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25th out of 82 books
—
165 voters
The Secret River
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings + Leo and Diane Dillon = pure magic! A depression era story that is just as timely as it is enchanting, this is a stunning picture book for the ages.
There’s just not enough…not enough money, not enough food, not enough fish for her daddy to sell at the market. Hard times have come to the forest, but Calpurnia wants to turn them back into soft times...more
There’s just not enough…not enough money, not enough food, not enough fish for her daddy to sell at the market. Hard times have come to the forest, but Calpurnia wants to turn them back into soft times...more
Hardcover, 56 pages
Published
January 4th 2011
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
(first published 1955)
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When I saw this I thought it to be a newly-discovered story by Rawlings. What a delicious surprise to read it and realize that it's one of my long-lost childhood favorites! Of course, the edition I read didn't have the gorgeous illustrations of this, but in a way that book was even more spell-binding, as I had to exercise my imagination and more actively engage the text. I'd like to find it again.
In any case, this too is a wonderful book, and I recommend it for ages 5 and up. It's a little too...more
In any case, this too is a wonderful book, and I recommend it for ages 5 and up. It's a little too...more
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Absolutely wonderful! My daughter still yearns for picture books over chapter books with spot illustrations here and there, but she's old (and ridiculously bright) enough to want stories with more depth and substance than is to be found in shorter children's books intended for limited attention spans. This book is a fantastic bridge from child to kid literature. The entire family was enchanted by this sweet, mystical tale of a girl who wants to do her part to turn hard times into soft.
3.5 - This is one of those stories that you just can't really tell if you'll like by the reviews. I see reviews that, IMO, are far more detailed and thought out than need be. I see others that are the opposite.
If anyone is interested in this story I'd suggest reading it for yourself. Having read the story already and then reading a few reviews here I can tell that had I reversed this I'd have gotten the wrong impression and probably not read the book.
The story and the illustrations are both be...more
If anyone is interested in this story I'd suggest reading it for yourself. Having read the story already and then reading a few reviews here I can tell that had I reversed this I'd have gotten the wrong impression and probably not read the book.
The story and the illustrations are both be...more
I read the original 1955 edition of this children's book, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, after a fascinating lecture on the origins of the book and the differences between the Weisgard method of illustrating it and the illustrations in the new 2011 release of the book. The story was published posthumously, and there is some indication that Rawlings intended to turn the story into a longer young adult novel, like The Yearling. Beautifully written, the story follows a young black girl named Capu...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jun 19, 2010
Stefanie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
eng353,
stay-classy-class-material
This book was a cute and clever chapter book for children. It is a story about a young girl who writes poems. She wants to help out everyone in her forest so she goes to the wisest woman in the forest to help the little girl find fish to feed everyone. The woman tells her to follow her nose and she will find the secret river. The little girl finds the secret river and a ton of fish. On her way home it gets dark and she gets lost. She sings a few poems to the night and feeds some animals on the w...more
I haven't read the original version of The Secret River, which the afterward to this edition says is "slightly longer", but I definitely do plan on reading it someday. Leonard Weisgard's illustrations for the story must be some incredible sight to see, and I'm sure well worth the effort required to track down a used copy of the book. This is the new edition I'm reviewing here, however, and so I will focus on what I saw from this version.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is an author nonpareil. She work...more
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is an author nonpareil. She work...more
How do you make hard times soft? That is the question Calpurnia and her dog Buggy-Horse search an answer for. The wisest women of the woods tells them to follow their nose to The Secret River.
Beautifully illustrated book with words that paint and equally beautiful story. The only problem I have with this book and others that are similar is the format. This book would be better received as a small-chapter book. Larger picture books would get more attention from young readers if they were put in t...more
Beautifully illustrated book with words that paint and equally beautiful story. The only problem I have with this book and others that are similar is the format. This book would be better received as a small-chapter book. Larger picture books would get more attention from young readers if they were put in t...more
Calpurnia loves to think up rhymes and spend time with her dog Buggy-horse. When her father tells that times are hard for everyone, she decides to find some fish in order to help out. After getting directions from a neighbor, she finds a secret river where fish abound. She catches plenty but then must make her way home in the dark. As she encounters an owl, a bear, and a panther, she offers them fish in order to pass safely. Her father is able to sell the fish, enabling its buyers to find the st...more
A Leo & Diane Dillon cover will make me pick up a book and, if it’s a picturebook, take it home before I even open it. The Secret River is beautiful story with the feeling of a folk tale. When hard times come to the forest and Calpurnia’s father can’t catch fish to sell, Calpurnia sets out with her dog to catch fish and help her father. Following her nose, she finds the secret river, bursting with fish.With hard work, determination, and belief in the extraordinary, Calpurnia brings softer ti...more
Calpurnia’s family is having hard times. Her father is not catching any fish. Calpurnia speaks to a friend, a fortune-teller and she tells Calpurnia about a secret river that is filled with fish. Calpurnia goes to the secret river and returns home with so many fish she can hardly carry them. On the way home, she encounters several predators who each accept a fish before walking away. Bringing the fish home ends the hard times for the family and their neighbors.
“Mother Albirtha rocked back and fo...more
“Mother Albirtha rocked back and fo...more
This is a wonderful tale, accompanied by gorgeous illustrations for this 2011 reprint of the classic Newbery Honor story. The story is heartwarming, with a young girl who finds a way to contribute to her family that ends up helping a whole community. The illustrations are so expressive and magical, we found ourselves just pausing our reading of the tale and staring at them, pointing out the different things we saw. This is a book that deserves a second look once you have read the story. Go back...more
Calpurnia is a delightful, innocent girl who finds her family affected by hard times. Her father is a fisherman who can't find fish and as a result the locals of the forest don't have food to eat or energy to work. Calpurnia turns to the local wise woman for help. Mother Albirtha tells Calpurnia of the secret river that is teeming with fish, especially catfish. She tells Calpurnia to follow her nose to find this mysterious river. Calpurnia does and good things happen as a result. This recently r...more
Any book that gives me goosebumps gets five stars! Did you see the face in the forest? Did you see the hands in the bear grass? Did you see the fish in the leaves? Did you see Mother Albirtha's necklace change expressions? Did you see the chairs at Calpurnia's house repaired in two different ways? *happy sigh* I love the tonal shifts in color throughout the book, from thin gray dawn to golden green afternoon to golden brown sunset to deep blue night. I love the folkloric narrative arc of the sto...more
The first solid Caldecott contender for 2012, Leo & Diane Dillon have done some of their best work in this retelling of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Newbery Honor book from 1958. Many of the almost full page illustrations contain many hidden images that further enrich the already strong and solid story. Rawlings story of a young girl, Calpurnia, and her dog setting out to find the answer for her small town's financial issues is one that is relatable to todays financial and economic situation...more
Age:
Grades 3-5
Genre:
fantasy fiction
Diversity:
African-Americans; low socio-economics
Illustrations:
Illustrations are vibrant beautiful; they look like they are created with acrylic paint.
Personal response:
I like the fantasy in the story and how the young girl creates poems throughout the book. She is a loving and caring daughter with lots of courage. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and really bring the book to life.
Curricular or programming connections:
This book would be good for socia...more
Grades 3-5
Genre:
fantasy fiction
Diversity:
African-Americans; low socio-economics
Illustrations:
Illustrations are vibrant beautiful; they look like they are created with acrylic paint.
Personal response:
I like the fantasy in the story and how the young girl creates poems throughout the book. She is a loving and caring daughter with lots of courage. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and really bring the book to life.
Curricular or programming connections:
This book would be good for socia...more
Jul 19, 2011
June
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
parents, teachers and early elementary children
Recommended to June by:
Cap Choices
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is a classic by the renowned author, Marjorie Kinnans Rawlings. I'd never seen the book before so was intrigued. It was a profoundly beautiful tale of a young girl who decides to help her father whose business has been stricken by the Great Depression. With a little magic and a lot of imagination, she makes a miracle happen. I found myself near tears at points in this book, perhaps because the child is so selfless, her intentions so pure. The illustrations are equally magical, reflecting th...more
Luminously illustrated by the Dillons, this new version of a classic children’s book truly shines. The only children’s book written by the author of The Yearling, this story is about Calpurnia, a young girl who is a poet. She woke up one gorgeous morning and found that she had a journey ahead of her. Her father told the family that he had no fish to sell in his fish market. So Calpurnia decided to catch some fish herself. She made roses out of crepe paper for bait and then headed to get advice f...more
The secret river, text by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, ill Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon is a wonderful story with lush illustrations. One morning at breakfast, Calpurnia's father anounces that hard times have come.
"I make an honest living selling fish to other poor people. Now there are no fish. Nobody can catch any fish. I shall have to close my fish market, and things will go hard with all of us."
When Calpurnia hears from Mother Abirtha about a secret river with lots of fish, she and her dog Bu...more
"I make an honest living selling fish to other poor people. Now there are no fish. Nobody can catch any fish. I shall have to close my fish market, and things will go hard with all of us."
When Calpurnia hears from Mother Abirtha about a secret river with lots of fish, she and her dog Bu...more
I agree with the goodreads review by Marika, who said "The Dillons’ illustrations bring depth to the story, expanding the text and showing the magic and imagination present in Calpurnia’s world." The cover art intrigued me right away, I could hardly walk by without picking this one up. I don't know how this book stands up against others this year, Caldecott-wise, but it may just get a nod from the Coretta Scott King committee.
The entire book follows the same pattern illustratively -- one full-pa...more
The entire book follows the same pattern illustratively -- one full-pa...more
Reading this book to students is wonderful because they might be able to relate to Calpurnia who writes poems about the life around her. It's also good to read to students because they might be able to relate because the little girl wants to help her parens out since they have fallen to hard times. As a child, I would have related to this book because I wanted to help my parents out when they didn't have money and this little girl finds a way to help them and maybe students will relate too.
Charming chapter book filled with the wonder and magic of the Florida outdoors. Tale of Calpurnia and her faithful dog Buggy-horse searching the deep forest for the secret river. Whimsical 1950s illustrations by Leonard Weisgard enhance this story; the only children's story written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
My favorite line spoken by Calpurnia to Buggy-horse, " Wake up, my dear dog. I have a feeling something special is going to happen today." What a lovely thought to have every day!
My favorite line spoken by Calpurnia to Buggy-horse, " Wake up, my dear dog. I have a feeling something special is going to happen today." What a lovely thought to have every day!
A beautiful book! Calpurnia and her sweet dog, Buggy-horse, help her father by catching fish in a secret river. I enjoyed the story, which has a wonderful voice and rich descriptions. I also enjoyed the artwork and use of color; the illustrations are beautiful and add quite a bit to the story. This is more like an illustrated chapter book; the text is long and fairly advanced. I recommend this book for students in grades 4 - 5.
Calpurnia is a young poet full of beautiful words and images. Unfortunately her family is poor and her father has fallen on "hard times" because he is unable to find any fish to sell. Calpurnia wants to make things "soft" again so she sets out to find fish for her father. The local fortune teller tells Calpurnia to follow her nose and that's just what she does to find a secret river full of fish. Along the way home Calpurnia runs into some trouble, but she is a resourceful girl and figures out a...more
This lovely story, brought back to life by the Dillons is enchanting. Leo and Diane Dillon are the perfect illustrators for the charismatic tale told by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and originally published in 1956. Such a delight for the eyes as well as the ears, the character Calpurnia and her dog, Buggy Horse are timeless in their longing, their innocence and their growing understanding of life and value.
Leo and Diane Dillon have done beautiful work with these illustrations. [Originally illustrated by Weisgard when published in 1956.]The story itself is for older readers due to its length. Calpurnia is on a mission to find fish to alleviate the hard times that have come to her poor family's rural town and, in particular, her father's fish market. A modern folktale with magical elements.
Oh, I want this one. I'd read it to the preschool class during the whole of rest time, and if I did it right, they would not stir, even if it took a second day to finish. There are large illustrations that would interest children sitting around a teacher and smaller illustrations, patterns and details to reward individual readers, too. It's beautiful.
had no idea it was a newbery honor book. before our roadtrip me and rosanna wanted to read the yearling because we were going to marjorie kinnan rawling's house, but that book is way too long, so we read this one instead. not great, but visiting her house in northern florida was really cool and we got the tour from a genuine florida cracker!
I'm so glad Laura reviewed this on the Provo City Library blog. The Dillons are my favorite illustrators and this was no disappointment. I loved the story (by the author of 'The Yearling') and Calpurnia is gorgeous. Buggy Horse was adorable and the landscapes were so Dillons. :) The last illustration was just perfect.
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