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Reviewed by:
  • Applesauce Weather by Helen Frost
  • Jeannette Hulick
Frost, Helen Applesauce Weather; illus. by Amy June Bates. Candlewick, 2016 [112p]
ISBN 978-0-7636-7576-9 $14.99
Reviewed from galleys R* Gr. 2-4

The first fallen apple of the season heralds the beginning of “applesauce weather” and Uncle Arthur’s usual visit to Faith and Peter’s family. However, the passing of Aunt Lucy (the family’s applesauce maker) could mean the family’s best storyteller will not be up to spinning his usual entertaining yarns. No worries, though, as he comes up with the finest version yet of his perennial story of how he lost part of one finger: missing-fingered peddler gives him a pocketknife with instructions to sleep with it open under his pillow: “When I woke up/ the next morning—would you believe it?/ My finger looked/ like it looks today.” When Faith wonders about the truth of the tale, Uncle Arthur encourages her to come up with her own explanation for what really happened, thus sparking the beginnings of a new family storyteller. Young Faith’s voice alternates with those of older brother Peter and Uncle Arthur; the late Aunt Lucy’s voice is included as well, in a song that stitches together the eight short parts, or chapters, of the book. 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 [End Page 23] and provide pauses for reflection without disrupting the flow. The frequent monochromatic 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.

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