The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

Plot Summary:

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant is a humorous book not be the text, but by the illustrations. One family that is far way packs up and travels forever to visit their relatives that they haven’t seen in a while. When the relatives arrive, there hugging and kissing among the family members. The relatives seem to be crammed when the sleeping arrangements are assigned. The family ventures out together and spends quality time together as well. In the end, the relatives say their goodbyes and leave once again. The relatives travel yet again to their home town and the family awaits for next year when they visit once again.

Impression about the book:

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant and Illustrated by Stephen Gammell is a humorous picture book. The visual elements of this book exemplify the quality of a fine picture book. In The Relatives Came, the illustrations contain very curved lines. The author’s text is not intended to be funny, yet the illustrations are depicted humorously. The lines direct the viewer’s eyes to take note of the occurrences the characters carry out. The two-dimensional objects are represented in a simple fashion. The curved shapes are exhibited in the pages making the illustrations come to life.

Stephen Gammell uses warm values of hues with lightness in the colors of the illustrations. In The Relatives Came, the book contains smooth and soft textures.

In The Relatives Came, the illustrator does a fantastic job of unifying the author’s intention by humorously illustrating the text.

Reviews / Reviews Excerpts:

Due to the warm and funny illustrations, the story is more enjoyable. It allows the reader to connect with the book by triggering memories of their relatives or visitors from afar. This humorous story is a fantastic addition to any child’s library collection.

Suggestions for library use:

In The Relatives Came, many of us can relate to having guests come and visit our space. This funny story can help children who are apprehensive of their relative’s departure.