Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3-5. This fourth title in the Sarah Plain and Tall 0 (1985) series highlights Cassie, Sarah and Jacob's eight-year-old daughter. Caleb has transferred journal-writing duties to her, and she tries to record what she observes, despite a tendency to write what she wishes might happen. Sarah and Jacob are expecting another baby, and Cassie is perturbed at the prospect. She is quite certain her new sibling won't be the "gift" her mother has promised. Wisely, Sarah allows her daughter to work through these feelings (at one point Cassie announces that the baby will be born a sheep--named Beatrice), and, by the time her new brother arrives, Cassie is able to concede that this "terrible baby" might be even more perfect than the moon. As always, MacLachlan's lyrical prose conveys volumes in a few well-chosen words. Solid, believable characters face classic dilemmas, yet the ending feels neither pat nor predictable. A fine, literate choice for beginning chapter-book readers, especially those already familiar with this series. --Kay Weisman Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Cassie, the imaginative eight-year-old daughter of Sarah (from Sarah, Plain and Tall), narrates the fourth tale in the series, More Perfect than the Moon by Patricia MacLachlan. The girl writes her observations on prairie life (which she twists into funny, invented stories) into her journal, and is stunned to find out that her mother is pregnant again and must reconcile her feelings of abandonment. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Another heartwarming installment in the saga of the Witting family, first made famous in Sarah, Plain and Tall (HarperCollins, 1985). In this fourth book, Anna is working with Dr. Sam in town and is engaged to Justin, and Caleb is busy on the farm, so it is the youngest member of the family's turn to keep a journal. Cassie, almost in third grade, is a watcher, a listener, and a writer. While Caleb scoffs at her stories as not being true, Cassie defends her imaginative entries as "my truth." When Sarah announces that she is going to have a baby, Cassie is angry, and worried that her mother won't have enough love left over for her. She is determined not to like the "terrible baby." As her loving family helps her come to terms with the inevitable birth, the journal entries provide a way for Cassie to blend "her truth" with the facts. In true MacLachlan fashion, the spare, graceful writing sparkles with fresh images, and the first-person point of view rests firmly with the child. While the pace is restrained, the exciting climax provides enough dramatic tension to keep readers' attention. A worthy companion to the earlier books.-Caroline Ward, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) In this continuation of the Sarah, Plain and Tall saga, eight-year-old Cassie is now the journal keeper, the job having been passed down the line to her from half-siblings Anna and Caleb. Though Cassie is a lively narrator who enjoys making up stories rather than simply recording family history, the way her brother and sister did, this fourth installment of the series feels a little shopworn. ""Mama had gained pounds this winter,"" observes Cassie early on, which of course means that Sarah is pregnant. Cassie, in a rather forced display of jealousy, would much prefer a pet lamb named Beatrice to what she assumes will be an ""ugly and mean"" baby. Also, like Anna before Cassie's birth, Cassie worries that the past will repeat itself: ""What if this terrible baby makes Mama die like Caleb's mama died when he was born?"" The men in the family have always been portrayed as remarkably sensitive -- Pa Ingalls seems cold and unapproachable by comparison -- and Cassie's grandfather tries his best to reassure her that Sarah is strong and will be all right. But it is Sarah herself who finally relieves Cassie's worries and alleviates her jealousy. As usual, MacLachlan infuses her story with graceful, affectionate images of life on the prairie. All the same, it wouldn't be a terrible thing if no one ever gave the new addition to the family a pen. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Cassie, an almost-third-grader, has taken up the journal passed on by her much older brother Caleb. She is fascinated by words and uses the journal not only to record what is happening in her family, but in her vivid imagination as well. MacLachlan reintroduces the family of Sarah, Plain and Tall, Skylark, and Caleb's Story. Cassie is the much-loved daughter of Sarah and Jacob, and now there is to be a new addition to the family. Cassie writes about that "terrible baby" and vows never to like it. Of course, when her baby brother is born she accepts him as a gift "more perfect than the moon." The tale is charming and Cassie is a delightful narrator. Readers who have not encountered the characters in the previous works might not fully understand the family's dynamics, but they can certainly identify with her feelings about the new baby. If the power and deeply felt emotions of the original are missing, it remains a pleasant visit with old friends. (Fiction. 8-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
