I really believe that, if this book had been twice the size, it could have been a contender for a Caldecott. The pictures are that great! Unfortunately, it is barely 6x9.5 inches, which makes it difficult to really appreciate the illustrations. It still won a number of awards at the time such as The NYTimes Best Illustrated Book, but I haven't seen it mentioned in a while. Too bad. I would love to see it reissued in a larger format. Hint, hint.
Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea is designed as a travelogue scrapbook and the narrative can be pieced together from messages on the back of postcards and occassional (painted) photographs. The story is sweet with two brothers and a dog driving across the country. Along the way they visit some strange places, find a clown's shoe and, finally, reach the Pacific Ocean.
The wonder, though, is in the details. Each postcard depicts a place the boys visit as they travel and the illustrations are really funny, all the way down to the stamps. My favorite postcard celebrates the Bristlecone Pine and has other animals (and fungi) arranged like a halo around the tree with lifespans labeled to compare to the Pine's age. Inky Cap mushrooms live 3-5 days while Bristlecones have been know to live for 4,900 years!
The tone is amusing and educational at the same time and had me running to check the dates ; were they real or just made up? The stamps are terribly cute sendups to stamp art. One depicts five babies as "Future Presidents of America." Just made me laugh!
This book is a great homage to small town America. Even as it makes fun of tourist spots, it also celebrates and educates the reader as the boys make their way across America. Vera Williams wrote some wonderful books that have been well received such as A Chair for My Mother and More, More, More Said the Baby. I wish this one got more attention.
Teacher Note: I've had students follow Stringbean's trip on maps and used the book to model a journal style of writing. We have even designed stamps!
Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea
by Vera B. Williams and Jennifer Williams
1999
ISBN13: 9780688167011
ISBN10: 0688167012
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