The Bedspread

By Sylvia Fair

Book Overview

Two elderly sisters embroider the house of their childhood at either end of a white bedspread, each as she remembers it, with results that surprise them. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688008771
• ISBN13: 9780688008772
• Release Date: January 1982
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.3" x 0.3" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

A beautiful, sweet story. Fun and unique.

Oh my goodness! This book was a favorite when I was little and I recently re-read it. I'm so glad I did! It was just as wonderful as my memory had made it out to be. The story is about two elderly, bed-ridden, sisters, one at each end of the same bed. One day the sisters get so tired of their plain white bedspread that they decide to needlepoint a picture. Each sister has half of the bedspread. They are each to needlepoint a picture of their childhood home. A safety pin is placed in the exact middle to separate the two halves, "so the bedspread will be symmetrical." Each day they work on another bit of the house, one day will be the walls, one day the roof, one day the garden. When they are finished they turn the bedspread around the sisters realize that the bedspread is not symmetrical at all! The two houses are entirely different! One sister's house is very neat and tidy, while the other's is vibrant and colorful. "I'd forgotten all my stitches," says the one sister, "I'd forgotten all the happiness," replies the other. I love this book! It always brings tears to my eyes, because the sisters, though very different, are obviously dear, dear friends, and the ending is so very sweet. The pictures, too, are perfect for the story. They are quite clever and intriguing. They remind me of the old Roald Dahl artwork from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Quentin Blake, but in beautiful and vibrant color! I highly recommend this - if you can find it. Sadly it's gone out of print, but there are used copies to be grabbed if you can find them. This is truly a classic, and I can only offer it the highest praise!

A Precious & Comical Point of View Story

Maud and Amelia are total opposites, except that they are both very old and cooped up together in a boring house, each on the end of an enormously long bed. Suddenly, they have a great idea: to embroider their huge white bedspread to add a little interest to their lives. Finally agreeing to sew their childhood house, they set to work, each in her own way. Amelia is prim and proper, remembering to make use of all the fancy needlework she learned years ago. Maud has forgotten exactly how to sew, but makes do creatively with old buttons, brass loops, and odds and ends of fabric. Maud's house turns into an enchanting jungle, with the ice cream man and the peacocks roosting on the roof, and plenty of crooked balconies and smoke-billowing chimneys. Amelia's is undoubtedly beautifully-stitched and wonderful to look at. In the end, the two switch sides to look at the other's work and are astounded at how differently they remembered and re-created their childhoods. I can certainly empathize with both sisters through this well-told, funny, warm-and-fuzzy story and beautiful illustrations.

My Favorite Children's Book, Still

I just recieved this book as a present from my parents for my graduation. This had been my favorite book as a child; every time I went to the library, I would search to find it, then ask my mom to read it to me. I identified with Maud as a four-year-old, and I still see the character in myself fourteen years later. I think this book instigated my desire to see both points of view to every circumstance and to see how people interpret the same situations. This book holds the most amazing story and illustrations.

Great for discussing different learning styles

This is a great book to use with Learning Styles and/or Left/Right brain. The two sisters embroider a bedspread with the same ideas but the results are totally different.

On the frequent reading list

Simple but detailed illustrations provide a focus for discussion about the story with young readers (and listeners) while the text itself can be read on multiple levels to keep even grandparents happy. A rare find in a children's book.