A young boy grows up playing among the ash, oak, hickory, and maple trees that surround his home. He admires his father's basketmaking skills and anticipates the time when he will be allowed to join him on his monthly selling trip the big city. But the boy is unprepared for the taunts of "hillbilly" and "bushwhacker" he encounters there.

This poetic story captures a moment when a child becomes aware that the outside world doesn't view him or his family as he does. Embarrassed and ashamed, the boy questions his future as a basket-maker. He finds the answer in the sound of the wind blowing through those same trees around his home.

This coming-of-age story is illustrated by two-time Caldecott Medalist Barbara Cooney.

From the dust jacket