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The Relatives Came | July 30, 2014

written by Cynthia Ryland with illustrations by Stephen Gammell (Antheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster, 1985)

“It was in the summer of the year when the relatives came. They came up from Virginia. They left when their grapes were nearly purple enough to pick, but not quite”. Thus begins a winsome and delightful story about families.

From a long drive down winding country roads, to the moment of arrival, to the hugging and eating and laughing and hugging, and finally to the early morning goodbye, The Relatives Came perfectly captures the universal feeling of what it means to be a family. Stephen Gammell’s expressive colored-pencil drawings bring the story to life and are a perfect complement to the relatively simple text. The images add such a depth to the story, expanding visually on the text to create vibrant and distinguishable characters. Cynthia Rylant’s ability to sting the heart with her writing can also be seen throughout. “But none of us thought about Virginia much. We were so busy hugging and eating and breathing together.” Anyone who has felt the ease, joy, and discomfort of extended family will smile at that sentence and the rest of this Caldecott Honor winning book!

 

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