Only Opal
Grade 1-4-Boulton has successfully adapted this picture book from her longer work, Opal (Tioga, 1984). Opal Whitely, born around 1900, was orphaned and brought up by foster parents in Oregon. These selections from the diary she kept "in her fifth and sixth year" bring to life an extraordinary child and evoke images of a frontier life style that will fascinate young readers. It is astonishing that this child, facing the hardships of living with a cruel and demanding stepfamily, as well as the trauma of moving to 19 different lumber camps during her girlhood, could find the time and courage to record her thoughts, feelings, and impressions in such a lyrical style. Her optimism, sense of humor, and heartfelt love and respect for living things shine through her spare prose and sometimes awkward phrasing. Cooney's muted watercolors expand the imagery created by the simple text, realistically portraying living conditions and conveying the majestic beauty of the Northwest. Readers will respond positively to this glimpse of history and will share Opal's sense of wonder and gratitude for things that are often taken for granted. Not simply an adaptation of an unusual diary, this book is a tribute to the resiliency of the human spirit.Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NYCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.