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At first I thought this book would be very long and uninteresting, but after reading it, I loved it! What I liked most about the book was the character development. Ernestine was hesitant to engage in the southern farm life, but throughout the book, she grew excited about wearing the overalls, riding the goat, and was okay with getting bug bites. In addition, her cousin, Jack, developed from a mean boy making fun of Ernestine for being from the city to being friends with her and naming his goat a “citified name.” I also really enjoyed the language in the book. This text introduced a southern dialect of English that many children who live in the north, may not ever hear. Ernestine’s aunt calls her “chile” every time she speaks show more to her and the uncle asked her if “the train ride was to [her] liking.” These words and phrases introduce a new culture to children and provide a new perspective to a different part of our country. Finally, I enjoyed the colorful, watercolor illustrations throughout the book. The bright colors set the scene well and portrayed a warm and sunny North Carolina town. show less

This is a story about a city girl who travels into the country to meet her mother's family. She finds out quickly that country life is much different than city life. But as she learns about where her mother came from, she finds out that the city girl in her also loves the country.

Jerry Pinkney's detailed illustrations add a great deal of description and interest to Gloria Jean Pinkney's story of a city girl who goes to visit her extended family's farm in her rural hometown. The story conveys a great message of the bond of family, no matter how different they may seem. The beautifully detailed watercolor illustrations go beyond the text to add even more depth and description to the story. The soft lines and colors give the story a warm and pleasant feel, the attention to details adds to the readers' understanding of the setting and meaning, and the illustrations of the family's facial expressions show their love for each other. Gloria Jean Pinkey and Jerry Pinkney's text and illustrations work great together in show more this book. show less

This is the story of a little girl named Ernestine who is from a city in North Caroline who goes and visits some of her mothers family members in the country. After a few experiences in the country Ernestine starts to feel at home during her visit. She feels so comfortable with being in the country that she decides that she will be back to visit next year.

Ernestine takes a train trip to the country to her uncle,aunt,and cousin. She is a city girl learning to appreciate the country. She finds out she was born there and learns to love.

For grades k-3. Illustrations drawn with pastals. Great for a history lesson. Eight-year-old Ernestine returns to visit relatives on the North Carolina farm where she was born.