The Itch Book

In this homey, humorous depiction of a day that left its mark in local history, folksy speech and lightly rhythmic verse combine with colorful pen-and-ink scenes of this knee-slappin’, back-scratchin’ town.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3– Composed in poetic prose replete with descriptive phrasing, this glimpse into an Ozark day is modern American folklore at its best. Dragonwagon captures the essence of that region, complete with the nuances of speech, dress, and custom . Early in the morning, the heat settles in an Ozark town, so hot that the sky is bleached “muslin white,” and the itch begins. No one escapes it. Not Jeff as he awakes, nor his pet, Reddog; his Mama putting up strawberries; his Papa going to work at Handymart; nor the Jersey cow “over to Berryville.” All have in common one thought: a night picnic at King Creek. From the sweltering heat to the cool of the evening, Dragonwagon’s affecting use of language will have readers sweating, scratching, and dreaming of swimming holes. Equally effective to the mood of the book are Mahler’s pen-and-ink drawings over Prismacolor. Each participant in the tale has a distinctive personality, humorously characterized. Colorfully energetic, the finely detailed etchings provide the perfect reflection of the bouncy, rhythmic, and descriptive prose. A great book to share with children for its subtleties of language and regional colloquialisms. –Cathy Woodward, Lima City Schools, OH
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