About This Book

Described by The Horn Book as a "pastoral symphony translated into picture book format," this lovely story conjures up the daily life of rural New England in the 19^th century. The customs and tasks, which the book's central family is engaged in, provide great contrast to a modern society in which food and goods can be purchased through computers, and planes can traverse the globe in a matter of hours. In the autumn, the man and his family load up his ox cart with everything extra that they have made or grown during the year. Into the cart goes wool sheared from sheep in the springtime, and a shawl and pairs of mittens spun from the sheep's wool. The family loads up homemade candles, linen from homegrown flax, shingles the man split himself, birch brooms carved by his son, potatoes, apples, honey, honeycombs, turnips, cabbages from their garden, maple sugar they tapped themselves, and goose feathers from their geese. Then the man travels for ten days to the market where he sells everything, even the cart and the ox that brought him there. He buys a new sewing needle, iron kettle, carving knife, and some candy for his family and then walks all the way home. Back at the farm, the family takes the new tools (after enjoying some of the candy), begins to sew and cook and whittle, and the process of production starts all over again.

The story provides a thorough and clear explanation of what the earth can produce, and how families can work together to meet their basic, practical needs. Barbara Cooney's Caldecott Medal-winning illustrations can prompt discussion about different times in history, and while the message of this story may be simple, it affords a necessary break from today's modern, hectic lifestyle.