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Hickory
A grandfather clock makes a lovely home for a family of mice—if you don’t mind the occasional clang. And here Hickory lives with his parents, his brother, Dickory, and his sister, Dock. But Hickory is a restless, fearless mouse, and he longs to be on the move, to breathe the sweet air and nibble on the wild strawberries of the fields. So one day in early spring, with the smells of honeysuckle and clover guiding him, he strikes out on his own. Soon he discovers that a meadow can be a lonely place, even with all its beetles and caterpillars. It’s not until Hop the grasshopper comes around that Hickory finds a true companion. Hop warns him, though, that when the days get shorter and the goldenrod begins to fade, the “song she sings will soon be done.” How Hickory and Hop confront and eventually accept the end of summer forms the core of Palmer Brown’s poignant story.
Hickory is a story of friendship and love on par with Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree or E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. It is also a field guide to the common plants and flowers of spring, summer, and autumn, all beautifully rendered in Palmer Brown’s most colorful and joyous drawings.
Hickory is a story of friendship and love on par with Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree or E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. It is also a field guide to the common plants and flowers of spring, summer, and autumn, all beautifully rendered in Palmer Brown’s most colorful and joyous drawings.
42 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
2 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Palmer Brown
8 books15 followersPalmer Brown was born in Chicago and attended Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author and illustrator of five books for children, including Beyond the Pawpaw Trees and its sequel, The Silver Nutmeg; Cheerful; and Hickory.
About Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, his first published book, Brown said: “If it has any moral at all, it is hoped that it will always be a deep secret between the author and those of his readers who still know that believing is seeing.”
About Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, his first published book, Brown said: “If it has any moral at all, it is hoped that it will always be a deep secret between the author and those of his readers who still know that believing is seeing.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 23, 2015
Hickory is a mouse, born in a grandfather clock, living with his parents & brother Dickory & sister Dock. they have a happy life in the house that is their world, but Hickory wants to see more. so he leaves the house to make his own home in the fields beyond. and there he makes a friend, the grasshopper Hop. Hickory made me love mice! ah, adorable little mice.
i read this as a child and loved it. the writing is simple and straightforward and sometimes quite subtle. the illustrations were lovely. i remember particularly liking the picture of Hickory and Hop snuggling at night. Hickory finds a place to live and makes a comfy home, complete with a half-buried jar to use as a sun-room when it is cold. i loved this book, but i did not reread it over and again, just a few parts here and there (Hickory on a crutch, Hop distracting a prowling cat away from him, a visit from the family to his new home)... there was a bit too much that made my heart hurt a little, a wistfulness in the tone, a sadness in the narrative. there is a brief part where Hickory covers his ears to blot out the sound of a fearsome owl's hooting that made me feel strange, uncomfortable. and there is death. it is at times ambiguous, but it is also a certainty.
at one point, Hop tells Hickory why she doesn't like staying in his comfy little home under a rock: "I come from the ground," she said "and someday I will go back to it, but not before I have to." later, as autumn and winter approach, Hickory learns that Hop expects to die soon because of the cold. so brave and faithful little Hickory proposes that they go together to where the birds fly, where it is warm and where Hop can, well, not die. and so they go.
we don't get to see the end of the expedition... but we know that it will end much sooner than Hickory would like. they will never get to that summer land. as a kid, whenever i would think about the two of them, i would get so sad. this was not a book that i shared with my friends. if i thought too much about Hickory & Hop, their hopes and friendship and the beginning of that journey... i'd end up having to go to my room, to curl up in my bed, and tear up a little. oh such a sensitive boy!
here are the last couple pages of Hickory:
"Hickory," Hop asked, "honestly, do you think we'll get there?"
With his crutch Hickory shooed away a yellow-jacket. "I think so," he said, not sure, never sure, but not afraid to hope.
"Let's sing something as we go," Hickory said, and he began, "How many miles to Babylon?"
Hop, who did not know that song, answered with the only song she knew. So they sang, each a line in turn:
How many miles to Babylon?
My life is but a summer song,
Three score miles and ten.
A little carol in the sun.
Can I get there by candle-light?
Now, when the nights grow cold and long,
Yes, and back again.
The song I sing will soon be done.
It made a sort of sense. Before them lay a hundred hills they might never climb and a hundred streams they might never cross, but they would try. Nearly out of sound, a clock in a church steeple began to strike the hour. The chime was the same as the chime in the grandfather clock, and Hickory could almost hear his father repeating:
Time is going,
Never staying,
Always flowing,
Ever saying:
Gone!
He shivered. He would like to jam the clockworks with his crutch, but it would not have helped at all. He knew it, and without looking back he left his crutch in the tall grass.
As the sound of the chimes faded, Hop called back to Hickory, "What was that noise?"
"Nothing," Hickory answered, catching up. "Nothing but a clock striking one."
The sun was bright, and there was not a cloud in the sky, but the air was cool and dry and very still. That night on these owl-haunted upper ridges there would be hard frost.
THE END
good grief, that's making me sad again, just rereading it!
i read this as a child and loved it. the writing is simple and straightforward and sometimes quite subtle. the illustrations were lovely. i remember particularly liking the picture of Hickory and Hop snuggling at night. Hickory finds a place to live and makes a comfy home, complete with a half-buried jar to use as a sun-room when it is cold. i loved this book, but i did not reread it over and again, just a few parts here and there (Hickory on a crutch, Hop distracting a prowling cat away from him, a visit from the family to his new home)... there was a bit too much that made my heart hurt a little, a wistfulness in the tone, a sadness in the narrative. there is a brief part where Hickory covers his ears to blot out the sound of a fearsome owl's hooting that made me feel strange, uncomfortable. and there is death. it is at times ambiguous, but it is also a certainty.
at one point, Hop tells Hickory why she doesn't like staying in his comfy little home under a rock: "I come from the ground," she said "and someday I will go back to it, but not before I have to." later, as autumn and winter approach, Hickory learns that Hop expects to die soon because of the cold. so brave and faithful little Hickory proposes that they go together to where the birds fly, where it is warm and where Hop can, well, not die. and so they go.
we don't get to see the end of the expedition... but we know that it will end much sooner than Hickory would like. they will never get to that summer land. as a kid, whenever i would think about the two of them, i would get so sad. this was not a book that i shared with my friends. if i thought too much about Hickory & Hop, their hopes and friendship and the beginning of that journey... i'd end up having to go to my room, to curl up in my bed, and tear up a little. oh such a sensitive boy!
here are the last couple pages of Hickory:
"Hickory," Hop asked, "honestly, do you think we'll get there?"
With his crutch Hickory shooed away a yellow-jacket. "I think so," he said, not sure, never sure, but not afraid to hope.
"Let's sing something as we go," Hickory said, and he began, "How many miles to Babylon?"
Hop, who did not know that song, answered with the only song she knew. So they sang, each a line in turn:
How many miles to Babylon?
My life is but a summer song,
Three score miles and ten.
A little carol in the sun.
Can I get there by candle-light?
Now, when the nights grow cold and long,
Yes, and back again.
The song I sing will soon be done.
It made a sort of sense. Before them lay a hundred hills they might never climb and a hundred streams they might never cross, but they would try. Nearly out of sound, a clock in a church steeple began to strike the hour. The chime was the same as the chime in the grandfather clock, and Hickory could almost hear his father repeating:
Time is going,
Never staying,
Always flowing,
Ever saying:
Gone!
He shivered. He would like to jam the clockworks with his crutch, but it would not have helped at all. He knew it, and without looking back he left his crutch in the tall grass.
As the sound of the chimes faded, Hop called back to Hickory, "What was that noise?"
"Nothing," Hickory answered, catching up. "Nothing but a clock striking one."
The sun was bright, and there was not a cloud in the sky, but the air was cool and dry and very still. That night on these owl-haunted upper ridges there would be hard frost.
THE END
good grief, that's making me sad again, just rereading it!
July 21, 2020
3.5 stars, with a happier ending it would be nearer 5 stars.
The illustrations for this book are absolutely beautiful, very detailed and pretty, I would love to read a paper copy to be able to appreciate them more.
The story is beautiful too, although a little melancholy and the ending is sad. A family of mice live in a grandfather clock and one of the young mice decides it is time to leave home and explore. After a cat incident he meet a cricket and they become friends. The drawings of the little cricket standing up on it's back legs are so cute and it's very sad that the cricket explains that when winter comes she will sing her last song. They decide to go south to escape the winter and together.
The story is in chapters with plenty of illustrations and I really liked the inclusion of some nursery rhymes and sayings.
If I were reading this to a child I would have to say that after the last line that tells you
This is a beautiful story that will definitely have you oohing and arhing at the sweet pictures and have you and your little ones sobbing at the end.
Read on open library.
The illustrations for this book are absolutely beautiful, very detailed and pretty, I would love to read a paper copy to be able to appreciate them more.
The story is beautiful too, although a little melancholy and the ending is sad. A family of mice live in a grandfather clock and one of the young mice decides it is time to leave home and explore. After a cat incident he meet a cricket and they become friends. The drawings of the little cricket standing up on it's back legs are so cute and it's very sad that the cricket explains that when winter comes she will sing her last song. They decide to go south to escape the winter and together.
The story is in chapters with plenty of illustrations and I really liked the inclusion of some nursery rhymes and sayings.
If I were reading this to a child I would have to say that after the last line that tells you
This is a beautiful story that will definitely have you oohing and arhing at the sweet pictures and have you and your little ones sobbing at the end.
Read on open library.
January 25, 2012
This was so lovely and will take an adult reading it by themselves about ten minutes but an adult reading it with a little audience might find it takes a good deal longer. The pictures were an absolute dream and it is an account of a little house mouse who leaves his family home inside a Grandfather clock and moves to the country. It starts off as a delightful little story and you imagine it is going to follow along in the expected tramlines of predictability with Hickory making friends and having adventures and learning 'sweet little lessons' in the process but it does not. It is a beautiful entree into big questions of friendship, loyalty, loneliness and death. Hickory's good friend is a Grasshopper called Hope, Hope for short, and as the story goes on we encounter the inevitability of her not lasting the Winter. Their friendship is one in which she cannot survive underground without the sun, but he cannot bear to be without her, their option...Go south to the warm. A lesser story, one that was not brave and real and powerful would couch this in terms of happy ever after where you see them sunning themselves and drinking something fun from an acorn goblet on the beach; Palmer Brown rejects this easy solution and gently hints at the sacrificial nature of both friends' actions in the stupendous last paragraph
'the sun was bright and there was not a cloud in the sky, but the air was cool and dry and very still. that night on these owl-haunted upper ridges there would be hard frost'.
Brilliant. The reader has the ending shadowed in that last sentence and it allows for a gentle acknowledgement of Hickory and Hope never reaching their place of warm or at least not the one here but maybe their devotion and frienship has a reward in the future that will best any Southern sanctuary
'the sun was bright and there was not a cloud in the sky, but the air was cool and dry and very still. that night on these owl-haunted upper ridges there would be hard frost'.
Brilliant. The reader has the ending shadowed in that last sentence and it allows for a gentle acknowledgement of Hickory and Hope never reaching their place of warm or at least not the one here but maybe their devotion and frienship has a reward in the future that will best any Southern sanctuary
April 15, 2023
As a child, my favorite book was Palmer Brown's Beyond the Pawpaw Trees: The Story of Anna Lavinia and I still have the original 1954 Hardcopy. But it took me until my old-age to read another book by him.
I was completely moved by this book, Hickory. I can imagine some will shudder at the ending; indeed I felt an almost inconsolable sadness. But then I read the 5* reviews by my fellow readers and, I hope, Palmer Brown fans. And I was deeply comforted by the depth of their understanding of it. Their reviews are far more eloquent than I could ever be. But Hickory is best read "cold" without knowing anything about the plot ahead of time. Brown builds a lot of suspense that should be experienced without preconceptions.
However, this quote from the Penguin-Random House page gives you an idea of what it feels like to read it:
There seems to be something special and magical about Palmer Brown's books. I noticed too in the reviews for Beyond the Pawpaw Trees: The Story of Anna Lavinia that he has a very loyal fan base. Maybe it's the Lavender Blue skies that only some people can see. I hope that base doesn't die off with our generation.
I was completely moved by this book, Hickory. I can imagine some will shudder at the ending; indeed I felt an almost inconsolable sadness. But then I read the 5* reviews by my fellow readers and, I hope, Palmer Brown fans. And I was deeply comforted by the depth of their understanding of it. Their reviews are far more eloquent than I could ever be. But Hickory is best read "cold" without knowing anything about the plot ahead of time. Brown builds a lot of suspense that should be experienced without preconceptions.
However, this quote from the Penguin-Random House page gives you an idea of what it feels like to read it:
Hickory is a story of friendship and love on par with Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree or E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. It is also a field guide to the common plants and flowers of spring, summer, and autumn, all beautifully rendered in Palmer Brown’s most colorful and joyous drawings.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/221280/h...
There seems to be something special and magical about Palmer Brown's books. I noticed too in the reviews for Beyond the Pawpaw Trees: The Story of Anna Lavinia that he has a very loyal fan base. Maybe it's the Lavender Blue skies that only some people can see. I hope that base doesn't die off with our generation.
May 29, 2007
absolutely *loved* this book... to the extent that there are a couple of sentences i remember from it now (25 years after reading it)....
it is a very sweet and touching story about a brave little mouse named Hickory (who has a brother Dickory and a sister Dock) and his venturing out into the world from his original home within a Grandfather clock... he becomes best-friends with a grasshopper and the 2 make plans to travel south for the winter...
the end is *very* sad, (the last sentence of the book being one of those that i remember to this day).... regardless, its still on my list of fave kid-books.
it is a very sweet and touching story about a brave little mouse named Hickory (who has a brother Dickory and a sister Dock) and his venturing out into the world from his original home within a Grandfather clock... he becomes best-friends with a grasshopper and the 2 make plans to travel south for the winter...
the end is *very* sad, (the last sentence of the book being one of those that i remember to this day).... regardless, its still on my list of fave kid-books.
May 8, 2022
4/5 stars.
Hickory is a children's book about a mouse growing up and leaving home--going from living in the base of a grandfather clock to becoming a field mouse. On his adventures, he encounters new obstacles and friendship.
I thought this short story was so sweet. It was actually bittersweet, but I really enjoyed that aspect. What a beautiful depiction of friendship and sacrifice.
The illustrations are also so beautiful!
Hickory is a children's book about a mouse growing up and leaving home--going from living in the base of a grandfather clock to becoming a field mouse. On his adventures, he encounters new obstacles and friendship.
I thought this short story was so sweet. It was actually bittersweet, but I really enjoyed that aspect. What a beautiful depiction of friendship and sacrifice.
The illustrations are also so beautiful!
March 22, 2014
As always, wonderful illustrations and the story went along well, with Hickory leaving his family in the farmhouse to make his way in the larger world. He finds a home and a friend. The problem for Logan was that it's clear, even though Brown doesn't detail it, that Hickory's friend dies in the end. Too sad for us overall. We were happy to skip right on to his other book, Cheerful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2014
Until about halfway through this book I thought it was a really cute, simple story where nothing bad happens. A few minutes later when I was finished I found myself feeling traumatized by the author's foreshadowing of the friends' inevitable dark fate. Introspective, troubled children will enjoy learning about mortality and the relentless march of time from this story.
April 8, 2021
Maybe We just aren’t cultured enough but the language was awkward and hard to understand. It was like whole ideas were assumed and not mentioned but you’d better know about them. 🤨
Also, super Stuart-Little-like-unsatisfying ending. 7yo and I were disappointed.
The illustrations were nice, though. 🤷🏻♀️
Also, super Stuart-Little-like-unsatisfying ending. 7yo and I were disappointed.
The illustrations were nice, though. 🤷🏻♀️
April 12, 2021
A short tale of bravery to help a friend, even when death is the end. Filled with lovely illustrations, sweet songs and poetry, and glimpses of life in a meadow. It had a borrowers feel to it but on a much short scale.
July 22, 2010
A very solemn tale.
Read
October 21, 2023Pure joy, these. 🙏
May 31, 2023
In full-color illustrations, Palmer Brown tells the story of a family of mice that live in a grandfather clock. The children were named Hickory, Dickery, and Dock. Hickory is the boldest and sets out to experience the wilderness the wintering field-mice always discussed when they visited. The book is his adventure. I was enamored that his mother told him before he left that, "If you get lonesome, remember we love you and want you back." How lovely.
He finds a large stone in the field that the farmer mowed around, with a bottle stuck in the direct so he digs a room, lines with thistle-down and makes himself at home with seeds stored and a tunnel to the jar as a greenhouse, and planted a hickory nut.
He meets a friend. His family comes for a brief visit. It is then that he learns his friend, the grasshopper has a song, and what it means, "Now, when the nights grow cold and long/ The song I sing will me done".
Come Winter, she will die. He resolves to head South. Her wings are looking ragged. As they travel and sing, Hickory remembers the song of his father that he sang when the clock bed chimes, "Time is going/ Never staying/ Always flowing/ Ever saying; Gone!"
With that, he resolves to let what will be, be.
"That night on these owl-haunted upper ridges there would be a hard frost".
So much more than a book for children. This is being a friend, knowing the end.
He finds a large stone in the field that the farmer mowed around, with a bottle stuck in the direct so he digs a room, lines with thistle-down and makes himself at home with seeds stored and a tunnel to the jar as a greenhouse, and planted a hickory nut.
He meets a friend. His family comes for a brief visit. It is then that he learns his friend, the grasshopper has a song, and what it means, "Now, when the nights grow cold and long/ The song I sing will me done".
Come Winter, she will die. He resolves to head South. Her wings are looking ragged. As they travel and sing, Hickory remembers the song of his father that he sang when the clock bed chimes, "Time is going/ Never staying/ Always flowing/ Ever saying; Gone!"
With that, he resolves to let what will be, be.
"That night on these owl-haunted upper ridges there would be a hard frost".
So much more than a book for children. This is being a friend, knowing the end.
May 2, 2018
Another classic book released by the New York Review Children’s Collection. I think this one originally released about 40 years ago. The person responsible for remaking or reissuing these rather forgotten (relatively-speaking) books has done a wonderful job.
Hickory (mouse) lives inside a grandfather clock with his family. He’s apparently claustrophobic or just bored and decides to venture out to a land of adventure with Hop, a grasshopper he meetsbalong the way. A great story (rather long though), beautifully rendered and poignant.
Hickory (mouse) lives inside a grandfather clock with his family. He’s apparently claustrophobic or just bored and decides to venture out to a land of adventure with Hop, a grasshopper he meetsbalong the way. A great story (rather long though), beautifully rendered and poignant.
Read
October 14, 2020Given the loving relationship of the mouse family in this charming story, it is no surprise that the oldest mouse, Hickory, when ready to set out on his own, decides to give it all up to help his dear friend, Hop. This is a lovely story of friendship, which some compare to Wilber and Charlotte’s. I adore all of Brown’s stories as well as her beautifully detailed and whimsical illustrations. This title was brought back to print by, The New York Review Children’s Collection, and the Library acquires copies as they are republished. I suggest perusing them all.
July 29, 2019
Loved this elegant book about Hickory the mouse. How could one not love a book when the news at the family picnic is, "His sister had recently married a barn-mouse--the one with the bent whiskers--and the family brought a piece of the wedding-cake...." and the friendship between the mouse and the grasshopper is beautiful.
The illustrations are completely endearing as well! I'll have to look for more from Palmer Brown....
The illustrations are completely endearing as well! I'll have to look for more from Palmer Brown....
October 5, 2020
Sweet story!
November 28, 2021
Beautiful storybook. Sweet story of mice and a cricket. Lovely and quaint illustrations.
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May 23, 2022Cute and bittersweet.
(In case you can't tell, I'm reading a bunch of random shorter books to amuse me this long Sunday before I can borrow a book from my friend tomorrow.)
(In case you can't tell, I'm reading a bunch of random shorter books to amuse me this long Sunday before I can borrow a book from my friend tomorrow.)
c-on-deck-audio-and-ebooks
January 12, 2023David recommends, as of Jan. 2023.
May 27, 2013
This charming tale recounts the story of a little mouse family that resides in the bottom of a grandfather clock that stands halfway up the stairs on a broad landing. The family members are a mother, a father and three children named, Hickory, Dickory and Dock. Hickory, the oldest, is coming of age and wants to change residences, have some adventures, and move out of his cozy, familiar home. The day comes when he gets the chance to do just that and after receiving special gifts from his family he sets out on his journey. He leaves to search for a place in the world that will belong totally to him. He treks across the farmer's field (his home still in sight) and finds the perfect location. He discovers a large rock that some rabbit had abandoned and beside it is an old, discarded pickle jar that he uses for a sunroom. All settled and ready, he realizes something is missing....he has no one to talk to or share life with and he becomes lonely. A grasshopper saves him from a tragedy and they become fast friends. Her name is Hope but he calls her Hop and together, throughout the summer, they explore the world around them and enjoy each's others company immensely. But seasons come to an end and sadly Hickory discovers that Hope too is seasonal. He encourages her to run away with him and follow the sun so she will remain in good health and they can be together as lifelong friends. Unfortunately Hickory learns a valuable life lesson that is disheartening...there is a season for everything...and Hope's season must end. The author writes; "the sun was bright, and there was not a cloud in the sky, but the air was cool and dry and very still. That night on these owl-haunted upper ridges there would be hard frost." This gentle acknowledgment of Hickory and Hope not being successful leaves the reader wide open to discussion and understanding of how the tale ends. It is a wonderful story and Palmer Brown is both the author and the illustrator. His precise line drawings are reminiscent of Beatrix Potter and add much to the richness of the text
January 21, 2017
First sentence: Halfway up the stairs of an old farmhouse, on the broad landing, bright with rose-patterned carpet, stood a tall grandfather clock, ticking time away.
Premise/plot: Hickory, a mouse, leaves his comfortable existence (in a clock in a house) and his family behind as he ventures to move outside into the country side following the example of the field mice. He becomes quite chummy with a grasshopper, Hop, as he makes a new life for himself. But life is fleeting, even more fleeting than he thought. Hop embraces life--every moment of it--fully aware that she'll not survive past summer. Hickory and Hop don't want to see summer come to an end--and set out on a quest to save her life by heading south.
My thoughts: Hickory is not cutesy animal fantasy. It isn't. This early chapter book is sad, bittersweet. The friendship between Hickory and Hop is wonderful to see. But opening the heart to love, to life, to friendship means opening the heart to loss and grief. Hickory will lose Hop. Death is certain and inevitable. How do you live life in face of coming death? How do you make the most of every day? These are heavy topics for an early chapter book. And the book is gentle, I suppose, in dealing with these philosophical questions.
I am so very glad I never read Hickory as a child. I am glad I read it as an adult.
Favorite quotes: "All stories have their endings in their beginnings, if you know where to look." (10)
"Time is going, never staying, always flowing, ever saying: gone!" (41)
Premise/plot: Hickory, a mouse, leaves his comfortable existence (in a clock in a house) and his family behind as he ventures to move outside into the country side following the example of the field mice. He becomes quite chummy with a grasshopper, Hop, as he makes a new life for himself. But life is fleeting, even more fleeting than he thought. Hop embraces life--every moment of it--fully aware that she'll not survive past summer. Hickory and Hop don't want to see summer come to an end--and set out on a quest to save her life by heading south.
My thoughts: Hickory is not cutesy animal fantasy. It isn't. This early chapter book is sad, bittersweet. The friendship between Hickory and Hop is wonderful to see. But opening the heart to love, to life, to friendship means opening the heart to loss and grief. Hickory will lose Hop. Death is certain and inevitable. How do you live life in face of coming death? How do you make the most of every day? These are heavy topics for an early chapter book. And the book is gentle, I suppose, in dealing with these philosophical questions.
I am so very glad I never read Hickory as a child. I am glad I read it as an adult.
Favorite quotes: "All stories have their endings in their beginnings, if you know where to look." (10)
"Time is going, never staying, always flowing, ever saying: gone!" (41)
June 26, 2013
HICKORY by Palmer Brown is an engaging Children's Book for ages 5-8. Young and old readers alike are sure to love this enduring story of Hickory, the field mouse who lived with his parents and siblings, Dickory and Dock,in a Grandfather clock. A fun look at adventure,friendship,family,loyalty,sadness and change. I loved this story. The characters are engaging and yes, I remember the song,"Hickory,Dickory,Dock the mouse ran up the clock",and the plot intriguing. As you follow Hickory,the amazing mouse, and his new friends, on a grand adventure,you can't help but wonder,WOW. This is the 35th anniversary of this story,so go out and pick it up for your future children and grand-children. It is beautifully written and a story sure to live on forever. I loved it! A must read for both young and old readers with adorable creatures,including a grasshopper,caterpillars,beetles,a cat and how they become true friends. Well done,indeed. Received for an honest review from the publisher.
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: NONE(CHILDREN'S)
REVIEWED BY: AprilR,Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: NONE(CHILDREN'S)
REVIEWED BY: AprilR,Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
December 21, 2017
I picked this up as part of a curated collection of New York Review books at the Nashville Public Library. All of the collected books were well packaged in small hardcover format. Although I had heard of none of the title before, I was intrigued. Why were these selected? Who had the vision to curate them? Why were both children's and adult books included in the collection? What caused the public library to seek them out? I knew none of these answers, and even one of the helpful librarians could not answer these questions for me.
I read Hickory to my children over the course about 10 days-- roughly a chapter a night. The illustrations are small, and often difficult to discern. However, the writing is quite poetic. Brilliant descriptions of what it is like to be in a meadow. I especially liked the wisdom of the statement on p. 10 from Hickory's father, "All stories have their endings in their beginnings, if you know where to look." A keeper of a line that I intend to heavily plunder in the future.
The underlying story is fairly standard until the highly unconventional and powerful end. Ultimately, a well crafted children's story that easily resonates with adults too.
I read Hickory to my children over the course about 10 days-- roughly a chapter a night. The illustrations are small, and often difficult to discern. However, the writing is quite poetic. Brilliant descriptions of what it is like to be in a meadow. I especially liked the wisdom of the statement on p. 10 from Hickory's father, "All stories have their endings in their beginnings, if you know where to look." A keeper of a line that I intend to heavily plunder in the future.
The underlying story is fairly standard until the highly unconventional and powerful end. Ultimately, a well crafted children's story that easily resonates with adults too.
September 28, 2016
Hickory tells the story of a family of mice who live in a grandfather clock. The children, named by their mother, were called Hickory, Dickory, and Dock. Hickory liked to talk to the field-mice, and one day they convinced him to leave. His mother and father were both worried for him, as he liked to play more games than he should, but they agreed, it would help him mature. At first, he was not happy with his venture. The barn smelled of pigs and he missed the ticking of the clock. He eventually befriends some other mice and a grasshopper named Hop. Hop and Hickory are very good friends, Hickory eventually learns that Hop's time is short and she'll only be around for a season. Hickory tries to fight this reality, but eventually comes to accept this reality and spends as much time with Hop as he can. Like Brown's other stories, this is a beautifully illustrated book. The story itself is hauntingly beautiful and tells a story of friendship, love, and loss.
June 17, 2008
A mouse, Hickory, lives with his family in a grandfather clock. Then, as he grows up, he decides to move outside on his own. He befriends a grasshopper. They enjoy a beautiful summer. When Hickory discovers that the grasshopper expects to die when winter arrives, they set off together to find a warmer climate.
The mouse mother has a sense of humor - she names her children Hickory, Dickory, and Dock.
I found the ending to be poignant, and probably beyond most small children. It was also unsatisfying, as if the story did not end. The author implies, but does not state, that the grasshopper will probably die that night. I halfway hoped for a sequel to find out what happens....but that would really only detract from the beauty of the book.
The mouse mother has a sense of humor - she names her children Hickory, Dickory, and Dock.
I found the ending to be poignant, and probably beyond most small children. It was also unsatisfying, as if the story did not end. The author implies, but does not state, that the grasshopper will probably die that night. I halfway hoped for a sequel to find out what happens....but that would really only detract from the beauty of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2015
This hardly counts as a book, since an adult should be able to finish it in about 10-15 minutes (it took two separate sittings with my kids - ages 4 and 6 - to complete), but this teeny, little chapter book is awesome. The illustrations and the story are beautiful. There was one quote about how friendship is not just trading favors (when Hickory explains why he's going south with Hop) that was really lovely. It was a bit sad, but I loved it. I think I found this book for $0.25 at a library sale and grabbed it because I liked the look of it. I'm glad that I did!
February 24, 2023
I like my copy of the book -- it feels good to hold, and it's inviting to read, but the story ... not so much. I've never cared for stories where the animals act like humans. However, I do like the way the story shows that the progression from summer to fall affects animal life as well as plant life.
I wonder if the first sentence foreshadowed the story:
Halfway up the stairs of an old farmhouse, on the broad landing, bright with rose-patterned carpet, stood a tall grandfather clock, ticking time away.
"ticking time away"
I wonder if the first sentence foreshadowed the story:
Halfway up the stairs of an old farmhouse, on the broad landing, bright with rose-patterned carpet, stood a tall grandfather clock, ticking time away.
"ticking time away"
December 7, 2024
Clever…
Palmer Brown’s 1978 children’s book “Hickory” is a story of growing up and unlikely friendship. It is also reminder that a story can be sweet without being saccharine, fanciful without being foolish, and delightful without being didactic. Brown never speaks down to his audience, and in so doing, encourages their curiosity and creativity
Palmer Brown’s 1978 children’s book “Hickory” is a story of growing up and unlikely friendship. It is also reminder that a story can be sweet without being saccharine, fanciful without being foolish, and delightful without being didactic. Brown never speaks down to his audience, and in so doing, encourages their curiosity and creativity
January 26, 2014
Hickory is a mouse with dreams and curiosity. When he's old enough, he sets out from the cozy life with his mouse family in an old grandfather clock in a farmhouse to the fields. Quiet, old-timey story good for transitional readers. A little too quiet for me.
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