Ernestine, the young heroine of Back Home, and her great-aunt Odessa often ride the trolley to the railroad station to watch the trains from North Carolina come in. When Ernestine finally travels on a train to the place of her birth, everyone in her family sacrifices something to make her trip possible. Gloria Jean and Jerry Pinkney together depict family warmth as bright as sunshine. Full color.

Even though eight-year-old Ernestine lives with her family up North, "back home" is Lumberton, North Carolina, the place where she was born and where her mama grew up. From the moment she steps off the train, Ernestine feels right at home in the lush, green countryside, working on the family farm, and spending time with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. This nostalgic, sweetly humorous visit home--based on Gloria Pinkney's own childhood memories--is perfect for intergenerational sharing.

One of America's best-loved artists, Thomas Kinkade is known as the "Painter of Light¿." In his new book Family Traditions, Kinkade's beautiful paintings complement his own words and those of other great writers and thinkers, including Margaret Mead, Ben Franklin, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, to celebrate the bonds and traditions of family. Families keep us grounded with subtle reminders of our heritage and, at the same time, serve as a springboard to help us embark on new adventures. Our families provide love, support, and strength. Whatever our family tree looks like, Family Traditions recognizes the unbreakable ties and irreplaceable relationships we share with these special people in our lives, and reminds readers to "Make home a priority in life. Invest time and energy in creating a warm refuge for yourself and your family, a place where everyone can feel nurtured and cared for, safe and protected, free to be exactly who you are" (Thomas Kinkade).