Synopsis
As Little Clara grows up, she leaves her familiar world for more distant places in search of something that will make her spirit dance.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-A philosophical picture book about the discovery of one's journey in life. As a tiny child, Clara's imagination beckons her to explore. When she is old enough, she assists her father by rowing his ferry across the lake, but she longs to go beyond this point. So, through the long winter evenings, she and her friend Miriam each make a tiny coracle, a woven willow boat. In the spring, they venture down the river to discover what lies further on. Eventually, they arrive at a town where Miriam decides to settle down and work with a basket weaver, but Clara travels on. She meets a fellow traveler who offers advice. "You may choose to be a traveller, or you may choose to settle down," he says, "for your life itself is the journey." Soft, luminous paintings, rich in greens and blues, depict life in rural England in the mid-1800s. This gentle story will work well for one-on-one sharing.-Karen Land, Greenport Public School, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.