Applesauce Weather
by Helen Frost (Author) Amy June Bates (Illustrator)
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Kirkus
Young and old bridge the generational gap to find comfort amid loss.
With this slim offering, Frost returns to the novel in poems, though for a younger audience than the recent Salt (2014). Working with Bates, Frost presents middle-grade readers with white siblings Faith and Peter, who find themselves a bit lost, wondering if beloved Uncle Arthur, a gifted storyteller and trickster, will make the annual trek to visit them for the first apple harvest following his wife’s passing: “A smell in the air—if Lucy were here, / she’d breathe it deep. She’d smile wide. / That’s all it would take—we’d be on our way: / Applesauce weather, she’d say.” Aptly named Faith finds her hopes rewarded when, on the first apple’s dropping, Uncle Arthur shows up despite her mother’s and brother’s doubts and Arthur’s own hesitancy to return to a source of a lifetime of memories with Lucy. Throughout the tale, Bates’ evocative oil-based pencil drawings build on the intimacy of Frost’s narrative, deftly adding motion, whether it be in Faith’s wind-swept hair or Peter hanging upside down from a tree. Frost’s compact first-person poems shift in perspective from character to character, revealing the inner thoughts and feelings of each while simultaneously propelling the narrative and allowing for concise but realistic character development.
Light yet poignant, this multigenerational family tale shows age proves no barrier when it comes to offering solace. (Verse/fiction. 8-12)
School Library Journal
Gr 3-5--The fall of the first apple from the tree is the signal to Faith and Peter that it is applesauce weather and their aunt Lucy and uncle Arthur are on their way. But Peter and Faith aren't sure if Uncle Arthur will make it this year, as it is the first without his beloved Lucy. When Uncle Arthur finally arrives, he is not quite himself. He has lost the twinkle in his eye, and he is not energetically spinning yarns as he usually does. Faith and Peter are patient and slowly bring Uncle Arthur back to himself. They are hopeful that this will be the year he finally tells them truthfully how he lost his finger. This sweet story is told in verse through short, alternating chapters. Readers learn about Faith, Peter, and Uncle Arthur's perspectives and personalities through individual narrative poems. The book is divided into eight parts, each preceded by short poems entitled "Lucy's Song," through which readers are also introduced to Lucy and Arthur's life story from Aunt Lucy's point of view. The illustrations are charming and bring the setting to vivid life. VERDICT This quick, charming read is suited for those newly introduced to poetry or coping with a loss.--Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Frost, the gifted poet who wrote The Braid (2006), Crossing Stones (2009), and Salt (2013), offers a new verse novel for younger readers...Written with simplicity and grace, the story is told in three distinctive voices—or four, counting the seven interspersed verses of "Lucy's Song." From the light, airy lattice motif that opens each chapter to the well-defined character portrayals throughout the book, beautiful shaded pencil drawings enhance the story. Fresh, sweet, and crisp, this novel has a magic all its own.
—Booklist (starred review) Frost's poetry—both free verse and rhyming—is warm and specific, as crisp as the crunch of a ripe apple. Romance, grief, and growing up are also expressed through the various characters' narratives and provide pauses for reflection without disrupting the flow. The frequent mono- chromatic illustrations are sketchy and vigorous yet structured, and they add cozy charm and texture to the story. Folks looking for poetic narratives or rich family drama for the middle-grade set will find this book to be in apple-pie order.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review) The illustrations are charming and bring the setting to vivid life. This quick, charming read is suited for those newly introduced to poetry or coping with a loss.
—School Library Journal This book is a short, charming novel written in verse...The delightful pencil drawings are perfectly suited to setting the tone of the story and help bring the engaging characters to life. This would be a welcome addition to the novel-in-verse collection of any library.
—School Library Connection Helen Frost, winner of a Printz Honor for her verse novel Keesha's House (2003), pens verses that resonate with emotion and rhythm. Amy June Bates's black-and-white oil-based pencil illustrations bring this heartwarming tale to life.
—Literacy Daily [C]lassics from Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden to Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia have shown kids finding everyday magic in the natural world as they grapple with death. Helen Frost calls to mind that timeless milieu with Applesauce Weather, a novel in verse (with charming illustrations by Amy June Bates) that explores the common ground children and adults can find in the wake of loss...an appealing resource for grieving kids and parents alike.
—Time Magazine Frost, a brilliant poet, whittles words the way Arthur does bits of wood, creating beauty that's solid and true. Pencil illustrations add to the charm.
—Plain Dealer ...all the story's threads weave together nicely, buoyed by satisfying character development.
—Kirkus Reviews (blog)
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
Families
Nature
Uncles
Novels in verse
Grief
Nature stories
Apples
Applesauce
