Natalie Kinsey-Warnock

Grandpa is always telling tall tales, like that rabbits come out to dance in the moonlight and that a fiddler makes the Northern Lights flicker. No one else believes in Grandpa's tales, except for Henry. One night they skate up the river a long ways under the light of the aurora, and when they return home a fiddler appears at their cabin door. Could Grandpa's tales be true?

I love the illustrations in this book. The watercolors lend a dreamy aspect to the story that reflect the atmosphere perfectly.… (mer)

Wren's grandpa just so happen to build them a new home higher up on the hill. Before they moved in they decided to use the empty house as shelter from the rising river. Soon their whole community including all of their neighbors and farm animals took shelter in their home. This story is about the Vermont Flood of 1927. In the back of the book you can get more information on the flood and the devastation that it caused. I never really thought about a flood bringing so much devastation to an area before which is funny since I live in New Orleans. But it is hard to imagine flooding being so bad without a hurricane. This story really shows the reader how intense it can be. It also shows the importance of community and helping one another. If they had not all gotten together in that house, many of them and the animals would have died, and if they had kept the house to themselves they would have been cold.… (mer)

Wow. I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. I was honestly on the edge of my seat the whole time. I think that the grandpa and grandma in this story are the coolest people ever. The grandpa was so sweet building this new house for his wife. When the flood started everyone lost their homes, but everyone was able to gather in the safety of this new house on the hill. The grandma was so brave and so kind, she was already prepared for everything. I think it was so awesome that they let all of the animals into the house to stay safe, and once the house was packed with 23 people, they still didn't mind letting the animals stay. I think this story teaches us such a good lesson about empathy and being kind to your neighbor.… (mer)

Nora's Ark took place during the time of the 1927 Flood. Nora, her husband, and her grandson lived on a little farm by a river in Vermont. Her husband was building her a new house, but she didn't think she needed it. She didn't think she needed this new house until it began to rain so hard that the city began to flood. Nora and her grandson had to move into the new house. As the rain continued, neighbors began to show up at the new house with their families and animals. Nora let them stay there as well. That's how to story of Nora's Ark came about. This story shows what's most important in life: family, friends, and neighbors helping neighbors. I think this would a great story for younger children to read when learning about Noah's Ark. These two stories would be great to compare and contrast.… (mer)