A Drive in the Country

I learned the hard way there's a difference between rustic and rural. I lived for a blissful 18 months on the edge of Pennsylvania's Amish country, as hilly and bucolic as an Andrew Wyeth landscape, peopled by artisans, Quakers, and that quaint throwback, the gentleman farmer. A move to central Florida revealed the sparse reality for most of rural America -- endless, flat vistas dotted with factory farms, rusting double-wides and the ubiquitous Wal-Mart, a purgatory of sameness and palpable despondence. Fortunately, Rosen's jaunt takes us to that first America, still found in states as varied as New Hampshire or North Carolina, where swift changes in landscape and pace make for a true escape. Rosen has crafted a travelogue narrated by a kid, and it's a joyful Sunday drive to nowhere in particular, and everyplace special. Rosen's gift for language could elevate a fortune cookie to the sublime, and what could've been merely a chattery boy in a car becomes at times a prose poem, rich with imagery and wordplay. Rosen's one of those rare authors who can write convincingly with a kids' voice, remaining true to the inconsistencies and verbal shortcuts kids take without sounding cutesy. Nor do we get shortchanged by the story itself; it's a sophisticated piece of description as we wind through the country, stopping along the way, getting acquainted with the boy's family and surroundings, but not once does he stretch our belief in the loquacious narrator. Burckhardt's illustrations are crackled acrylics done on boards, and look like antique shop signs you might buy at an antique stand by the side of a country road.

This book captures the fun, adventure, silliness, and spontaneity of a family drive. Outside every major city, throughout the country--and I mean today, not "yesteryear"--there are so many riches to be explored! This book captures them. And kids love such outings into the natural world: woods, streams, small towns, farm animals, funky vernacular buildings and stores. Young or old, you'll be swept along in the poetry of this book, along the winding roads... A lovely read-aloud, that also welcomes older readers who will find themselves thinking of their own landscapes. Love the illustrations. Burckhardt's images remind me of banners from state fairs--they're timeless and innocent and beautiful.