Product Description

Within the sanctuary of a loving family, baby Eli is born and, as he grows, "learns to cherish the people and places around him, eventualy passing on what he has discovered to his new baby sister, Sylvie: 'All the places to love are here . . . no matter where you may live.' This loving book will be something to treasure."'BL. "The quiet narrative is so intensely felt it commands attention. . . . a lyrical celebration."'K.

1995 Teachers' Choices (IRA)
1995 Notable Trade Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
Notable 1995 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8382 in Books
• Published on: 1994-05-30
• Released on: 1994-04-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060210984
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
MacLachlan's characteristically resonant language and Wimmer's majestic paintings affectingly celebrate the natural world and the family. Told in the voice of a child who lives on a farm with his parents and grandparents, the author's poetic narrative opens on the day of the boy's birth, when his grandmother holds him up to the open window, "So that what I heard first was the wind. / What I saw first were all the places to love: / The valley, / The river falling down over rocks, / The hilltop where the blueberries grew." The child introduces readers to the spots that each person in his family loves best: for his mother it is the hilltop where the sky is "an arm's length away"; for his grandfather, the dark, cool barn ("Where else, he says, can the soft sound of cows chewing / Make all the difference in the world?"). Only after the birth of his sister does the boy reveal his favorite place of all: the marsh "Where ducklings follow their mother / Like tiny tumbles of leaves." Whether focusing on a single, aging turtle or depicting a sweeping panorama, Wimmer's ( Train Song ; Flight ) paintings beautifully convey the splendor of nature, as well as the deep affection binding three generations. This inspired pairing of words and art is a timeless, uplifting portrait of rural family life. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-"Where else can the soft sound of cows chewing make all the difference in the world?" asks Eli's grandfather about the barn he loves. There are other places on the farm that each family member finds special: the valley, the meadows, the hilltop where the blueberries grow, and the river falling over rocks. As young Eli recounts them simply and warmly, these places become living keepsakes that form a homage to their way of life. The ties of family members to one another and of family to farm are captured in the sweet, pastoral illustrations realistically painted in Norman Rockwellian style. The language has MacLachlan's signature spareness filled with emotion and sensitivity. As in her Three Names (HarperCollins, 1991), the personal reflections are heartwarming and touching. While Eli waits in the barn with his grandfather, the arrival of a new baby reaffirms the continuity of generations as Sylvie's name is added to those carved on a barn rafter. The use of questions such as: "Where else does an old turtle crossing the path make all the difference in the world?" help make the story relevant for young readers. Who else but MacLachlan could carry this off so lovingly.
Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. An earnest, tender family portrait that parents will want to share with their children, especially when a new baby is due. MacLachlan conjures up an idyllic rural backdrop and introduces the members of a close-knit, extended family whose devotion to one another is part and parcel of their love for the rolling hills and woods that encircle them. Within this sanctuary, baby Eli is born, grows into childhood, and learns to cherish the people and places around him, eventually passing on what he has discovered to his little sister, Sylvie: "All the places to love are here . . . no matter where you may live." MacLachlan's lyrical narrative fixes the setting, lovely and quiet, while it tugs at the heartstrings. Wimmer's radiant, full-page paintings, a few so realistically detailed they look like color photographs, take us to the stream, across the fields, and into the barn, where Eli, with his grandfather, awaits the birth of baby Sylvie. But it's a flawless world that's pictured--not a real one. There's not a speck of dirt on Eli's nose, or a thunderstorm to break the peace. Still, both text and art will captivate parents longing for an affirmation of tradition and stability, and the heartwarming story will enchant children and grownups who understand the world as a safe and beautiful haven, filled with affection. For them, this loving book will be something to treasure. Stephanie Zvirin

Customer Reviews

LOVE this book!
My 5 year-old daughter has hundreds of books, but only a select few sit on the "special shelf" in her room, and this is one of them. I bought it for her a couple of years ago, and it has been my favorite ever since. Everything about this book is beautiful.... the illustrations, the story, and the message. I simply cannot read through this book without crying...........the second to the last page does me in every time!! This book is a lovely reminder to enjoy and appreciate the simple things that surround all of us. If you are looking for a special book that your children will love and you will treasure, this is the one.........BUY THIS BOOK! If I had to pick only one of my daughter's books to save forever, this would be it.

Beautifully told and gorgeous illustrated
Oh, boy, this was a baby gift to our son in 1994 and I STILL get all puddled up when I read it aloud to our kids. Patricia MacLachlan captures the stillness and quietude of a rural life in her sweet tale of a boy waiting for his sister to be born so that he can teach her where "all the places to love" are. Mike Wimmer does a superb job of making his realistic painted illustrations harmonize with MacLachlan's text. The scene where Eli is in the barn with his grandfather waiting for his sister Sylvia to be born has such a beautiful Wimmer illustration that it never fails to take my breath away. If the people are perhaps somewhat idealized--just minutes after giving birth, the mom looks golden, serene and ready for her close-up--then so is the story, and that's OK. It gives kids something to dream about, whether or not they're awaiting the arrival of a new sibling. Really and truly captivating.

Must read for every family!
This is one of my favorite books to read to our family. We have had it for 5 years and are about to wear it out with all of our bedtime readings. It is a great portrayal of family heritage and finding your place. We have used it as a springboard to name our favorite "place to love". It has helped my children get to know their grandparents and community better. I must also mention that the memories that it conjures up of my own childhood are priceless.