Dandelions

My kids (4th grade down to pre-k) and I love this book! The illustrations are gorgeous and it is a good look at a pioneer's life beyond the adventure standpoint. It does an incredible job of recognizing the effect isolation could have on pioneer women, and the grand effect small acts of thoughtful kindness can have. My kids are fascinated by pretty much any pioneer story and I really appreciated the opportunity this book gave us to discuss the fact that moving so far away from where you were born during the 1800s was not a common thing. It was especially hard on women, who by virtue of their role in the home, weren't able to travel to distant neighbors for socialization very often. It definitely gave my kids food for thought.

I love Little House on the Prairie and I did as a child as well. I feel the pull of Pa's charisma as much as anyone. But now that I am a mother of small children, struggling in a hard world, I know for a fact that Ma was suffering. My mother lived as close to that sort of life as modern women ever come and, although I loved my childhood in a back-to-the-land family, my mother paid the price. Women simply got it hard. The reviewer who said "Mom, is a drag" or some such, simply is clueless about real life for people who don't have everything. I plan on working this in with my reading of the Little House books to my kids. Ma deserves to be recognized for her struggles, as do all the other women in similar situations.

Wonderful picture book for 4th-5th grade historical fiction readers. Illustrations are beautiful, too.

The story is so sweet, and realistic. Has me looking at my lawn's crop of dandelions just a bit differently too. I appreciate that it's not all 'Westward Ho & we're all happy pioneers.' Showing the morher's mixed feelings, including loneliness, and doesn't discount nor dismiss them.Instead they're acknowledged and part of the older child taking the time to be thoughtful and working to find a way to share hope and beauty with her mother.

Good quality book, nice artwork. Was a little too mature for the kids we bought it for, but we'll be able to use it later.

Reminiscent of Little House stories - a good read!

Good book. We use this in our "Movement of People" unit at school.

This is a good book for teaching about making transitions. It shows a family making a big change and how different family each member adjust at a different pace.

I am a Laura Ingalls fan, so ,everything that remembers her interests me. The story is simple, no emotions. The pictures, illustrations, dont have faces, it seems that the artist didnt finish his work. So, it is a nice book. Just it.