes is tempered with the satisfaction of a chapter closed and the knowledge that, as Momma's awkward, mouse-faced doctor says lamely, "It is better this way." Through all the hardships, comforts, and passages, Dicey remains the sturdy presence we met in Homecoming; new she and Gram make a strong, crusty pair, and the other children come along according to their observantly individualized courses. A resilient family and a gratifying journey's end.
Pub Date: Oct. 22, 1982
ISBN: 0786263520
Page Count: 381
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1982
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves
A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way.
A young boy sees things a little differently than others.
Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the “green tang of the ants in the grass.” His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman’s gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington’s sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author’s note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different.
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60554-356-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Redleaf Lane
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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