From: Miriam B. Hansen <hansenmb>
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 16:53:36 -0500 (CDT)

Several years ago, when Jerry Pinkney visited the L.E. Phillips Library in Eau Claire, I was delighted to find that as a person, he was just as warm and delightfully engaging as the wonderful characters (both human and other!) in his books. As a school librarian (in a former life) I'd used several of his earlier works (including Childtimes - a 3 generation biography by Eloise Greenfield, and Roll of Thunder, for which he illustrated the jacket, as I recall), so I was really anticipating his visit. After joining him for lunch and a session with lots of the children from nearby schools, I purchased several of his picture books for my granddaughter, and sent The Talking Eggs to her right away. Soon after they received it, my daughter was present at her four year-old's storytime at the public library when the librarian reached for Mirandy and Brother Wind. Before she could start the story, the usually-shy Allison hollered out, "That's a Jerry Pinkney book! And I've got one that he wrote his name in!" We've read many more of Jerry Pinkney's books since then, and have enjoyed every one. He captures a certain warmth in family relationships that speaks more loudly than the text itself, and I think this is something that young children (and many of us, too) really find special in his works. I'll be looking forward to hearing the comments of others about this fine artist.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Miriam Hansen, Consultant Indianhead Federated Library System 3301 Golf Road, Ste. 101 Eau Claire, WI 54701 1q5?9P82 hansenmb.uwec.edu
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Received on Mon 21 Oct 1996 04:53:36 PM CDT