Bigmama's

Donald Crews, a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator known for Freight Train and Truck, draws on his own boyhood in this picture book. Four siblings ride a train with their mother until it reaches Cottondale, Florida, where a summer at their grandmother's home, Bigmama's, is about to start. The story follows the children through a day in the countryside, full of outdoor exploring and play, while the sights, sounds, and feelings of the trip come through in the pictures and text.

The book also shows how relatives of different generations relate to one another, so the family ties at its center feel warm and present rather than distant. Readers who enjoy looking closely at a place will notice how much of the setting Crews conveys.

The book reads aloud well for children aged 3 to 6 and suits both family reading and classroom use. It can also serve as a model for children learning to describe a place when they tell a story. Its companion picture book, Shortcut, is also by Crews.