A Long Road on a Short Day

by Gary D. Schmidt, Eugene Yelchin (Illustrator), Elizabeth Stickney

Overview

A tender story of a father-son adventure with themes of community and kindness, in short chapters with vivid full-color illustrations, by bestseller and Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt and acclaimed artist Eugene Yelchin.

In a story of perseverance and determination told with warmth and sparkling with humor, a short winter day finds Samuel and Papa walking a long road on Samuel's first trading trip. Meeting strangers, practicing good manners, and proud to be in Papa's company, Samuel watches and learns as Papa trades up from almost nothing to the milk cow Mama is yearning for. Simple text combines with vivid illustrations for a satisfying tale that will resonate with readers who enjoy an adventure with dad.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358378570
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/10/2020
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Gary D. Schmidt is the bestselling author of The Labors of Hercules Beal; Just Like That; National Book Award finalist Okay for Now; Pay Attention, Carter Jones; Orbiting Jupiter; the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor Book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; and the Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars. He is also a contributor to and coeditor, with Leah Henderson, of the acclaimed short story collection A Little Bit Super. He lives in rural Michigan.

Eugene Yelchin is a Russian-born painter and illustrator. He received a Newbery Honor for Breaking Stalin's Nose, which he both wrote and illustrated. He lives in southern California with his family. www.eugeneyelchinbooks.com

Elizabeth Stickney is the pen name of Gary's late wife. Anne Schmidt wrote essays, poetry, and several picture book texts.

Editorial Reviews

09/28/2020

Samuel’s mother wishes one winter morning for “a brown-eyed cow to give us milk for the baby.” A man of action, Samuel’s father takes his good knife off the mantelpiece and sets out to trade. “It’s a long road on a short day,” he tells Samuel, urging him to keep up—they know the winter sun will set soon. In a series of neighborly negotiations, the knife is exchanged for a pair of tin lanterns, the lanterns for a book of poetry, the poetry for a fine pitcher, and so on, until Samuel and his father return with the treasure they sought. Early American scenes by Yelchin (Spy Runner) capture driving snow, rural scenery, and the many farm animals Samuel encounters. In short, vivid chapters, Schmidt (Pay Attention, Carter Jones) and his late wife, Stickney, show Samuel’s father’s canny judgment (he knows just who might like the book of poetry) while paying attention to Samuel’s inner life, too. He longs for a pet of his own: he “wished again, just a little bit, it wasn’t a brown-eyed cow his mother was wanting.” Underpinning this deliberately paced story with an old-fashioned feel is the relationship between Samuel and his strong, reliable father, whose pride in his son is quiet but evident. Ages 8–12. Authors’ agent: Rick Margolis, Rising Bear Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 2020-08-18
A boy and his father embark on a special mission.

When Samuel’s mother wishes for “a brown-eyed cow to give us milk for the baby,” Papa takes his best knife and invites Samuel to join him on a search for a cow. Leaving their farm early on a white January morning, Papa reminds Samuel to “keep up” because “it’s a long road and a short day,” a refrain he repeats throughout their journey. At neighbor Snow’s house, Papa trades his knife for two tin lanterns. At the Perrys’ house, he trades the lanterns for a book of poetry. He trades the book for a pitcher at Widow Mitchell’s, and the pitcher for a sheep when they encounter Dr. Fulton. This pattern continues as Papa trades the sheep for a gold pocket watch and the watch for a pony and cart that Samuel would dearly love to keep. Daylight is fading, snow is collecting, Samuel’s cold, and he has kept up with Papa, but will Papa trade the pony and cart for a cow? As the snow intensifies and the serial trading progresses, the momentum and suspense build gradually until father and son reach journey’s end, where Samuel receives a well-deserved reward. Full-page, realistic color illustrations introduce each chapter, tracing their journey from beginning to end in a snowy, rural, largely unmechanized environment evoking a simpler time and place.

Quiet, gentle, satisfying tale of father-son bonding. (Fiction. 8-10)

Kirkus Reviews