This Caldecott Honor book by Cynthia Rylant hearkens back to a simpler time. It is based on the fond memories the author recalls as she lived with her grandparents in the mountains of West Virginia. Each page gives the reader a taste of what it would be like to grow up young in the mountains. Although the young girl and boy are living in a modest home, they still manage to enjoy the simple pleasures of mountain life. Life for these children is hard and simple compared to our modern conveniences. Yet, this family's warmth and gentle love makes up for it all. Whether it is Grandmother making hot cocoa on the stove or the children going swimming in a swimming hole, the pictures do this story justice. Each picture evokes the love of a way of life, of a family, and most of all, of a place.
I highly recommend this book. It has a timeless quality and would be an excellent read-aloud book. I intend to use this book to teach setting, since the setting of this story plays such a central role in the plot.
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