Right Here on This Spot
by Sharon Hart Addy
Right here on this spot, where today Grandpa drives a tractor in his cabbage field, Indians in ancient times lit their campfires, chipped stone into tools, and then moved on.
The moon rose and set over the field, season followed season, trees grew into a forest, and settlers came from across the ocean to clear the land again and make a new home.
And one day years later, a Union soldier crossing that field lost a button...
A chronicle of the changes the centuries bring to one field -- offering a vivid slice of history.
Houghton Mifflin
ISBN #: 0-395-73091-0
Reviews and Honors
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2000
Bank Street College of Education
Los Angeles' 100 Best Books, 1999
IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG and the Los Angeles Unified School District
Outstanding Books by Wisconsin Authors and Illustrators, 2000
Winner of the Archer/Eckbald Picture Book Award for 1999.
"[A] lyrical homage to humankind's relationship to the land"
Publisher's Weekly
"[An]impressive picture book"
Kirkus Reviews
"A simple poetic text and quiet watercolor-and-pencil landscapes introduce children to archaeology by focusing on the passing of time in one field--from prehistory to the present--and the different people who lived there, what they did, and how we know about them from the things they left behind. […] The combination of what stays the same and the particulars of what changes will fascinate kids and get them thinking about the "hidden history" of where they live."
Booklist
"Clapp's paintings portray the vastness of the countryside and give a sense of the passing of time."
Children's Literature
"Gorgeous watercolors and drawings vividly bring the story to life. A soldier's button, an Indian arrowhead, and a mastodon bone found in Grandpa's field of cabbage hold secrets of ancient campfires, animals, peoples, and seasons. All that passes over "this spot" shares the space and leaves a trace, all equally important in shaping history. In this story, concrete and recognizable references have made an abstract concept very presentable and appropriate for children. Children's curiosity will be sparked to ask the question, "What happened right here, on this spot?"
Children's Literature
"The artwork--saturated watercolors flanked by soft pencil sketches of thematic motifs on double-page spreads--complements the contemplative tone. Together they quietly, evocatively put time in perspective."
Horn Book
"Children and adults alike will enjoy this opportunity to let their minds wander and imaginations unfold as they contemplate what took place ages ago. […] Exquisite illustrations match the grandeur of the idea--to excite the imagination and reflect on the history of the areas where we daily walk."
Parent Council
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