Looking for Diamonds - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Splendid, realistic watercolors intensify this cozy, loving tale of a young girl's visit to her grandparents' farm, where she takes pleasure in the roaring fire; sleeping with her grandmother in the softest bed in the world; and, obviously, basking in the couple's company. After a country breakfast, Amy and Grandaddy go looking for diamonds, as they always do?dew, frost, or rain diamonds, depending on the season. The nature walk that follows is evocative of early summer mornings?quiet, calm, and companionable. The dazzling paintings present a time (circa 1940) when life was more leisurely. Throughout the book, refracted light creates diamonds?from windows, through trees, in the fire?and wildflowers are profuse. A fairyland of memory.?Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 6^-8. Like many contemporary picture books, Seabrooke's is a nostalgic one. Set in the rural South of an earlier era, it tells of a young girl's visit with her grandparents. The lyrical text begins with a late-night talk in front of the fireplace, followed by sleep in an old iron bed and a large country breakfast. The story becomes more exciting when Amy, accompanied by Grandaddy, searches the countryside for diamonds, "that special moment when the sun caught fire in a drop of water and glittered with color." After some disappointing results, Amy gets a surprise she hadn't bargained for. Although some of the figures in the double-page watercolor spreads are awkward, the luminous landscapes in the hues of spring flowers are lovely. Julie Corsaro