Yonie Wondernose

Yonie (short for Jonathan) is a seven-year-old Pennsylvania Dutch boy whose curiousity and distractability earns him the name "Yonie Wondernose." One day his parents leave him with his sister and grandmother to care for the farm overnight, and Yonie strives to prove that he is worthy of the responsibility entrusted to him. That night a fire breaks out in the barn, and he and his grandmother must rescue the animals (the family's livelihood) from the flames. Throughout the adventure, Yonie strives to earn the reward his father has promised him"when he is old enough to be trusted like a man." This story deservedly won a Caldecott Honor in 1945 for its excellent writing and fine storyline. de Angeli does a fine job capturing the exuberant immaturity of this likable child, drawing an appealing picture of a young person striving to overcome childish impulses and earn respect. It is especially wonderful that the prized reward has to do with his desire to attain to manhood: rather than seeking to gratify his immature desires, Yonie aspires to the respect and honor that is only given to the mature. His father's quiet pride and understated affirmation, following his near-heroic efforts to rescue the animals, are a prize worth gaining. De Angeli captures a little of the flavor of Pennsylvania Dutch language along with many details of everyday life. Her characters are appealing, the family is warmly loving, and the story itself is full of excitement and danger. It will appeal to both boys and girls, but especially boys. It contains more prose than most picture books and is a perfect fit for children who are just transitioning into chapter books.

Published in 1944, Yonie Wondernose remains today a wonderful story about a young Amish boy living with his family on their farm, who acquires his name because of his never ending curiosity. Whatever task he pursues he's endlessly drawn to explore diversions and loses track of what he set out to do, until one fateful night when he saves the farm from fire. With humor and affection, Marguerite de Angeli depicts in her story and her illustrations, a family and a bright little boy, while describing at the same time, all that is best in an Amish community in Pennsylvania.

Winner of the Caldecott Award for children's book illustrations. Yonie Wondernose is a charming book that, along with Marguerite De Angeli's other classics, deserves to be in every elementary school and public library. Award-winning De Angeli is both illustrator and author and her artwork introduced me to the world of the Amish, Mennonites and Quakers. "Yonie" lets us peek into the world of a working farm where every family member, even seven year old Yonie, has responsibilities. But his "wondernose" often leads him to satisfy his curiosity before chores. One special night Yonnie faces new duties. Will his wondernose get the better of him, or will he earn new respect from Papa?