Barbara Cooney

As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.

A hill covered with rocks and wooden boxes becomes an imaginary town for Marian, her sisters, and their friends.

Ruthie and her mother wonder how they will fulfill their obligation of getting the perfect Christmas tree to the town for the holiday celebration, since Papa has left the Appalachian area to go to war.

From CIP: "Lyrical text relates the birth of a child in a barn among the animals, with illustrations that depict the barn and people of a present-day farm."

Johnny Appleseed: John Chapman's (a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed) legacy of botanical achievements and the stories he shared with children are presented here at their very best in verse and art. Miss Rumphius: Inspired by a true-life story, Miss Rumphius shows us how we can all make the world a more beautiful place with a simple handful of seeds.