The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Hopkinson, Deborah

Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) across the Plains

40 pp. | Atheneum/Schwartz | September, 2004 | Trade ISBN 0-689-84769-6 $15.95

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Dogged dad focuses on precious nursery stock, overlooking his own neglected children; nevertheless, they help get his trees though various emergencies en route from Iowa to Oregon. This deliberately exaggerated rendition of a true event falls between stools, its implausibilities stretching credibility without achieving tall tale humor. Still, both art and narration are perky enough to spark interest in the real story.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long