Review
In poetically simple words Lowry draws the
reader into her story about Littlest One, a trainee dream-giver,
assigned to the house of an elderly woman who agrees to foster
an "angry boy". Lowry shows us that it's possible to take on
big issues such as child abuse without having to resort to
gritty detail; instead she paints her story, not with a
sugar-coating, but with a gossamer touch so that young children
can empathize with the central characters, including the boy and
his mother, without being overwhelmed by harsh details. There
is much for children and adults to appreciate in this short but
surprisingly deep tale, and strong lessons to be learned about
the power of the human spirit to start again and find hope in
the littlest of things.
Beyond the Book
As a child, Lois Lowry moved with her
family all over the world (her father
was an army dentist) - as a result,
strong family ties and the leaving
behind of people and places are central
themes to much of her work.
When asked about the inspiration for
Gossamer she replies, "I'm so
interested, always, in how the bits and
pieces of our lives go together, how
they form a narrative, and how important
they are to us. My son died when his
little girl was not yet two. She's
twelve now, and she asks me often, ‘Tell
me stories about my dad when he was
little.' She giggles at...
