This book is based on the childhood of the author's grandmother, Marvel. Marvel's family is forced to move to a dilapidated shack in the woods after her father's death in 1932. Her mother cares for eight children on a small income, but through the seasons of the year, they learn to delight in their woods, their garden, each other. In the Author's Note, Ms. Wheeler writes:
What an incredibly hard time it must have been, and yet they recall the memories from those years as some of their best.
The illustrations are mostly green-tinged, as if they were alive with plants and trees. Scenes inside the house change from dusty brown to cozy warmth in the winter and open windows to the wide world in the spring.
This would be a delightful addition to a study of American History through Picture Books for the Great Depression.
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. I read a library copy of this book.
