In to the Piney Woods

Kimberly Bulcken Root's sun washed paintings aptly illustrate this poignant and powerful story of the very special relationship between a young girl and her grandfather. Our tale opens long before Ella, the narrator, was born. She tells of when her grandfather was young, strong enough to build a small house by the piney woods and the sea. Now, her grandfather is old. When she was little he helped her walk; now she helps him walk because together they love to roam the pine barrens. It is during these times that they play together, pretending to be trees. It is also when he teaches her about seeds and pine cones, repeating the immortal phrase, "Everything has its time." More than a view of the love shared by Ella and her grandfather, In The Piney Woods is also a reflection of the joys of family life as the house is happily shared by Mama, Papa, Big Sister Sada, and her husband Sam. Sada is expecting a baby in the summer, and the world will be different. Ella and young readers (5 years and up) learn that nothing stays the same. - Gail Cooke