149 pages Copyright 1943
Viking A Division of Penguin Books
New York, NY
This was my second reading of Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. The first time was when my mother read the book to my siblings and I as children, but it was so long ago I didn't remember much of the story. So when I came upon it in the children's section of the local library I decided to check it out and re-read it.
The Plot:
"Homer Price lives two miles out of Centerburg, where Route 56 meets 56A, but most of his friends and relatives live in town. They include Aunt Aggy and Uncle Ulysses, the Sheriff and the boys, Miss Terwilliger, Miss Naomi Enders, great-great-great granddaughter of Ezekiel Enders who founded Centerburg and who owned the precious formula for making Cough Syrup and Elixir of Life Compound. While Centerburg is not exactly nosey, precious little happens that the good citizens do not know..." (Summary courtesy of the publisher)
My Thoughts and Summary:
I really enjoyed re-reading Homer Price, but then I've been a fan of McCloskey for as long as I can remember. As a little child, before I could read, I remember my parents reading to me other McCloskey books (Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal). There is something charming and timelessly classic about his books. Part of it has to do with the delightfully simplistic, yet detailed pen and ink illustrations. And then in the case of Homer Price it also has to do with McCloskey's writing style. The tales included in Homer Price wonderfully depict small-town life in the Midwest during the 1940s with all its quirkiness and charm.
My Summary:
Homer Price makes for an excellent read for new readers, or as a read-aloud for young children. On a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate Homer Price a 5. It's a timeless classic that I'm glad has survived the decades and is still easily accessible. I'm planning to purchase a copy for my daughter's personal library and look forward to sharing it with her when she's a little older.
3 comments:
My dh read this to my son last year as a bedtime book, he was 8 at the time and he loved it. I love McCloskey too! Homer and Lentil are my two favourites.
I'm currently looking for a pb edition that has Homer with a statue of the Greek Homer on one of the first pages. For some reason, that illustration is not included very often in many printings. My copy now is a newer one without the illustration. Your copy looks like it's one with that illustration, right?
I haven't heard of this book before. I will have to keep it in mind for my boys.
Another similar book I remember my mom reading to us as kids is The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth.
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