Caldecott Medal Winner
Ox-Cart Man
by Barbara Cooney
Summary
This quiet story follows a nineteenth century New England farmer who packs a year of his family's goods into an ox cart, walks to Portsmouth market to sell everything including the cart and ox, then returns home to begin the cycle of work again. Barbara Cooney paints folk art style scenes of the changing seasons, the rolling countryside, and the steady rhythm of rural labor in a soft muted palette. The gentle text by Donald Hall and the warm pictures together honor the patience and self sufficiency of early American life.
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Historical Context & Significance
Barbara Cooney won her second Caldecott Medal in 1980 for this book, illustrating a poem by the poet Donald Hall.