Cynthia RylantThe Old Woman Who Named Things

Birthday gift

I love this book! I would highly recommend this book.

Such a beautiful story for any age... young or old! This old woman finds a way to open her heart to a very special animal friend. A great read aloud to children of any age!

A jewel of a find! This story and illustrations show it’s never too late to learn a life lesson. Wonderful read for all ages, but especially good for upper elementary and above. Rylant never disappoints!

I used to read this to my students when I taught but recently bought this for a friend in his early 60s. He didn’t want to get another dog bc he didn’t want to outlive it… so naturally I thought of this book. He CRACKED up when he read it. He still hasn’t gotten one, but it’s a great gift book for friends who are getting along in years and might appreciate a wonderful canine companion.

Love this book! I used to read it to my kids, and now just bought one for my grandbaby. He is not old enough to understand it yet but I was afraid it would go out of print. The story is sweet and the pictures are adorable! I highly recommend.

This is a beautiful story for children who are ready for more text and a slightly deeper story. The old woman has outlived her friends and is lonely. She doesn't want to outlive anything else that she cares about, so she only names things that will last longer than she will. That concept is difficult for the smallest children to grasp, but some will understand her loneliness and fear of losing loved ones. It teaches the lesson of trusting in love because we must - that is our humanity. And, in the end, it is a gift, whether we outlive those we love or not. The old woman learns that in this lovely book by Cynthia Rylant, one of my favorite authors.

My kindergartener brought it home from the school library and I had to buy it. As an adult, I was a bit put off on my first read. The idea that the main character has outlived everyone important to her so she isn't going to allow herself to get attached to things that she'll outlive is heavy. I dreaded the gagillion questions I was expecting about death and being lonely, but they didn't come. My kids (3, 6, and 8) focused very little on that aspect of the book and I quickly grew to love the book as much as they do.

The most beautiful book! I'm a teacher and cannot reccomend enough.

lovely book for my 5 year old Granddaughhter

Lovely story with lovely illustrations

bought it for my reading program in grade 3