"And later a man built a stone castle.
After a while it fell down and
an oak tree grew among its
ruins, and a baby bird flew out
of its nest for the first time."
I have read this thoughtful new book three times over the past few days. Each time I read it, I like it more. What an inventive premise for a book about the history of a hill through the ages! It is on this hill where today girls use it to take off their shoes. What about before today?
Well, we are told (and shown) that at one time a dinosaur stood on said hill and watched a falling star. Each ongoing turn of the page shows other events that happened from one age to another. A herd of bison died there under all the snow of the Ice Age. A man built a stone castle that eventually fell into ruin, and the hill became home to a tall oak tree that gave shelter to a nest full of birds.
"All this happened here ...
on this small hill. And on that
stone which was once part of
that castle, where now the girls
sit to watch the sun go down ... "
Have you ever stopped to consider one small part of your community, or spot in nature nearby, and its long history? I know that I never have. All that happening in one small place over many ages ... and we are only able to see the here and now. It's pretty amazing, isn't it?
I honor books that ask readers to think deeply and talk about such things. It is an illustrated book sure to appeal to a somewhat older audience, and surely open to discussion and consideration of the passing of time.
Text is simple and telling. Time passes in collage art created by Linda Wolfsgruber in varied hues that show the people through the ages who made a place for themselves there. The hill never changes; what happens there certainly does. I think it will make young readers think about the history in their own communities.
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