Halley Came To Jackson

Halley Came to Jackson

In her second childrens book project, internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter captures the momentous night in 1910 when a father held his baby in his arms as Halleys Comet streaked across the Jackson skyline. Inspired by renowned author, Eudora Welty, and her stories of growing up in Mississippi, Ms. Carpenters words celebrate the special love shared between a father and a daughter and how lifes magical moments remain with us throughout our lives. Like an old tattered scrapbook overflowing with remembrances of days past, this touching story and Dan Andreasens stunning illustrations stand as a timeless tribute to the beauty of lifes memories and that night so long ago when Halleys comet soared through the sky.From Publishers WeeklyAs she did in Dreamland: A Lullaby, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Carpenter brings her image-rich lyrics to a picture-book audience, this time focusing on Halley's comet and the awe it evokes in the people of Jackson, Miss., as they sight it in 1910. Inspired by a family story told by Eudora Welty in One Writer's Beginnings, Carpenter's tale introduces a baby whose father holds her in his arms to see the great comet's tail "stretched out like a stardust streak"; it then fast-forwards to 1986, when the baby is now a white-haired woman, watching for the comet "from her daddy's porch" once again. Carpenter's words echo Welty's tone; they suggest a cherished story passed through the generations. In nostalgic, gently muted oil paintings, Andreasen recreates a time when neighbors gathered on porches and front yards to gaze at the night sky, and newspapers wrote about the astronomical event "every day for a week." His clouds and stars are a swirl of color and scratchy texture, and tender portraits of a chubby baby and a thoughtful old woman depict a life that has come full circle. As a bonus, an audiocassette recording of Carpenter's performance of this song is included. Ages 4-up.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library JournalPreSchool-Grade 3-In 1990, Carpenter wrote and recorded a song about an incident that occurred in 1910. Eudora Welty's father took his infant daughter to the window to witness the comet Halley. Seventy-five years later, Welty stood on the front porch of the same house in Jackson, MS, to witness the comet's return. Andreasen's idealized paintings of small-town life add to the nostalgic tone of the lyrics, sure to tug at parents' heartstrings as they wish for happy futures for their children. The music on the accompanying cassette is pleasant. However, one must question the intended audience. Children don't know Eudora Welty's writing, and the picture-book set is unlikely to care much about the book's underlying theme. Adult fans of Carpenter's music might appreciate this visual interpretation of the song, but it fails as a children's book.Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MNCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.From BooklistAges 5^-7. Inspired by an incident in Eudora Welty's One Writer's Beginnings in which Welty's father shows his infant daughter Halley's comet, Carpenter's song "Halley Came to Jackson" serves as the text for this unusual picture book. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, the rhyming text begins, "Late one night / when the wind was still, / Daddy brought the baby / to the windowsill." He makes a wish, which comes true 80 years later, when an elderly lady stands on the porch of the same house and gazes at the same comet. Young children may not connect the baby with the lady, but many adults will be moved by this deft depiction of the passage of time. With the back cover cut out to create a temporary holder for the cassette tape, the book may be better suited to bookstores than to libraries. Still, an original addition to libraries with large collections of picture books or book/cassette kits. Carolyn PhelanAbout the AuthorMary Chapin Carpenters voice and songs have w