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Summary
Summary
Celebrate your mail carrier--and all the people who make a community strong--with this charming picture book.
Everyone loves Curtis!
Curtis has been delivering mail for forty-two years. Today is his last day. And all the mailboxes along his route are filled with surprises.
But the very real surprise is at the very last house on the very last street.
"A charming book that evokes the best of a community. Words and art perform an affectionate duet. "--Kirkus
Author Notes
Kevin Henkes was born in Racine, Wis. in 1960 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. One of four children in his family, Henkes grew up with aspirations of being an artist. As a junior in high school, one of Henkes's teachers awakened his interest in writing. Falling in love with both writing and drawing, Henkes realized that he could do both at the same time as a children's book author and illustrator.
At the age of 19, Henkes went to New York City to get his first book, All Alone, published. Since that time, he has written and illustrated dozens of picture books including Chrysanthemum, Protecting Marie, and A Weekend with Wendell. A recurring character in several of Henkes's books is Lily, an outrageous, yet delightful, individualist. Lily finds herself the center of attention in the books Chester's Way, Julius, the Baby of the World, and Lily's Purple Plastic Purse.
A Weekend With Wendell was named Children's Choice Book by the Children's Book Council in 1986. He recieved the Elizabeth Burr Award for Words of Stone in 1993. Owen was named a Caldicott Honor in 1994. The Year of Billy Miller was named a Newbery Honor book in 2014.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-KAn unexciting premisethe mailman's last day before retirementis the basis of this cheerful story and lively illustrations. On his last round, Curtis, beloved by all of his patrons, from babies to grandparents, finds little gifts in their mailboxes and is greeted by an affectionate throng at the very last house, where a party is being given in his honor. In his 42 years of carrying letters, the man has seen many changes in the neighborhood, which become the most interesting part of the story. The text is simple, pleasantly repetitive, rhythmic, and reads aloud well. The gouache pictures, done in pure, bright colors, are flat, cartoonlike, humorous, and winning, as they show the variety of residents, pets, dwellings, and businesses of Curtis's postal domain.Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
When Curtis, the friendly neighborhood mail carrier, makes his final deliveries the day before his retirement, he finds a party with all his family and friends waiting for him at the last mailbox. The next day he writes thank-you notes to his friends and 'knows all the addresses by heart.' The portrayal of Curtis is interpreted perfectly in the portraits of a kindly silver-haired, smiling, well-loved man. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A charming book that evokes the best of a community and celebrates one special letter carrier named Curtis. Curtis has delivered the mail to the people in this neighborhood for 42 years, and the book opens on his last day of service. As he makes his rounds, readers see just how much everyone will miss him, from the butcher to the crossing guard to the baby in 4-C. They also see the changes that have taken place over the years: Trees have grown larger, children Curtis knew have become parents and even grandparents, people have moved in and out. Curtis never changes. On his last day all the mailboxes hold thank-you gifts for him, and a surprise party awaits him at the last house on the route. Words and art perform an affectionate duet; Henkes (Protecting Marie, p. 469, etc.) provides a text as reassuring as Curtis's daily visits while Russo (I Don't Want to Go Back to School, 1994, etc.) creates both full-page folk art and small decorations to punctuate some passages. Pair this with Cynthia Rylant's Mr. Griggs' Work (1989) for another fond look at one person's impact on a community. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. After 42 years delivering the mail to neighborhood shops and houses, Curtis is retiring. This agreeable picture book follows the beloved mailman's route on his last day, when young and old give him hugs and handshakes, little presents and best wishes. At the last house, Curtis' family and friends surprise him with a party in his honor. The next day he writes thank-you notes . . . "and he knows all the addresses by heart." Henkes' simple text sets a tone that's just right for preschoolers: straightforward and affectionate without a hint of sentimentality. In the same spirit, Russo's paintings illuminate the story through small details and gestures painted in a simplified style. One interesting spread depicts the changes that Curtis has seen in his neighborhood over the years. Teachers looking for picture books about "community helpers" will find this a good choice for reading aloud. (Reviewed Oct. 15. 1995)0688128270Carolyn Phelan
