Papa and the Pioneer Quilt

Written by Jean Van Leeuwen
Illustrated by Rebecca Bond
Dial Books, 2007
Ages 4-9
4.5/5

Papa has "wandering feet", so Rebecca's family must leave their farm in Missouri and journey west to Oregon. Along their journey, Rebecca collects scraps of cloth - from an apron, Papa's torn shirt, a friend's bonnet - to make a quilt when her family reaches their new home.

Told in Rebecca's voice, this book describes what it was like to travel in a covered-wagon train across the American west. Rebecca talks about how worn out her shoes are, how frightened she is when her father almost drowns, how her mother cries when they have to leave a chest of her fine china by the side of the trail, and how beautiful Oregon is when they finally arrive after six months. The story is enhanced by joyful watercolour illustrations that evoke the changing landscape and express a range of emotions through both people and animals.

The author's note about the pattern of Rebecca's quilt reminds readers that many families did travel across the American west, and that many girls may have made quilts like Rebecca's.

The strength of this book is that it gently teaches children about an important part of American heritage without sounding too preachy or boring. In effect, it makes history into a story.