A Long Road on a Short Day

September 1, 2020
Grades 2-4 What makes a fair trade? Samuel learns that an item's value depends on what others are willing to give for it. Depictions of homes and clothing place the story perhaps in the late 1800s, as Samuel's mother wishes for a milking cow to help feed the new baby. Walking with his father ahead of an oncoming snowstorm, Samuel watches him make a series of swaps, starting with a knife, to finally acquire a cow. The boy is rewarded for his patience when the final trade includes a border collie puppy for him. As the snow falls in earnest, father and son arrive home. For a book set mostly outdoors on a cold day, remarkable warmth flows from every page as the father quietly teaches his son about thoughtfulness and regard for others. Each neighbor has a different need, and the father exhibits concern and care for them all. The format of the book, 33 pages with 12 short chapters and full-color illustrations, makes for an easy family read-aloud or a bridge for transitional readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

September 28, 2020
Samuel’s mother wishes one winter morning for “a brown-eyed cow to give us milk for the baby.” A man of action, Samuel’s father takes his good knife off the mantelpiece and sets out to trade. “It’s a long road on a short day,” he tells Samuel, urging him to keep up—they know the winter sun will set soon. In a series of neighborly negotiations, the knife is exchanged for a pair of tin lanterns, the lanterns for a book of poetry, the poetry for a fine pitcher, and so on, until Samuel and his father return with the treasure they sought. Early American scenes by Yelchin (Spy Runner) capture driving snow, rural scenery, and the many farm animals Samuel encounters. In short, vivid chapters, Schmidt (Pay Attention, Carter Jones) and his late wife, Stickney, show Samuel’s father’s canny judgment (he knows just who might like the book of poetry) while paying attention to Samuel’s inner life, too. He longs for a pet of his own: he “wished again, just a little bit, it wasn’t a brown-eyed cow his mother was wanting.” Underpinning this deliberately paced story with an old-fashioned feel is the relationship between Samuel and his strong, reliable father, whose pride in his son is quiet but evident. Ages 8–12. Authors’ agent: Rick Margolis, Rising Bear Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

July 1, 2020
When Samuel's mother expresses an ardent wish for "a brown-eyed cow to give us milk for the baby," Samuel and his father pack a couple of apples and their best Barlow knife to trade and set out down the road as the cold January clouds gather. At each stop, the boy, who loves animals and longs for a pet, wishes, "just a little bit, it wasn't a brown-eyed cow his mother was wanting." As they swap the Barlow knife first for two tin lanterns and then, successively, briefly come into the possession of a book of poetry, a blue-and-white pitcher, a lamb, and a pony and cart, the daylight begins to wane and the snow begins to fall in earnest. Along the way, readers are privy to the warm interactions between father and son as well as their easy rapport with their neighbors. The narrative is spare and engaging with a folktale-like tone and storyteller's flair for repeated phrasing. Yelchin's lively full-color paintings are full of motion and realistic natural detail. The period and the setting are not specified; rather, this is a bit of timeless rural Americana. The circular journey is a successful one, and Samuel proves his mettle as a companion and helper -- and has earned his heart's desire.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2020
When Samuel's mother expresses an ardent wish for "a brown-eyed cow to give us milk for the baby," Samuel and his father pack a couple of apples and their best Barlow knife to trade and set out down the road as the cold January clouds gather. At each stop, the boy, who loves animals and longs for a pet, wishes, "just a little bit, it wasn't a brown-eyed cow his mother was wanting." As they swap the Barlow knife first for two tin lanterns and then, successively, briefly come into the possession of a book of poetry, a blue-and-white pitcher, a lamb, and a pony and cart, the daylight begins to wane and the snow begins to fall in earnest. Along the way, readers are privy to the warm interactions between father and son as well as their easy rapport with their neighbors. The narrative is spare and engaging with a folktale-like tone and storyteller's flair for repeated phrasing. Yelchin's lively full-color paintings are full of motion and realistic natural detail. The period and the setting are not specified; rather, this is a bit of timeless rural Americana. The circular journey is a successful one, and Samuel proves his mettle as a companion and helper -- and has earned his heart's desire. Luann Toth

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 1, 2020
A boy and his father embark on a special mission. When Samuel's mother wishes for "a brown-eyed cow to give us milk for the baby," Papa takes his best knife and invites Samuel to join him on a search for a cow. Leaving their farm early on a white January morning, Papa reminds Samuel to "keep up" because "it's a long road and a short day," a refrain he repeats throughout their journey. At neighbor Snow's house, Papa trades his knife for two tin lanterns. At the Perrys' house, he trades the lanterns for a book of poetry. He trades the book for a pitcher at Widow Mitchell's, and the pitcher for a sheep when they encounter Dr. Fulton. This pattern continues as Papa trades the sheep for a gold pocket watch and the watch for a pony and cart that Samuel would dearly love to keep. Daylight is fading, snow is collecting, Samuel's cold, and he has kept up with Papa, but will Papa trade the pony and cart for a cow? As the snow intensifies and the serial trading progresses, the momentum and suspense build gradually until father and son reach journey's end, where Samuel receives a well-deserved reward. Full-page, realistic color illustrations introduce each chapter, tracing their journey from beginning to end in a snowy, rural, largely unmechanized environment evoking a simpler time and place. Quiet, gentle, satisfying tale of father-son bonding. (Fiction. 8-10)

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