Emily

A lovingly written picture book tribute to Emily Dickinson. Bedard's prose imagery is like poetry: "We were still new to the house the day the letter dropped through the slot. I heard it whisper to the floor and ran to pick it up. I peeked through the narrow window in the door. There was no one there but winter, all in white." The white of winter alludes, I think, to Emily's habit of wearing only white clothing. On the same page, Bedard pays tribute to one of Emily's poems, "I'm Nobody" when the Mother in the story receives a letter. Her little girl asks who its from and she replies, "Nobody, dear." Further along, the father in the story sings to his daughter before bed, and Bedard's words flow like Emily's poetry: "Like flakes of show more flowers the words fell to the sheets. I listened to them fall and fell asleep." The little girl asks her father what poetry is. He replies: "Listen to Mother play. She practices and practices a piece, and sometimes magic happens and it seems the music starts to breathe. It sends a shiver through you. You can't explain it, really; it's a mystery. Well, when words do that, we call it poetry." What a perfect explanation! In the story, Emily writes a poem for the child in exchange for the child's gift of flower bulbs. show less

What if your neighbor were the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson? And what if one day she sent a letter inviting your mother to pay her a visit? A little girl who lives across the street from the mysterious Emily gets a chance to meet the poet when her mother goes to play the piano for her. There, the girl sneaks a gift up to Emily, who listens from the landing, and in return, Emily gives the girl a precious gift of her own--the gift of poetry.

A lovely illustrated book of a tale regarding a little girl who lives in the neighborhood of Emily Dickinson. In this fictionalize story, the young girl's mother plays piano for Emily and enters her house in order to play for her. In real life, Emily Dickinson led a very secluded life, but in this story, the little girl accompanies her mother and visits Emily.

In real life, Emily Dickinson did like children, but did not allow them in her home. Rather, she placed treats in a wooded bucked and led the rope down to the children.

I've recently discovered the artistry of Barbara Cooney and will be sure to read many, if not all, of her illustrated books.

A picture book through the eyes of a little girl who's neighbors with Emily Dickinson during the period of her life when she lived in isolation. At first, she's quite intimated by her but grows to form a friendship with her and receives little bits of poetry.

This title tells a little of the history of Emily Dickinson from the perspective of a little girl who moves into the house across the street from her. Emily is known as "The Myth" to the people around town - she's reclusive and antisocial. However, she invites the little girl's mother to play piano for her; the little girl comes along to Emily's house and meets her.

This book does go off into some fanciful, poetic language while attempting to describe poetry. The father of the little girl compares music to poetry fairly abstractly - it definitely won't work for a primary crowd. I mean, the language is lovely, it's just too abstract for the intended audience, I think. This story would best work with an intermediate level group who're show more learning about poetry and/or Emily Dickinson.

The really amazing thing about the book is the illustrations. Just absolutely beautiful. The detail of Emily's house, the snowy scenes, the image of lonely Emily sitting on the stairs ... really breathtaking. show less

This is an imagined story of a little girl's contact with Emily Dickinson. The illustrations are beautiful. The writing is very poetic and could be used as a mentor text in the classroom; "Mother wore her new silk dress, the one that whispered when she walked. the dress I wore was white, like the disappearing snow. . . . The road was full of mud and mirrors where the sky peeked at itself." Lovely.

33 months - a fictional account of a little girls encounter with Emily Dickenson although to be honest it could be any reclusive person as there is no real information to be gained about the poet. Still a beautiful story and as always wonderful illustrations by Barbara Cooney.

A couple weeks after returning this book to the library I found a copy at the thrift store and had to have it.