Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey, is a picture storybook that tells the story of one young family’s summer on an island in Maine. I often think that Robert McCloskey’s lesser known books are a bit overshadowed by Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal, but Time of Wonder is a story rich with themes of finding the beauty in our surroundings, preparing for storms, and wondering where the birds go in hurricanes.
The book begins with an overview of the surrounding islands through the eyes of the young protagonist. It is easy to feel alone, standing on the water’s edge on an island twenty miles out on the coast of Maine, but as she looks around, she learns that she is not alone. There are the porpoises and the seagulls and the seals, living their life in the water. There are the sounds of the lobster boats and the connection with the fishing community.
For a while, one summer afternoon, she is not alone. She has the companionship of her friends, and they play in the water, build castles out of driftwood, and sunbathe together. When her guests have gone and she feels lonely, she is once again reminded that she isn’t alone, as the owls and the herons begin to call, and the stars come out.
The strong sense of community is what is needed to weather the coming storm. As the summer days grow shorter and shorter and hurricane season grows nearer, the girl and her community must work together to prepare for the coming storm. Gasoline and groceries must be stocked. Moorings and chains must be checked, anchors put out, boats secured. Wood for the fire must be brought in and the generator made ready. The animals are also preparing for the storm.
The hurricane breaks, and it must be weathered together as a family. Father secured the doors against the storm. Mother reads a story, her voice lost in the scream of the wind. The family sings together as loud as they can shout. The storm slowly comes to a close, and the sea sings a lullaby.
The aftermath of the storm, too, must be weathered as a community. Trees are down all over the island. Familiar trails are blocked. It is clean up time.
And finally it is time to return to the mainland, and the greater community, to say goodbye to the island for another summer.
Time of Wonder is a Caldecott Medal book. It is appropriate for young readers of all ages, but adults who love the Maine islands can enjoy it, too.
The richly drawn and colored illustrations add so much to the text. Robert McCloskey paints with word pictures, but the illustrations enhance them. Someone who had never seen the coast of Maine might struggle with the text without the illustrations, but the drawings make the young people and their parents come alive.
I think this text would be useful in a classroom as a way to discuss emergency preparedness and community involvement.
I cannot find any weakness in the text. The author chose to use second person narrative, but it is done so well that it isn’t a weakness. A particular strength of the text is that the author has captured the rhythms and cadences of Maine dialect speech, and he repeats those phrases to build a sense of tension as the storm grows closer.
Robert McCloskey grew up in Ohio, but he spent time in Boston and Maine, and he and his wife raised their two daughters in Maine. He wrote and illustrated some of the most beloved children’s books of all time.
I discovered this book as an adult, and I can’t express what a surprising and delightful gift it was. Like every other Maine child, I grew up on One Morning in Maine and Blueberries for Sal, but somehow had never had this read to me. I absolutely fell in love with the rich colors and depictions of island life.
As a fellow who came to Maine as a young adult who loved the ocean, I owned several sailing vessels that I used to explore the seemingly thousands of islands from Portland downeast to Eastport and Cutler Harbor.
Bucks Harbor was me home port from about 1966 to 2006.
My store of memories built during those years will be with me to the end of my days.
Your book review was a pleasant reminder of all those years.