Children Accepting Step-Parents - Dealing With the Loss of a Parent
Written: Dec 08 '07
Product Rating:
Pros: sweet simple story of a girl dealing with a changing family
Cons: deals with the death of a parent and may be troubling to sensitive children
The Bottom Line: A wonderful way to explore one of the many forms that the modern family can take. Additionally, the story is engaging and entertaining in its own right.
jiastar's Full Review: Eve Bunting - The Memory String
"One of my greatest joys is writing picture books. I have discovered the pleasures of telling a story of happiness or sorrow in a few simple words. I like to write picture books that make young people ponder, that encourage them to ask questions. 'Why did that happen, Mom? Could it happen again? Can't we help? What can we do?' One child wrote to tell me that one of my books had won the Heal the World award at her school. It is among the most cherished honors I have ever received and the plaque hangs proudly above my desk."
-- Eve Bunting
found on kidsreads.com
The past 11 months have found me back in college in pursuit of a college degree. As my goal is to be a teacher I have spent time in the Fall '07 semester spending time observing a 4th grade classroom. When I have the gift of downtime I peruse the classroom's bookshelf to find books that my household has yet to discover.
This book attracted me originally because of it's title (which made me think of the button string alluded to in one of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder) and it's bright colorful cover-art.
The story focuses on a young girl named Laura. Her mother has died and her father has remarried. One of the ways that Laura holds on to the memory of her mother is via a treasured button string that was left to her. Each button on the string is from a special item of clothing from someone in her family. These include Laura's christening gown, her father's military uniform, as well as those belonging to other family members such as her grandmother and great-aunt. But Laura's favorites are those that belonged to her mother and which came from such clothing as her mother's wedding dress, a prom dress, and the nightgown she was wearing when she died.
However, the button-string while interesting is only a vehicle for the real action. Laura's cat Whiskers winds up breaking the string and scattering the buttons. As a result of this we see the many levels of emotions that both Laura and her step-mom Jane have for one another. We witness the grief that Laura still feels over the loss of her mother.
As the story continues there are several problems to resolve. Will Laura find all of the lost buttons? Will she ever accept her new step-mother Jane?
The illustrations truly enhance the story and range from full page to small accents in size. The are vividly colored and show a lot of play of shadow and light.
The story is sweet and touching and is sure to be one that children with step-parents, whether as a result of death or divorce, can relate to. Additionally it serves to be a wonderful example for teachers and parents alike of one of many forms that families take in today's modern society.
Furthermore, the idea of a memory string is not only a reminder of a simpler time when the non-literate made use of similar techniques to remember family stories but serves as inspiration for children to do something similar themselves.
It is a worthwhile addition to any children's bookshelf.
________________
Eve Bunting, who has also previously worked under the pseudonyms of A E Bunting and Evelyn Bolton, has has her works published since the mid 1980s. She has over 200 books to her credit which are targeted predominately toward young children and middle-schoolers.
Ted Rand passed away in 2005 and left behind a legacy of over 70 books that he illustrated.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.