Hyman, who has won a Caldecott Medal and numerous other awards, not only illustrates the poems but also creates a whole tapestry of a modern family's relationships. They even have two cats and two dogs. Hyman's style is a lively mix of draftsman and painter. Most objects are gracefully drawn and outlined, filling their role in a riotous play of color. The result is cheerful and detailed and will reward a child's attentive prowling.
Every scene is packed with realistic details.
Updike paints life in this picturesque New England village as considerably more innocent and joyful than the adulterous towns in his Hawthorne-haunted morality plays for adults.