Matthew Wheelock's Wall

The building of a stone wall is the focal point of this succinctly told tale. "Old Matthew Wheelock" painstakingly chooses and arranges the stones "like a giant puzzle," creating a wall strong enough to last "years in and out" so that it may be enjoyed by his grandchildren and the animals who nest within its cracks. Weller's beguilingly spare prose--only occasionally jarred by statements like "this wall's my monument!"--is further enhanced by images of grandchildren who "duel like knights and pirates." Lewin's unframed, full-spread paintings engender nostalgia--in muted grays, greens and browns, they portray an elderly Matthew in his workclothes laboring on the wall as vast expanses of land spread out beyond him. This thoughtful book, with its subtle message about care and endurance, will encourage readers to consider the legacies in their own lives. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreSchool-Grade 3-- Matthew Wheelock clears his fields for planting, and with the many rocks he builds a stone wall. It rings his pastures like a ``stone necklace''; built to last, it provides a home for wildlife and a source of play and pride for future generations. There's a light message that the world is like this wall, with its interdependence of things large and small. Lewin's artwork adds substance to the poetic text; the rocks are rich with light and shadow, and the pages are spacious and long, echoing the wall. Building a stone wall can, oddly enough, be a contemplative experience, and the book honors that, but this isn't a story with clear child appeal. It is a worthy homage to the farmers whose work, happily, is still in evidence.
-Leda Schubert, Vermont Department of Education
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.