Ox-Cart Man

Donald Hall's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book, beautifully illustrated by Barbara Cooney, offers a lyrical glimpse into the life of an early 19th-century New England farming family. The story follows the father as he packs the family's handmade goods, from wool and mittens to brooms and goose feathers, and journeys to Portsmouth Market. There, he sells each item, including his ox and cart, to buy essential provisions for the coming year, before returning home to restart the cycle. This book is a gentle exploration of hard work, self-sufficiency, family collaboration, and the changing seasons, perfect for sparking conversations about history and the origins of everyday items.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal Thus begins a lyrical journey through the days and weeks, the months, and the changing seasons in the life of one New Englander and his family. The oxcart man packs his goods - the wool from his sheep, the shawl his wife made, the mittens his daughter knitted, and the linen they wove. He packs the birch brooms his son carved, and even a bag of goose feathers from the barnyard geese. He travels over hills, through valleys, by streams, past farms and villages. At Portsmouth Market he sells his goods, one by one - even his beloved ox. Then, with his pockets full of coins, he wanders through the market, buying provisions for his family, and returns to his home. And the cycle begins again. "Like a pastoral symphony translated into picture book format, the stunning combination of text and illustrations recreates the mood of 19-century rural New England."—The Horn Book