Home Place

by Crescent Dragonwagon, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator)

Deep in the woods there used to be a house where a family once lived. Over there was the chimney. Just imagine little toes warming up beside it. And see those daffodils? Someone took special care to plant and tend to them so that every spring they blossomed as brightly as the year before.Both the house and the family are gone now, but if you go to that spot in the woods, you'll find the chimney and the flowers. Then all you have to do is close your eyes and imagine...With Crescent Dragonwagon's poetic text and Jerry Pinkney's rich watercolors, past and present briefly touch in this remarkable book.

Genres: Picture Books, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Family, Young Adult, Fiction, Poetry

28 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Crescent Dragonwagon is the daughter of the writers Charlotte Zolotow and the late Hollywood biographer Maurice Zolotow. She is the author of 40 published books, including cookbooks, children's books, and novels. With her late husband, Ned Shank, Crescent owned the award-winning Dairy Hollow House, a country inn and restaurant in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for eighteen years. She teaches writing coast to coast and is the co-founder (with Ned) of the non-profit Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl goes into the woods with her parents. When they stop she looks on the ground and finds some old things in the ground. The story then shows us the house that used go be there and we look into this families lives. This was a melancholy story but I liked it despite it giving you a sad feeling of time passing and how one day families will grow old and homes and memories will disappear.

Read on openlibrary

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerry Pinkney is one of my favorite illustrators. His talent is incredible! And, this book is no exception to his stellar artistry. Coming upon a chimney, made of stone with flowers grown round, a young girl and her parents wonder who lived in the edifice during the years of history. The author allows the reader to journey with her as we imagine the people who sat on the porch singing Amazing Grace, as chicken is frying in the pan. Upstairs, a young girl is brushing her long hair. And as the day ends, the storm approaches to cool the night air. And, as the rain comes down, the thunder claps and the lightening is loud.

If you are interested, here is a link that highlights many of the books that Pinkney wrote, and/or illustrated:

https://www.google.com/search?source=......

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this book was good. People need to stop and think about the past and if there were historical events that happened where they stand. Illustrations were excellent!

[Jayna Connoyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jerry Pinkney is a well-known folklore author, which may have swayed my expectations for "Home Place." I felt that the illustrations contributed greatly to the plot, however, some of the language and literary devices used could be difficult for students to understand. The book is low fantasy and is used to entertain readers, which it does. This is a good book to read to children, but may be difficult for independent reading.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom, Dad and daughter are hiking the spring forest byways, when they discover a naturalized daffodils "a yellow splash brighter than sunlight, or lamplight, or butter, in the green and shadow of the woods." With the discovery of a vine-covered chimney, a doll's arm and other bits & pieces of a time gone by, they know that someone lived here once, in a home -- once, and that they lived rich and different lives. Crescent Dragonwagon's poetic narrative is evocative and mysterious--her words conjure up that family of long ago. Jerry Pinkney's artwork makes her story about life and the passage of time soar.

[Elizabeth Lancaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young girl goes to explore the forest. While there, her family finds the remains of an old house. She examines the traces of the family that used to live there.

I enjoyed the poetic nature of the writing but I think it might make it more difficult for young children to grasp at first. The illustrations were beautiful. I didn't really love the story of the book.

This would be a would be a good way of introducing students to poetic writings. It would also be a great way to show students some different types of rhymes.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story! I really enjoy books that reminisce. It reminded me of a time I found the foundation and chimney of an old, old house from the 1800s in the woods by my dad's home. It is fun to wonder about the family who once lived in these old home remnants.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/26/2016 ** Some of my students recently went on a hike, so I decided to choose a book that connected with their field trip. I love how this story intertwines two tales - the modern girl who found ruins, and the story she imagines about the family who might once have lived there.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea but not the actual story. Not enough focus on being observant and noticing clues from which the inferences can follow.

Who's the target audience?

"And if there was a house, ..."
Was the grammar error intentional?

[Ariel Rudicel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a heart warming story. It Made me tear up a bit! Great illustrations as well!

[CFAITC]

While out hiking, a family comes upon the site of an old house and finds some clues about the people who once lived there.

[Tiuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this...The hiking, animals, imagination, lives of people before...a very thoughtful book.
*one expression

[GlitterWater79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book and glorious illustrations. I’m a longtime lover of Pinkney and now and instant fan of Crescent Dragonwagon.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting premise and gorgeous illustrations.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a sunny afternoon, a family takes a walk in the woods and comes upon the remains of a house: a slab of foundation and a half chimney. Digging into the dirt, the daughter finds more clues of family life: a blue glass marble, a horseshoe and a china doll's arm. The daughter imagines the family who lived here. She "sees" a young girl brushing her hair, hears Uncle Fred returning from feeding the chickens and a man's voice singing "Amazing Grace." Sadly, the family is gone now. They seemed to have vanished as if they never existed. This beautiful story flows like poetry.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just didn't like this -- far too strange a concept presented in far too strange a way for younger children. And boy do those pages drag on! I get that it's meant to be "lovely," but it's one of those stories that feel self-consciously lovely. Difficult concepts and flowery language are difficult to do for children, but it can be done. It's not done well here.

[Deborah]

Daffodils come up in the woods, in a row, every spring, the only living memory of a house long gone. Amid ruins in the woods — a chimney, a foundation smothered in weeds — a narrator imagines the family that lived there. A lovely rumination on what makes a house a home.