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Only Opal
Born around the turn of the century, Opal Whiteley offers a peek into the life of an endearing young child growing up on the frontier. Through these excerpts from her diary, we are given a taste of the struggle and despair, as well as the faith and joy felt in each moment of her young life.
--"Cooney's clear, beautifully detailed watercolor paintings show the sturdy, solita...more
--"Cooney's clear, beautifully detailed watercolor paintings show the sturdy, solita...more
Paperback, 32 pages
Published
June 16th 1997
by Puffin
(first published 1994)
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Aug 05, 2011
Lisa Vegan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
orphans, foster children, children with difficult lives; animal & plant lovers
Recommended to Lisa by:
Kathryn
Wow! This book is so depressing, made somewhat less depressing by Opal’s connections to various animals and plants, the fact that she was writing, the fact that she seemed to feel some comfort in the presence of her dead parents.
Orphaned, living with a family that makes her work hard and seems to show her no affection, this is presented as a portion of her diary covering her 5th-6th year, a time when she was supposedly just learning to write, and missing many days of school due to her servitude....more
Orphaned, living with a family that makes her work hard and seems to show her no affection, this is presented as a portion of her diary covering her 5th-6th year, a time when she was supposedly just learning to write, and missing many days of school due to her servitude....more
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This book is actually excerpts from a controversial diary of a young girl in the early 1900's. Controversial because there are questions about the truth...I almost hope this isn't true...a five-year-old is orphaned and taken in by completely unsympathetic folks whom she calls 'the father' and 'the mother.' The mother keeps Opal home on laundry days and makes the little girl do way more than a child's share of the chores. One wonders, but Opal never realizes, whether they adopted the girl as a se...more
Jane Boulton (a poet herself) selected (and, I think, somewhat adapted) excerpts from Opal Whiteley's childhood diary to create the narrative for this story. Perfectly paired with Barbara Cooney's illustrations, this makes a poignant and beautiful story about a young girl's affection and appreciation for nature and animals, her yearning for kindness, and her tenacious spirit. According to the author's note, Opal's parents died when she was young and the logging family she was "adopted" into move...more
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One of the recent books found in a collection purchased from a retired teacher is this lovely book with diary parts selected by Jane Boulton, and beautiful illustrations by Barbara Cooney. The back matter tells that Opal Whiteley did live with a couple after her parents died when she was seven. It is a true kind of Cinderella story. The family didn't treat her well but she kept a secret diary and this book shares parts of it. We learn that she takes solace in the what she has of nature, a mouse...more
Only Opal consists of excerpts from Opal Whiteley's real diary. Opal was born around 1900 and was adopted after her parents died. Opal learns to adapt to her new surroundings by connecting with nature.I would recommend this book for children ranging from six years old to ten years old. This book classifies as a biography. Opal shows that nature can be comforting when life makes her sad. Opal's outlook on life even after the death of her family and the treatment of her foster family is very posit...more
This picture book told in verse, is an interesting look at the thoughts and feelings of a young girl who has lost her parents and while living with "the mother" and the father" writes in her diary about her sadness without her parents and her friendship with animals. It is haunting to think about children who feel and endure these hardships. I loved the names Opal chose for her animal friends-and laughed out loud at the pig named Peter Paul Reubens, but was this part of the adaption by Jane Boul...more
Truth be told, when I first heard about Opal Whiteley and this book I can't say I was too interested. It sounded a little too dreary for my taste. It wasn't until a girl brought Jane Boulton's longer (novel-length) adaptation of Opal's diaries (Opal: The Journal of an Understanding Heart) to a poetry themed bookclub meeting that my interest was truly piqued. I was struck by the yearning, earnest verse (particularly when read aloud by a child!) and had to know more so I decided to start with this...more
4 likes · like · see review
This book uses the craft of creating a character using a certain dialect, in this book particularly a southern dialect. This makes the text more real and students can envision themselves in this book right beside Opal. This is a great book to use when teaching writers craft, specifically diary/journal written because this book is written like a diary. Also, this would be a great book for picture walks because the pictures are very detailed.
In true Barbara Cooney style, this book is lovely to read. The language is captivating as a five year old girl just learning to print keeps a simple diary. While it is just a picture book, it has prompted me to read the complete diary of this unique woman, Opal Stanley Whiteley.
I,personally, can't imagine reading this for pleasure. The author's note that gave more detail about the truth behind the diary makes it even sadder. Beautiful artwork and wonderful educational value make it worthy addition to every library, school or public.
This is a beautifully written, and tragically sad story - but well worth the read if you are doing a memoir study with older children (and none of whom have been abandoned...)
May 19, 2012
Bookwyrmgyrl
added it
This book is based on actual journal entries made by Opal, which were written and preserved in a nearly miraculous way.
This is one of those books that has stayed with me for years. Haunting and beautiful. I think of it often.
A terribly sad book. My mother used to use it for her 2nd graders when they started journal writing...
Apr 13, 2013
Igraine
marked it as auf-gar-keinen-fall
Mar 16, 2013
Kristi
added it
Mar 16, 2013
Mary Miller
marked it as to-read
Feb 28, 2013
Marge
marked it as to-read
Jan 28, 2013
Joan
marked it as to-read
Dec 13, 2012
Emrelove
marked it as to-read
Dec 06, 2012
Noa
marked it as to-read
Nov 05, 2012
Danielle
marked it as to-read
Oct 14, 2012
Jason Manford
is currently reading it
Sep 13, 2012
Mollie Katie
marked it as to-read
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