Summer comes to a close and it feels like there just isn’t anything NEW to do before school starts. How about revisiting something from the past? August is a great time to slow down and seek out older books that may have been overlooked. The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, 1985, Bradbury Press, New York is an exuberant celebration of summer, gardens, travel and most of all….Relatives! A family drives a long distance to attend a reunion. The excitement of the journey grows until finally they reach their destination. And then the hugging begins, as well as the fun of sharing summer days with relatives. There is sadness when the relatives have to return to their homes, but hope and anticipation of when they will meet again. The story is told in evocative language that brings the reader into the loving family relationship.
Cynthia Rylant is an author of more than 100 books for children, including Henry and Mudge, Mr. Putter and Tabby and The Old Woman who Named Things, 2015, HMH Books for Young Readers. Ms. Rylant has several new titles on the horizon. Be on the lookout for Snow, Nov. 2017, Henny, Penny, Lenny, Denny and Mike Sept. 2017 and a new adventure with Mr. Putter and Tabby; Mr. Putter and Tabby Hit the Slope, Oct. 2017.