A colleague asked me today for a book that would help her explain the Pennsylvania Dutch hex to her students. That has proved to be a difficult task. No picture book on that specific topic exists. Some adult books look helpful (none of which are in our library collection, of course). I read through books about Pennsylvania, looked at art books, quilt books, history books. Nothing had what I needed.
Never have I had this happen! Somehow one book leads to another thought and takes me to a resource that will help the teacher. This time I might have to give her Katherine Milhous's Caldecott Medal book The Egg Tree to show a similar kind of artwork. I will suggest Jane Yolen's Raising Yoder's Barn and Sarah Stewart's The Journey to provide glimpses into the culture.
I think you've pointed out a niche that needs filling!
ReplyDeleteI love THE EGG TREE. It may have been one of the reasons that I took a Ukranian egg decorating class as a teenager. Once in awhile I still get out my kitscka for some fancy egg decorating!