Walker Evans' photos speak volumes without any poetry alongside them but Cynthia Rylant did a superb job of complementing the photos with her gritty observations. I bought this book several years ago and have read it numerous times since. Just looking at his brutally honest snapshots of the hard times (supposedly) gone by was worth the books' price but just as you think you've absorbed all the beauty his photographs hold, you look over to read her accompanying poem and your heart aches a little more! This book is beautiful and moving - there are really no other words to describe it! It truly makes one relate to and hurt for the suffering/troubles of the people in the photos. And, one should always keep in mind, just because the photos were taken so long ago doesn't mean there aren't still people in the grip of poverty (& classism, suffering, depression, etc.) just as badly as the people whose images were captured in Evans' photos so many years ago. I've not really done that great a job explaining just how moving this book is but I guarantee you'll find it both gripping and touching and you'll laugh, cry, and get angry. Definitely a classic worth adding to your library!

Though they are simple and black and white, I found the photographs by Walker Evans to be fascinating. Cynthia Rylant's poetry adds depth to the photographs in this interesting look at the Depression era. I recommend this book.

"When I was a boy, I didn't see much of America. My parents were homebodies, so I stayed home. But when I grew up, I knew I was different. I wanted to see America. So I bought a little green Beetle and in it I put a small box of clothes, a small bag of food, and my dog, Tulip. And we left Ohio and went across America. This is what we saw:" Inspired by author, Cynthia Rylant's own cross country trip, Tulip Sees America takes the reader on a marvelous and evocative journey from the farms of Iowa, and the vast skies of Nebraska, through windy Wyoming, the glorious mountains of Colorado, the beautiful and mysterious desert of Nevada, to Oregon, with its towering, rugged cliffs and boundless, blue ocean. Ms Rylant's eloquent and engaging text is poetic and complemented by Lisa Desimini's bold and vibrant landscapes that capture America in all its splendor. Together word and art send imaginations soaring as they take young travelers on a joyous and fascinating adventure. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Tulip Sees America is a quiet little treasure the entire family can share, and a wonderful addition to all home bookshelves.

This is a wonderful children's book with fantastic illustrations drawn by the same artist who has done the covers for many Barbara Kingsolver books. Children will learn about the natural beauty of different states in the US while they follow the adventures of a young man and his dog, Tulip, as they take a cross cross trip. Adults will not get tired of this children's book, as it offers delightful reading and illustrations to children of all ages.

Children are fascinated by this beautifully illustrated picture book about a homeless young girl who discovers a house where birds gather. Cynthia Rylant's beautiful prose makes this an excellent read-aloud.It has been a favorite in our school library, and has led to many interesting discussions and written responses.

Sometimes I struggle to get my daughter (8) to read voluntarily. This series was the first she absolutely loved and couldn't get enough of...her enthusiasm spread to other kids in her class...now we can't wait for the next edition!

All these stories deal with sad, lonely, displaced people and how they find a spot of warmth and happiness on Christmas Eve. Several of them moved me to tears, and although my eight-year-old son claimed some were "boring," each one lead to a long discussion between us. A sick, homeless woman finds shelter in a library; a christmas tree farmer goes out and consoles the trees that haven't been chosen; a boy learns to comfort his bereaved grandfather....these different perspectives on a sometimes sugar-coated holiday remind us to count our blessings.

Through a series of whimsical and beautifully crafted poems about God, Cynthia Rylant creates an endearing, thought provoking and enjoyable book.

These aren't your usual poems about God (as we think we know Him). God gets a dog, God gets cable, God goes to beauty school, God takes a boat ride, eats spaghetti and other random, but fascinating chapters. Just like the Joan Osborne song, this book asks "what if God was one of us?". How would he live and discover new things? It sounds silly, but it's anything but. It's short and sweet and different and everybody should read it.

My only criticism is that it was far too short, especially to buy in hardcover. But it's still a worthwhile read, even if you're not Christian.

Very soon after receiving this book for Christmas, our two-year-old son had memorized it. (The best compliment a kid can give a book!) He asks us to read it to him almost every night, but we've never had to read -- he recites the poems to us, word for word. Jane Dyer's illustrations bring to life the characters in Cynthia Rylant's poems, making the children in the book as real to our son as his friends in the neighborhood.

Deep in the heart of most people who celebrate Christmas lurks the archetypal
holiday, the one depicted nostalgically in Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory," and
Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales."
In the archetype, ritual is important, family and friends are important, snow is
good, and a tangerine in a stocking is enough to inspire oohs and ahs of delight.
"Christmas in the Country" is a worthy addition to the genre.
In it, our pony-tailed heroine lives in the country with Grandma and Grandpa in a
house that is "small and white. It had an old coal stove to keep us warm and a tiny little
kitchen for supper and a nice back porch for the dogs."
In the country, spring is for walks, summer for tomatoes, and fall for apples. In
winter, "The snow slows everything down. Birds are silent and serious. Dogs stay in their
warm houses. Children want cocoa and blankets. Everyone is ready for something really
special."
And - hooray - the something special has nothing to do with the mall or even
Wal-mart. Instead Grandpa will cut the tree in the forest, and the narrator and Grandma
will take the precious old ornaments from the closet that "smells like wool and mothballs."
Diane Goode's illustrations are just right - simple and energetic. Everyone's hair is
windblown at all times, as if country folk have better things to do than spray, mousse or
pin.

I discovered this book at the library when my first daughter was a baby and she loved the rhyming text and colorful, simple pictures. My second daughter is equally charmed by it and we read it daily. The house in the story is so much like ours from the red and pink flowers to the dog and cat in the yard. There is something familiar for most any child to point out such as the cookies in the kitchen which always makes my 1 year old say Mmmm! We love this book!

First spotted this series of books in the library when my newborn was 3 weeks. I was flashing children books at her and these caught her eye. The Everyday Children is the first book I read to her. I went to the book store and ordered all five of the 'Everyday' books. My daughter is now two, and though the books have been nibbled on and colored on, she still wants me to read them to her every day. It is amazing to see, as she grows older, how she continues to find familiar and new items in the books each time we read them. Have your child spot the worm on every page of "The Everyday Garden," somehow it never grows old.