Cynthia Rylant: Children's Book Summaries and Video Reviews

Cynthia Rylant, born June 6, 1954, is the author of over 100 books for children. I first discovered Cynthia Rylant's work when I was in my thirties. I had just moved back to New England after having lived in the Laurentian region of Quebec for over thirteen years. During that time, while my kids were little, I was struggling to become a children's author with only a few small successes. I had been isolated linguistically and professionally while living on a hilltop farm in Quebec, and was trying to process that experience and to write about it.

I came across Cynthia Rylant's book When I Was Young in the Mountains, in which she shares with warmth and wholesomeness her youth growing up in Appalachia. The rhythm of the story spoke to me of the rhythm inherent in a life lived in a rural environment and the richness and beauty of that life. I felt encouraged with Rylant's appreciation of the simple life and her ability to convey that appreciation in such a joyful, quiet way. Wasn't that something I wanted to convey, too?

I first read When I Was Young in the Mountains while working in a second grade classroom during my teacher training year. The rhythm and rich language was enough to draw me in, but the subject matter really touched my heart. Each page describes one of the joys of rural life. The narrator is nostalgic not only for a place -- the Appalachian Mountains -- but for the people who filled her life there. 

When I Was Young in the Mountains is a warm family tale that leads the reader to examine his or her own family life and all the little rituals that fill our days.

An old woman who lives alone begins to name the things around her -- her bed, her armchair, her car. She wears her hair in a bee hive and has cat glasses. She has outlived everyone she knows and is determined to name only things that will outlive her.

She doesn't even know she is lonely until a little puppy shows up at her door and finds an opening in her heart. Through the course of the story, she comes to accept that the love of the puppy is worth the risk of naming him, even if she outlives him, too.

The beautiful illustrations by Mary Szilagyi combine with Cynthia Rylant's poetic words to make this a lovely exploration of the country at night. Who is up when the sky is dark as velvet? What are the different sounds someone could hear?

Night in the Country has a rhythmic beauty that can lull a young child to sleep. 

It's never easy to talk about death with children. When someone close to a child dies, the emptiness and shock that the child feels is hard to address and hard to heal.

This book, by Cynthia Rylant, is a tender story about a young girl and her grandfather after her grandmother has passed away. Not only must Summer deal with her own hurt and loss about her grandmother, May, but she must somehow reclaim her grandfather who is crushed by his own sadness and loss.

Cynthia Rylant has such a gentle and wise touch in her treatment of struggles and family life. Her warmth and understanding shine through, even when dealing with the sadness of Missing May.

Lots of kids have begun their love affair with books by reading the Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant. 

Theaterworks, USA, has taken these Henry and Mudge books and adapted them to children's theater. The following promo gives you an overview of the Theaterworks USA production.

"My Party Dress" is an excerpt from the series.

Mark from Kindergarten really likes the book Henry and Mudge and the Snowman. I'll bet he'll want to read more of the Henry and Mudge series.

Children's Stories About Animals
A collection of lenses about children's books about animals.

Children's Stories and Books About Mice
Some great children's books with mice as characters.

Children's Stories and Books About Bears
Children's books with charming bear friends.