School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A new parson has come to the Dogwood All-Faiths Tabernacle, and the congregation is so pleased that they decide to have a "pounding"-"-everyone takes a pound o' this and a pound o' that to help make Brother Harper feel at home." Jory Timmons wants to bring a present, but he's too little to make a pie, milk a cow, gather eggs, or contribute any of the gifts others are bringing. Like Cynthia Rylant's When I Was Young in the Mountains (Dutton, 1982) and Libba Moore Gray's My Mama Had a Dancing Heart (Orchard, 1996), this title captures the warmth of an Appalachian community, and Johnson's convivial paintings make both the setting and the characters shine. What could have been an often-told story of the search for the perfect present is instead a welcome slice of life.-Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
To welcome the new preacher, members of Jory's family assemble a blackberry pie, a pail of milk, a sack of feed corn, and a basket of eggs. Jory wants to contribute but feels that he's too small to do so until Grandpa shows him a gift that he can give from the heart: a bag of skipping stones. The story has a satisfying arc, and its rural Southern flavor and warm, placid illustrations give it a down-to-earth sensibility. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A genuinely warm-hearted story of gift-giving that has a nice, traditional feel about it. The scene is Dogwood, somewhere in the rolling hills of the American South, and there is a new parson at the All-Faith Tabernacle. The townsfolk were "mighty pleased to have him, so right away they decided to have a pounding." This might alarm some readers, but they soon learn that a "pounding" has nothing to do with beating the parson to jelly; a pounding is "when everyone takes a pound o' this and a pound o' that to help make Brother Harper feel at home." Mama is making a blackberry pie, because it's a treat, and Papa is gladly bringing a bucket of fresh milk. Young Jory wants to bring something, too, something like his brother's useful sack of corn or Granny's basket of eggs, of which she is justly proud, but Jory is too little to put together a pounding like those. Grandpa's giving an apple sapling--a gift he'd like to get himself--which ultimately inspires Jory to give the parson a nice bag of rocks, good throwing rocks he'd like to have himself. A low thrum of kindliness runs through the proceedings, as it does through the artwork, despite what appear to be empty eye sockets and really bad teeth. There are a countless good reasons to give a gift--as a treat, because it's useful, makes you proud, or because you'd like it and can share in the pleasure--and they get a gladdening observance in this sweetly old-fashioned tale that's a gift to its readers. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
