Ox-Cart Man was written by Donald Hall and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. Ox-Cart Man is a historical fiction of a family living in early New England and their journey of life and living through the seasons. The ox-cart man, or the father of the family, gathers all of the goods for market that either the land or the animals, they have raised, have given to them. He travels to Portsmouth Market to sell his goods one by one. He returns home with a pocket full of coins, a darning needle, a knife, a kettle, and peppermint candy.
Barbara Cooney, the illustrator of Ox-Cart Man, is known for her detailed illustrations in her books. Cooney has paid close attention to historical detail such as the details in clothing, hairstyles, props, landscapes, and architecture. Her primitive, folk artsy style certainly lends itself to the lyrical words of Donald Hall.…show more content… The story teaches us how people lived off the land and whatever they needed, they had to acquire or make for themselves. We could create, “A Day in the Life of a Colonial”. We would discuss how to make candles, how to shear sheep, then spin it, and finally discuss the fine art of weaving. I did something like this in school, where we had a guest speaker come in and demonstrate all these things. I think we should discuss technology and how we lived without it. Ask the students things like, “What can you live without?” or “How can you live without....?” There are no adventures or climatic moments in Ox-Cart Man. It is just a simple, uncomplicated story of days gone by and I like that. Sometimes, it is just refreshing to read something, where author and illustrator have created, “simplicity that succeeds in engaging the reader in the first few lines”. In a world, where children are overwhelmed with technology, it is good to find a book like this. This book reminds me of my own family, especially my mother, who just want to “pray and