March 4th, 2009
The years went by, and the seasons changed, until at last the friends had all grown tall, and one by one, they moved away to other houses, to other towns. So you might think that was the end of Roxaboxen—but oh, no. Because none of them ever forgot. Years later Marian’s children listened to stories of that place and fell asleep dreaming dreams of Roxaboxen. Grey-haired Charles picked up a pebble on the beach and stood holding it, remembering Roxaboxen. More than fifty years later, Frances went back, and Roxaboxen was still there. - From Roxaboxen written by Alice Mclerran and illustrated by the fabulous Barbara Cooney. One of my childhood favorites, along with everything else Cooney ever touched (Eleanor, Emily, Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, Hattie and the Wild Waves, and of course the Ox Cart Man about my very own Portsmouth, NH). There’s something special about the book Roxaboxen now, though, that wasn’t so special when I was a three year old running around in Red Sox hats and pink overalls. Sure, it’s more depressing, but the concept of returning to a place that you grew up loving is so much easier to comprehend. I will always cry when I read Roxaboxen. Always.

The years went by, and the seasons changed, until at last the friends had all grown tall, and one by one, they moved away to other houses, to other towns. So you might think that was the end of Roxaboxen—but oh, no. Because none of them ever forgot. Years later Marian’s children listened to stories of that place and fell asleep dreaming dreams of Roxaboxen. Grey-haired Charles picked up a pebble on the beach and stood holding it, remembering Roxaboxen. More than fifty years later, Frances went back, and Roxaboxen was still there.

- From Roxaboxen written by Alice Mclerran and illustrated by the fabulous Barbara Cooney.

One of my childhood favorites, along with everything else Cooney ever touched (Eleanor, Emily, Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, Hattie and the Wild Waves, and of course the Ox Cart Man about my very own Portsmouth, NH). There’s something special about the book Roxaboxen now, though, that wasn’t so special when I was a three year old running around in Red Sox hats and pink overalls. Sure, it’s more depressing, but the concept of returning to a place that you grew up loving is so much easier to comprehend. I will always cry when I read Roxaboxen. Always.