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The Hundred Penny Box
Michael loves his great-great-aunt Dew, even if she can't always remember his name. He especially loves to spend time with her and her beloved hundred penny box, listening to stories about each of the hundred years of her life. Michael's mother wants to throw out the battered old box that holds the pennies, but Michael understands that the box itself is as important to Aunt Dew as the memories it contains. Winner of a Newbery Honor, this beautiful story will be available in a collector's edition featuring heavy interior stock embossing and silver ink on the cover, and a thread-sewn binding for added durability. A timeless story of the relationship between a boy and his elderly relative, this new edition is one that families young and old will treasure for years to come.
47 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 1975
20 people are currently reading
900 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Bell Mathis
13 books5 followersSharon Bell Mathis (born 1937) is an American librarian and author who has written books mainly for children and young adults.
Mathis was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She started writing at an early age, and her love of reading was fostered by her parents. Her mother, a poet, encouraged her to write. In 1958, she earned a degree in Sociology from Morgan State College and, in 1975, went on to earn a master's in Library Science from the Catholic University of America.
Mathis has written many books for children and young adults, and has received many accolades in her career. Her book Ray Charles, a nonfiction biography of Ray Charles, received the Coretta Scott King Award. The Hundred Penny Box received a Newbery Honor Award and is a recipient of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and also an American Library Association Notable Children's Book. English Journal placed Mathis alongside writers such as Toni Cade Bambara and Nikki Giovanni, characterizing them as "describing a black consciousness of self- celebration rather like that which flowered during the Harlem Renaissance and was somehow lost, at least in literature, in the intervening years of social upheaval." Teacup Full of Roses was a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year. It was described, also in English Journal, as "a celebration of black family life, not of the stereotypical enduring parents, but of the children who find their strength in giving to each other."
Mathis was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She started writing at an early age, and her love of reading was fostered by her parents. Her mother, a poet, encouraged her to write. In 1958, she earned a degree in Sociology from Morgan State College and, in 1975, went on to earn a master's in Library Science from the Catholic University of America.
Mathis has written many books for children and young adults, and has received many accolades in her career. Her book Ray Charles, a nonfiction biography of Ray Charles, received the Coretta Scott King Award. The Hundred Penny Box received a Newbery Honor Award and is a recipient of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and also an American Library Association Notable Children's Book. English Journal placed Mathis alongside writers such as Toni Cade Bambara and Nikki Giovanni, characterizing them as "describing a black consciousness of self- celebration rather like that which flowered during the Harlem Renaissance and was somehow lost, at least in literature, in the intervening years of social upheaval." Teacup Full of Roses was a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year. It was described, also in English Journal, as "a celebration of black family life, not of the stereotypical enduring parents, but of the children who find their strength in giving to each other."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
April 17, 2020
A happy and sad story about a Grandmother and her Grandson. The elderly grandmother suffers from dementia but can talk about her memories that are brought alive by her collection of pennies. The story felt real, the characters, their relationships and the way they tried but also failed was all too realistic. I felt for the Grandson who empathised and felt torn between obeying his mother and doing what he felt was right.
October 29, 2011
Destined to be one of my favorite Newbery books, this small book is quite remarkable.
It is a poignant tale of aging and the lessons passed along to those who want to learn.
When Michael's Great Aunt Dew comes to live with his family, he is drawn to the 100 year old woman who seems at times forgetful and other instances spot on with her observations.
Increasingly spending time with her nets a plethora of knowledge for Michael as systematically he and his Great Aunt play a game with her most precious possession -- a box of 100 pennies.
As Michael counts the pennies, a story results for each year a penny was added. Weaving wonderful tales, Aunt Dew shares a history rich in value and tradition. Michael grows to love his Aunt deeply.
While the tension between his mother and his Great Aunt mounts, Michael realizes his mother wants to thrown away the 100 penny box. Desperately trying to make his mother appreciate the history and the significance of Aunt Dew's memories becomes quite a task for Michael.
The writing is wonderful and the images of Michael and his Aunt are as precious as the 100 penny box.
Highly recommended.
It is a poignant tale of aging and the lessons passed along to those who want to learn.
When Michael's Great Aunt Dew comes to live with his family, he is drawn to the 100 year old woman who seems at times forgetful and other instances spot on with her observations.
Increasingly spending time with her nets a plethora of knowledge for Michael as systematically he and his Great Aunt play a game with her most precious possession -- a box of 100 pennies.
As Michael counts the pennies, a story results for each year a penny was added. Weaving wonderful tales, Aunt Dew shares a history rich in value and tradition. Michael grows to love his Aunt deeply.
While the tension between his mother and his Great Aunt mounts, Michael realizes his mother wants to thrown away the 100 penny box. Desperately trying to make his mother appreciate the history and the significance of Aunt Dew's memories becomes quite a task for Michael.
The writing is wonderful and the images of Michael and his Aunt are as precious as the 100 penny box.
Highly recommended.
April 15, 2020
A poignant, heartwarming family story that connects a young boy, Michael, through four generations to his great-great Aunt Dew who is a hundred years old. Michael is able to connect and empathize with Aunt Dew in a way that his mother cannot. He loves to play with Aunt Dew's hundred penny box while listening to Aunt Dew tell stories about the pennies, each one saved on one of her hundred birthdays. This beautiful story won a Newbery Honor and has remained one of my favorite children's books since I first read it more than twenty years ago. The book is only 47 pages and could be read to a grade 4 to 6 classroom in one or two sessions. This sadly sweet story could promote discussions of intergenerational families, old age, dementia, empathy and the importance of a lifetime of memories passed down to the next generations. Many thanks to Hilary and her review of The Button Box, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... for inspiring this review!
March 25, 2018
A glimpse into the relationship between a young boy and his great-great aunt, and the tense emotions that come when an older family member comes to live with her descendents.
I wanted to like this one more than I did. I appreciate the care with which the relationship between boy and aunt is crafted, but the story is too staid for me, and the ending is more frustrating than poetic.
I wanted to like this one more than I did. I appreciate the care with which the relationship between boy and aunt is crafted, but the story is too staid for me, and the ending is more frustrating than poetic.
March 28, 2018
Now 100 years old, Michael's great great aunt Dew comes to live with them. Aunt Dew cared for Michael's father John after his parents died. She often calls Michael "John" because he resembles his father. Michael's mother wants to burn Aunt Dew's hundred penny box in the furnace as she burned many other things Aunt Dew brought with her. The box was a gift to Aunt Dew. Each penny represents a year in her life and helps her recall what happened that year. Michael realizes the importance of that box and wants to save it from destruction. The book does not work as well for today's readers as it did for those in the 1970s. The book does, however, help young readers understand aging. It also helps them understand the value of tradition. The illustrations are all brown tones and underwhelming.
January 27, 2022
For a small book like this, I liked the story very much. A great charming story to read in just an hour and not only for kids!
October 17, 2016
1. Book summary, in your own words (3 pts)
The Hundred Penny Box is a Newbery Honor Book. It is a story about a little boy named Michael and his great aunt’s hundred penny box. Each penny in the box has a story to go along with it. There is a small conflict between Michael’s mom and his great aunt. You’ll have to read the book to find out what that is and how it is handled.
2. Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
This would be a book for 3rd-5th grade students. It is a little difficult to read, but interesting.
3. Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
I would use this book for the reading portion of my class.
4. Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
Students interested in books about family would like this book.
5. Small group use (literature circles) (1 pt)
I would not use this book for small groups.
6. Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
I probably would not read this book aloud to the class either. I would rather use it as a book for the reading bookshelf.
7. Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
8. Multimedia connections (audio books, movie) available (1 pt)
There is no multimedia associated with this book.
The Hundred Penny Box is a Newbery Honor Book. It is a story about a little boy named Michael and his great aunt’s hundred penny box. Each penny in the box has a story to go along with it. There is a small conflict between Michael’s mom and his great aunt. You’ll have to read the book to find out what that is and how it is handled.
2. Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
This would be a book for 3rd-5th grade students. It is a little difficult to read, but interesting.
3. Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
I would use this book for the reading portion of my class.
4. Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
Students interested in books about family would like this book.
5. Small group use (literature circles) (1 pt)
I would not use this book for small groups.
6. Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
I probably would not read this book aloud to the class either. I would rather use it as a book for the reading bookshelf.
7. Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
8. Multimedia connections (audio books, movie) available (1 pt)
There is no multimedia associated with this book.
April 18, 2009
I would give this book two and a half stars.
The combination of author Sharon Bell Mathis and the Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators team of Leo and Diane Dillon is well chosen, in my view; The marriage of text and pictures seems very much right for the book throughout.
The Hundred Penny Box is infused with a lot of family warmth, especially in the way that Michael is fiercely protective of his great-great Aunt Dew's independence. Michael's mother thinks that the Hundred Penny Box that aunt Dew treasures is not really important, and that her holding onto it as so very important is really nothing more than a curmudgeonly tendency because of her old age.
Michael sees things very differently, however. He sees his great-great aunt as a person whose wishes matter as much as those of anyone else, as a human being who just happens to be one hundred years old, and he is willing to defend her autonomy to any extent.
In my thinking, some of the book's best scenes are those that see Michael playing a spirited advocate for what his great-great aunt wants. This is inspiring, in many ways.
The combination of author Sharon Bell Mathis and the Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators team of Leo and Diane Dillon is well chosen, in my view; The marriage of text and pictures seems very much right for the book throughout.
The Hundred Penny Box is infused with a lot of family warmth, especially in the way that Michael is fiercely protective of his great-great Aunt Dew's independence. Michael's mother thinks that the Hundred Penny Box that aunt Dew treasures is not really important, and that her holding onto it as so very important is really nothing more than a curmudgeonly tendency because of her old age.
Michael sees things very differently, however. He sees his great-great aunt as a person whose wishes matter as much as those of anyone else, as a human being who just happens to be one hundred years old, and he is willing to defend her autonomy to any extent.
In my thinking, some of the book's best scenes are those that see Michael playing a spirited advocate for what his great-great aunt wants. This is inspiring, in many ways.
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March 7, 2020This ended way too quickly. Seems like so much was left out.
March 25, 2024
Michael loves counting the pennies in his great-great Aunt Dew’s old wooden box. There’s one hundred in total—each one representing a year of her life and more importantly, a memory. Aunt Dew may forget a lot of things, but she remembers every milestone that each penny represents, and Michael enjoys hearing her tell these stories over and over again. But Michael’s mother wants to get rid of the box. She says it’s old and gets underfoot. Aunt Dew has lost so much already, Michael can’t allow her to lose her beloved box as well. How can he make his mother understand its importance when all she sees is an ugly old box?
Recipient of the Newbery Honor Book award in 1976, The Hundred Penny Box is a compassionate and heartfelt book that depicts aging and caring for the aged in a realistic and thoughtful manner. It’s a moving, multi-generational story of a young boy and his beloved great-great aunt and the simple pleasures they share while counting old coins and reliving cherished memories. While their relationship is sweet, Mathis also depicts the challenges of caring for the elderly as she places all of the stress and anxiety of daily care squarely on the shoulders of Michael’s mother, Ruth. Readers will most certainly view her as the story’s villain and who can blame them when even Michael apologizes to Aunt Dew for his mother’s mean behavior.
At 47 pages—including the beautiful watercolor illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon—this book is probably one of the shortest (if not the shortest) books to win a Newbery; however, its brevity should not be confused with simplicity for its complex themes of empathy, respect, compassion, and love make this a book that needs to be read slowly and savored. Author Tia Walker wrote, “To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” The pennies in Aunt Dew’s box may have only added up to a dollar, but Aunt Dew was a woman whose warmth and faith made her a priceless treasure that no box could contain and whose worth could never be measured.
NEW!! Want to share this book with your homeschooler or classroom? Download our FREE study guide: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/P...
Recipient of the Newbery Honor Book award in 1976, The Hundred Penny Box is a compassionate and heartfelt book that depicts aging and caring for the aged in a realistic and thoughtful manner. It’s a moving, multi-generational story of a young boy and his beloved great-great aunt and the simple pleasures they share while counting old coins and reliving cherished memories. While their relationship is sweet, Mathis also depicts the challenges of caring for the elderly as she places all of the stress and anxiety of daily care squarely on the shoulders of Michael’s mother, Ruth. Readers will most certainly view her as the story’s villain and who can blame them when even Michael apologizes to Aunt Dew for his mother’s mean behavior.
At 47 pages—including the beautiful watercolor illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon—this book is probably one of the shortest (if not the shortest) books to win a Newbery; however, its brevity should not be confused with simplicity for its complex themes of empathy, respect, compassion, and love make this a book that needs to be read slowly and savored. Author Tia Walker wrote, “To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” The pennies in Aunt Dew’s box may have only added up to a dollar, but Aunt Dew was a woman whose warmth and faith made her a priceless treasure that no box could contain and whose worth could never be measured.
NEW!! Want to share this book with your homeschooler or classroom? Download our FREE study guide: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/P...
June 1, 2022
More of a chapter book than a picture book. And I don’t feel that this book was actually intended for children - way too long and the heavy topics fairly complex to keep their interest.
It’s an interesting read for tweens/adults though.
A very old woman goes to live with her nephew, his wife and his son. Forgetful, confused, and sometimes stubborn makes living with the old woman difficult and wears the relationship thin between her and the wife. The wife begins burning the old lady’s belongings little by little which makes the young son really angry and causes fights between him and his mom.
It’s an interesting look at relationships (particularly when caring for an older relative) and a good reminder to not loose sight of what’s truly important.
It’s an interesting read for tweens/adults though.
A very old woman goes to live with her nephew, his wife and his son. Forgetful, confused, and sometimes stubborn makes living with the old woman difficult and wears the relationship thin between her and the wife. The wife begins burning the old lady’s belongings little by little which makes the young son really angry and causes fights between him and his mom.
It’s an interesting look at relationships (particularly when caring for an older relative) and a good reminder to not loose sight of what’s truly important.
January 29, 2018
This book was a fine book. Nothing too special, but not too bad either. It was about a boy, named Michael and, his Great-Great Grandma Dew who came to start a new life with her great-great grandson. It was a bit of a sweet story about how a family works. How, Michael's mother and Great-Great Grandma Dew struggle but, has a sweet lesson nearing the end of the book. It was an okay book!
March 20, 2025
This is a short Newbery Honor book. It deals with a family that has brought an aunt from her home to their home to live with them as she goes through dementia. The young boy is enamored with the Aunt and some of the things that she owns. One of them is a hundred penny box which has a penny in it for every year of her life.
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February 8, 2022I loved this story. It was in my 2nd grade reading book. After reading it in class, I went home and found the brightest pennies I could for each of the six years of my life. I kept saving the first shiny new penny of each year, for my own Hundred Penny Box until I was out of high school. Although I stopped collecting them, I still have my collection of pennies...I kept it up for perhaps a dozen years. The story made quite an impression and I never forgot it; I eventually realized that the pennies didn't mean to me what they meant to her. I only saved them because of the story, and by then, I knew that the story would always be with me.
October 28, 2008
This charming story is of Michael, a young African-American boy, and the close relationship he enjoys with his Great Aunt Dew, who is now one hundred years old. Michael does not think his mother understands Aunt Dew and the value of her precious hundred penny box, which holds one penny from each year of her life. Michael loves to pick a penny from the box, say, the year, and then listen intently to the memory which the year evokes. This lovely intergenerational story sensitively depicts the special relationship between children and seniors, and the uniquw bond which they share.
This simple yet rich story would make a wonderful addition to an intergenerational theme study, and would be a wonderful complement for books such as The War With Grandpa, Mrs. Katz and Tush, Blackberries in the Dark, and Wilfred Gordon Macdonald Partridge. A meaningful entension activity would be to have students collect a penny minted fom each year of their own lives, and to find a memory connected with that year.
This simple yet rich story would make a wonderful addition to an intergenerational theme study, and would be a wonderful complement for books such as The War With Grandpa, Mrs. Katz and Tush, Blackberries in the Dark, and Wilfred Gordon Macdonald Partridge. A meaningful entension activity would be to have students collect a penny minted fom each year of their own lives, and to find a memory connected with that year.
January 1, 2015
Excerpt From THE HUNDRED PENNY BOX by Sharon Bell Mathis
"How do you get to be a hundred years old?" Michael asked and raised up from the bed on one elbow and waited for his great-great-aunt to answer.
"First you have to have a hundred penny box," his great-great-aunt finally said.
"Where you get it from?" Michael asked.
"Somebody special got to give it to you," Aunt Dew said.
Maybe reading THE HUNDRED PENNY BOX and encountering Michael who is fiercely protective and deeply loving towards his hundred year old Aunt Dew will inspire YOU to give someone a hundred penny box.
Or, better yet, maybe someone will gift you with a "penny box" that you will be able to fill with your very own pennies -- one for each year of your life.
On second thought, maybe the box needs to be a "nickel" or "dime" box, just in case pennies go extinct before you do!
Highly recommended illustrated 47 page story first published in 1975. For all ages.
"How do you get to be a hundred years old?" Michael asked and raised up from the bed on one elbow and waited for his great-great-aunt to answer.
"First you have to have a hundred penny box," his great-great-aunt finally said.
"Where you get it from?" Michael asked.
"Somebody special got to give it to you," Aunt Dew said.
Maybe reading THE HUNDRED PENNY BOX and encountering Michael who is fiercely protective and deeply loving towards his hundred year old Aunt Dew will inspire YOU to give someone a hundred penny box.
Or, better yet, maybe someone will gift you with a "penny box" that you will be able to fill with your very own pennies -- one for each year of your life.
On second thought, maybe the box needs to be a "nickel" or "dime" box, just in case pennies go extinct before you do!
Highly recommended illustrated 47 page story first published in 1975. For all ages.
March 13, 2011
Copyright 1975; Newbery honor 1976. Michael's great-great Aunt Dewbet Thomas, (Aunt Dew) is 100 years old, and she lives at Michael's house. She has an old beat-up wooden box that she keeps with a bag of 100 pennies inside. Each penny represents a year of her life, so, as he counts the pennies, she recalls events of each year. Mom doesn't seem to understand why the box is so important, but Michael is determined to protect it. Quiet story about listening to and respecting old people. Rec for grade 3-5.
January 11, 2012
A beautifully intimate relationship between little Michael and his 100 year-old-great-great aunt Dewbet Thomas who has a hundred penny old cracked-up, wacky-dacky box and a story behind each single penny!
It's a bit sad, I kind of felt like crying by the end of it.
I loved the part when Michael plays his favorite question game and asks his great-great-aunty, "are your arms a hundred years old? Is your face and your eyes and fingers a hundred years old too?"
The darkly brownish illustrations are both warm and a bit depressing but very artistic at the same time.
It's a bit sad, I kind of felt like crying by the end of it.
I loved the part when Michael plays his favorite question game and asks his great-great-aunty, "are your arms a hundred years old? Is your face and your eyes and fingers a hundred years old too?"
The darkly brownish illustrations are both warm and a bit depressing but very artistic at the same time.
October 16, 2009
This book was interesting. It was about a boy whose great aunt had come to live with him and his parents. His aunt was 100 years old, and she had a box full of pennies for each year that she had been alive. He would pull pennies out of the box, and she would tell him what had happened that year.
The thing I didn't like about this book was that the ending didn't really wrap up. I like sure endings, I don't like to be left wondering whatever would happen.
The thing I didn't like about this book was that the ending didn't really wrap up. I like sure endings, I don't like to be left wondering whatever would happen.
October 4, 2011
Someone suggested I read this book because it is one that when they began their teaching career they used it to read to thier class at the beginning of each school year. At first I was not impressed with the book but the more I read it the more I understood why it was read aloud the class. It is about a boy who stands up for what he believes it right even when he thinks his own mother is doing wrong. It is a very touching and moving story.
March 8, 2018
I found this little book too sophisticated for young new readers, but not rich enough for experienced readers... ( young and old). It's the sort of book that NEEDS to be read aloud and discussed.
April 1, 2011
A nice little reminder that kids understand more than we think.
February 25, 2025
This was hard to read. A lot of conflict, all of them with a valid point of view. Nothing resolved.
April 9, 2022
This Newbery Award winner was written in 1975, so it's older than I am. The story is about a boy named Mike who loves his great-great-aund Dew that just moved in with his family. Dew is 100 years old, and has a box with a penny from each year of her 100 years of life. Mike likes to talk with Aunt Dew and one of his favorite games is to ask her questions about each year she lived as he pulls a penny out of the box. Some moments are very sweet. But Mike's mom, Ruth is quite strict in her approach to both Dew and Mike. Ruth tries to make sure Dew is physically taken care of, but neglects to offer sweetness, kindness, and love in the emotional sense. Yet her lack is where Mike excells; he gives his great-great-aunt the gentleness she needs. I was a bit disappointed with the ending since I didn't feel it quite resolved Mike's worry about the box. But I did enjoy the kind moments he shared with Dew.
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June 18, 2019This book made me appreciate the advances we've benefitted from that help us understand and work with some of the challenges people face. The various roles associated with aging are seen here, and the main character helps us look at how we treat people where they are currently. His love for Aunt Dew is heart-warming and makes me want to reach out further with caring. The mother's responses were somewhat frustrating, but they made me think about how much we've learned and how many 'tools' we've gained in working with dementia and other mental illnesses. They also made me reflect on the load mothers can carry and how I carry my load and support the load of other mothers. I appreciated that the boy was willing to recognize the struggles and look for solutions.
September 21, 2021
A Life-changing Book such as The Hundred Penny Box offers a great deal of realization. Moreover, it contains so many explanations and discoveries about itself. There is no doubt the book is thrilling and enjoyable because of that.
The first part was rather tiring for me, but things became exciting when I came across the penny box part. I don't regret reading this book at all.
Worth reading. I won't spoil anything, so please read.
Wishing you the best on your journey through the book!
The Hundred Penny Box
Sharon Bell Mathis
The first part was rather tiring for me, but things became exciting when I came across the penny box part. I don't regret reading this book at all.
Worth reading. I won't spoil anything, so please read.
Wishing you the best on your journey through the book!
The Hundred Penny Box
Sharon Bell Mathis
May 28, 2025
1976 Newbery Honor book. This one was a surprise to me. At only 47 pages long, a lot is packed into this story about intergenerational families, family stories and heirlooms,the value that some people do - and don't - place on those things, both the confidence and loneliness of aging, the difficulty of caregiving, and the pure love of children. The relationship between Michael and Aunt Dew is so tender, and the way he tries to protect her and her belongings (and the memories tied up in those belongings) is so sweet. The illustrations suggest an almost ghostly nature to memories of the past. While this book is kind of a picture book, it is definitely most suitable for the slightly older set, even into middle school.
November 3, 2022
A sweet story about a young boy, Michael, who yearns to hold onto everything that his great, great Aunt Dew owns, especially her hundred penny box, in which she has placed one penny for each year of her life. His mother does not see the value in any of Aunt Dew's possessions, notably the old broken box in which the pennies reside. As Michael counts the pennies, Aunt Dew is able to raccount the events that happened during those years of her life. Michael realizes that his aunt is growing frail and becomes more and more confused, but he realizes that by keeping the hundred penny box close to her, he is keeping her close to him.
December 31, 2024
I spotted this Newbery Honor in a little free library at a rest stop. I'm not sure whether to call it a picture book (due to the watercolor illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon) or juvenile-fiction due to its Newbery Honor award. It actually read like a short story - wonderfully written and recommended.
Note: the artwork in this edition is in 2 colors (brown and yellow) though the cover illustration is full color and the dots in the corners are pennies on the cover, whereas they are just brown dots in the book. It makes me wonder if some details got lost as they often do in paperback reproductions.
Note: the artwork in this edition is in 2 colors (brown and yellow) though the cover illustration is full color and the dots in the corners are pennies on the cover, whereas they are just brown dots in the book. It makes me wonder if some details got lost as they often do in paperback reproductions.
January 16, 2025
This story does not pull any punches! All the sadness is here. Even all the family disagreements that may come with bringing home an older relative to stay. The story is well written and touching--especially the relationship between Michael and Aunt Dew. But it has a very narrow audience, I think. Only for reading to children who have an older relative they see often. Even then, it's definitely one you'll want to read first before reading to the child. It could result in tears. The illustrations are all very dark and brooding as well. I usually love the Dillons, but this art is very 1970s and sometimes it's hard to see what is depicted.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews