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    • Tuesdays with Crescent WINTER-SPRING 2021

Crescent Dragonwagon

Winter Holding Spring

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The story behind the story

A bereaved husband and his grieving little girl finally find a way to talk to each other about the woman they both loved and both miss, as a year unfurls through the seasons. Ron Himmler’s illustrations are so tender.

 

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1990

Written with a sure and gentle touch, this is a moving exploration of the inevitability of death, and of the possibilities of growth and happiness for those who survive the death of a loved one.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Grade 2-4– A gentle story of nature ‘ s rhythms. Her mother has died, but to 11-year-old Sarah, she is still everywhere–in twirly skirts, spaghetti with basil, a sweater with cows on it–and thinking about her still hurts. In the ensuing year, Sarah’s grief mellows into a bittersweet acceptance as she and her father watch the promises of the seasons–the pumpkins of autumn heralding winter, crocuses announcing spring–and together they come to know that despite setbacks, even tragic ones, life does and will continue. The father-daughter relationship is a tender, well-drawn one with plenty of details, thoughtful dialogue, and glimpses of the father’s different, but also real sense of loss. There is a discrepancy in Sarah’s depiction, however, both in text and illustration. Her words and actions seem immature for her age, and she is shown in Himler ‘ s pencil drawings as a much younger child . This presents a problem in determining the story’s audience. The real shame, though, is the presentation of this delicate, almost meditative story in such an uninviting fashion. Instead of a graceful picture-book format, the text is forced onto small pages with too-close margins and gutters. Chapter follows chapter undistinguished from one another, with the illustrations tightly sandwiched where a space opens up. This treatment does justice to neither text nor illustration and reduces the effectiveness of both. This is a loving gift of a story presented in a sadly unappealing package.
– Joanne Aswell, Long Valley Middle School, NJ
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 32 pages
  • Publisher: Atheneum; childrens book edition (March 31, 1990)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0027331229
  • ISBN-13: 978-0027331226
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

Read Aloud with Crescent and Mark

NOT A LITTLE MONKEY, by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrted by Michelle Chessaree

"So, the little girl climbed into the big waste-basket and waited." ' Oh no,' said her mother, ' we don't want to throw you away.'"There are many ways to express love and the need for attention. Here, a busy mother and her just-a-bit naughty little girl tease each other affectionately — the little girl making her point without even uttering a word.That's today's story time — read aloud by the author's daughter at Crescent Dragonwagon's Writing, Cooking, & Workshops, with Mark Graff's "text support" and discussion."Just right for two-to-fours, the humor of this true-to-life story of a mischievous little girl who blocks her mother's attempts to clean house will elicit giggles from the lollipop set." Kirkus Reviews

Posted by Crescent Dragonwagon's Writing, Cooking, & Workshops on Thursday, June 4, 2020

Read Aloud with Crescent

Read Aloud with Crescent

The Washington Post on Crescent’s Lentil Soup Recipe

The Washington Post on Crescent’s Lentil Soup Recipe

Greek Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon, photograph by Tom McCorkle, Washington Post

March Offering

March Offering

Bean By Bean Cookbooks

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 for children:

A NAPPA Gold Winner
NAPPA


"... like a warm luminescent blanket at bedtime... softly lulling." -- New York Times


"(With) weary animals, Dragonwagon offers an “alphabet of ways to sleep,” smoothly working in some alliteration..."
- Publishers Weekly (starred review)


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read aloud with Crescent Dragonwagon

Until Just Moistened

Until Just Moistened

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