Kerry Madden-Lunsford & Emily Sutton
Flap Copy Description:
An empowering picture book set in the 1940s about a determined five-year-old girl who embarks on a journey to deliver milk to her neighbors in the holler.
Every morning, Ernestine shouts out her window to the Great Smoky Mountains, "I'm five years old and a big girl!" When Mama asks Ernestine--who helps with chores around the farm while Papa is away at war--to carry two mason jars filled with milk to their neighbor, Ernestine isn't sure she can do it. After all, she'd need to walk through thickets of crabapple and blackberry by the creek, not to mention past vines of climbing bittersweet. But Ernestine is five years old and a big girl, so off she sets. Along the way, one mason jar slips from her arms and rolls down the mountainside into the river, and Ernestine is sure it's lost forever . . . until her neighbor's son shows up with a muddy jar--and there's a surprise inside! With tons of flavor and a can-do spirit, here is a celebration of American history and a plucky girl who knows that helping a family in need is worth the trouble.
My Thoughts:
Kerry Madden-Lunsford set this lovely picture book in the 1940s - during World War II. While the young protagonist's father is away at the war, Ernestine helps her mother on their little farm beneath the Great Smoky Mountains. I found the enchanting look into American history that this special book offers to be so powerful. Allowing today's young readers a chance to look back at how children lived long ago is a much-needed message: A strong, yet subtle, reminder to be grateful. Introducing history to young readers in this fashion is fantastic. I highly recommend Ernestine's Milky Way to readers aged three to seven!
Click here to learn about the author, Kelly Madden-Lunsford.
