The Blue Hill Meadows

Young children have such a hard time understanding the span of a year and the seasons. This book is great because it follows a family through the year. I loved what one of the other reviewers said about it being okay for anxious children. I agree with that. There is one of the stories that I would even say is especially good to share with an anxious child--the one set in winter during a snow storm. My daughters also loved the first story about the dog who came to live with them. This is a wonderful book to read aloud to a kindergartener or first grader!

Who doesn't love Cynthia Rylant? I've been a fan of Ms. Rylant's since I discovered her funny/sweet Henry & Mudge series. I borrowed this charmingly illustrated book from the library, and my six-year-old daughter loved it so much we had to order our own copy once the library' book had to be returned. The four short stories contained in this book are tenderly written odes to a family life well-lived in a little white house in the country, told from the perspective of the youngest boy, Willie Meadows. The stories are well-written and contain nothing objectionable. This is a book that will comfort children, and that is safe to read to even the most anxious child.

Cynthia Rylant can bring a family to life with just a few simple words. The Meadow family is warm and loving without being sugary-sweet. The stories in this book are delightful and Rylant's prose is wonderful. The watercolor illustrations are a perfect complement to the text. As a mother, I liked the Mother's Day story best, but all 4 of the stories, which correspond with the 4 seasons, had something special. This would be a perfect book to read aloud to children 4-6, or for children 7-9 to read to themselves. I'm a fan of all of Rylant's work. This is one of my favorites.