Nettie Jo's friends Book

Summary: Nettie Jo is eagerly anticipating her cousin's wedding until she is told that her beloved doll and constant companion, Annie Mae, is too "scraggly-looking" to go. Nettie Jo's mother manages to find a scrap of leftover lace to make a new dress for the doll, but no one in the busy family has a spare sewing needle. Determined to go to the wedding and to take her doll, Nettie Jo sets out in search of a needle. Her day-long search turns up many interesting objects, but no sewing needle. During her search, Nettie Jo meets Miz Rabbit, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Panther, all of whom have problems of their own. Using the objects that she has found, Nettie Jo is able to solve their problems, and they, in turn, provide a satisfying resolution to her dilemma. Once again, McKissack has created a warm, faintly nostalgic story with roots in the rural South. Like the heroine of Flossie and the Fox (Dial, 1986), Nettie Jo is appealingly forthright and self-confident. The story is nicely patterned and repetitive, with a few surprising twists that add humor and a touch of drama. McKissack gracefully incorporates elements of fantasy into her otherwise realistic setting, creating a very child-like world in which magic is expected and accepted. As in her previous books, she displays a real feel for language. Her authentic Southern vernacular is rich and rhythmic with a natural flow that reads well aloud. Cook's illustrations are a perfect match for McKissack's story. The fluid lines and natural postures of his figures provide each character with an animated individuality. Warm-skinned Nettie Jo is especially attractive, depicted as a bright, sunny black child without any trace of cloying sweetness. The fuzzy, out-of-focus look of Cook's pictures supports and reinforces the fantasy of the story, while his palette of reds and golds evokes the feel of a late summer day in the South. His use of light and shadow moves readers through the day until the final picture leaves them with a sense of pure joy, humming "Here Comes the Bride" right along with Nettie Jo. Thank you Amazon!

Themes: Helping others

Curricular uses: Independent reading for early transitional readers.