Tonight is the first event for the new book, and I've spent most of the afternoon at home with curlers in my hair and cucumber circles on the eyes...
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The luckiest girl on this good earth is writing to you tonight — my birthday — made perfect a few minutes ago by the present of a lace handkerchief. Mother had even hidden a tiny cake in her suitcase! I've never been higher than Aunt Clara's porch, or farther than Yooder's General Store, but this week my dream is coming true. I'm finally in a big city! And more, I've escaped the farm and chores! After spending the morning quietly in our room, Mother, her friend Maggie, and I went to the top of one of the tallest buildings in the world. How can I ever thank Aunt Clara for giving me her place on this trip? Well, I'm sure to find a gift for her by the end of the week. But for now, perhaps I'll dream of Aunt Clara and home.
Until tomorrow, my silent friend, good night. Hannah
Beginning in the dark hours of morning, an Amish girl, along with two adult companions, sets off for the big city for the first time. The reader receives nightly reports through young Hannah's diary, in which, with tireless awe, she relates the significant events of the day. Each experience is decidedly new to Hannah — a trip to the top of a skyscraper, a visit to the aquarium — yet in each she finds some universal element that reminds her of home. Though she loves the city, a trip to the art museum on the final day of her visit clinches Hannah's longing for family and familiarity; fortunately, the bus is ready to take her back to the place she loves most.
Sarah Stewart's text has the authentic ring of a smart girl's private thoughts, and David Small's pictures are magnificent.
Review:
"An Amish girl makes her first visit to a city...in another graceful and understated work by the collaborators of the Caldecott Honor book, The Gardener....Spills(s) over with a contagious enthusiasm." Publishers Weekly
Review:
"A quiet and lovely book crammed with life... truly wonderful..."
Beth Gutcheon, The New York Times Review of Books
Review:
"The visual pacing is superb, and it creates an affectionate balance between exciting travel and a comforting home." Christian Science Monitor
Review:
"Children will enjoy glimpsing Hannah's routines through her reveries and sharing the excitement of her trip to Chicago in this vivid, respectful, and artfully presented contrast in cultures." Booklist
Review:
"This title offers so much: a glimpse into Amish culture and Chicago treasures; a winsome main characte...a fresh, authentic voice; and a design perfectly melded to its subtle message." School Library Journal
Synopsis:
Hannah, a young Amish girl, tells her "silent friend, " her diary, about all the wondrous experiences she has on her first trip to the city. Full color.
Sarah Stewart and David Small collaborated on three previous books: Money Tree, The Library, and The Gardener, which was a Caldecott Honor Book. They are married and live in Michigan.
"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"An Amish girl makes her first visit to a city...in another graceful and understated work by the collaborators of the Caldecott Honor book, The Gardener....Spills(s) over with a contagious enthusiasm." Publishers Weekly
"Review"
by Beth Gutcheon, The New York Times Review of Books,
"A quiet and lovely book crammed with life... truly wonderful..."
"Review"
by Christian Science Monitor,
"The visual pacing is superb, and it creates an affectionate balance between exciting travel and a comforting home."
"Review"
by Booklist,
"Children will enjoy glimpsing Hannah's routines through her reveries and sharing the excitement of her trip to Chicago in this vivid, respectful, and artfully presented contrast in cultures."
"Review"
by School Library Journal,
"This title offers so much: a glimpse into Amish culture and Chicago treasures; a winsome main characte...a fresh, authentic voice; and a design perfectly melded to its subtle message."
"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
Hannah, a young Amish girl, tells her "silent friend, " her diary, about all the wondrous experiences she has on her first trip to the city. Full color.
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