The Journey

by Sarah Stewart, David Small (Illustrator)

A new heroine to win readers' hearts, joining the ranks of Lydia Grace Finch and Elizabeth Brown Sunday Dear Diary The luckiest girl on this good earth is writing to you tonight -- my birthday -- made perfect a few minutes ago by the present of a lace handkerchief. Mother had even hidden a tiny cake in her suitcase! I've never been higher than Aunt Clara's porch, or farther than Yooder's General Store, but this week my dream is coming true. I'm finally in a big city! And more, I've escaped the farm and chores! After spending the morning quietly in our room, Mother, her friend Maggie, and I went to the top of one of the tallest buildings in the world. How can I ever thank Aunt Clara for giving me her place on this trip? Well, I'm sure to find a gift for her by the end of the week. But for now, perhaps I'll dream of Aunt Clara and home. Until tomorrow,
my silent friend,
good night.
Hannah Beginning in the dark hours of morning, an Amish girl, along with two adult companions, sets off for the big city for the first time. The reader receives nightly reports through young Hannah's diary, in which, with tireless awe, she relates the significant events of the day. Each experience is decidedly new to Hannah -- a trip to the top of a skyscraper, a visit to the aquarium -- yet in each she finds some universal element that reminds her of home. Though she loves the city, a trip to the art museum on the final day of her visit clinches Hannah's longing for family and familiarity; fortunately, the bus is ready to take her back to the place she loves most. Sarah Stewart's text has the authentic ring of a smart girl's private thoughts, and David Small's pictures are magnificent.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Writing, Realistic Fiction, Amish, Family

40 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Wife of famed illustrator, David Small, Sarah Stewart has written a number of children's books. She grew up in Texas, and lives in Michigan with her husband.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/sarahs...

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another superb book by the Stewart-Small picture book writer-illustrator team. I was particularly touched by this story.

The story is about an Amish girl named Hannah who gets to go on a bus trip for a week to Chicago, her first time in a big city. The story is told entirely in diary form.

Each day of the trip has a diary entry by Hannah of what they did in the big city that day, with an accompanying illustration, and then the next page shows a scene from back home that has some relation to that day’s activities, with only the picture, no words.

Hannah enjoys all the activities she gets to do in the city, but thinks of positive things about home too, even during her trip. I absolutely adore the gifts she ends up planning to bring home to her family, and I got a kick out of her surprise that she’s missed even her brothers.

I tend to enjoy books about the Amish people and this is an excellent, and simple, picture book about a young Amish girl.

Small’s illustrations are outstanding; I love his artwork! The way this book is constructed is very appealing, and picture (over text) heavy.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Journey is about the anticipation and excitement of traveling to another place. Once we journey to that other place, we can’t wait for the journey back home. While we travel, we miss home, our friends, our family, and everything that is familiar. The story also tells how gifts from our hearts mean more than material items. I most enjoyed the illustrator’s depiction of the scenes of Chicago contrasted with those of the Amish community. The illustrations show the hustle and bustle of a big, crowded city such as Chicago. These are followed by illustrations that show the serenity and simple life of the Amish culture. The illustrator uses soft watercolor washes to draw visions of life in Chicago versus life in an Amish community. The pictures are an integral part of the text. On one set of facing pages is Hannah’s diary entry set against a scene from Chicago. The following facing pages have no diary entry only a vision of Hannah’s connection to home. The content of the story is an excellent selection for having conversations with children that compare and contrast the life style of people in urban and rural communities.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I hadn't loved other books by Stewart I never would have chosen this. The cover looks sad, like an evacuation of a refugee or something. But no...! It's a joyful exploration of the differences, and similarities, between the Simple life and the Big City. And of a young girl's heart as she learns how she feels about both.

[(NS) Panagiota Angelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Journey is a story about a young Amish girl named Hannah who takes her first trip away from home to visit Chicago. I was drawn to this book because I briefly lived in Philadelphia where I often saw Amish people in and around the city limits. I remember being unable to stop staring at them because I was curious about their clothing, mannerisms and way of life. This book is written entirely in diary entries, which describe Hannah's experiences. Hannah, her mother, and her mother’s friend experience many exciting activities in the city including going shopping, taking a boat ride, and visiting the aquarium and art museum. In her journal entries, Hannah compares her experiences in Chicago with her home life. For example when Hannah visits the aquarium she writes, “There was glass between the fish and me, but at home there always seems to be the whole lake between the fish and me when I’m trying to catch one for dinner!” This book would be perfect to use in the classroom to show how Hannah is able to make comparisons and make connections. A truly delightful book with wonderful illustrations to complement the text!

[Sabrina Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Journey, written by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small tells the story of Hannah, a young Amish woman and two companions visiting the big city for the first time. The beautiful illustrations depict their daily adventures and the contrasting memory from home that each experience triggers. The only text in the book is nightly journal entries by Hannah. The entries give us a glimpse into Hannah’s experience, her awe of the vastness of the big city and how she makes sense of what she is seeing through the reflection of her own home experiences. This book does a great job of highlighting each differing culture while appreciating both. I enjoyed this innocence of this book and it’s unique format.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does not quite reach the level of The Gardener, another of their collaborations, but it does have an emotional quality that is quite authentic and touches on simple wonder and honour and solid values. The tone is just right. The single light in the book cover illustration, like many of the drawings are wordlessly evocative. The phrasing in the letters reaches out in plain spoken words honouring the thoughts and context of newness engaged and community waiting to be returned to...
There is wonder and excitement and safety and contentment.
It is a book about a certain time and place and is meant to be enjoyed for what it shares. Many parts of our world are not like this, but this place exists.
The longing for this feeling of home may be universal.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Amish girl journeys to the big city and writes about her experience in a diary.

Ages: 6 - 9

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[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine? Not quite a weeding gem or dud. The narrative is about an Amish girl going on vacation to Chicago, and all the comparisons of this exciting event with her regular life. It's fine, but David Small's illustrations really do it for me! His lines are absolute exquisite! But it's way dated and there are food stains, so I said bye.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A visit to the city by an Amish farm girl. She contrasts what she sees with what she knows at home, while narrating things in her diary. Explains how you can enjoy yourself and be homesick at the same time.

[BookDrunkard is on storygraph as bookdrunkard78 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diary entries from a farm girl that visits the city with her family. Cute story for children and gives a different perspective of life while showing that we are all similar.

[Awjtf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Journey, written by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small is a a book about the journey one young Amish girl named Hannah goes on as she fulfills one of her life's dreams: to visit a large city. Told through a series of diary entries and beautiful, full-page, water color illustrations, readers follow Hannah from her small community through the bustling streets of Chicago. From shopping to museums and libraries, Hannah, her mother and mother's friend Maggie explore the city and all the splendor that Hannah has always dreamed of. But, throughout the week, each special new thing or place within the city begins to remind Hannah more and more of her home, and she misses her community deeply.
I enjoyed this book because of it's unique format. I had never read a story picture book that consisted primarily of journal entries and large illustrations, and this book was captivating and beautiful! I also liked this book because of the cultural aspects involved; as a young, Amish girl, Hannah is an interesting and engaging protagonist. I would love to use this book in my first or second grade classroom.

[Patti Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today I'd like to recommend the writing team of Sarah Stewart and her husband and illustrator, David Small. These Michigan authors combine their amazing talents to make beautiful and thoughtful picture books. This particular book, "The Journey," (Farraf Straus Giroux, 2001) tells the story of a young Amish girl named Hannah and her first trip to the big city of Chicago. She writes diary entries about all the amazing things she sees and how they each remind her of home. The city is wonderful, but for Hannah, it can't replace all the special things she loves about her simple farm life.

Another one of my favorites illustrated by David Small and written by Judith St. George, is "So You Want to Be President?" I love the simple story told by the author, that gives fun information about Presidents throughout history. Combined with David Small's cartooney illustrations, this book is a great way to explain the Presidency and what it takes to make it to the White House.

David Small and Sarah Stewart are an amazing team and true Michigan treasures!

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more deserving of an award or medal than Umbrella which we read around the same time. I liked this more than Julia though. :( This story just couldn't hole her interest and it was obvious she was trying. I think the diary format was the obstacle for her, which I happen to like very much in certain instances. But Julia, being 6 years old, hasn't ever had a diary so knows very little and has had no experience getting used to it. I may try to read this again with her in a year or two.
There's a definite "old" feel to each entry because of the sheltered life the main character, Hannah, has led. Stewart nailed the entire feel of it.
Small's illustrations are gorgeous - especially the full two page spreads. I lingered on each, taking everything in.
I'd recommend The Journey in a heartbeat and I'd love to find another like it. (If not to try with Julia, maybe for myself.) :)

[Paige Valensky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved how the author touched at diversity. The main character, Hannah is Amish and is visiting Chicago, which is of course like nothing she's ever experienced before. Each night, she writes in her journal about the day. It puts the reader in the perspective of being an Amish child. I think many of us tend to look at Amish people like they're crazy for living that lifestyle. Hannah, however, is so happy to be a part of that culture and wonders why people need so many things. However, she does appreciate some things in the city, like how colorful people and their clothing choices are. She's very amazed by that. Each experience in Chicago is compared to something that she experiences daily at home. I think by comparing and contrasting the two environments, she in no way feels that she has it rough in the Amish community.
This is a great book to open up students' eyes and really have them thinking before they judge another culture.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't even realize that this journey to the city was such a big deal (because most of us take it for granted) until I was told that this was a story about an Amish girl. I loved how this story was told as diary entries from the girl, who refers to the reader as her "silent friend". I also loved how the artist compared the city they were in to the girl's Amish community, it was the classic "city and country" approach. I would love to have kids compare their home to some place they have always wanted to visit (the jungle, the moon, the beach, that amusement park their friend is always talking about). What would/do they like about each place? What could be better about them? Who would they take with them and who would they leave behind? I probably would have liked the story more if I got some perspectives from others in her community who disapprove of life in the city. Oh well, life's a journey.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 2001, Farrar Straus Giroux
Age: 6-10
This is a story of Hannah, an Amish girl who visits Chicago. It is her first time away from her home on an Amish farm. She writes about her feelings of the sights and sounds of the city to her “silent friend” in her diary. Once in a while she does something she is proud of herself for, but she remembers that pride is one of the seven deadly sins. However, she feels safe writing about it in her diary to her silent friend. She is excited and mesmerized by the skyscrapers, cars, buses, and people and she compares them to her then when you turn the page he contrasts it with a scene of her home on the Amish farm with no text. Through Small’s panoramic details of the big city vs. the tranquil lifestyle of the rural Amish farm,the reader feels Hannah's excitement but understands her missing her home and family.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This particular book by Stewart is about a certain week in a young Amish girl's life when she is given the privilege of a trip to a big city as a birthday gift from her Aunt Clara. Again, Small's watercolors add such joy to the story, with a myriad of details that can be found in a city. The girl shares diary entries to tell the story. While she loves being there (she writes: "I feel like happiness has rushed up and grabbed me from behind," the reader also sees that every glorious site in the city reminds her of the particular things at home too. For example, when she looks over the city from the hotel balcony, the next page of the book shows another view, the view that she has at home when looking out over the land from a porch. It's a sweet book, emphasizing the theme of 'home sweet home'.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Journey by Sarah Stewart
Publisher and Date: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001
Grade 2-3

Summary: Hannah an Amish girl leaves the country side to visit her aunt in a big city. The story is written as diary entries. Each day, Hannah writes an entry in her diary about her new experiences buying groceries in a store and boat rides along skyscrapers.

Response: I thought this was a culturally generic book but has some good moments for students to make connections. This would be a good story to read to students when comparing and contrasting rural and urban life. Although there is not a lot of vocabulary used in this story, students can easily identify similarities and differences about living on a farm and in the city throughout Hannah's diary entries.

[Briana Deleon]

This diary-style book records the memorable events of a young Amish girl's trip to Chicago. Hannah is awe-struck when she witnesses the hustle and bustle of the big city. Although she is surrounded by incredibly new sights, she is still reminded of her hometown. Kids can relate to a book that is written in the form of a diary--the daily entries can make Hannah's story realistic. The illustrations compliment the text fantastically--this can also make it a good read-aloud. This account of an Amish girl in a new, unfamiliar world can help convey to children that there are different people with different upbringings in this world.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cool book by Sarah Stewart. This one is about an Amish or Mennonite family that goes to the city for the main character's birthday. She is completely enthralled by the entire experience. This book could be read in conjunction with a lesson on noticing. That's all that the girl does on every page. She writes in a personal journal about the things she finds and connects them to things in her own life. Very well presented. Similar to a couple other Stewart stories in the way that they were presented.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet book about an Amish girl named Hannah that goes to Chicago for the first time with her mother and her mother's friend. The story is told through diary entries that Hannah writes telling about her day's experience in Chicago. One of the things I love is how the pages alternate between double spreads of Hannah in the city and a similar event that happened back in her small Amish town. When they are in Chicago, the three females have black caps on, but when they are shown back in their hometown, the caps are white. The illustrations are wonderful. Overall, a really great book.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story written from the point of view of Hannah, an Amish girl who leaves her home in the country to visit her aunt's home in Chicago. She writes about the wonderful sights she sees, and also the different fashion everywhere. But All of this makes her realize how much she misses her home.

This was a good little book. It was good to see a young girl writing in a journal. I would read this to my students to encourage journaling, and traveling. I liked how it was written from the young girl's point of view, in diary style.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very sweet story with an incredible message. Young Sarah is an Amish girl who is going to visit the big city of Chicago for the first time. While she is impressed and in awe of all there is to see and experience, she comes to realize that all it reminds her of things at home leading her to the conclusion that she truly leads a remarkable, wonderful life. I love the message this book teaches of gratitude, contentment, and finding joy in the small details of life!

[Tara Crump · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a series of journal entries Hannah, an Amish girl, documents her experiences during a trip to Chicago. I particularly liked the layout of the book; one page includes the journal entry and her current adventure in Chicago and the following page is a reflective comparison of her Amish life told exclusively with images. I think this book could be used as an introduction into studies about religious subcultures in the U.S.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent picture book by husband and wife team Sarah Stewart (author) and David Small (illustrator). Tells the story, through journal entries, of an amish girl who goes on a trip to the big city. The pictures are, of course since it's David Small, wonderful. Kids won't get as much out of it as adults, but it's a good way to talk about people who live other lifestyles.

[Heather]

30 months - we always love David Small's illustrations. He can say a lot with his images before the first word is read. I like the diary or letter concept, it was very successful in Stewart's The Gardener, but I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much and I don't think O could follow the story as well.

[Rachael Caisedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many times in your classroom you will find students that have never been out of their hometown before The Journey would be a great book to introduce to children if you want to show them a young girls experience to a new place. Since the book is in diary format, this would be a good example to show students if you wanted to teach journalism.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very unique, and the story was sweet. It is about a little Amish girl who visits Chicago. The pages alternate with pictures of her in the city, and pictures of her home that connect to her thoughts. The entire book is her diary entries reflecting on the day in the city and missing home. I truly enjoyed the layout of this book, and the illustrations were wonderful.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this one because I recognized the married author/illustrator team from their other well loved books, The Library and The Gardener. While the actual story seems a bit weak, (young Amish girls travels into the city, but remembers her Amish life back at home), the illustrations provide plenty to enjoy, including the end covers at the beginning and end of the book.