Plowie: A Story from the Prairie

An Iowa farm serves as the stage for this atmospheric tale of a family heirloom. A long time ago, ``when there were still horses on the road,'' a girl finds a porcelain doll in the field while helping her father plow. She names the doll Plowie and cherishes it, keeping it throughout her adulthood. In old age, she passes it on to a granddaughter, who, now grown, treasures it also. Patricia Kirkpatrick's text ambles at a leisurely pace that threatens to meander off-track. Descriptions of Midwestern farm life are evocative, but the writing becomes choppy in the later passages. Joey Kirkpatrick's primitive-looking paintings reflect some folk art influences and her palette is faithful to the seasonal colors of the region. An author's note brings into focus the real-life events that inspired the Kirkpatrick sisters to create this work. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)