Darcy, from the day she was born has always been special and sees things that no one else can. Even the flight of a magpie flying over the buttercups makes her see gold instead of just flowers. When they are evicted, their home burned and forced to leave Ireland to come to America, Darcy is the one that hold the greatest surprise of all: the items (including a piece of their hearth) she has taken from their beloved home. Inspired by the life of Henry Ford, Darcy is a wonderful fictitious look at the power of the small beauties of life. Elvira Woodruff's amazing text and Adam Rex's beautiful illustrations make this a book to share with your own family making this a small beauty for your family.

Elvira Woodruff has written more than twenty picture books and novels for young readers, including Dear Levi: Letters from the Overland Trail,Dear Austin: Leters from the Underground Railroad,The Ghost of Lizard Light, and The Memory Coat, illustrated by Michael Dooling. The author lives in Martins Creek, PA.

"One day this child shall hold the very heart of our family in the palm of her hand," predicts Granny on the day Darcy Heart O'Hara is born in a cottage on Derry Lane, in the town of Pobble O'Keefe, in County Kerry, Ireland.

Darcy grows up to be a noticer, delighting in the small beauties all around her: a dew-covered spider web, castles in the clouds, a shiny wooden rosary bead. Life is simple but sweet in Pobble O'Keefe, with her family gathered round the hearth in the evenings while Granddad's voice fills the small room with stories. But in 1845, a blight strikes the land, the potatoes turn rotten, and Darcy and her family must leave Ireland forever. How will Darcy ever find a way to to bring the small beauties of home across the sea to America? Elvira Woodruff's story of emigration, heartbreak, and hope is vividly illustrated with the warm, evocative oil paintings of Adam Rex.

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Distributor: Random House, Inc.
Publication Date: 09-12-2006
Pages: 40
Measurements: 10.19in X 10.17in X .37in X .925lb