Petra Mather's illustration style feels true for Grandmother Bryant's Pocket (1996) by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. It evokes the feeling of a simpler time. On the first page is a note about pockets: "hundreds of years ago, pockets were not sewn into skirts as they are now.… A woman tied a pocket around her waist, under her skirt. Slits in the skirt allowed her to reach it.” The plot is about loss and healing. In 1787, Sarah Bryant is eight years old when her dog passes away in a barn fire. Nightmares fill her dreams.
Grandmother Bryant knows a thing or two about recovery. “She knew the medicines that grew in woods and gardens. She hoped she could find a cure for nighttime fears.” Grandmother loans Sarah her pocket filled with healing plants. A nasty neighbor complicates Sarah’s life at the same time a one-eyed cat befriends her. Both characters become sources of strength. This therapeutic story includes a glossary of Grandmother Bryant's herbs: catnip, chamomile, comfrey, dandelion, pennyroyal, and rosemary.
Grandma's Collections has Grandma's Collection of Songs Poems. forsuchtime has Happy Grandmother's Day. Patricia Kienzle has Grandmother's Dream Tassel.
