“Cress Watercress” by Gregory Maguire, illustrated by David Litchfield.
Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2022, 216 pages, Grades 3-5.
Animal stories are highly popular with children. Famous books such as “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame and “Winnie the Pooh” by A.A. Milne have been relished by children for decades. In the hands of a gifted author, animal characters assume human qualities and work out real life problems similar to those encountered by children. Since the characters are fictitious, children do not usually feel threatened.
Gregory Maguire writes such a story in the book “Cress Watercress.” Here we see a young rabbit struggling with the loss of her father and being separated from her home. Through the strength of her mother and her own courage, the young rabbit learns to face the problems in her life.
The family life is so secure. Mr. Watercress loves his family and takes good care of them. One day, he does not return from his work in the forest. He simply vanishes.
Mrs. Watercress knows many rabbits have disappeared when the people from the nearby city invade the forest. Frantically, she moves her two children, young Cress and baby Kip, deeper into the woods.
With very little money, the rabbits settle into the trunk of a split tree named Broken Arms. This is poverty level compared to their previous life. Cress is depressed because of the loss of her father and the run-down condition of their room in the tree.
Mr. Owl, the landlord, demands that the Watercress family pay him 10 dead moths a day to live at the bottom of the tree. To gather the moths, Cress and Mama Watercress must go into the forest and find moths. This is dangerous because foxes, snakes and a bear roam the forest seeking animals to eat. The foxes especially like rabbits.
But their life trials don’t end because of their sadness. To overcome their poverty, Mama begins making woven clothes for sale while Cress continues to go into the forest to find food for her family. The forest frightens Cress and the loss of her father crushes her.
In spite of this, Cress knows that she must keep living. She must go into the forest and overcome her fears. Finally, a critical day comes, and she must act. Mama and Kip need her. With little self-confidence and much fear, Cress leaves her home. Trembling inside, Cress digs deep inside herself. What happens?
Does Cress find what her family needs? How does she discover her courage? Have you ever faced an event that seemed impossible? What did you do? Why are friends such a big help in overcoming our fears? Who helps Cress? To find out, go to the library and check out this tender novel, “Cress Watercress” by Gregory Maguire.
This is a lovely story about facing your fears and overcoming painful events in the past. The illustrations by David Litchfield are marvelous. You just have to cheer for Cress as she addresses her fears and learns to cherish her father’s memory while moving ahead with her life.
This is a touching book that middle school readers will enjoy. I hope you get a chance to recommend it to the younger members of your family. Enjoy!
