The Canada Geese Quilt

by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, Leslie W. Bowman (Illustrator)

The spring brings many changes to ten-year-old Ariel's life. The prospect of a new baby in the house leaves her feeling strange and left out. But Grandma knows how to make Ariel feel a part of things. Together, secretly, they will make a beautiful quilt as a special gift for the baby. Then Grandma suffers a stroke, and Ariel is left lost and afraid. Determined to complete their gift, Ariel struggles to piece the quilt together. But will that inspire her grandmother to get better and share in her efforts? Little does Ariel know her grandmother has a secret gift planned just for her, a gift that will wrap Ariel in the warmth and love of family.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books, Family, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade

60 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

My sister, three brothers, and I grew up on a Vermont dairy farm in a region known as the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, USA, where my Scottish ancestors settled almost two hundred years ago.

Our lives revolved around our church, our community, and the hard work of farming. Along with milking and feeding the animals each morning and evening, there was the work of each season: maple sugaring, plowing, picking stone, planting, haying, corn-cutting, harvest, cutting wood.

While my parents lives were consumed by farming and providing for their children, they managed to pass on much more to us. My mother, a teacher, instilled in us a love of books and reading, and a curiosity about everything, while my father, besides being an excellent athlete, has also encouraged our interest in the natural world, whether it was identifying birds, trees and wildflowers, or pointing out constellations on a starry night.

My book As Long As There Are Mountains is based on my childhood and my love of the farm, the land, and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Reviews

[Nessy96]

This is the book that got me reading!!!!!! (the very first one I fell in love with) this is where it all began:)

[✨Arline✨]

Sweet story but should have been longer. Moved way too quickly.

[Heather]

I got this book in 1996! The author came to our school when I was in elementary school. Re-reading this book brings me so much nostalgia and comfort. ❤️

[Heather]

Summary:
Takes place at the end of spring through summer into fall in Vermont. It is a story about a girl, Ariel, and her Grandma. Ariel loves to draw but hates to sew, but Grandma is a fine quilt maker. While Grandma is working on a quilt for a new addition to the family, she has a stroke and everything changes. After coping with the change that comes from an ill family member, Ariel tries to make the quilt herself but her biggest challenge is accepting how things will be different and that the inevitable will come.

Cautionary:
Chapter 4: Ariel, torn from the emotion of losing what she had, yells at her Grandma "I hate that quilt and I hate you!" I get it, but I honestly don't like planting such seeds like that in our minds. It becomes too easy for us to grow in our time of hurt and despair and sometimes, repair is not so simple as in the book. Words matter.

What I liked:
- A sweet story of a relationship developing between a granddaughter and her grandma
- Ariel does nature journaling before that was a thing, Grandma quilts

What I didn't like:
- I wish it wasn't so abrupt. Lot's more to develop but very short and quick through some not so quick topics.
- I wish there were pictures of quilts. That would have been beautiful! Maybe if they ever reprint this they can include quilt illustrations

How did I come across this?
The Good and the Beautiful Reading List

Recommend for:
- 3rd Grade+
- Interested or have family members that quilt
- Art Appreciation: quilt study

[Rye]

I love this book so much. I feel like kids deserve high quality books to read instead of the cutsy type books that aren't very deep or well written. I first read this in 1st grade and have reread it many times. It's simple and appropriate for young kids, but honestly I love it as a adult too. It is about a girl who has a close relationship with her grandmother dealing with her grandmother having a stroke and all the feelings and upheaval that goes along with it. It's good for kids who are going through something similar, but it's also just a beautifully written book that I introduced to me the concept that adult have feelings and struggles of their own and aren't always in control of everything. I can't recommend it enough!

[Christine]

i read this book for school work and it's pretty good! the canada geese quilt is about this girl named ariel and her mom is going to have a baby. she wants to make a present for the baby so she and granma try and make a quilt. but when Ariel's grandma has a storke so will ariel finish the quilt in time?? and is grandma going to get better?????? (lots of question marks hehe) you should have to read the book yourself to see the ending of whats going to happen!

[Kathryn Mcilwraith]

My three-sentence review:
- This is a short, easy read that's great if your child wants to make it through a whole book in one sitting.
- In our culture, most of us want to avoid hard tasks, but the protagonist of this book, Ariel, chooses on her own to complete tasks that she does not like.
- Ariel's grandma is patient and forgiving when Ariel is frustrated.

[Dakota Vaughn]

Natalie Kinsey-Warnock never misses! Got me tearing up at work again. This heartfelt little tale of a girl and her relationship with her grandmother - before and after a life-altering stroke - is told with such frank tenderness. It would be the perfect read for a child experiencing a grandparent or parent with health issues. Just beautiful.

[Lindsey]

I bought this book because it was on The Good and the Beautiful book list. It had some good points, but felt too short to tackle the deep topics it attempted to teach, like illness of a loved one and coping with the idea of mortality. It ended up feeling too abrupt and undeveloped.

[Candy]

I loved the illustrations, and the story hit all my emotional strings. I am a grandmother who quilts,who loves to see geese fly over, who has a granddaughter about the age of Ariel, whose step mom is going to have a baby.

[Brianna Banana]

I had no idea what this book was about, I had found it in a Little Free Library. I lost my grandma almost a year ago now, so reading this book brought me straight to tears. I loved it.. it’s short, it’s sweet, and it’s worth reading in my opinion. I’ll be reading it to my little girls now.

[Emily Winters]

This is quite a sad/heartwarming children’s book. I would say maybe middle school age at earliest. My grandma gave me this book when I turned 6 and it’s a really sweet story. Just found my copy again today.

[Addie]

A sweet story of love given & returned for a little girl who loves her family.

[Ketti]

3.5 stars - This little book caught my eye in the library. I always fall for a book about a Quilt. Sweet little story. The illustrations by Leslie W. Bowman are beautiful.

[Ali (alireadsbooks)]

I reread an old childhood favorite last night and guess what, it actually held up!

[Erin Pierce]

I liked this short and sweet little book.

[Sheila]

Both the illustrations and the prose tell of growing up with grandma living in your house, the special love and knowledge exchange...

[Shari]

Great little book
Talks about death and life, fear, change, new siblings.

[Hillary Shemes]

Touching.

[Rachel Bennett]

Lovely little chapter book.

[Mercedes]

This makes me think of my nan and all the love she put into the quilts she made. It feels right to have read this book this year.

[Katja Labonté]

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I was first attracted to this book by the cover, which really reminded me of Sarah, Plain & Tall. I found that the story made me think a lot of Sarah P&T too! It’s set in the Prairies somewhere, after World War I. It's amazingly well written, easy for beginning readers but suited to readers of all ages. Ariel was super sweet and I absolutely loved her relationship with her grandma! This story is one about life moving on and life being worth living; about hope and new beginnings and miracles. It’s very springy in feeling to me… The end made me tear up, and I teared up again retelling the story to my mother (she did too!). What a sweet, sweet book!

[Matthew]

Read THE CANADA GEESE QUILT by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. It's about a girl in Vermont who finds out that her mother is expecting a baby and she feels like she won't be special. Her grandma thinks that they should make a quilt for the new baby, but then the grandma has a massive stroke. Will Grandma die? Will the quilt be finished in time? Will the main girl get over her selfish entitlement to her parent's affections? Of course! It's a darn children's book for crying out loud! While reading it I was wondering why this didn't win any notable prizes. Not saying it's a masterpiece or anything, but as I read it I couldn't help but think of SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL by Patricia MacLachlan. I couldn't understand why that book won and this one didn't. They were so similar in style and simpleness of storytelling. But that just goes to show that there's politics in prizes. If you had a grandmother who made quilts like I had a grandmother you made quilts, or grew up in Vermont, or on a farm, or have pondered what life will be like with a new baby on the way and how it'll affect the other children, or living with an elderly person, this book will probably ping at some nostalgic bell in your memory. All in all, this was yet another cute little story about love, family, blah, blah, blah... You get the reoccurring theme here. I just enjoy discovering these little unknown gems here and there. It's like reliving a childhood I never actually had to begin with. 🙂

[Michelle]

It doesn't really get any better than this! It's a story that deserves to be read over and over. Like looking at a painting, or into a pond, it really requires no work at all to plow through this book. Natalie's writing of her own grandmother and her own childhood and the magic of the quilts. Quilts have always been like giant storyboards, and this Canada Geese Quilt is no exception. Aren't grandma's wonderful?

[Emily]

A sweet story about a girl whose mother is about to have a baby and how she feels about her changing family. The new baby isn't the only change; grandma, probably the girl's best friend, is sick, and the girl realizes she won't be around forever. Being a quilter, I was most drawn to the quilt aspect of this very short novel. The girl designs a quilt for her grandmother to make her the new baby.

Geography Challenge: Vermont

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

Ariel's fear of her grandmother after she suffers the stroke is told realistically. I liked the fact that the grandmother talked with Ariel about death and how they must appreciate life now. An interesting look at both life (the birth of her baby brother) and death and cycles (the geese flying south and returning).

[Nobies57]

Ariel looks forward to the arrival of a new baby in the house. She is very close to her grandmother and they secretly design and sew a quilt for the baby's arrival. But shortly before the baby arrives, grandmother has a stroke and is changed by this. Ariel struggles with accepting the changes that have happen to her grandmother, but finds a way back to her by the stories end.

[Kenya Disponett]

I thought the book was great! It was about a girl named Ariel and she was interested in Canada geese and the mom had a baby on the way and Ariel did not have a gift to give the baby. But finally Ariel and her grandmother made a Canada geese quilt for the baby and the mom loved it! It is a really good book!

[Randie D. Camp, M.S.]

A touching story. It was a little sad but children will be able to relate to the Ariel as she copes with all the changes in her life. Her family is expecting a new baby and her grandma suffers from a storke. The significance of the geese and quilting is also a nice way to talk about symbolism.

[Julie Fischer]

My class read this as one of their first novels. When Moma is going to have a baby their grandmother is making a baby quilt. Ariel takes over Grandma's project to finish the quilt before the baby is born. Ariel realizes the importance of helping and begins to look forward to the baby too.