voices in the meadow

by J. Allan Bosworth

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Ruth Temple · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a favorite that when I went to check it out from from my elementary school library for my annual comfort read, the librarian looked at the checkout card and would not check it out to me again "go read other things!" (as if I hadn't made my way methodically across the entire room).
Great story, and intro to allegory at a tender age.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story! Good vs. evil. Loyal friends. Despair and hope. Abit of mystery and supernatural. Interesting idea for the animal world to wrestle with whether or not they have a soul.

[Carfig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Re-reading this as an adult and I can see right through the Christian message: the Devil spreads doubt and weakens us so that we are doomed. In this case, Raven tells Beaver that he has no soul, unlike the firefly: ...."the soul shineth as a light in the tail." Beaver succumbs to depression and will not mend his dam or his house. Woodrat and Squirrel try to persuade him otherwise, remind him that Raven is a liar, to no avail. Then Raven gets to the others in the meadow, but Woodrat and Squirrel have uncovered the plot and do everything they can think of to save their friends and way of life.

Cute illustrations, which is why I liked having this book as a kid.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this book, I learned what a completely transporting and immersive experience reading can be. Until then, reading had been, at best, entertaining, a nice way to pass the time, and sometimes even a chore. This book blew my little 9 year old mind. Thank you, wonderful little book for changing my life!

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 1 out of 5]

D. children's fiction, anthropomorphized animals, allegorical, souls, mom's stash, discard