A family history in patches and stories

Summer evenings at Grandma’s house always end just the way Sadie likes – with Grandma tucking her in with the name quilt. As Sadie chooses from among the patchwork of hand-stitched names of generations of relatives, Grandma tells story after story – stories of hog-riding and hornets and Grandma’s own wedding. Then one summer day, a fierce storm comes on too quickly to get the washing off the line, and the quilt is blown away. That night, Sadie worries that more than just the quilt has disappeared, until Grandma shows her that all her favorite names and stories are more a part of Sadie than she knows.

Phyllis Root’s loving tribute to a bedtime ritual from her own childhood and Margot Apple’s intricate illustrations bring the story of Sadie and the name quilt to the page with just the right touch of humor and heart.