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Tales from Deckawoo Drive #3
Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?
What if timid Baby Lincoln broke free of her bossy sister and set off on an unexpected journey? Kate DiCamillo presents a touching new adventure set in Mercy Watson’s world.
Baby Lincoln’s older sister, Eugenia, is very fond of telling Baby what to do, and Baby usually responds by saying "Yes, Sister." But one day Baby has had enough. She decides to depart on a Necessary Journey, even though she has never gone anywhere without Eugenia telling her what to take and where to go. And in fact Baby doesn’t knowwhere she is headed — only that she was entirely happy in the previous night’s dream, sitting aboard a train with a view of shooting stars. Who might Baby meet as she strikes out on her own, and what could she discover about herself? Will her impulsive adventure take her away from Eugenia for good?
Baby Lincoln’s older sister, Eugenia, is very fond of telling Baby what to do, and Baby usually responds by saying "Yes, Sister." But one day Baby has had enough. She decides to depart on a Necessary Journey, even though she has never gone anywhere without Eugenia telling her what to take and where to go. And in fact Baby doesn’t knowwhere she is headed — only that she was entirely happy in the previous night’s dream, sitting aboard a train with a view of shooting stars. Who might Baby meet as she strikes out on her own, and what could she discover about herself? Will her impulsive adventure take her away from Eugenia for good?
104 pages, Library Binding
First published August 2, 2016
122 people are currently reading
1127 people want to read
About the author
Kate DiCamillo
163 books11k followersKate DiCamillo, the newly named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.
Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."
Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.
Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.
Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."
Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.
Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
June 24, 2018
This was such a wonderful story. Lucelle 'Baby' Lincoln goes on a necessary journey thanks to a dream. She meets many wonderful characters and friends along the way as she is stepping out from under the strong personality of her sister Eugenia. She realizes she can be her own person and have her own thoughts.
This story is amazing and wonderful. Kate is a sublime storyteller and all this is on display in this wonderful story. We know her from the Mercy Watson stories and we get to see the strength she has inside. A fantastic middle grade story. This is fun and shows the spiritual side of taking a journey.
This story is amazing and wonderful. Kate is a sublime storyteller and all this is on display in this wonderful story. We know her from the Mercy Watson stories and we get to see the strength she has inside. A fantastic middle grade story. This is fun and shows the spiritual side of taking a journey.
February 27, 2019
آثار خانم دیکامیلو برایم جذابند
نوشتههای سادهاش کودکفهماند و بزرگسالان را غرق خود میکنند
نقشها نیز همه گوگولی! که واقعاً واژهای بهتر برای توصیفشان نیست. :)ـ
نوشتههای سادهاش کودکفهماند و بزرگسالان را غرق خود میکنند
نقشها نیز همه گوگولی! که واقعاً واژهای بهتر برای توصیفشان نیست. :)ـ
June 24, 2017
This surprised me. I don't always love DiCamillo, but her Deckawoo Drive stories are very good. They have the heart and philosophy of her longer books, but are lighter, more concise, and funnier. I really appreciate that the author respects of the wisdom of young characters, and young readers, and I highly recommend this series. And this, the third, is the best yet, imo, with no distracting ridiculousness.
Now I really want to read the book Lucille writes....
Now I really want to read the book Lucille writes....
January 16, 2019
I think this is my favourite book in the series yet! It has a cast of wonderful characters, a nice message, and an interesting story.
In both this series and the original Mercy Watson stories, Baby Lincoln always seems to be in the shadow of her older sister, Eugenia. We don't even know the poor woman's name, since Eugenia gave her the nickname "Baby" when she was little and it has stuck ever since. Eugenia is so forceful and bossy that Baby's become very good at just going along with whatever she says. So it's refreshing to see Baby step out of her big sister's shadow in this book and start to create a story of her own.
After having a dream about being on a train and seeing shooting stars, Baby gets fed up with Eugenia and her routines and decides to go on a Necessary Journey. She gets on a train with the help of Stella, the little neighbour girl, and begins her trip. Along the way, she meets a number of interesting people who each give her something that changes her life for the better. This culminates in her meeting a little boy named George and telling him a wonderful story about kings and pear trees and wolves.
Of course, being set in this universe, the story has to end with hot buttered toast (just like all the other books), but there's also a little epilogue that shows how much Baby's journey has changed her. The character development in this book is really good. (And, yes, we do get to find out Baby's real name!)
This is my favourite book of the Tales of Deckawoo Drive series so far, and maybe even my favourite set in the Mercy Watson universe (I'm still waiting to get my hands on Book #4 of the previous series, though, so I can't say for sure). The Tales of Deckawoo Drive books seem like they're for a slightly older audience than Mercy Watson; they have more pages, a lot more text, and tons of words that are going to have kids running to the dictionary. But I love how DiCamillo never shies away from challenging her readers, and I think these are great books to help foster a love of reading and splendiferous words.
Quotable moment:
In both this series and the original Mercy Watson stories, Baby Lincoln always seems to be in the shadow of her older sister, Eugenia. We don't even know the poor woman's name, since Eugenia gave her the nickname "Baby" when she was little and it has stuck ever since. Eugenia is so forceful and bossy that Baby's become very good at just going along with whatever she says. So it's refreshing to see Baby step out of her big sister's shadow in this book and start to create a story of her own.
After having a dream about being on a train and seeing shooting stars, Baby gets fed up with Eugenia and her routines and decides to go on a Necessary Journey. She gets on a train with the help of Stella, the little neighbour girl, and begins her trip. Along the way, she meets a number of interesting people who each give her something that changes her life for the better. This culminates in her meeting a little boy named George and telling him a wonderful story about kings and pear trees and wolves.
Of course, being set in this universe, the story has to end with hot buttered toast (just like all the other books), but there's also a little epilogue that shows how much Baby's journey has changed her. The character development in this book is really good. (And, yes, we do get to find out Baby's real name!)
This is my favourite book of the Tales of Deckawoo Drive series so far, and maybe even my favourite set in the Mercy Watson universe (I'm still waiting to get my hands on Book #4 of the previous series, though, so I can't say for sure). The Tales of Deckawoo Drive books seem like they're for a slightly older audience than Mercy Watson; they have more pages, a lot more text, and tons of words that are going to have kids running to the dictionary. But I love how DiCamillo never shies away from challenging her readers, and I think these are great books to help foster a love of reading and splendiferous words.
Quotable moment:
The words of the story came to her without her thinking too much about what they should be. It was as if she were reading a book that already existed, telling a story that she already knew.
As she read, George leaned in closer and closer until, finally, he was leaning right up against her. He was warm. He smelled like peanut butter and construction paper.
January 3, 2017
You know those books that lift your heart into the sky and let it soar?
This is one of those.
Two elderly sisters live together on Deckawoo Drive. The elder, Eugenia, bosses and controls the younger sister. Then one night Baby Lincoln dreams of riding the train and watching stars streak across the sky. In the morning her ordinary life is revealed in it's depressing constraints and so she decides, much to the dismay of Eugenia, to go on a 'necessary journey.'
This journey is more necessary than either of them can imagine.
Baby, doing something by herself for the first time, packs her bag and sets out. She is met by many different and interesting characters along her necessary journey.
Stella, a young girl, accompanies her to the train station ands helps her get on a train to Fluxom.
A gentleman in a fur cap introduces her to the pleasure of reading newspaper comics.
A young woman, Sheila, introduces her to the joys of jelly beans and helps her remember her given name, Lucille Abigail Eleanor Lincoln.
A young boy is given into her temporary care and helps her discover her unknown gift for storytelling.
When Lucille arrives in Fluxom, she is uncertain what to do next. But don't worry dear reader, it all works out in the end. When she returns home, both Baby and Eugenia live richer and more fulfilled lives.
Even though these characters are old folks, I am certain that readers of all ages will enjoy reading about them.
I read this through Netgalley and the artwork was missing. I'm going to have to find a copy of the real book so I can appreciate Chris Van Dusen's illustrations.
Thank you Kate DiCamillo for another tale from Deckawoo Drive and reminding all of us that coming of age stories are not limited to the younger crowd.
This is one of those.
Two elderly sisters live together on Deckawoo Drive. The elder, Eugenia, bosses and controls the younger sister. Then one night Baby Lincoln dreams of riding the train and watching stars streak across the sky. In the morning her ordinary life is revealed in it's depressing constraints and so she decides, much to the dismay of Eugenia, to go on a 'necessary journey.'
This journey is more necessary than either of them can imagine.
Baby, doing something by herself for the first time, packs her bag and sets out. She is met by many different and interesting characters along her necessary journey.
Stella, a young girl, accompanies her to the train station ands helps her get on a train to Fluxom.
A gentleman in a fur cap introduces her to the pleasure of reading newspaper comics.
A young woman, Sheila, introduces her to the joys of jelly beans and helps her remember her given name, Lucille Abigail Eleanor Lincoln.
A young boy is given into her temporary care and helps her discover her unknown gift for storytelling.
When Lucille arrives in Fluxom, she is uncertain what to do next. But don't worry dear reader, it all works out in the end. When she returns home, both Baby and Eugenia live richer and more fulfilled lives.
Even though these characters are old folks, I am certain that readers of all ages will enjoy reading about them.
I read this through Netgalley and the artwork was missing. I'm going to have to find a copy of the real book so I can appreciate Chris Van Dusen's illustrations.
Thank you Kate DiCamillo for another tale from Deckawoo Drive and reminding all of us that coming of age stories are not limited to the younger crowd.
March 26, 2018
I don't usually rate or record the books that I read with my 6 year old, but this one should really be read by everyone, both big and small. At our house, we love Kate DiCamillo, we love Mercy Watson and all of the characters from Deckawoo Drive, but I have always had a particular soft spot for Baby Lincoln, in every Mercy Watson installment. We learn so much about Baby Lincoln in this book, and also a bit more about her sister Eugenia as well, so that maybe we can understand a little bit more about each of them. I loved every moment of this read, and found myself near tears as I read it to my kindergartener, in more than one part. Kate DiCamillo has a way with words, and she and her lovely friends from Deckawoo Drive have certainly found a way into my family's hearts, and I hope to share these characters with my family for generations to come.
October 20, 2024
Working with a playwright to adapt for stage. Such a cute book!
February 17, 2017
Um. Oh my gosh???? This book is PRECIOUS. I can't even deal with it. <3 <3 <3
July 24, 2019
Baby Lincoln, the gentle, kindhearted, much-put-upon younger sister of the overbearing Eugenia Lincoln, who appears, together with her sister, as a secondary character in Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson chapter-book series, here gets an adventure of her own. Waking one day with the conviction that she must take a 'necessary journey,' Baby packs her bag, leaves home, and takes a train to Fluxom, the furthest stop she can afford. Along the way she learns the importance of reading the comics (something Eugenia discourages), eating jelly beans, and using her own storytelling skills. But although she enjoys this temporary freedom from her elder sister, she also finds herself missing Eugenia, and recalling the ways that she was cared for by this thorny elder sibling...
Like its predecessors in the Tales of Deckawoo Drive series, Leroy Ninker Saddles Up and Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon , Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? features secondary Mercy Watson characters as central protagonists, exploring the relationship of the Lincoln sisters in unexpectedly poignant ways. I didn't think it was possible to have a more positive view of Eugenia Lincoln, the crank of Deckawoo Drive, who regularly makes herself nasty about Mercy's exploits, but DiCamillo demonstrates that she has a softer, albeit well-hidden side. This collection of chapter-books is a step up, in terms of reading level, from the Mercy Watson books, and is a great reading project for children who have gone through those books and are looking for something more challenging. I'm not sure if DiCamillo plans to write any more of these, but if she does, I will certainly seek them out!
Like its predecessors in the Tales of Deckawoo Drive series, Leroy Ninker Saddles Up and Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon , Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? features secondary Mercy Watson characters as central protagonists, exploring the relationship of the Lincoln sisters in unexpectedly poignant ways. I didn't think it was possible to have a more positive view of Eugenia Lincoln, the crank of Deckawoo Drive, who regularly makes herself nasty about Mercy's exploits, but DiCamillo demonstrates that she has a softer, albeit well-hidden side. This collection of chapter-books is a step up, in terms of reading level, from the Mercy Watson books, and is a great reading project for children who have gone through those books and are looking for something more challenging. I'm not sure if DiCamillo plans to write any more of these, but if she does, I will certainly seek them out!
October 16, 2023
"It has been a pleasure, a delight, a revelation. It has been everything except a spectacular waste of time. Fozwhat mortak! I bid you you safe travels. Tell your sister, Eugenia, that I send her greetings. Tell her to laugh."
Kate DiCamillo's works celebrate the interactions you have with people in passing. Maybe you won't see them again, but the moments you touch another person's life really matter. Maybe you don't know what they're going through, maybe you don't know why they are afraid of wolves, but if you can share something with them (jelly beans, laughter, stories), it makes all the difference in the world.
This is why she's my favorite author. Because all of her characters are on necessary journeys that change the way I see the world. Regardless of where you end up on your journey, it truly is the traveling that matters, not the destination.
'No one had ever asked her to protect anyone.'
(And you can bet your bottom dollar I got the Flora and Ulysses reference. *nods*)
June 21, 2018
My favorite of this series! Necessary journeys, singing stars, jelly beans, and stories with wizards, wolves, kings, and pear trees. Now I need to go eat a cheese sandwich! And, as always, toast with a great deal of butter on it.
(This review doesn't do justice to the book at all.)
(This review doesn't do justice to the book at all.)
July 29, 2016
This book is so fun! I loved each and every page.
September 7, 2016
Perfect for my 2nd grader and just love Chris Van Dusen's illustrations.
May 3, 2018
Baby Lincoln is my hero, and has been since Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride. She's the best.
May 20, 2018
From the Mercy Watson children's book series comes this gem about neighbor Baby Lincoln (who actually, but is the baby sister in her family). Author DiCamillo continues in her witty, appealing style to explore the desires, dissatisfaction, and background of Baby Lincoln (as well as her relationship with older sister Eugenia). I enjoyed seeing Baby in the spotlight and meeting new characters along the way. Van Dusen's illustrations were delightful and truly added to the story, as they have for othehr books in the series always. I'll admit that I cried at the ending, much to my son's dismay. ("Still read, Mommy! Why are you crying?") I rarely add my kids' books to my Goodreads, but I made an exception for this one because I loved it!
December 22, 2017
My kids and I love the Mercy Watson series so when I saw this on the shelf at the library I picked it up for my 8 year old daughter. She finished it in a couple of days and told me I should read it, "Baby meets 3 people on a train." Turns out, this just might be the sweetest little book I've ever read. Baby and Eugenia, they love each other as only sisters can.
November 19, 2017
An old woman who has lived under the restrictive but protective hand of her older sister breaks away to take a train journey, learning about laughter, candy, and creativity. And the warmth of family. It's a good chance for kids to read about different sorts of people, adults whom they can emphasize with.
August 6, 2016
I'm a superfan.
August 10, 2016
No words yet! Definitely have to review this one.
May 11, 2020
Did I pick this up because the title bears the name of a little boy in my life? Yes, yes I did. But I was surprised that Baby Lincoln is a middle aged woman!
While this is a little advanced for my boy, and a little young for me, it is a hoot. I can’t wait to read it to my son. It sends a lovely message through the train adventures of a brave lady. She finds herself, then finds herself back at home with those she loves. I can’t wait to read more of Watson and Deckawoo Drive.
While this is a little advanced for my boy, and a little young for me, it is a hoot. I can’t wait to read it to my son. It sends a lovely message through the train adventures of a brave lady. She finds herself, then finds herself back at home with those she loves. I can’t wait to read more of Watson and Deckawoo Drive.
July 25, 2016
Should somebody tell Kate DiCamillo that the protagonist of a children’s book should be a child? Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? is the third book of her tales from Deckawoo Drive available from Candlewick on August 2. Illustrator Chris Van Dusen alerts us with his art, even before we begin, that it has been a long, long time since Baby Lincoln was actually an infant.
Baby Lincoln enjoys a very good dream where she is traveling on a speedy train through a night filled with shooting stars on a necessary journey. Rudely awakened by her older sister who still calls her by the childhood nickname, the day begins with Eugenia giving Baby instructions on goals for the day that she has to write down. For the first time in their gray-headed lives, Baby rebels against her older sister. Her dream has given her this necessary journey that she must take.
Aided and abetted by her next door neighbor Stella, who does happen to be a child, she purchases a ticket to Fluxom since she doesn’t have enough money to go to Calaband Darsh. Her travel gives Baby and the reader a delightful trip with some interesting travel companions, once she learns to answer to her real name of Lucille. Make that Lucille Abigail Eleanor Lincoln – but she doesn’t really need to use all of that.
Back to my original question of telling Kate about using children to star in children’s books – she’s not going to hear it from me. This tale will delight a kid reader or an adult who is reading it aloud. One word of caution. Have a bowl of jellybeans ready to munch as you read. You’ll be glad you did.
Baby Lincoln enjoys a very good dream where she is traveling on a speedy train through a night filled with shooting stars on a necessary journey. Rudely awakened by her older sister who still calls her by the childhood nickname, the day begins with Eugenia giving Baby instructions on goals for the day that she has to write down. For the first time in their gray-headed lives, Baby rebels against her older sister. Her dream has given her this necessary journey that she must take.
Aided and abetted by her next door neighbor Stella, who does happen to be a child, she purchases a ticket to Fluxom since she doesn’t have enough money to go to Calaband Darsh. Her travel gives Baby and the reader a delightful trip with some interesting travel companions, once she learns to answer to her real name of Lucille. Make that Lucille Abigail Eleanor Lincoln – but she doesn’t really need to use all of that.
Back to my original question of telling Kate about using children to star in children’s books – she’s not going to hear it from me. This tale will delight a kid reader or an adult who is reading it aloud. One word of caution. Have a bowl of jellybeans ready to munch as you read. You’ll be glad you did.
March 13, 2017
I had this book on my Kids TBR list for a while. I don't remember where I heard about it. Christopher started reading this to me, but it wasn't holding his attention, so I ended up reading the rest to him over several nights. It's a very strange story, and it's actually the third book in a series, which I didn't realize. Baby Lincoln has always been bossed around by her older sister, even though they're very old. She strikes out on her own to have an adventure. It's full of quirky characters and surprisingly not much plot. We didn't really care for it.
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/03/juv...
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/03/juv...
August 17, 2017
A cute beginning chapter book (and Mercy Watson makes a brief appearance which was fun!). Baby Lincoln has a big sister named Eugenia. Eugenia is a bit bossy. One day, Baby determines that she must leave and go on a journey...but she doesn't know where to go or what to pack or what to do when she arrives...she just knows she must leave. She meets several interesting people on her adventure...while also learning that there are people she loves and misses right in her very own town, even her very own home.
February 6, 2021
Another delightful tale in the Deckawoo drive series. I am reading this series to my kids, mainly my 3 boys, age 12, 10, and 6. They beg me to keep reading every time I finish a chapter. This book was fun because we were able to experience Baby's awakening to herself and who she could be without her bossy sister telling her what to do.
Lots of fun parts to this story and interesting characters, as usual.
*It would be fun to have a bag of jelly beans for the kids when you read this book!
Lots of fun parts to this story and interesting characters, as usual.
*It would be fun to have a bag of jelly beans for the kids when you read this book!
July 21, 2017
We (my kids and I) choise this book because Kate DiCamillo is the author of Because of Winn Dixie and we loved Beacause of Winn Dixie. The book was super cute. My kids 9, 6, 4 were a little confused that Baby Lincoln wasn't a baby (until we got to the point where she explained why her name was baby).
July 16, 2016
Baby Lincoln is my favorite character in the Mercy Watson series so I'm so excited she got her own story!
Baby needs to go on a Necessary Journey.
A lesson will be learned and character growth made :)
Baby needs to go on a Necessary Journey.
A lesson will be learned and character growth made :)
October 10, 2016
We should all take a cue from Baby and take ourselves on a necessary journey, pronto.
October 25, 2017
Eugenia reminded me of my older sister. Know-it-all, bossy, controlling, unpleasant... all of that seemed very realistic.
September 6, 2016
I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I've read a couple books in this series, so I am familiar with the main characters here. This title is a slight offshoot from the others, moving one of the supporting characters, Baby Lincoln, into the main protagonist role. It is also a chapter book, while the Mercy Watson books, even when they have chapter headings, are really just picture books with arbitrary chapter breaks added (in my opinion, anyway).
I'll start with general impressions. The story is solid and well told, and the pacing and emotional arc to the plot are compelling and drew me in quickly. Some may find the phrasing and syntax a bit stilted or slow to develop, but I personally found it consistent with the lulling, dreamy, and transcendental (I don't know; maybe those all mean the same thing) style of the story. The story was touching and was complex enough to cause some contemplation of the layers in the storytelling, but still simple enough for a wide range of reader ages. I also appreciated two things that Kate DiCamillo does quite frequently: (1) incorporates "out of age range" words, just enough to keep things challenging and stretch a reader's knowledge/skill boundaries; and (2) organizes series by number or alpha or other increment, a subtlety that may be lost on some readers but that I enjoy like little crumbs of cake scattered along the story's path. Some of the metaphors and descriptions were unique and a bit fantastical as well, which I found endearing.
Not much to say about Chris Van Dusen's illustrations—they are stellar as always, and catch the emotions and timing of the characters well. The final product is beautifully laid out, with exquisite end papers and little details throughout.
Now for the finer details. I should note that I'm a professional editor and edit children's books as well as full-length novels—some of my observations may seem minor, and frankly, most of the issues I note below have little or no impact on the resulting readability of the book (at least for the vast majority of readers). But I'll note them anyway.
First, I found a disconnect between the text and illustrations in places. Often, DiCamillo's text describes a scene in great detail, while the accompanying art mirrors the description nearly exactly. For instance, in Chapter Three we meet a ticket salesman at the train station who is eating a cheese sandwich. We are told that the sandwich has many slices, that the cheese is orange, and that he is holding the sandwich in both hands. Other than the cheese being orange (which would be the most likely assumption by most readers and is not particularly relevant anyway), every other detail is shown perfectly by Van Dusen's illustration. My guess is that there was not as much collaboration by DiCamillo and Van Dusen on this book as on previous titles, or perhaps a tight publishing deadline forced the book to go to print before it could be edited a final time to clean up some of the unneeded text, which is typically overwritten by the author for the illustrator so that the illustrator understands what should be drawn, then is trimmed by the editor so that only necessary prose is left. It appears that this was not done in this case.
As I indicated earlier, some of the text could be considered a bit overwrought or stilted by some readers, though this is also a typical style for "dreamier" stories, which this is. However, this book was either edited by multiple editors or the editor was inconsistent in applying certain style elements. For instance, the second sentence on page 65 clearly is a compound sentence with several independent clauses. Though personally I probably would have split the whole sentence into two smaller ones, the editor here chose to drop an early comma before a conjunction, making the entire sentence even more difficult and causing me to reread it a couple times.
In other places, however, the choice was made to add commas that might not have been needed, or to leave lengthy phrases in that could have been simplified. One example is on page 72, which ends with the sentence, "And behind this house, there grew pear trees, hundreds of them." Granted, the syntax here is somewhat stylistic, but it's also passive and overly wordy. It could easily be replaced with something like, "Pear trees grew behind the house, hundreds of them," or "There pear trees grew, hundreds of them," or keeping most of the original style, "And behind the house grew pear trees, hundreds of them." Slight word changes, but tighter, more concise, and easier to read. There are also several times when the editor chose to use "that" as a pronoun when it was unnecessary and just muddled up the prose.
Some verb uses were ones that most editors would weed out, such as the sentence "And saying her name, her real name, caused Baby to feel another ripple of joy," which could easily be replaced by "And saying her name, her real name, Baby felt another ripple of joy," which is more active, more to the point, and avoids the clumsy construction "caused to feel."
In a few other spots, series were constructed with multiple "ands" rather than being divided by commas—though largely a stylistic choice, the sentences were complex enough that I found the construction a bit confusing and less effective. The editor missed a serial comma in one place, and in another, "me" is used when "I" should have been. Though it could have been the character's dialogue choice, nothing in the text indicated to me that that should have been the case.
A minor thing, but some compound nouns/adjectives such as shooting star were hyphenated when they shouldn't have been (in this particular case, shooting star was not really prenominative and shouldn't have been hyphenated even if it were). And finally, some transitions were a bit questionable. The chapter break between Chapter Two and Chapter Three almost certainly should have been six paragraphs earlier, and the transition to another chapter in the middle of character dialogue seemed strange.
So my assessment is this: (1) great story and great storytelling (five-star); (2) great illustrations (five-star); (3) poor editing and proofreading of the final product (one or two stars).
As usual, in the end I loved DiCamillo's story and the place she created for me to visit for a precious bit.
I've read a couple books in this series, so I am familiar with the main characters here. This title is a slight offshoot from the others, moving one of the supporting characters, Baby Lincoln, into the main protagonist role. It is also a chapter book, while the Mercy Watson books, even when they have chapter headings, are really just picture books with arbitrary chapter breaks added (in my opinion, anyway).
I'll start with general impressions. The story is solid and well told, and the pacing and emotional arc to the plot are compelling and drew me in quickly. Some may find the phrasing and syntax a bit stilted or slow to develop, but I personally found it consistent with the lulling, dreamy, and transcendental (I don't know; maybe those all mean the same thing) style of the story. The story was touching and was complex enough to cause some contemplation of the layers in the storytelling, but still simple enough for a wide range of reader ages. I also appreciated two things that Kate DiCamillo does quite frequently: (1) incorporates "out of age range" words, just enough to keep things challenging and stretch a reader's knowledge/skill boundaries; and (2) organizes series by number or alpha or other increment, a subtlety that may be lost on some readers but that I enjoy like little crumbs of cake scattered along the story's path. Some of the metaphors and descriptions were unique and a bit fantastical as well, which I found endearing.
Not much to say about Chris Van Dusen's illustrations—they are stellar as always, and catch the emotions and timing of the characters well. The final product is beautifully laid out, with exquisite end papers and little details throughout.
Now for the finer details. I should note that I'm a professional editor and edit children's books as well as full-length novels—some of my observations may seem minor, and frankly, most of the issues I note below have little or no impact on the resulting readability of the book (at least for the vast majority of readers). But I'll note them anyway.
First, I found a disconnect between the text and illustrations in places. Often, DiCamillo's text describes a scene in great detail, while the accompanying art mirrors the description nearly exactly. For instance, in Chapter Three we meet a ticket salesman at the train station who is eating a cheese sandwich. We are told that the sandwich has many slices, that the cheese is orange, and that he is holding the sandwich in both hands. Other than the cheese being orange (which would be the most likely assumption by most readers and is not particularly relevant anyway), every other detail is shown perfectly by Van Dusen's illustration. My guess is that there was not as much collaboration by DiCamillo and Van Dusen on this book as on previous titles, or perhaps a tight publishing deadline forced the book to go to print before it could be edited a final time to clean up some of the unneeded text, which is typically overwritten by the author for the illustrator so that the illustrator understands what should be drawn, then is trimmed by the editor so that only necessary prose is left. It appears that this was not done in this case.
As I indicated earlier, some of the text could be considered a bit overwrought or stilted by some readers, though this is also a typical style for "dreamier" stories, which this is. However, this book was either edited by multiple editors or the editor was inconsistent in applying certain style elements. For instance, the second sentence on page 65 clearly is a compound sentence with several independent clauses. Though personally I probably would have split the whole sentence into two smaller ones, the editor here chose to drop an early comma before a conjunction, making the entire sentence even more difficult and causing me to reread it a couple times.
In other places, however, the choice was made to add commas that might not have been needed, or to leave lengthy phrases in that could have been simplified. One example is on page 72, which ends with the sentence, "And behind this house, there grew pear trees, hundreds of them." Granted, the syntax here is somewhat stylistic, but it's also passive and overly wordy. It could easily be replaced with something like, "Pear trees grew behind the house, hundreds of them," or "There pear trees grew, hundreds of them," or keeping most of the original style, "And behind the house grew pear trees, hundreds of them." Slight word changes, but tighter, more concise, and easier to read. There are also several times when the editor chose to use "that" as a pronoun when it was unnecessary and just muddled up the prose.
Some verb uses were ones that most editors would weed out, such as the sentence "And saying her name, her real name, caused Baby to feel another ripple of joy," which could easily be replaced by "And saying her name, her real name, Baby felt another ripple of joy," which is more active, more to the point, and avoids the clumsy construction "caused to feel."
In a few other spots, series were constructed with multiple "ands" rather than being divided by commas—though largely a stylistic choice, the sentences were complex enough that I found the construction a bit confusing and less effective. The editor missed a serial comma in one place, and in another, "me" is used when "I" should have been. Though it could have been the character's dialogue choice, nothing in the text indicated to me that that should have been the case.
A minor thing, but some compound nouns/adjectives such as shooting star were hyphenated when they shouldn't have been (in this particular case, shooting star was not really prenominative and shouldn't have been hyphenated even if it were). And finally, some transitions were a bit questionable. The chapter break between Chapter Two and Chapter Three almost certainly should have been six paragraphs earlier, and the transition to another chapter in the middle of character dialogue seemed strange.
So my assessment is this: (1) great story and great storytelling (five-star); (2) great illustrations (five-star); (3) poor editing and proofreading of the final product (one or two stars).
As usual, in the end I loved DiCamillo's story and the place she created for me to visit for a precious bit.
October 9, 2024
Kate DiCamillo can just have my heart. I trust her fully with it at this point. This is such a lovely read, as have been all the Deckawoo Drive books we’ve read so far. I love how we learn so much more about this neighbor-to-Mercy Watson character and her depths, all while she is simultaneously learning her own depths! Brilliant as always.
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