I truly wish that Sharon Hart Addy's "Right Here on This Spot" had reached a wider audience, as it deserves greater attention. Addy takes the intriguing question of "What happened right here on this spot--last week, last year, a million years ago?" and turns it into a meditation on change, time, loss, and more. She goes from pre-human history to native Americans hunting to pioneers to Civil War soldiers, all planting them firmly in the exact same spot, living their lives out, leaving their fragments of history for future generations to find.

Addy's tale is more than matched by the breathtaking illustrations of artist John Clapp. Clapp, who teaches illustration at San Jose State University, has done a superlative job of giving larger life to the text without overpowering it. His illustrations are not only incredibly realistic and beautiful, but they transcend their medium by having an almost emotive quality. You almost hold your breath to see the Civil War soldier waving goodbye from a field.

I can't recommend "Right Here on This Spot" highly enough, and hope that reading this review will spur more readers to purchase it. It will become a much-loved favorite in your family, too.

This award winning look at the past, winner of the Archer/Eckbald Children's Picture Book Award, is a touching look at the history of place. It was recently selected for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Literature by the Children's Book Award Committee of the Wisconsin Library Association.