A grieving farm girl misses her late mama "something awful" and takes her words literally. "Mama had said there were giants, strong and tall, and that one was looking after me. I needed to see one, to believe," she explains as she scans the skies and fields fruitlessly, from planting time till winter. With mixed results, Ewart's (Time Train) watercolors chronicle the passing seasons on a farm and the girl's slow revelation that the "giant" she seeks has actually been harvesting corn beside her and tucking her lovingly into bed at night—"strong and tall Pa." In one striking night scene, the girl looks to the heavens, oblivious to her hard-working father—and the vast shadow he casts—as he mends a harness by lantern light. In other spreads, weak draftsmanship saps the poignancy from the compositions: a horse's leg joins its body awkwardly, and the father's eyes appear glassy and asymmetrical. The girl's experiences may well resonate with those who have lost a parent or those who are particularly sensitive to others' emotions. Those children are likely to be moved when, at the end, the lyrical text comes full circle and the girl gets her initial wish, for "warmer words" from her Pa. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
