What You Know First (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback))

This book brought me to tears in the middle of a bookstore. I bought copies for each of my children. They are all grown and I believe this will speak to them. It is beautifully done and is now part of my permanent library.

I bought this for my niece when my father was selling our childhood home. And then I had to buy her another copy since I couldn't bear to part with it. Gorgeous drawings, spare words, and wonderful sentiment.

I love the simplicity of her writing. The way she develops her characters that makes me care about them. I would recommend her books to anyone.

The book is great, but the seller wasn't truthful. I bought this as a new book, but it wasn't new. It was clearly worn and had someone's name written in the book. I paid for a new book, but ended up receiving a used one.

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I was highly recommended this book and I couldn't be more disappointed. I expected a sweet goodbye to a beloved home, reliving fun memories of time spent there, helping the child emotionally deal with leaving that place. Instead, the illustrations are dark, serious, melancholy, ominous - like something bad is going to happen any minute. The people are frowning, the whole mood is very sad and depressing. If that was my home, I'd be running as fast as I could to get anywhere else. The prose is nice, but not for a young child. My 5yr old was frowning and confused through the whole book and afterward said he did not like it and didn't want to read it again. I agree. This book is for an adult who likes artistic esoteric children's books.

In this picture book, illustrated with engravings by Barry Moser, a young girl whose family is moving from their prairie home to another place, realizes that she is leaving, possibly forever, the place she "knew first." She is leaving the sights, the sounds, the smells, the memories of her life as it has been. Even though her father assures her that "what you know first stays with you," the girl is afraid she might forget. And so, just as the author did in real life, the girl in the book takes with her a twig of the cottonwood tree and a bag of the prairie dirt -- so that they will always remind her of her earliest memories. A touching story.

"What You Know First" by Patricia MacLachlan and Barry Moser is one of those books that parents will enjoy reading to children just as much, if not more, than the children enjoy hearing it read to them.This story flows peacefully along, even though it is about the sad event of moving from the only home one has ever known. All of MacLachlan's books have that lyrical prose that makes one feel calm and at peace. The illustrations, done in engravings, are all black and white and yet evoke the colors of the prairie and the homestead when coupled with the text. of this review:[...] Read more

I cry every time I read this lovely story of uprooting a family. I own a copy and have also gifted it to families who have experienced similar circumstances. Beautiful in every way. If you're considering buying but hesitant ... don't be. It will quickly enter into your most-treasured collection.

Good picture for books for elementary level

Very rapid, great state, well packed. It arrived in four days. New or almost new. No damages. I really recommand.