School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This rhyming story has been translated from von Olfers's Etwas von den Wurzelkindern, originally published in Germany in 1906. As spring draws near, Mother Earth awakens her children to help welcome the impending season with "chores" such as sewing bright clothing and painting beetles in glowing hues. When the weather warms, the miniature children emerge from their underground home to celebrate ("Beside the brook/Those earthly tots/Skip among/Forget-me-nots"). When fall arrives, they return to Mother Earth to begin their winter slumber and wait for next year. The text is illustrated with panels of a handmade quilt, which is presented in its entirety at the back of the book, along with notes about the author and illustrator. The colors and workmanship of the quilt are exquisite. It has been photographed to show the minute details of each section, and individual stitches can be seen with great clarity. The graceful characters have delicately embroidered features and the natural setting is depicted with vitality and warmth. The whimsical tone of the artwork matches the simple story quite well. With one-of-a-kind illustrations, this is an eye-catching choice for one-on-one sharing or reading aloud to small groups.-G. Alyssa Parkinson, Highland Township Library, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.