The Oxcart Man

One of my favorite books when I was a child was The Oxcart Man, by Donald Hall.  In fact, I asked my mother to read the book to me every day for months.  The fabulous illustrations are by Barbara Cooney.  In the book, the Oxcart man and his family live their lives around the seasons.  Their days are spend making things, planting, and harvesting.  Everyday they prepare for the day when the father, the Oxcart man, will go to market and sell what they have made and bring home what they need for the next year.  The pictures in this book are important.  I think they are the biggest aspect of this book.  Each page is filled with old-style illustrations that show great detail.  They carry the story through to the end.  To this day, if asked, I might tell someone my favorite picture book is The Oxcart Man.