A young girl discovers that her impoverished family is rich in things that matter in life, especially being outdoors and experiencing nature.
Mountain Girl knows her family doesn't have enough money. But as the family sits around their scratched-up kitchen table and discusses the subject, her parents say they're rich. Don't her parents see her worn-out shoes or the patches on her little brother's pants?
They begin to count up the value of the things they have. How much is it worth to be able to see the sky all day and feel the wind and smell the coming rain? Or to watch a cactus bloom or to sleep outside under the stars? After a while, Mountain Girl begins to realize money may not be as important as she thought. Could her family really be rich after all?
A young girl discovers that her impoverished family is rich in things that matter in life, especially being outdoors and experiencing nature.
Mountain Girl knows her family doesn't have enough money. But as the family sits around their scratched-up kitchen table and discusses the subject, her parents say they're rich. Don't her parents see her worn-out shoes or the patches on her little brother's pants?
They begin to count up the value of the things they have. How much is it worth to be able to see the sky all day and feel the wind and smell the coming rain? Or to watch a cactus bloom or to sleep outside under the stars? After a while, Mountain Girl begins to realize money may not be as important as she thought. Could her family really be rich after all?
Byrd Baylor lives and writes in Arizona, presenting images of the Southwest and an intense connection between the land and the people. Her prose illustrates vividly the value of simplicity, the natural world, and the balance of life within it.
Gr 3-5-A simple, philosophical, thought-provoking piece. Mountain Girl (nicknamed for her place of birth) would like her parents to earn more money so they could have nicer things. At a family meeting around their ``...old, scratched-up, homemade kitchen table,'' her parents, who work outdoors for a living, convince her and her younger brother that the enjoyment of their natural surroundings and the richness of one another's company are worth a fortune. The girl's first-person account has the feel of a diary. Parnall's familiar, stylized line drawings, colored here with hues of ochre, turquoise, and apple green, provide a dreamlike accompaniment to Baylor's words of wisdom. A devotee of nature, the author reminds readers that, despite the fact that many people may not choose this free-spirited, nonmaterialistic lifestyle, an occasional pause to reflect on personal values is a worthwhile effort. A sound piece of advice.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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