The Name Quilt - Hardcover

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Grade 1-3-A quilt of memories and names binds Grandma and young Sadie to past loved ones and present adventures during summer vacations. "Grandma had a million stories in that quilt." Francis, Avonelle, Ida, Clayton, Joseph, Orrin-the child comes to know each of these ancestors through her grandmother's stories. Then a terrible wind steals the precious heirloom from the line where it hangs airing. The stories are still a part of their memories, though, and the next day Sadie and her grandmother begin a new quilt that includes patches of fabrics from their own lives. Root stitches together generations, memories, and traditions in this tale of a much-loved family treasure. Apple's soft pastels on full-bleed spreads bring a country feel to Grandma's house and history and provide a backdrop for the yellow boxes of text. Pair this book with Patricia Polacco's Keeping Quilt (S & S, 1988) for a comparison of tales with connection among generations and strength within families.
Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreS-Gr. 1. Each night when Sadie goes to bed at Grandma's, she fingers the patchwork quilt on her bed, chooses a name embroidered there, and listens to her grandmother tell a story about that relative. One day a fierce wind tears shingles off the roof and blows the quilt off the clothesline. That night Sadie is tearful over losing the quilt, but she remembers name after name, and Grandma tells her story after story. The beloved quilt may be gone, but the family is still there. In the end, Grandma and Sadie make a new quilt, one with Sadie's name in the middle. In the artwork, as in the text of this warm comforting book, quilts become more than just bedcovers; they are personal keepsakes, reminders of family history, and colorful backgrounds for the characters' lives. Though warm, sunlit colors predominate in the illustrations, one particularly effective double-page spread uses darker shades to re-create the feeling of an approaching storm with swirling winds, driving rain, and the suggestion of a tornado in the distance. Carolyn Phelan
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