Theirs is a world of mystery, a place apart. Where children dress
like miniature adults, where they speak Pennsylvania Dutch before
English (which they usually learn in first grade), where they are
entrusted with fieldwork and kitchen duty before they leave
elementary school, where they nearly always share three meals a day
with their parents and siblings (except lunch during the school
year). These are children who grow up without television, computers,
or telephones. But they know their grandparents intimately; the boys
can harness a horse and take their part in the twice-daily milking
operation; the girls can quilt, bake bread from scratch, and look
after their preschooler sisters and brothers. What is it like to be
an Amish child? With unforgettable photographs, Jerry Irwin shows
moments within the Amish community. Children overlooking the
barnraising, "scholars" (as the Amish refer to their
elementary-school-aged students) conferring with their teacher, Datt
(Pennsylvania Dutch for "Dad") leading a fishing expedition of
youngsters, sisters hosing down the buggy, a family at the school
picnic, a sister and brother pitching watermelons to Mamm
(Pennsylvania Dutch for "Mom"). The photography is immediate,
artistic, respectful. Phyllis Pellman Good provides interpretive
text, covering such themes as "Working At Home and Working Away,"
"Hope Chest Treasures," "Ceremonial Moments," "Belonging,"
"Visiting," and "Amish Childrens Lessons: Driving the Buggy and
Lighting the Lamps." Irwin is a freelance photographer who has
specialized in Amish subjects. He has had six books published. His
photographs have appeared in numerous magazines, including Sports
Illustrated, National Geographic, Country Journal, National
Geographic Traveler, Washington Post Magazine, Harrowsmith, and Geo.
Good has authored many articles and books, among them 20 Most Asked
Questions About the Amish and Mennonites (coauthored with her husband
Merle), From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens, and a childrens book
Plain Pigs ABCs: A Day on Plain Pigs Amish Farm. Phyllis and Merle
Good serve as executive directors of The Peoples Place, an
educational center exploring Amish faith and life, located in
Intercourse (Lancaster County), Pennsylvania.
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